About Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology

The Institute was established in 2010, with its primary objectives being to advance archaeological research in the Galilee, engage in excavations and surveys, publish scientific findings from these endeavors, produce theoretical articles, and host researcher meetings. The Institute also places great importance on presenting its research to the wider public, including youth, and organizes lectures and conferences open to the general public.

Institute fellows:

Prof. Mordechai Aviam – Archaeologist

Prof. Chaim Ben David – Archaeologist

Prof. Jacob Ashkenazi – Historian

Dr. Zvika Gal – Archaeologist

Dr. Dina Shalem – Archaeologist

Dr. Danny Sion – Archaeologist and Numismatist

Dr. Mechael Osband – Archaeologist

Dr. Eran Meir – Archaeologist

Dr. Hayah Katz – Archaeologist

Dr. Ram Bouchnick – Archaeozoologist

Dr. Achia Kohn-Tavor – Archaeologist

Mr. Yehoshua (Yeshu) Dray – Conservation, Laboratories

Ms. Ilana Gonen – Archaeologist

Mr. Aharoni Amitai – Archaeologist

Ms. Yardena Alexander – Archaeologist

Mr. Ofer Stein – Historical-Geographer

Excavations and Surveys

The Institute has conducted and continues to carry out archaeological excavations across the northern region. Notable projects include:

• A Byzantine-era monastery in Karmiel, excavated with the participation of high school students from Karmiel and the Arab village of Arraba as part of a joint Jewish-Arab youth initiative.
• Excavations at Khirbet Beza, located in the Segev region, where remnants of a Jewish village from the Mishnaic period were uncovered with the help of students from the University of Miami.
• Another excavation was carried out at the remains of a monastery in Shavei Zion. These excavations were conducted under the academic sponsorship of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa.

In 2010 and 2013, the Institute excavated Roman-period structures at Tel Rekhesh, as part of an excavation project led by Japanese universities. Since 2012, the Institute has collaborated with Samford University in Alabama and the Christian University of Kentucky at the ancient Jewish village of Shikhin, near Sepphoris.

In the summer of 2014, a “survey excavation” was conducted at the site of El-Araj (Beth Ha-Bek) on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Ancient Israel, affiliated with several evangelical universities in the United States. This excavation included students and faculty members. Since the summer of 2016, full-scale excavations have been carried out at Beth Ha-Bek, uncovering a sugar production factory from the Crusader period, a Byzantine church and monastery, and a Jewish village from the Roman period, identified as Bethsaida.

Additionally, the Institute has completed surveys of four ancient Jewish cemeteries in the Galilee: Sepphoris, Be’er Sheva of the Galilee, Kfar Hanania, and Huqoq.

Conferences and Workshops

The Institute organizes researcher conferences, starting with the first conference titled “Fortresses and Strongholds in Northern Israel – From the Canaanites to the IDF,” which was highly successful. The Institute also hosted the annual meeting of the Byzantine Studies Association.

In 2017, the Institute held an international conference on “Clay Oil Lamps in the Eastern Roman Empire – Production, Trade, and Art.” A few years ago, the Institute hosted a meeting of the Society for the Study of Eretz Israel and Its Antiquities, under the theme of 100 Years Since the First Hebrew Excavation by Slouschz at the Synagogue in Hammath Tiberias. This gathering focused on ancient synagogues.

For several years, the Institute has conducted a “Galilean Archaeology Researchers’ Workshop,” where over twenty Galilean scholars from colleges, universities, and the Israel Antiquities Authority meet monthly to delve into various topics.

Researchers from the Institute also actively participate in conferences and workshops both in Israel and internationally.

Publications

In 2013, the Institute began the renewed publication of the series “Land of Galilee” (“ארץ הגליל”), dedicated to publishing articles and excavation reports on Galilean sites.

• That year, the second volume, “Land of Galilee 2: Peqiin, Late Chalcolithic Burial Site, Upper Galilee, Israel”, was published, authored by Zvi Gal, Dina Shalem, and Howard Smithline (z”l).
• In 2015, “Land of Galilee 3: From Christian Tower to Fortress City: Fortresses and Strongholds in Northern Israel from the Canaanites to the IDF”, edited by Mordechai Aviam, was released.
• In 2018, “Land of Galilee 4: Leviah: An Early Bronze Age Fortified Town in the Megalithic Landscape of the Golan”, authored by Yitzhak Paz, was published.
• In 2019, “Land of Galilee 5: Between Sea and Desert: On Kings, Nomads, Cities, and Monks, Studies in Honor of Joseph Patrich”, edited by Orit Peleg-Barkat and colleagues, was released.
• In 2020, “Land of Galilee 6: The Land of Lost Villages: Survey of Map Shomera (3)”, authored by Mordechai Aviam and Dina Shalem, was published.
• In 2024, the book “The Ancient Water System of Sepphoris”, authored by Tsvika Tsuk, was released.

The next planned publication will be the preliminary report on the first five excavation seasons at Beit HaBek.

International Collaborations

The Institute has established academic and research cooperation agreements with several international institutions, including Humboldt University in Berlin, Evangelical universities in the United States, Samford University in Alabama, and the Christian Theological College in Denmark.

As part of these collaborations, professors and students travel to Israel to participate in the study and research of the Galilee and its history. Likewise, researchers from the Institute deliver lectures abroad, strengthening international ties and academic exchange.