1 min read Research

The West Church documentary

Photograph of sunrise over Umm al-Jimal, Jordan, with "The West Church" film title

2022 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Umm Al-Jimāl Archaeological Project's long-term commitment to archaeological research and community development work at Umm Al-Jimāl in Jordan. To help commemorate this milestone, Calvin University Film & Media students Abi VanDoorne and Andrew Deters were recruited to collect film footage and to produce a short documentary film on some aspect of our project's work. "The West Church" is named for the ancient basilica that formed the focus of May 2022's archaeological excavation but the film provides a broader glimpse at the motivations and long-term community partnership that drives the Umm Al-Jimāl Archaeological Project's continued work.

"The West Church," a documentary film by Abi VanDoorne and Andrew Deters

I hope you enjoy this film and can gain an appreciation for the people and place of Umm Al-Jimāl, as well as the work our project is continuing to do at this amazing site.

The production of this film was made possible by the generous financial support of The Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity.

Darrell J. Rohl

Darrell J. Rohl

Professor of Archaeology, History, and Digital Humanities at Calvin University. Co-Director of the Umm Al-Jimal Archaeological Project, Jordan.
Grand Rapids, MI USA