Embedded Files
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
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Tel Aviv
His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Israel and Jordan
His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Israel and Jordan
Anke Schlimm, Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ramallah
N.N., Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)
Alexander Sollee, General Secretary of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI)
I. Session: Jerusalem
A) Chair: James Fraser, W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research
15:10 The DEI Mt. Zion Project, Dieter Vieweger, Jennifer Zimni-Gitler, and Katja Soennecken, DEI Jerusalem
15:30 The City Walls of Jerusalem at the Second Temple Period. State of the Research, Hillel Geva, Israel Exploration Society
15:50 Jerusalem under the Crusaders, Amit Re'em, Israel Antiquities Authority
16:10 – 16:30 Coffee Break
B) Chair: Katja Soennecken, DEI Jerusalem / LSRS Luxembourg
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: Benedikt Hensel, University of Oldenburg
9:00 Excavations on Tel Shadud, Joachim Krause, Ruhr University Bochum and Omer Sergej, Tel Aviv University - tbc
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, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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, University of Haifa
11:20 Archaeological Evidence for Roman-Period Rural Architecture, Mechael Osband, University of Haifa
11:40 Discussion
12:00 – 12:40 Lunch Break
III. Session: West and East of the Jordan River
C) Chair: Jennifer Zimni-Gitler, DEI Jerusalem
12:40 Tel Hazor, Igor Kreimermann, Hebrew University - tbc
13:00 Heritage, Continuity, and Renewal: The École Biblique's Evolving Contribution to Near Eastern Archaeology, Fr. Yunus Demirci, École Biblique et Archéologique de Jérusalem
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 Maier, Bar Ilan University
14:00 Discussion
14:20 – 14:40 Coffee Break
A) Chair: Oliver Hersey, Jerusalem University College
14:40 Highlights of 20 Years of Excavations on Tall Zira'a, Katja Soennecken and Dieter Vieweger, DEI Jerusalem
15:00 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
15:20 Mining in Feynan, Mohammad Najjar, Amman
15:40 The Amman Citadel in Light of Recent Archaeological Work, Katharina Schmidt, DAI / University of Münster
16:00 – 16:20 Coffee Break
IV. Session: Early Research
B) Chair: Mohammed Najjar, Independent Researcher Amman
16:20 From the sanctuary of Jupiter Optimus Maximus to the Prussian-Protestant Capital. Research by the German Archaeological Institute on the history of Rome in the heart of the Eternal City, Ortwin Dally, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Department Rome
16:40 The work of the Father A.E. Mader in Hebron, Yuval Baruch, Israel Antiquities Authority
17:00 Gustaf Dalman and the Beginning of the Ethno-Archaeological Research of Palestine, Ronny Reich, University of Haifa
17:20 "Jerusalem, das mir noch immer Heimat ist": The Connection between Gustaf Dalman and Samuel Klein in Light of Newly Discovered Letters and Postcards, Lutz Doering, University of Münster, and Vered Noam, Tel Aviv University
17:40 Discussion
20:00 Die deutsche Gemeinde in Jerusalem von den Anfängen bis 1948, Jacob Eisler
Refektorium Redeemer Church, Old City
7th October, Wednesday
Excursions through Jerusalem and (ongoing) Excavations in Jerusalem
09:00 Old City (I.), Joe Uziel, Israel Antiquities Authority
Meeting point: Main entrance to the City of David
09:30 Old City (II.), Ari Levi, Israel Antiquities Authority
Meeting point: In front of the Chain of Generation Center, Western Wall Plaza
11:00 Old City (II.), Ari Levi, Israel Antiquities Authority
Meeting point: In front of the Chain of Generation Center, Western Wall Plaza
14:00 DEI Excavation beneath the Church of the Redeemer, Dieter Vieweger, DEI Jerusalem
Meeting point: Main Entrance, Church of the Redeemer
17:30 DEI Museum, Church of Ascension, Tower, and Kaisersaal, Dieter Vieweger, DEI Jerusalem
Meeting point: Entrance to the DEI Jerusalem, Augusta-Victoria-Compound
8th October, Thursday
10:00 Israel Museum
Meeting point: In front of the Main Entrance to the Museum
Topics: 1. General Tour, 2. Late Periods – Hellenistic and Byzantine, 3. Melisende, 4. Biblical Times
Garden Party
Garden of the German Protestant Institute (DEI) at Augusta Victoria Compound
17:00 Gathering
17:30 Greetings, Christian Hülshörster, DAAD, and Christoph Kümmel, DFG
Farewell Address, Katja Soennecken and Dieter Vieweger, DEI Jerusalem
(c) 2026 by DEI
Google Sites
Report abuse