Hammer and paintbrush instead of pencil and notebook: 15 Oldenburg students have returned from an expedition to Israel. They took part in an archaeological excavation and report on their experiences here.
Part 3: Saying goodbye
By Rebecca Hedenkamp
It's stuffy, the street is narrow and dark; men are sitting in their little shops to the right and left, advertising their wares, playing cards or smoking hookahs; the smell of coffee and oriental spices fills the air. I stroll past shops crammed with ceramics, carpets and leather goods. At the shuk, the bazaar in Jerusalem's Arab quarter, there is everything a tourist's heart desires: alarm clocks in the shape of a mosque from which the muezzin's call to prayer rings out as an alarm, rosaries made of olive wood with consecrated earth in small amulets or "Jesus slippers" made of real leather.
Two exhausting and eventful weeks lie behind us. Most of the group want to use their last hours on Israeli soil to bring their loved ones small souvenirs from this fascinating country. But what is the right souvenir from Israel? A kippa, a statue of the Virgin Mary, a Palestinian scarf, a leather-bound Koran? There is nothing typical, nothing general that characterises the culture and people of this country! Before travelling, I always associated Israel with Jewish culture and its way of life - now, after more than two weeks here, I know that this is only a small part of the country's culture. Perhaps this is the perfect souvenir: a little bit of everything, a piece of history, a piece of the country. Because that's what unites the people here.
I return to the hotel empty-handed, examine the pottery shards that we were allowed to take with us from the excavation and decide that they are the perfect souvenir. Every stone, every tree and every person who lives in Israel tells its own story, lives its own history; just like the pottery shards I'm holding in my hand. The country lives and benefits from precisely these stories and past events, and this can be seen and felt every day.
A wonderful and fascinating journey has come to an end, and I know that these experiences will shape me for the rest of my life. The foreign culture and the different lifestyle take some getting used to and at the same time are so instructive, because my stay in Israel has made me rethink many principles and human questions: questions of identity, culture and equality.
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Part 2: History you can touch
By Nina Hasselbring
We are part of a large international excavation programme in which we can gain an insight into the life of an archaeologist under the guidance of Israel's best archaeologist. Together with many students and volunteers from all over the world, we can experience a part of history from over 2000 years ago at first hand.
Archaeology combines many different elements: on the one hand, the work is characterised by the physical effort of digging and carrying buckets filled with sand, rubble and stones. Volunteers and students in particular work with various tools such as pickaxes, spatulas and brushes of varying hardness. There is a combination of coarse and fine, careful work.
On the other hand, there is a large cognitive part, which consists of measuring and applying academic knowledge, such as the chronological categorisation of finds. In addition to these two skills, an archaeologist also needs a lot of enthusiasm for their subject. For most laypeople, stones seem unspectacular at first glance, but over time you learn to recognise a wall, a piece of history, in a "pile of stones".
Archaeology is a team effort. This is particularly impressive, as neither language, age nor nationality play a role. Helena Roth, one of the excavation supervisors, is also fascinated by this special teamwork: "I found my identity in an international community of diggers."
Even in this short time, we have already gained an impression of how complex, exciting and demanding the work of an archaeologist is. We are grateful to be part of such a fascinating experience and this wonderful team.
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Part 1: Jumping in at the deep end
By Jannes Bergmann
Travelling to a foreign country, especially one with a culture as different as Israel, is often like jumping in at the deep end. Together with Prof Dr Jakob Wöhrle, Professor of Old Testament Studies, and Leslie Ann Markwitz, research assistant at the Institute of Protestant Theology, we, a total of 15 students from the University of Oldenburg, were able to take the plunge.
Thanks to the co-operation between the University's Chair of Old Testament Studies and the Institute of Biblical Archaeology at Tel Aviv University under the direction of Prof. Oded Lipschitz, which has been in place for a year and a half, we are able to take part in the archaeological excavation at Tel Azekah in southern Jerusalem. For many, this is their first visit to the land of the Bible.
Before going to the excavation, a weekend in Tel Aviv was on the agenda: the Mediterranean metropolis offered an opportunity to gather first impressions of Israel and get to know the country and its people. Tel Aviv is regarded as an open, liberal city where you feel little of the strong religious character or the ongoing political conflicts that are noticeable in other parts of the country.
At first glance, with its beautiful beach and modern new town, it almost looks as if it could be any city on the Mediterranean. But at second glance, apart from the persistent heat, you quickly notice the things that make Israel special: starting with the Jewish week, which ends with the Sabbath on Saturday and accordingly begins with Sunday as the first regular working day of the week. The foreign smells of spices and the heat that spreads across the city hit you right at the airport.
Tel Aviv is considered a gay metropolis and this is also noticeable - the rainbow flag hangs on many houses and same-sex couples show themselves in public without being disturbed. People are always friendly and many can even speak a little German!
Even if you don't get to see much of it, you can still feel the tension of the people and the atmosphere of the ongoing war with the constant possibility of open violence breaking out - the police presence is enormous.
Israel is a country caught between tradition and modernity. Over the next two weeks, we will have the time to experience the past of this country with our own hands during the excavation.
