The University of South Florida Excavations at Sepphoris in 2002 Have been cancelled. Watch this page for further announcements. Sepphoris, a major Roman and Byzantine city only four air miles from Nazareth, was first excavated for one season in 1931 by the University of Michigan. It has been under excavation since 1983 by the University of South Florida Excavations at Sepphoris under the direction of James F. Strange. The Associate Directors are Thomas R.W. Longstaff, Crawford Family Professor of Religious Studies at Colby College in Waterville, Maine and Dennis E. Groh, Professor of Humanities and Archaeology and Chaplain at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. The Assistant Director/Field Archaeologist is C. Thomas McCollough of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. Sepphoris remained a loyal Roman city of largely Jewish population through the First and Second Jewish Revolts against Rome. In the second century CE it took the name Diocaesarea and became a great Jewish intellectual center. Judah the Prince lived at Sepphoris the last seventeen years of his life beginning about 203 CE and edited the Mishnah there. In the fourth century there was an attempt to build a church at Sepphoris. Later, Marcellinus, Bishop and Patriarch of Diacaesarea, participated in the Council of Jerusalem in 518 AD. A lintel stone with Greek inscription from his church has been found. From ancient literary notices we know that Sepphoris had a theater, ten synagogues, several churches, a Council Chamber, an Archive, two market places, temples, a city wall, a mint (Sepphoris minted its own coins), an extensive aqueduct system, and a cemetery. In our excavations since 1983 we have established a date for the founding of the citadel or tower at the acropolis and have excavated a Jewish villa (first partially excavated by the University of Michigan in 1931), a bathing establishment, and an enormous market building or basilica with stunning mosaics built in the first century CE and going out of use in the middle of the fourth century CE. Two sessions were planned for 2002. Unfortunately the uncertainties created by national and international events together with other logistical problems have made it necessary for us to cancel plans to excavate in the summer of 2002 although the Directors expect to be in Israel working on the publication of materials from our earlier seasons of excavation. We hope to return to the field in 2003 and encourage you to watch this site (or to stay in touch with us by email) for further developments.This page provides information about our activities and will be updated prior to our next season of excavation. The full season of excavations includes: Pre-dig orientation in Israel. Continuous field instruction. Evening lectures in history and archaeology of the region. Two weekend tours of the area. Accommodations at Kibbutz Ha-Solelim. A swimming pool, tennis courts, and basketball courts (while at Kibbutz Ha-Solelim). Room & Board for a full seven day week, but digging for five days. Round-Trip airfare at Group Rates. Use of Kibbutz Laundry once a week. COSTS AND CREDIT: For applications write to the address below or use our electronic application form by choosing this link. The cost for each session is not yet firmly set but will be approximately $3,250.00, which includes full room & board, round-trip fare from New York, two Saturday guided trips, transportation to and from the site daily, transportation of breakfast to the site, and lectures by the staff of the expedition. Tuition for credit is not included. Undergraduate academic credit for this program will normally be given through the University of South Florida Oversees Study and Exchange Program at an extra cost of $75.21 per undergraduate credit for Florida residents and $308.16 for non-residents. Graduate credit is available by agreement with your university for a higher fee. The IRS has ruled the participation on an excavation at the level of data-gathering is tax deductible, but furthering one's education is not. Consult with your tax advisor. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS REL 3936 Field Methods in Archaeology requires the learning of all field skills used in field archaeology. There is also a reader, a daily log requirement, and a final field examination. REL 4936 Palestine in Late Antiquity is a survey of the history and archaeology of Palestine from the Hellenistic period to the late Byzantine period. There is a reading list, a take-home exam, and a paper requirement upon return. ACCOMMODATIONS while excavating at Sepphoris are at a kibbutz, a small collective settlement, west of the site. Participants are assigned two or three to a room in a youth hostel environment, usually with a private bath but sometimes with a bath down the hall. The Hostel and the Annex both have common rooms with hot coffee or tea available. In addition, the kibbutz has a common dining room, tennis courts, basketball courts, grass and trees, a swimming pool, a telephone, and an outdoor lecture area for our lectures. Horseback riding and donkeyback riding are available in the vicinity for a fee. Subject to age limitations and university regulations, participants can rent cars for the weekend and are free to travel Saturdays and Sundays, although those taking courses for credit are required to join the weekend tours. For Applications or more information you may write: Dr. James F. Strange, Professor Department of Religious Studies CPR 107 University of South Florida Tampa, Fl 33620-5550 Office: 813-974-1859 FAX 813-974-5911 Internet: strange@chuma.cas.usf.edu For more information, you may call: Barbara Pilcher, Administrative Assistant (813) 961-0324 home (813) 935-2163 office Internet: bcpilcher@aol.com You may also click here to send email to Professors Strange and Longstaff This information was updated on December 30, 2001 - © Thomas R. W. Longstaff Return to the Archaeology Web Page