One, Two, Three or Four week participation is available for volunteers.

  • The Khirbet ʿAuja el-Foqa Excavations will be conducted for 4 weeks in May-June 2024 (Sunday, May 19 – Sunday, June 16). While students doing the dig for academic credit are expected to stay for the duration, several packages of one, two, three or four weeks are available for volunteers. They are as follows:

    • First One Week Interval: Check in Sunday afternoon, May 19, 2023, Check out Sunday morning, May 26, 2024 (or any one week interval). Price for one week: $790.

    • Two Week Interval: Check in Sunday afternoon, May 26, 2023, Check out Sunday morning June 2, 2024 (or any two week interval. Price for two weeks: $1,580.

    • Three Week Interval: Check in Sunday afternoon, June 2, 2021, Check out Sunday, June 9, 2024 (or any three week interval). Price for three weeks: $2,370.

    • Four Week Interval: Check in Sunday, June 9, 2024, Check out Sunday morning, June 16. Price for four weeks: $3,160.

NOTE: Students undertaking the dig for credit are expected to participate for the duration of the expedition. Volunteer diggers may join us during any interval of time during the 4 weeks.

These rates include double or triple occupancy and 3 meals a day, transport by bus to and from the Dig, evening education classes, and four weekend tours. Non-Averett students and volunteers are responsible for their own travel arrangements, including flight and transport to and from the airport. Deadline for signup is March 30, 2024, though we would encourage you to send in your registration as early as possible.

  • JVEP does not arrange group flights for non-Averett students or volunteers. In order to minimize costs, non-Averett student/volunteer participants make their own flight arrangements in order to find the best deals possible. Students MAY be able to find discounts at: www.studentuniverse.com

  • A $50 per person deposit is due on a first come, first serve basis. The final due date for the deposit is March 30, 2024. However, we highly recommend sending in your registration and liability forms, along with your deposit, ASAP, in order to reserve your space.

    • Final payment in full is due: April 30, 2024 (Minus $250, see below).

      All Dig participants will be asked to bring $250 US Dollars cash to Israel and submit to the JVEP staff as their final payment. Many of our expenses are only payable in cash, and transporting large volumes of cash overseas poses security risks. Check cashing in Israel has also become very difficult due to legal restrictions about money laundering. Thus, having each digger bring their final payment in cash resolves these problems. Thanks for understanding!

    • Upon receipt of deposit, travelers will receive paperwork that requires immediate attention. Please review it thoroughly and submit to our office right away.

Paperwork

Safety

  • Safety is of primary importance on this excavation. Each year, the Israeli Antiquities Authority (or KAMAT) and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) review the situation locally, and determine if it is safe for JVEP to dig at the site. Our permit is not granted unless they are sure our site is safe. Previous experience has shown that the locals are friendly and helpful to JVEP staff and volunteers. Security may be present at the site, and the IDF will certainly monitor our activity in order to ensure our safety. The excavation is very safe.

Accomodations

  • While digging, we will be staying at the New Metropole Hotel, located in downtown East Jerusalem (http://new-metropole.thejerusalemhotels.com/en/). It is nestled in the heart of the commercial district, an enjoyable stroll to the Old City of Jerusalem with magnificent holy and historical sites, and is less than 40 minutes from Khirbet ʿAuja el-Foqa. The hotel is within walking distance of the Old City, allowing volunteers to easily visit prominent historical and Biblical sites during off-time and weekends. You will easily be able to visit sites such as: the Temple Mount, Western Wall, City of David, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and many more.

    Individual Transportation from Ben Gurion Airport to the New Metropole Hotel / Jerusalem To get from Ben Gurion airport to New Metropole Hotel / Jerusalem, take a shared taxi pronounced in Hebrew as a “sheroot.” Find the taxi/sherut service stand for Jerusalem, which is on the curbside just outside the airport arrival hall. Tell the driver you want to be dropped off at: The New Metropole Hotel, in Jerusalem, at #8 Salah Ed-din Street. The hotel telephone number, should you need it, is: +972 2 582133 2.

    The drivers know the location. Other passengers will ride in the same shared taxi with you. They run 24-7, except on Yom Kippur. The cost is about $17.00 (65.00 Shekels) from the airport to Capitol Hotel. For a private taxi the cost is around $80.00 (300.00 Shekels).

  • Internet access in the hotel is available and is free of charge. Connections, however, can be spotty at times.

  • Laundry- a. Wash clothes by hand in bathtubs or sinks and then to hang out the clothes on the balcony (if the room has one). With this option, diggers should bring some detergent from the U.S. in small containers or packets. b. There is a laundry service on Salah Eddin Street, near the hotel. A full load, washed and dried, is around $18 or more. Diggers can drop off their clothes after work and pick them up the next day after work.

    Single rooms may be available for an additional cost.

Traveler's and Health Insurance

  • We require that Averett students (and we strongly recommend it for all participants) purchase travelers’ insurance in the event of a family emergency, illness, etc. JVEP CANNOT GUARANTEE THE RECOVERY OF ANY MONIES PAID FOR THE TRIP! Be sure your insurance covers travel in the West Bank, which is where our site is located. Atlas Travel covers travelers in the West Bank, according to a referral from a colleague.

  • All Travelers MUST have Medical Insurance coverage for this trip. JVEP cannot and will not be responsible in any way for any hospital or doctor visits or ambulance transport needed by travelers, whether the result of sickness or injury. MEDICARE IS NOT ACCEPTED OUTSIDE THE US! All travelers must thoroughly document their medications, and provide family and doctor emergency contact information.

  • Medical Evacuation Insurance must be purchased as well, in case a traveler need to be transported to the US. Without insurance, this could cost more than $75,000. 

Passport

  • No visa is required if you have a passport from an APPROVED country and are staying less than 90 days. If you have other plans or have a non-US passport, please visit the Israeli Embassy website.

  • Passport must have an expiration date that expires SIX MONTHS beyond your last intended day of stay in Israel. For purposes of the JVEP Dig, your passport must have an expiration date that postdates December 24, 2024. Otherwise, the Israelis will NOT let you into the country! So, please check your passport and make sure it meets this requirement. If not, apply for a passport renewal as early as possible.

Tax Deductibility

  • The monies paid toward the Khirbet ʿAuja el-Foqa excavation are not considered a donation to JVEP. However, because you are providing volunteer work for JVEP, which is an educational venture, all expenses related to that work may be deductible as expenses of volunteer work for a non-profit educational organization (IBEX is a 501(c)3 organization). This does not include costs associated with touring. Please consult a tax professional for advice.

Making Your Payment

  • In order to pay your deposit or make full payment, please send a check payable to IBEX (this stands for the Institute for Biblical Exploration, our non-profit), and write JVEP in the Memo Line.

Send to:
Attn: Dr. Ralph K. Hawkins
Department of Religion
Averett University
166 College Ave.
Danville, VA 24541
U.S.A.

Last Updated: 09/20/23