By Iris Bassin
Since we have gotten to Israel our days have been jam packed. Wednesday afternoon my bus went on an archaeological dig in Beit Guvrin. Our experience at the dig was connected to the story of Hanukkah. We learned about how after the Maccabees took over the ancient city Maresha, the people originally living there fled to another area. To protect their belongings, they buried massive caves to store everything. We were able to climb down into one of the caves, which was surprisingly deep. We found pottery, bones, and charcoal. Every time someone would find a piece of pottery, the tour guide would share so much insight about all the information we could learn just from a little broken piece of pottery. The size, shape, and
color indicated what kind of food was eaten in the pottery. It felt like I was actually helping historians learn about the people that lived in the ancient city. It was so cool! After the dig, we went to the old city of Jaffa to have a great meal before heading off to bed. I had Shakshuka, which was the best I have ever had. Tomorrow we are heading to the desert, and I can’t wait! I’m excited to hike in the desert just like our biblical ancestors, swim in Eilat, and see David Ben Gurion’s grave. So far, it’s been a great trip!
