Teaching excavation in ancient Tiberias

02.06.2022

The joint excavation project between the Hebrew University and the German Protestant Institute of Archeology was scheduled to begin in 2021, but it had to be postponed for a year due to entry restrictions during the pandemic. Then, in February 2022, the time had finally come: with the active support of students from the Hebrew University, the School of Jewish Theology in Potsdam and the Theologische Hochschule Neuendettelsau, as well as volunteers from all parts of Germany, the project could get started.

The goal of the project, jointly led by Dr. Katia Cytryn (Hebrew University) and Assist.-Prof. Katja Soennecken (GPIA Jerusalem & LSRS Luxembourg), is to further explore the ancient center of Tiberias. Special attention is given to the religious significance the city had not only for Judaism, but also for Christianity and Islam.

While the mosque and church have already been excavated, there is still no trace of the at least 13 synagogues described in written sources.

In one excavation area (M 5), a wall presumably from the Crusader period was discovered, which in construction and size rather indicates a small fortress. This represents a great surprise, if not a small sensation, for the history of the city; because until now it was always assumed that the city in the Crusader period had been located exclusively further north and did not extend so far south.
In the last days of the campaign, the Cardo, the main road of Roman and Byzantine Tiberias running from north to south, was discovered, as well as corresponding traces of settlements of the period. Thus, the location of the main axis of the ancient city is known and the planning of further campaigns is taking shape: the area west of the Cardo and on an axis with the church located east of it, would be the theoretically ideal place for the settlement of synagogues of the city. 

In 2023 there will be another campaign from the middle of February to the middle of March – and students will have the opportunity to participate.

Photo at the right: Overview of the excavation area M 5 with Crusader wall and Roman cardo © DEI/New Tiberias Project