Dr. Merrill and Students Excavate Khirbet el-Maqatir
The Associates of Biblical Research under Bryant Wood's direction have resumed excavation at Khirbet el-Maqatir, previously delayed by its proximity to Palestinian cities. The site may be the city of Ai which Joshua destroyed during the Israelite Conquest (Joshua 7-8). Efforts this season focused on the walls and several structures inside the fortress. Dallas Seminary's Dr. Eugene Merrill possibly discovered a pavement that may be a section of a ring road which circled the site inside the fortress wall. Another volunteer found a section of a pithos rim and neck, which can be accurately dated to the 15th century BC, the time of the Conquest.
You can find our more information about the excavation at ABR's blog:
