La Sierra University is opening its Riverside campus to the public next weekend for a deep dive into the world of the apostles, complete with scholarly lectures, ancient artifacts and a Bedouin hospitality tent. The university's Center for Near Eastern Archaeology has scheduled its 18th annual Archaeology Discovery Weekend for Nov. 14 and 15, built around the theme “People & Places of the New Testament World.”
According to La Sierra University, most of the weekend's activities are free to attend, with the exception of a mosaic workshop that carries a $25 fee and is limited to 20 participants ages 14 and older. The workshop is set for Nov. 13, and the university says advance registration is required both for that session and for the weekend's children's program.
As reported by MyNewsLA.com, the weekend-long events will explore the lives, politics, customs and history of Middle Easterners, including the apostles, across the La Sierra University campus in Riverside. Campus officials told the outlet the program aims to introduce visitors to life around the time of Jesus and the apostles.
Scholars Share New Findings on Biblical Figures and Sites
Archaeologists from around the country will take part in lectures and interact directly with visitors, per Kent Bramlett, La Sierra University's history of antiquity professor, as cited by MyNewsLA.com. Bramlett said the event will feature scholars presenting lectures on New Testament themes along with new insights on Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, the apostle Paul, and various biblical sites.
Researchers will share their findings in person through illustrated lectures, the outlet's report notes. Program topics listed include Geography of the Gospels, Paul and the Politics of Sacrifice, The Ossuaries and Burials of Jesus and James, Finding the City of the Apostles, Mother Mary in Jerusalem? Recent Excavations on Mt. Zion, and Mary Magdalene and the Defilement of Tiberias.
Hands-On Activities, Artifacts and a Movie Screening
Beyond the lecture halls, accompanying events will demonstrate archaeological laboratory methods and technologies, offering what MyNewsLA.com describes as immersive opportunities for the whole family. The Center for Near Eastern Archaeology will also host displays of ancient artifacts alongside hands-on workshops guided by artisans.
Event organizers plan to set up a Bedouin hospitality tent to welcome guests, a touch that has appeared in past editions of the event as well. Special activities geared toward children are planned, including a screening of The Prince of Egypt, and per La Sierra University, the children's program on Nov. 15 will include an archaeology-related animated movie, snacks, pottery reconstruction, and hands-on lab activities for the whole family.
A Long-Running Riverside Tradition
The Center for Near Eastern Archaeology has organized the archaeology discovery events, lectures and other activities every year, according to Redlands Daily Facts. Last year's 17th annual weekend centered on “Alexander the Great and How He Changed the World” and included a kids' dig, interactive lab activities, a screening of Night at the Museum, and a tent offering Middle Eastern refreshments along with Bedouin songs, singing and dancing with Jordanian visitors, the outlet's report from that event noted.
The 16th annual weekend in 2024 carried a Petra theme and likewise featured a Bedouin tent, a simulated kids' dig and family-friendly lab activities. The year before that, the 15th annual event focused on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible, pairing lectures and panel discussions with hands-on activities for attendees.
