A PICTURE OF TEL AVIV FROM THE JAFFA PORT.  WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO THE AIRPORT.

 LEAVING ISRAEL.

 TEL AVIV TO JFK, NEW YORK AND NEW YORK TO SALT LAKE CITY.  THE FIRST FLIGHT WAS 11 HOURS AND THE SECOND FLIGHT WAS 4 1/2 HOURS.  

 FINALLY IN SALT LAKE CITY.

 ALL OF OUR LUGGAGE MADE IT!

WHAT A GREAT ADVENTURE WITH MY NEW FRIEND HILA.   I LOVED "DIG IT IN ISRAEL" AND WANT TO GO BACK AGAIN.  I HOPE HILA CAN COME TO SALT LAKE CITY TO VISIT ME SOMEDAY.  

I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED SO HARD TO HELP ME ON THIS BLOG, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU.

 ONE OF THE 7 WORKING GATES OF OLD JERUSALEM.  LOOK AT THE AMAZING TURKISH STYLE OF BUILDING.  THIS IS TRULY AN IMPRESSIVE GATE TO WALK THROUGH.

THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH BUILT ON THE PALESTINIAN SIDE OF JERUSALEM LOOKING OVER THE DOME OF THE ROCK.  THIS CHURCH SHINES SO BRIGHTLY IN THE SUNLIGHT. 

 ANOTHER MAGNIFICENT VIEW OF THE WALL OF OLD JERUSALEM.

 PALESTINIAN NEIGHBORHOOD.

 THIS IS A PARTIAL VIEW OF GOLGOTHA WHERE JESUS CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED BY THE ROMANS AND WHERE MANY PEOPLE WHERE STONED TO DEATH BY THE JEWS THROWING STONES FROM ABOVE.

THIS IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE GARDEN TOMB WHERE THEY LAID CHRIST'S BODY FOLLOWING HIS CRUCIFIXION.

 THIS IS THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE WHERE JESUS PRAYED AND TOOK ON THE SINS OF THE WORLD BEFORE HE WAS CRUCIFIED.   THESE OLIVE TREES ARE BELIEVED TO BE OVER 2000 YEARS OLD.  

 ASHLEY STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE BYU JERUSALEM CENTER OVERLOOKING THE CITY.

THIS IS THE ROAD TO BEIT LEHI, THE DIG IT IN ISRAEL DIG SITE. 

 NOTICE THE TERRACING  OF OLD WALLS BENEATH THE GRASS.

 PILES OF SLEEPING BAGS OF THE ISRAELI  STUDENTS WHO CAME TO THE BEIT LEHI SITE.

OPEN AIR TENTS OFFER NICE SHADE BECAUSE  IT'S REALLY HOT OUTSIDE.

 TAKING A BREAK.

 LET'S GET TO WORK.

 ANOTHER HOLE TO EXPLORE.

 A VERY LARGE PIECE OF POTTERY ASHLEY FOUND AND DUG OUT WHILE IN THE HOLE.

 THE END OF THE DAY.  GOODBYE TO BEIT LEHI.  WE HAD SO MUCH FUN EXPLORING AND FINDING NEW RELICS WHILE WORKING AT THE SITE.

A SHORT VISIT TO JAFFA ONE OF THE OLDEST PORTS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN.

Today's trivia question Wed 8th

How many wives can a Bedouin Sheik have?

ANSWER:

A BEDOUIN SHEIK CAN HAVE 4 WIVES.

THE DEAN, ASSISTANT DEAN, PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS FROM UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY CAME TO WORK AT THE DIG SITE 20 MILES SOUTH OF JERUSALEM.

 THEY CAME TO FILM AND MAP THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG SITE.

HERE THEY ARE CARRYING THEIR CAMERA AND MEASUREMENT EQUIPMENT.

 EVERYONE WORKED VERY LONG DAYS.

 ASHLEY AND HILA ARE RECORDING A SEGMENT IN THE COLUMBARIUM.

 THE CAMPSITE AND BEIT LEHI.

 THE VALLEY BELOW, NOTICE THE ANCIENT WALLS UNDERNEATH THE GRASS.  

 THE COLUMBARIUM WHERE THOUSANDS OF DOVES WOULD LIVE.    THIS IS A COOL UNDER GOUND CAVE AND IS QUITE COMFORTABLE.

 THE DOVES WOULD FLY IN FROM ABOVE AND ROOST INTHE TRIANGLE NICHES IN THE WALL.

 HILA AND ASHLEY CATCHING UP.

 LUNCH FOR THE LOCAL CREW.

END OF THE DAY!

 EVERYDAY LIFE IN OLD JERUSALEM, AT THE WAILING WALL.

 SHOPPING IN THE MARKETS

 SO MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS TO BUY.

 SPICES FROM ALL OVER THE AREA FOR SALE.

 THE FOOD MARKET.

 A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE DOME OF THE ROCK.

 MASADA, WHERE KING HEROD BUILT HIS HIDEAWAY BY THE DEAD SEA.

 VESSELS THAT CONTAINED WINE, FOOD, FRUITS AND GRAIN MARKED FOR KING HEROD.  THEIR ODD SHAPE WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR SHIPPING PURPOSES.  THEY WOULD FIT SNUGGLY IN A CUT HOLE FOR THE JAR TO BE NESTLED IN AND THEN WHEN THE SHIP ROCKED, THE JARS WOULD NOT ROLL AROUND AND BREAK.

 A FANTASTIC EXAMPLE OF ANCIENT GLASS WORK.  1ST CENTURY BCE - EARLY 1ST CENTURY AD.  GLASS VESSELS LIKE THESE WERE VERY COMMON IN THE AUGUSTAN PERIOD AND WERE PROBABLY USED AT HEROD'S ROMAN STYLE BANQUETS.

 THIS IS A MINIATURE REPLICA OF THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM WHILE KING HEROD LIVED.  THERE IS A WALL WITHIN A WALL.

 THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF KING HEROD'S WALL ART.  THEY WERE PAINTED WITH BEAUTIFUL COLORS AND PATTERNS.  WHAT A TREASURE TO SEE THE OLD PAINT SO VIVIDLY.

 NOT ONLY WHERE THERE PAINTED WALLS BUT ORNATE STONE CARVINGS AND PLASTER CARVINGS OF FLOWERS, BIRDS, ANIMALS, DESIGNS OR WHAT EVER WAS POPULAR FOR THE DAY.

 KING HEROD HAS AN EMENSE PALACE.

 THIS IS A RECONSTRUCTION OF KING HEROD'S SARCOPHAGUS, HIS BURIAL COFFIN.

 HERE IS A PLACE WHERE THEY LAY OUT THE THOUSANDS OF RELICS TO TRY AND PIECE THEM TOGETHER SO THE MUSEUM CAN PUT TOGETHER SUCH AMAZING COLLECTIONS FOR ALL OF THE WORLD TO ENJOY.

 KING HEROD'S BATHTUB AND TILED FLOOR.   THE TUB IS CARVED FROM 1 PIECE OF STONE.

REMNANTS FROM A SARCOPHAGUS AND BUILDING FINIALS.