Travel and Arrival in Israel:
Check with your airline regarding limitations on the number and weight of baggage. We recommend traveling light by bringing one carry-on, one suitcase, and to plan on using the kibbutz laundry service. A rule of thumb: pack everything you think you will need and reduce it by one-half.

It is recommended not to arrive in Israel on Friday afternoon when everything begins to shut down for the Sabbath, or on Saturday when everything is closed. There is no public transportation in Israel from Friday late afternoon until Saturday night. If you land during these times, for $10 you can take a “Nesher” service taxi whose station is right outside the arrival terminal. They go to Jerusalem, where you can stay until the end of the Sabbath. Or you can take a fixed priced taxi to Tel Aviv. Plan to arrive in Israel at least one day before you are scheduled to begin the dig.

We suggest that you change some money into shekels after arriving at the airport. You may want to bring half the amount of money in traveler's checks for safety reasons. You can cash traveler's checks at any post office without paying a commission. An alternative to traveler’s checks is ATM machines throughout Israel that will give you Israeli shekels. (Be sure to get a PIN number to use with your card if you do not already have one. You must have a number code or know its equivalent numerical sequence, since ATMs in Israel do not have letters on the number pads).
We will provide exact travel information and bus schedules two months before the beginning of the dig since schedules may change.

**Please Note:
-If you end up missing the last buses you will have to resort to taking taxis.

Contact Information:
In case of an emergency you can be reached at one of the following numbers. Remember that Israel is 7 hours ahead of New York. The numbers below must be prefixed by an international access code (012 or 013 from the USA) followed by the country code for Israel (972). For example, to reach Ami Mazar’s cellular phone on the tel from the USA you would dial: 012 or 013 + 972 + 544-709448.

Expedition cellular phones (when dialed locally)–

Ami Mazar, 054-5709448

Nava Panitz-Cohen, 054-4403487

Taxis (near Beth-Shean) – 04/6585166, 6584789

Phone service: Telephone cards are available for purchase in the kibbutz office, as well as in various shops and the post office in Beth-Shean. There is also the possibility to rent a cell-phone during your stay.

Computer and Internet Access: We have two wireless stations (“hot spots”) for laptops for daily use and one desktop computer with internet connection for use during the weekends. There are also internet cafés in Beth-Shean and in Afula.