Since the first moment that I came here I have been amused at how well things are preserved. My first taste of this was when I got off the bus at Akko and saw this one car. This was not just any plain or bland car but a BMW (E34) 5 series. To give some context this car was produced between 1987 and 1996 making it between 23 and 32 years old. It had an original price tag between 40 and 60 thousand dollars which is equivalent to between 85 and 110 thousand in our current U.S. economy. Many people would just say “it’s just a car,” or “it’s an old piece of metal on four wheels,” but that is far from the truth to a car guy. I know a few people who would have immediately came and bought it if it was in the USA. As the car is in such a good condition that it looks no more than a few years old and not a few decades old. This car shocked me by its condition and I am crediting two things that has made this car look as good as it is. The first due to the owner taking good care but secondly and more importantly the good environment of this land.
Even though we are by the Sea which isn’t good for cars because of rust/corrosion is caused by water, (especially salt water) the fact that it is sunny here most of the time is what keeps the car from corroding. This factor is important as it doesn’t only affect cars but also any archaeological artifact that still uncovered. As the more weathering there is the more things will corrode, degrade, fall apart. Luckily due to this environment where it does not rain a lot during most of the year and good weather patterns, Israel has less factors than many other places around the world. Hence Israel’s good environment helps many artifacts survive longer. Many people including archaeologists don’t notice, ignore, or even take this factor for granted which it shouldn’t be. Instead we have to be thankful that this country has a specific environment that gives archaeologists more time to save artifacts that have yet to be uncovered.
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