1139-1140 The Temple Mount Sifting Project

On our 25th Anniversary Holyland Study Tour earlier this year we did something that we haven't done on our earlier tours, we actually did some archaeology. On our free day in Jerusalem, ten of us made our way to the Emek Tzurim Park on Mt. Scopus to participate in the sifting of the dirt that was removed from the Temple Mount in 1999.

Before we started sifting the dirt we were briefed on the history of the Temple Mount and the background of the sifting project by a member of the project crew.

These two programs come from the informational briefing that preceded our hands-on sifting. What did we find? Well, nothing that will revolutionize archaeology: a couple of coins, some Roman glass, a few rusty nails, some mosaic tesserae, and of course. But we did have a unique, hands-on experience and joined in the camaraderie with other volunteers who have participated in the same project.

Tour Note: The website with reports of our 2008 Book & the Spade Tour, written by tour members, is finally online.