EDMOND—On December 27, Herbert W. Armstrong College dean of students Wayne Turgeon announced the names of 12 students and graduates who will staff the next archaeological excavation of Dr. Eilat Mazar at the Ophel, south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. College chancellor and Philadelphia Church of God Pastor General Gerald Flurry had announced on December 16 that the Church would send a group and fully finance the project.

Mr. Turgeon announced in an e-mail this morning the names of those who will staff the excavation:

· Deepika Azariah (graduate)

· Justice Brown (junior)

· Gino Chi (senior)

· David Dodds (junior)

· Chris Eames (graduate)

· Rachael Grellet (senior)

· George Haddad (junior)

· Nick Irwin (graduate)

· Arianne Olsen (senior)

· Warren Reinsch (sophomore)

· Kassie Verbout (junior)

· Brianna Weeks (junior)

The Church’s Jerusalem office manager, Brent Nagtegaal, who is also a graduate, will also work at the excavation. You an see a video of the Ophel site from the 2012 excavation here.

Dr. Mazar has previously discovered a large structure identified as the ruins of King David’s palace (2005), evidence indicating that a wall in the City of David was built by Nehemiah (2007), two bullae belonging to princes who persecuted the Prophet Jeremiah (2005 and 2008), a secret tunnel dating to the era of King David (2008), and a wall built during the reign of King Solomon (2010). Herbert W. Armstrong College students and graduates have assisted in Mazar’s excavations in the City of David (10 workers on three excavations between 2006–2008) and on the Ophel (34 workers on three excavations between 2009–2013). The relationship continues a legacy between Mazar’s grandfather, Prof. Benjamin Mazar, and Ambassador College founder Herbert W. Armstrong.

The 2018 Ophel dig is anticipated to last from mid-January through late March.