Our Vision and Goals

The Foundation for the Archaeological Research of the Land of Israel was founded as a non-profit organization aiming to advance and further develop the field of archaeology in the land of Israel. 

The current state of Israeli archaeology is far from being optimal. Israeli governments throughout the years, and to this day, never fully understood the potential of this "natural resource" under their feet. 

The Land of Israel, and in fact the entire Levant, is an archaeological "gold mine". The Levant, also known as the Fertile Crescent, is a region that was intensively populated and repopulated throughout thousands of years by many peoples and empires. The Land of Israel, being a narrow strip of fertile land and a land passage between Egypt and Mesopotamia, was fought over by ancient peoples and empires such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Israelites, Aramaians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans. With the raise of the major religions another element was added to its strategic location and the land saw the passing of Byzantines, Crusaders and Islamic nations. All these peoples left their mark on the land. Thus almost anyone in the world today can find a link to the Land and its vast historical heritage. And yet few archaeological sites receive proper funding to develop their full potential as tourist attractions, pilgrimage sites or as world heritage sites.

This attitude has created a situation in which the field of archaeology in Israel, both in universities and government bodies, is poorly budgeted. And this is where third sector organizations such as the Foundation for Archaeological Research of the Land of Israel, with the help of the public, can truly make a difference! 

Our vision calls for further developing the involvement of third sector organisations and the private sector in Israeli archaeology, in accordance to the Antiquity Law and under the Israeli Antiquity Authority's supervision. We hope this will hopefully lead to better funding of archaeological projects, and a better understanding of the importance of archaeology by the general public.


Our goals include:
  • The development and promotion of new technologies in the service of archaeology.
  • Further development of international cooperation with the scientific community.
  • Granting scholarships and research grants to advance student whose field of research involves the archaeology of the southern Levant.
In doing so we hope to train archaeologists in field work, enlarge the work market for archaeologists in Israel, help develop Israeli tourism, and much more!