1188-1189 Luke Chandler: Volunteer at Khirbet Qeiyafa

Since we started doing this weekly program 26 and a half years ago, we have continually encouraged our listeners to get involved and do archaeology themselves. On occasion we have talked with some who have actually volunteered, and that's what these two programs are about. Luke Chandler has a blog where he's written about his excavation experience this past summer at Khirbet Qeiyafa, otherwise known as the Elah Fortress. And since that's probably where I would have gone had I chosen to work on an excavation this summer, clearly one of the most important digs now underway, I decided I'd like to talk with him about his experiences. So, listen to the programs, read the blogs, and experience what digging was like at Khirbet Qeiyafa during the summer of 2009.

Uncovering history can be a very transcendant experience. Describing what it was like to open up the second city gate of Khirbet Qeiyafa (most cities had only one gate), Luke told me: "After moving a lot of the stones and making it somewhat passable, I went inside to get a break with my co-worker. And it occurred to me as we were going through the gate, that we were the first two people to pass through that gate in well over 2,000 years."

For another perspective on archaeology and volunteerism, check out the Jerusalem Post article on the Ramat Rachel excavation.