Digging In: Back in the Trenches

Over the past year, biblical archaeology, like many fields and professions, has thankfully seen a gradual return to the familiar rhythms of pre-pandemic life. Scholars are again meeting at conferences to present their latest findings, BAR readers and archaeology enthusiasts are once again traveling to BAS seminars and taking part in overseas study tours, and now, for the second year in a row, archaeologists will be back in the field, unearthing remarkable finds from the biblical past.

There is therefore a welcome and refreshing comfort in introducing our Spring issue, which by tradition is when BAR highlights volunteer opportunities for the upcoming summer dig season in Israel, Jordan, and elsewhere. In addition to seeing what sites are being excavated this season, you can also read about a few sites “off the beaten path” and why they have just as much archaeology to offer as better-known biblical sites and cities.