The Treasure of Tel Maresha

Gr 2-5–On their trip to Israel, Becca and her family participate in an archaeological dig at Tel Maresha. The tour guide explains they may find some fragments of pottery, remnants of dinner, and if they are lucky, portions of tablets with writing. Becca wonders about the family who lived where there is now only dirt. Through alternating points of view, readers learn about Rebeka, a girl of the same age with the same name living in Maresha 2,000 years ago. Rebeka and her family fled their home to Greece before the town of Maresha was destroyed. Rebeka’s and Becca’s stories are connected by parallels in their family dynamics and the dig site, Rebeka’s childhood home, where Becca uncovers a treasured gift left behind. The novel is based on a true story, and an author’s note covers some of the historical background.