|
The Jewish National Fund offers a program for integrating youth groups from around the world in archeological digs |
|
|
The program is designed for participants in youth movements, and will include archeological digs to uncover Bar Kokhba's tunnels and Jewish graves from the time of the Second Temple in the ancient village of Etri. The ruins of the village of Etri were uncovered in the Adulam Park near Moshav Tzafririm. During the digs, a cave used for hiding during the first Jewish-Roman War and the Bar Kokhba revolt were uncovered, as well as chapters from the history of Jewish settlements in the region, including the lifestyle and occupation of the inhabitants. Among other things, the digs revealed the village's living area, public buildings, coins from the Bar Kokhba revolt era, a Mikveh (a ritual bath), wine presses, an hiding cave which was used by the people participating in the Bar Kokhba revolt and later converted by the Romans to a burial chamber, and complex underground systems. Recently, the Jewish National Fund and the Israel Antiquities Authority initiated and held seminar at this place. During the seminar, a plan enabling youth groups and students from around the world will be able to volunteer and perform archeological digs in the site was revealed to the participants.
The Adulam region is sprawled over an area of 50,000 dunam between Kibbutz Giv'at Yishayahu, Moshav Tzafririm and Kibbutz Nehusha. This area is impressive with its beauty, and includes round hills covered with Mediterranean groves separated by narrow valleys that were used in the past and are still used today as vineyards. The Etri ruin is located at the heart of the park, and during 1999-2000, rescue excavations were performed on the site, as well as work to prepare it for visitors. From the south it can be reached through Kiryat Gat through Beit Shemesh from the north.
|
|
