Conference Program

October 5th to 8th 2026, at Mishkenot HaShan'ananim (Konrad Adenauer Conference Center)

5th October, Monday

14:00 Welcome Speech, Dieter Vieweger, Director of the German Protestant Institute (DEI)

Opening Speeches

I. Session: Jerusalem

A) Chair: James Fraser, W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research

14:50      The DEI Mt. Zion Project, Katja Soennecken and Dieter Vieweger, DEI Jerusalem

15:10      The City Walls of Jerusalem at the Second Temple Period. State of the Research, Hillel Geva, Israel Exploration Society

15:30      Jerusalem under the Crusaders, Amit Re'em, Israel Antiquities Authority

15:50      Discussion

16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break

B) Chair: Benedikt Hensel, University of Oldenburg

 16:30      New Light on Iron Age Jerusalem, Yuval Gadot, Tel Aviv University

16:50      The Growth of Jerusalem in the Iron Age II and it's Implications for the Understanding the Status of the Kingdom of Judah, Joe Uziel, Israel Antiquities Authority

17:10      At the Temple Gates. Pilgrimage in the Late Second Temple Period, Uzi Leibner and Orit Peleg-Barkat, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

17:30      Coin Finds in the Province of Judah, Haim Gitler, Israel Museum in Jerusalem

17:50      Discussion

18:00 – 21:00 Reception

6th October, Tuesday 

II. Session: West of the Jordan River

A) Chair: Achim Lichtenberger, University of Münster / Deutscher Palästina-Verein

9:00       Excavations in Azekah, Oded Lipschits, Tel Aviv University

9:20       The First Iron Age City of Lachish and the Biblical Tradition, Yosef Garfinkel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

9:40       Tel Abel Beth Maacah in the Upper Galilee. A City and a Mother in Israel, Nava Panitz-Cohen and Na’ama Yaalom-Mack, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

10:00      Discussion

10:10 – 10:40 Coffee Break

B) Chair: Katia Cytryn-Silverman, HUJI

10:40      Idumea during the Hellenistic period Debora Sandhaus, Israel Antiquities Authority

11:00      Roman Hippos of the Decapolis following 27 Years of Research Michael Eisenberg and Arleta Kowalewska, ZIH, University of Haifa

11:20      Archaeological Evidence for Roman-Period Rural Architecture in the Golan, Mechael Osband, ZIH, University of Haifa

11:40      Discussion

12:00 – 12:40 Lunch Break

C) Chair: Jennifer Zimni-Gitler, DEI Jerusalem

12.40   Jane Humphris, Council for British Research in the Levant

13.00   Lukasz Popko, ÉBAF

13.20   The Darb el-Hawarna in the Bronze and Iron Ages: The View from Tell el-Badawiya/Hannathon, Assaf Kleiman, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva

13.40   New Insights on the Philistines in light of three decades of excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath, Aren Maeir, Bar Ilan University

14.00   Breaking the Ceramic Clock: New C14 Dates from Khirbet Ghozlan and the Illusion of Linear EBA Chronology in Jordan, James Fraser, W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research

14:20 – 14:40 Coffee Break

III. Session: East of the Jordan River

A) Chair: Oliver Hersey, Jerusalem University College

14:40   Highlights of 20 Years of Excavations on Tall Zira’a, Katja Soennecken/Dieter Vieweger, DEI

15:00   Gadara in Hellenistic Times, Brita Jansen, DEI Amman

15:20   Mining in Feynan, Mohammed Najjar, Amman

15:40   The Amman Citadel in Light of Recent Archaeological Work, Katharina Schmidt, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut / DEI / University of Münster

16:00 Aphrodisiacs, Angelika Berlejung, University of Leipzig

16:20 – 16:50 Coffee Break

IV. Session: Early Research

B) Chair: Mohammed Najjar, Independent Researcher Amman

16:50    The work of the Father A.E. Mader in Hebron, Yuval Baruch, Israel Antiquities Authority

17:10   Gustaf Dalman and the Beginning of the Ethno-Archaeological Research of Palestine, Ronny Reich, University of Haifa

17:30   Ortwin Dally, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Department Rome

17:50   Discussion

7th October, Wednesday

09:00 – 16:00 Excursions through Jerusalem and (ongoing) Excavations in Jerusalem

19:00 Guided Tours through the "Kaisersaal", tower and church 

Augusta Victoria Compound, Mt. of Olives

20:00 The DEI presents: 125 years of Research & More

The DEI and its collection, new research projects, snacks and drinks

Garden of the German Protestant Institute (DEI) at Augusta Victoria Compound

8th October, Thursday

TBA Welcome Speech, Anke Schlimm, German Representative of the Office Ramallah

Choir/Origin music

Church of Ascension at Augusta Victoria Compound

18:00 Garden Party and Farewell to Dieter Vieweger and Katja Soennecken

Greetings: Christian Hülshörster, DAAD and Christoph Kümmel, DFG
Garden of the German Protestant Institute (DEI) at Augusta Victoria Compound