I leave for Israel tomorrow morning, Thurs 17 June. This trip has been planned for so long that I can hardly believe it's actually on the cusp of taking place!
The planning began more than a year and a half ago when I started putting together a request for my first-ever sabbatical. As of last month, May 2010, I've completed 8 academic years' service at Concordia Lutheran Seminary, which is more than enough to qualify me for six months' paid leave to engage in some sort of academically related work. As our president said, "You can't just drive around in your sports car for six months!" (Darn.)
And this, of course, is what I most want to do with this six-month gift of time: work and learn in Israel. So right from the beginning, this was the plan that my entire sabbatical is built around. And now it's about to begin.
Phase Onet: two weeks on my own, touring and learning. I hope to spend the first four days of that span in Jerusalem on foot, partly in the Old City and partly in the nearby areas which also include a lot of important antiquities. Then, four or five days driving to sites farther from Jerusalem, including a couple days' hiking in the vicinity of the Dead Sea and also in the Negev. Then a move to the north, with four days' staying at Kibbutz Ein Gev before the rest of the dig crew arrives. Again I'll be touring around, this time in the Galilee and Golan areas. If everything works out as planned, I'll be covering most of the country-- selected bits of it anyway-- from the very southern tip bordering on Egypt, to the very northern tip bordering on Lebanon.
Then, on Fri 2 July, phase two begins when the rest of our Canadian team arrives-- nine people this year, including Brenda. Three of these are sem students, who are taking E-573 Field Archaeology in conjunction with the work on the dig site. The other six are from the community at large. As usual, we've got a great range of ages and interests represented, from a first-year university student who's majoring in archaeology to a fit-as-a-fiddle retiree who's always wanted to go to Israel and now finally gets her chance. I can hardly wait to greet them at the Tel Aviv airport and watch them start to form into a cohesive group!
After those folks return to Canada on Sun 18 July, I'm staying on for another two weeks to finish out the dig season at Hippos. It's the first time I've been in a position to stay for the entire season, and I'm looking forward to the extra experiences this will afford-- not just more time with a shovel and bucket, but also a chance to see how the dynamics of the group change as more time goes by and the site becomes better-known. Within the two week spans I've spent on the site so far, there have already been noticeable changes as relationships and insights "mature," and I expect these changes to accelerate-- or at least continue-- as two weeks turn, this year, into four.
The third phase of my sabbatical takes place when I too am back in Canada. I've been invited to study and publish the glass finds arising from Hippos' North-East Church. Over the past academic year I've taken some initial steps toward doing this, but the bulk of the work lies ahead, and should keep me busy throughout the fall semester.
So overall, I don't think our president needs to worry overmuch about me idling around in my MG for six months. It's going to be a busy and productive-- but wonderful-- sabbatical, I'm sure.
So this posting is mostly just to let you know that I'm "back in business" once again, and will try to keep you up to date on my travels as often as I can. Finding a Net connection might be tricky for these first couple of weeks, but I'll blog when I can.
Thanks for following along-- enjoy the ride!
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