Tel Gezer Discoveries & Mysteries

My trip to Israel is coming to a close and it appears there will be several mysteries left to solve. We have been digging in an ancient tunnel and the experts are trying to determine its nature and purpose. It is awesome to be part of such a project as it is one of the most important archaeological digs in Israel at this time. I'm looking forward to what will be discovered in the coming years, but here's what I've been up to for three weeks...

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The tunnel goes down at an angle into the earth for about half of a football field, so far. It may go further. Somehow, it connects to a large cavern behind it that extends further back. The tunnel is arched and about two stories high one story wide. The steps are worn and pigeons have made their nests throughout. Like bats, they suddenly fly out when you descend the tunnel.

We are currently cleaning out dirt, mud, and rock from the bottom to try to find the end of the steps. We are doing the digging by hand, but fortunately a hoist helps bring up large bags of the debris for us where they are then transferred to a crane that lifts them out.

Walking down the steps to access the opening of the tunnel.

Looking down the tunnel from the top. The white sandbags are used to even out the steps.

Brushes, picks, and dust pans help clean away the debris and reveal ancient finds.

We've also gotten to do some more careful archaeology within another structure on the site. That was something I enjoyed. We collected pottery and bones, and we looked for ancient walls. The process reminds me of police work. There is a chain of custody and careful marking and photography of the finds. Of course, in such an ancient land you quickly find that ancient pottery litters the ground like seashells litter the beach.

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The ancient city of Gezer, mentioned multiple times in the Old Testament, was an important city along a major trade route. The Canaanites who lived there were impressive builders and were obviously difficult to oust from their perch, that is until Egypt. Tel Gezer (what it's called today) is no longer occupied, but it has many remains that are visible.

A structure that is adjacent to the tunnel and our team dug this area and discovered some cool things.

Solomon's Gate at Gezer (1 Kings 9:16-19). Built after Egypt defeated the Canaanites at Gezer.

Canaanite standing stones. Possibly a place of worship. The stones are lined up from North to South.

"Canaanite Tower"

The best part of Tel Gezer is the folks I've gotten to know here. God has used them over the last three weeks in my life. We've had fun. We've worked hard, then worked hard some more. We've shared jokes and testimonies. Some have encouraged me more than they know in my walk and ministry with Christ. Unfortunately, not everyone was available for the shot below. I'm thankful for God blessing me with this journey and the opportunity to work alongside these awesome folks.

Photo by Gary Meyers

Photo by Rex Butler