During March 2007, a trial excavation was conducted in a lot that belongs to the Scottish Church (Permit No. A-5025*; map ref. NIG 251000–276/7438–40; OIG 201000–276/2438–40), prior to the construction of a new hotel wing. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Antiquities Authority and underwritten by the Scottish Hotel of Tiberias, was directed by Z. Daniel and M. Hartal, with the assistance of Y. Ya‘aqoby (administration). The probes, cut with the aid of a backhoe, were cleaned manually by laborers from Tiberias. The work was carried out under the supervision of Rabbi I. Strol, a representative of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Several walls that dated to the time of the British Mandate were exposed. Stones and walls that seemed to be tombs but could not be excavated due to the objections of the representative of the Ministry of Religious Affairs were also noted. It seems that the area lay outside the limits of Tiberias during all the periods and was vacant of buildings. The construction of the Mandatory-period walls was part of a system of walls used to sub-divide the Scottish Church’s land into plots during the time from 1908–1918 and they were apparently responsible for the destruction of the tombs.
The examined area was outside the precincts of the city of Tiberias and devoid of any antiquities.