Archaelogical excursion to Emmaus-Nicopolis
The Thursday archaeological visit took the students of Ratisbonne to Emmaus, Lydda and Gezer.
The first location visited was Emmaus-Nicopolis. This is 26 km from Jerusalem. Here it is believed that the two disciples “broke bread the Risen Christ as they left Jerusalem” (Luke 24). This site contains the foundations of a first century home, over which was constructed a (now destroyed) basilica. The fact that this site is rather awkward for a church, (considering a number of tombs behind the former church that had to be cut to fit the church), lends credibility to the what the ancient Christian believed to be the place of this resurrection encounter. It is today the location of the Catholic Community of the Beatitudes.
The next location visited was Lydda. Here there is the Church dedicated to St. George. His remains are buried in the crypt.
After lunch the students visited Gezer. Gezer is the last part of the Shephelah hills of Israel. It was the site of a number of battles of Joshua and David (Jos 10:33, 12:12; 2 S 5:25; 1 Ch 14:16).
In the book of Maccabees Gezer is the site that marks the beginning triumph for the Hasmoneans (1 M 13). Some important finds from this site include the Gezer Calendar, which gives some indication of ancient farming. Also there are in Gezer, ten monumental monoliths possibly comprising a Canaanite "high place", inscribed boundary stones, making it the first positively identified Biblical city, and a chambered gate similar to those found at Hazor and Megiddo.