Bethsaida Excavations Resume in 2011

The Bethsaida excavation season for 2011 will resume next summer with two sessions. The dates are:

May 22 - June 4

June 12 - June 25

See the project website for details.

Read the weekly account of the Bethsaida excavations, composed while excavations were underway!

2010 Season is Full!

I am both sorry and pleased to announce that my special two-week session of the 2010 Bethsaida Season is now full. Twenty-five volunteers makes this the largest single group to participate since pre-9/11 days, attesting to the fact that people are resuming their lives and forging ahead to explore the exciting world around us! If you did not get to participate this year, you may contact me at and be among the first to sign up for the 2011 Season!

2010 Brochure and Application: Session II

The Bethsaida Excavations Project 2010 Season brochure and application materials for Session II are now available for download at http://www.nicolaeroddy.net. This special two-week session will depart the U.S. on June 12. For additional details, contact me at nroddy@creighton.edu. Note: Some non-U.S. volunteers may be eligible for a discounted participation fee.

Bethsaida 2010

The dates for Dr. Nicolae Roddy's expedition for the Bethsaida 2010 Season are June 13-June 28. Extensive sightseeing is planned for the weekends and the three-week opportunity will finish up with a couple of nights on Jerusalem's Old City. After being on sabbatical for 2009, Dr. Roddy is more enthusiastic than ever about returning for the 2010 Season! Several persons have already expressed their excited commitment to participate this summer. For additional information, go to www.nicolaeroddy.net and click on the Bethsaida Excavations Project button or the Bethsaida logo, or contact Dr. Roddy at nroddy@creighton.edu.

New! The Virtual World Project Blog

The Virtual World Project, available at http://www.virtualworldproject.org, allows visitors to take audio tours of Bethsaida and several other sites throughout Israel/Palestine and Jordan. Also, check out the new VWP Blog, available at http://virtualworldproject.blogspot.com/ to see recent additions to the site.

Bethsaida 2008 Season. Session Two

Session Two of the Bethsaida 2008 Season closed with great success. Excavations were carried out in Area A (IA II) and Area C (Hellenistic-Roman). In addition to uncovering architecture at both levels, finds included a figurine, assorted coins, and a number of domestic items like loom weights and bone awls. I was pleased to have an incredibly productive and collegial (read "fun-loving") group of participants this year.

Special mention is due to a couple of experienced graduate student volunteers who learned the ropes and served as assistant supervisors in performing daily duties of recording, mapping, taking elevations, etc., namely, Ms Alexandra Untu, M.A., from the Faculty of Letters at the University of Bucharest (5th from right), and Mr. Richard Newton, of the Perkins School of Theology at SMU (far right). I am also greatly indebted to my daughter, Aurelia Roddy, 16 (10th from right), who during this, her third consecutive year digging at Bethsaida, assumed a leadership role in tending to the affairs of student volunteers, thereby reducing my usual workload significantly!

I will be on sabbatical next year, so while I will probably will spend some time in the Middle East in connection with the Virtual World Project (www.virtualworldproject.org), I will not be organizing a group for Bethsaida. But start making plans now to join me at Bethsaida in 2010!

The Bethsaida Excavation Season

Read the weekly accounts of the ongoing excavation at Bethsaida!