Food and Water – All the food served at the excavation and the hotel is Kosher. Breakfast and dinner are dairy meals whilst lunch is meat (vegetarian option available). Our water is potable at the hotel, on the site, and in most places throughout Israel. In addition, it is a good idea to have a personal water bottle at hand.

How to get to the hotel – See the "accommodations" page for pertinent information concerning your stay. From the Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv, you may rent a car and drive to Tiberias. Taxis are available, although somewhat costly - expect $100 - $150. As an alternative, you may take the train service (from Terminal #3 www.israrail.org.il/english/ ) to Haifa where you stop at the "Lev Ha Mifratz" station in north Haifa. The train station is next to the bus terminal, where you may get bus no. 430 to Tiberias. If you're coming from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv there's also good bus service to Tiberias. Bus no. 962 or 963 from Jerusalem; bus no. 830, 840 or 841 from Tel Aviv. For more bus information: www.egged.co.il/Eng/ If you are arriving very early in the morning (~12 midnight to 5 a.m., there probably won't be bus or train services, so a taxi or a rental car is your only alternative. From the Tiberias central bus station it's a short taxi ride to the hotel, the fare is approx. 25 NIS.

How to get to the site – It's just a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel to the site along the beautiful shores of the Sea of Galilee. You'll be going to the site early in the morning, and returning the same way in the afternoon. The hotel staff will be available to give you exact instructions upon your arrival.

Weather – The weather in Tiberias during the excavation seasons is pleasant. In the past seasons we had no more than two days of rain.

What to wear? – Typically, you will wear a sweatshirt or light jacket/sweater over a T-shirt in the early morning. Sometime later you'll probably peel off the outer layer and be comfortable with only the T-shirt. Many volunteers are comfortable digging in shorts, while others wear long pants. Hiking or work boots are the preferred foot attire, but tennis shoes are adequate as well. No sandals! Bring a good sun hat as the sun can be quite strong. Many volunteers like to use knee pads; you might want to bring a pair along, as well as heavy duty gardening or work gloves. In the evenings (or traveling to colder regions on the weekends) you are highly likely to need a heavy sweater and a jacket. Don't forget your sun block and camera!

What to pack? – You'll get pretty dirty at the site, so you'll want a few changes of clothes. Evening and weekend clothes are up to you. There is a laundry service in downtown Tiberias, but it is quite expensive.

What language will be spoken? – English is the lingua franca. The Israeli archaeologists and staff are all fluent in English. Since the country has a very developed tourist base, you'll probably have no trouble getting along just with English (at hotels, shops, taxis, etc.).

How difficult will the work be? – Excavations, as such, include moving a lot of dirt and stones. You will be filling up buckets and taking them to the discard area. When we excavate places in which we wish to be extremely careful, we sift everything which is dug up before discarding the dirt. Many buckets will also be filled with potshards, which we collect and that need to be soaked and then washed. All volunteers will be expected to wash the pottery shards collected in the field, in order to provide dating to the material excavated. If digging out dirt is too strenuous, then more time can be spent sifting or cleaning.

Recommended Reading – Listed below are a few academic reports and articles about Tiberias which might interest you before joining the excavation. The reading list is NOT compulsory.
Foerster, G. "Tiberias," in: Stern, E. (ed.) New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land Jerusalem 1993, pp.1470-1473
Hirschfeld, Y. "Tiberias," in: Stern, E. (ed.) New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land Jerusalem 1993, pp.1464-1470
Hirschfeld, Y. Excavations at Tiberias, 1989-1994 Jerusalem 2004
Hirschfeld, Y, Roman, Byzantine, and Early Muslim Tiberias: A Handbook of Primary Sources Tiberias 2005
Hirschfeld Y. and Galor K. “New Excvations in Roman, Byzantine, and Early Islamic Tiberias,” (eds.) H. Attridge, H. Martin, and J. Zangenberg, Ancient Galilee in Interaction. Religion, Ethnicity, and Identity, Tübingen 2007: 207-229
Hirschfeld Y. and Peleg, O. "A Glass Pendant from Tiberias," Israel Exploration Journal 56 (2006), pp.201-208
Stacey, D. Excavations at Tiberias, 1973-1974 The Early Islamic Period Jerusalem 2004

What currency can I use? – The currency in Israel is New Israeli Shekels (NIS). You will be able to use USD or Euro in many places, but the exchange rate is better at designated places (post offices, banks or "Change Points"). ATM machines are available in Tiberias and throughout the country, but not all allow you to withdraw cash in any currency other than NIS. It is highly recommended that you check with your bank and credit card companies as to the arrangements you have for being able to withdraw money (especially ATM or credit card holders from Australia and New Zealand).

Sightseeing – You'll be in one of the most beautiful areas in the world. There are many nature hikes as well as an abundance of archaeological and religious sites to see. If you need assistance in planning your weekend trips while you're here, the excavation staff, hotel staff or tourist information in downtown Tiberias, can all be of assistance.

Driver's license – Most foreign licenses are recognized in Israel. For renting a car you will need a valid license and credit card. Cars may be rented at the airport and in all major cities.

What are the hotel's amenities? All rooms at the Kinneret Spa hotel have a private shower and bathroom, air conditioning, and TV. The hotel amenities also include internet access, café, bar and sun terrace with sauna. Ample parking space is available.

Am I safe? – This area is quite safe, but knowing the situation in the world today, we should all be diligent. The roads, as anywhere else, are the most dangerous, so if you drive, be careful and drive defensively.

Vaccinations – Tetanus is compulsory. Hepatitis A and B are recommended. Check with your health coordinator.

Methods of Payment – Payment for your participation will be collected on Sunday evenings by a member of the excavation staff. Cash - is acceptable in either: NIS, USD or Euro. Personal checks in any of the above currencies are also fine. No credit cards accepted.