Lee Students Return From Israel Dig

  • Friday, September 12, 2014
  • Britain Miethe, Lee University

A group of students from Lee University participated in a tour of Israel, as well as a subsequent archaeological dig. This dig led to the discovery of a 16th-century scarab, just one year after a 15th-century scarab was found at the same site. Dr. Brian Peterson, assistant professor of Old Testament at Lee, traveled with the group as faculty sponsor.

Twenty-four students went on the tour of Israel with Dr. Peterson, and seven stayed on for the archeological dig. After the tour, five more Lee students joined Dr. Peterson and the other seven. The dig took place at Khirbet el-Maqatir, a site located in the region of biblical Benjamin. The purpose of the dig location is to look for the city of Ai, as described in the biblical account of Joshua chapters 7 and 8. 

The Associates for Biblical Research started working at this specific dig location in 1995, excepting the years of 2000-2008 during the First Intifada, with Dr. Peterson joining their dig team in 2010. This year was a productive one for Lee students, with some historic relics unearthed in the designated “dig zone.” 

“Our students are some of the hardest workers I have ever had the privilege to work with,” said Dr. Peterson. “The ABR dig staff has nothing but praise for their work ethic and spiritual maturity. We continue to find some of the most interesting and important artifacts in Israeli archaeology.” 

According to Dr. Peterson, the most prestigious find of this year’s dig was a scarab, thought to be from the Hyksos period, found by Bradley LaChapell. 

“Each dig site undergoes a careful and time-consuming process of uncovering ruins that date back to biblical times in order to support the biblical text,” said Mr. LaChapell. “Entering into the archaeological dig at the site of Ai, I had the opportunity to be a participant in such a vital process as biblical archaeology.” 

This find comes one year after a first scarab, named by Christianity Today as the most important biblical archeological find of 2013, was discovered at the sight by a member of Dr. Peterson’s crew who joined the team from the Mid-west. 

Egyptian scarab pendants, which originated with the Egyptians, were designed in reverence to their devotion to the dung beetle and sun god. According to Dr. Peterson, the beetle would cover its food with dung and roll it with its legs; the Egyptians believed this motion was associated with the movement of the sun across the sky, therefore proclaiming their devotion to the sacred dung beetle. Worn by the upper class, scarab pendants were used to seal scrolls and represent a life of good luck and fertility. 

Other relics uncovered this year by Lee students include a Roman die, found by Cameron Hunter; a first-century Roman cooking pot, found by Jodie Rice; and the head of a potentially Amorite-era figurine, found by Madison Vaught. 

“I was able to become acquainted with scholars from around the world, not necessarily Bible scholars, but all interested in biblical research,” said Ms. Vaught. “Our discoveries, as well as those of surrounding dig squares, provided compelling evidence that we were digging in the site of Joshua’s Ai.” 

Dr. Peterson completed his doctoral studies at Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto. He earned master’s degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Beeson Divinity School, and received a bachelor’s in biblical studies from Zion Bible College. 

The students involved in the trip were Valerie Bright, Haylie Daniels, Rachel Gaby, Daniel Glover, Hunter, LaChapell, Blake McGrath, Ms. Rice, Kory Vance, Ruth Vanderford, Ms. Vaught and Vincent Williams. 

Dr. Peterson plans to lead another trip to Israel in May 2015. For more information on the trip, contact Dr. Peterson at bpeterson@leeuniversity.edu or 303-5121. 

Jodie Rice posing with the Roman cooking pot she discovered; An overhead shot of the Lee dig square; a picture of the Israel group; and Kory Vance, Daniel Glover and Vincent Williams removing debris from their square.

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