Day One of Survey

Last night after Dinner we had a "training/informative" meeting about the methodology of survey in archaeology. I'll sum up what we were told at the meeting:

There are two teams, Red and Blue. We will be transversing field surrounding Gezer, mainly to the north and northwest looking for material culture and features. We will be walking in lines, separated by 5 meters. As we walk the field each person will carry 10 flags to stake at features or pottery scatters or something else of interest. Once we have walked our transect the team will go back and draw, measure, collect pottery, identify the different flags. When we get back to Neve Shalom at night we will fill out official paperwork and attach pictures. All of this will then be collected as a huge report and handed over to the IAA ( Israeli Antiquities Authority).

This morning we practiced doing our transects and its not as easy as it sounds. There are huge huge boulders, large nasty weeds and bumpy terrain to get through ( while staying in a straight line). We have to be on the lookout for caves and tombs since sometimes you can't see them due to the overgrown brush. We located several things today such as two big wine vats, an olive press, two tombs, and some pottery.

This afternon we have a team meeting ( Adam and I are on Blue 2) to get our paperwork done, then a lecture on material culture and the findings from last years survey, and then at 6 a lecture from the guy who dug out the water system at Beer Sheva and who is currently working on the water system at Gezer.

I hope to post some pictures soon since I have already taken several dozen ( whats new right?).

Prayer-One of our guys got pretty sick off of Jerusalem Swarma yesterday .

Prayer for the sweet sweet people who run Neve Shalom.

Prayer for our Jewish friend Amos, who helps us in the field, that he would see Christ

for who He is really is.

Everyday safety.

Prayer for the spouses who couldn't come and the husbands who are here missing them like crazy.

To leave you with, Israel is just as breathtaking as I remember and it seems like everything is in bloom here. We took a tea break in the middle of an apricot orchard this morning and picked apricots to eat. There is a breeze here at night and we think it may be cooler than last year.