Israel - Jerusalem & Bethlehem -1

After their second week of digging, the group went to Jersualem & Bethlehem...but some of these pics were when the ATS group went to Jerusalem before the dig actually began.

Dome of the Rock (on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem).

JB at the Herodium...one of my favorite pics so far!

Tunnel at the Herodium.


Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.



Wall & guard tower separating Bethlehem from Israel.
(This wall was not here in 1997-98 when we lived in Israel.)

Israel - Jerusalem & Bethlehem Trip -2

More pics from the Jerusalem & Bethlehem trip.

ATS group in Jerusalem.

Mariah & Jared in Jerusalem.

John & Jason in Hezekiah's Tunnel.

Mariah & Jared in Hezekiah's Tunnel.

Israel - Dead Sea area trip

On the weekends, the group doesn't work at Tel Gezer, but goes on trips to see other parts of Israel. After their first week of work, they went to the Dead Sea area and visited a number of places including Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found), Masada, etc.

Sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.

JB in front of the Mediterranean Sea.

JB at Qumran (Cave 4).

JB at Be'er Sheva.

JB & others at Tel Arad.

Israel - Tel Gezer 1

Every morning they take a "fruit break."

Here is JB at fruit break...he is very hot & dirty from working all morning!

Pillars at Tel Gezer.

At the Tel, the digging is done in squares. Each square is excavated about 6 inches at a time.

Israel - Tel Gezer 2

A house they are working on at the dig.

Mariah & James doing detail work.

James working. Pillars being uncovered in the foreground.

The dump where dirt from the dig is being put over the side of the tel.

It was 10 feet higher a week after they started using it!

Israel - JB's Room

Shower

The other part of the room where 2 other men from his group sleep.

Outside Porch

View to Porch

This is JB's part of the room. He had it to himself for the first 2 weeks, but now shares it.

Dublin

On October 31 we went to Dublin, Ireland for a long weekend. We had a wonderful time with our friends Ben & Wenhua. They showed us all around the city. They live in a beautiful Georgian house in a nice section of the city. From their front windows you can see the "Irish Hills" and they are about a 30 minute walk from the city centre. We had such a fun weekend! Here are a few pictures...

This is inside St Stephen's Green Park.

A boat in one of the Grand Canal locks. Ben said they have never seen a boat in a lock the whole time they've lived there!

The Castle

This is a unique building going up along the River Liffey

Immigration building...John's great grandfather probably came through here.