The Faculty of Arts
Department of Humanities: Archeology and Cultural Heritage Program
Call for papers for the Third Bethlehem International Conference
“Methodological Problems and Epistemological Trends in Palestinian Archaeology and Cultural Heritage”
18-19 November 2025
Furno Hall, Bethlehem University, 5 Freres Street, Bethlehem, Palestine
About the Conference
The Third Bethlehem International Conference is to be held while the war on Palestine, its Archaeology and cultural heritage, and on the narrative of its Palestinian people are continuing and escalating. Palestinian cultural heritage is under a fierce attack by the settler colonial institutions and settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. Their aim is to control and seize archaeological sites in the West Bank and undermine the natural interconnectedness among Palestinians and their cultural and natural heritage.
Many archaeological sites in Gaza have been destroyed, the cultural heritage and its institutions, including museums, cultural centers, and others, have been attacked. In response, the Third Bethlehem International Conference, held over two days, will address key topics such as methodological challenges in Palestinian archaeology and cultural heritage including issues of chronology, terminology and naming . The conference will also explore how colonial narratives seek to seize sites and control land. Additionally, The conference will examine new trends in localizing awareness of Palestinian archaeology and cultural heritage, and the role of technology and media in documenting, preserving, and rehabilitating it.
To this end, the conference invites Palestinian governmental and civil society institutions, foreign institutions, scholars, experts, and researchers working in Palestinian archaeology and cultural heritage to submit research papers and studies, present their findings, or offer critical readings, reviews and analysis of existing works for inclusion in the proceedings of the Third Bethlehem International Conference.
Important Notes
- Each presentation is allocated 20 minutes, followed by a 5-minute discussion period.
- Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of expert scientific committees.
- Selected conference papers will be published in a special issue of the Bethlehem University Journal, contingent upon anonymous peer review and the completion of any recommended revisions.
- Abstracts and full research papers will only be accepted if submitted by the specified deadlines.
- For any inquiries pertaining to the conference, please direct your correspondence to the designated email address.
Conference Languages
- Arabic
- English
Important Deadlines
- Conference Date: 18-19 November, 2025
- Abstract submission date: 20 May, 2025
- Notification of acceptance: 15 Jun, 2025
- Submission of revised full papers: 1 September, 2025
- Final program announcement of the conference: 20 October 2025
Terms and conditions of participation
- To submit a paper or poster presentation to the Bethlehem International Conference, authors must submit an abstract by email to: oabedrabo@bethlehem.edu
- The research must be original and not presented elsewhere or published already or derived from a master’s thesis or dissertation.
- The abstract should include a clear title, a focused research problem and key findings or results, and should not exceed 250 words.
- Authors must provide their contact information, institutional affiliation, and e-mail address for communication purposes.
- In cases of collaborative research, the first author will be expected to present the paper unless prior arrangements are made.
- Each author or group may submit only one paper.
- Arabic papers should be formatted using Simplified Arabic font, size 14, while English papers should use Times New Roman, size 12,
- Final papers should not exceed 7000 words, including full documentation, and should adhere to the formatting conventions appropriate to the discipline.