ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 20, 1996 TAG: 9601220006
SECTION: RELIGION PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID BRIGGS ASSOCIATED PRESS
In his first volunteer stint on an archaeological dig in Israel, Kenneth Atkinson was given a job where he could do little harm: lifting large stones inside a synagogue.
Within hours on his first day, Atkinson uncovered 135 Roman coins dating back as early as the fourth century in the dig at Meroth in Upper Galilee.
Some 10 excavations later, and having graduated to a supervisory role on digs, Atkinson said he finds the work ``still just as exciting as the first day.''
There is something special about ``uncovering something new, seeing something for the first time in thousands of years,'' says Atkinson, now a doctoral candidate in Hebrew Bible and post-biblical literature at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Fortunately for would-be archaeologists who would like to be part of unearthing the history of the biblical lands, there are plenty of opportunities. The January-February issue of the Biblical Archaeology Review lists more than two dozen digs where volunteers are welcomed. The magazine also provides extensive information on the work being done, accommodations, college credits and whom to contact.
Among the opportunities available: At Banias in northern Galilee, volunteers can help uncover a first-century Roman city that Jesus once visited.
At Ashkelon, a major seaport of the Canaanites and Philistines from 3000 B.C. to 604 B.C. and a site frequently mentioned in the Bible by David and Jeremiah, archaeologists will be working on continuing to expose the massive city gateway and the architecture of the major residential zone of the site along the Mediterranean coast 30 miles south of Tel Aviv.
For volunteers who desire a less demanding introduction to archaeological excavation, BAR reports the Israel Archaeological Society offers the alternative of joining a dig in Jerusalem's Old City and touring other parts of the Near East.
For all the glamour of an important find, much of the archaeological work can be physically demanding and requires the patience to go for long periods without discovering anything of significance.
Atkinson said that a typical day at a dig can mean getting up at 3 or 4 a.m. to begin work at daybreak to avoid the midday heat. And some volunteers find the work - such as digging, filling and dumping wheelbarrows, and lifting stones - too physical.
``In many ways, it's a lot like construction work. It's very physical,'' he said.
Along with the hard work, however, there are educational opportunities offered at the excavations. Many digs feature evening lectures and field trips to other sites.
And what makes it exciting is the element of chance involved, not knowing what lies under the next shovelful of dirt, under the next stone or around the next corner.
Still, if it all seems somewhat intimidating, one might also keep in mind that some of the greatest archaeological finds were made with a little help from nonhuman participants, Atkinson reported in an article in BAR.
For example, it was his pursuit of a goat that led a Bedouin herdsman to discover the first Dead Sea Scrolls in the winter of 1946-47.
Then, in the ensuing race between scholars and tribesmen to discover more of the priceless scrolls, a Bedouin hunter remembered chasing a wounded partridge into a cave. A subsequent search of the area revealed the largest collection of Dead Sea Scrolls ever found, Atkinson reported.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 linesby CNB