Todd Bolen, Author at BiblePlaces.com

Shobak Castle To Become Tourist Destination

Most who see this Crusader castle do so only from a distance on their way to Petra. Plans are underway to attract tourists to stop and shop. From the Jordan Times:

European experts and local officials are looking to develop the southern city of Shobak into an emerging tourism destination.
The project, led by the University of Florence in association with the Shobak Municipality and the EU, aims to take advantage of the historical value and natural beauty of the southern town in order to bolster local development, according to organisers.
Situated on the road to the rose-red city of Petra, Shobak is best known for its Crusader castle, once part of a chain of fortresses stretching across Jordan.
However, the castle and town’s Ottoman-era homes are often overlooked by tour groups who shuttle in and out of Wadi Musa to see Petra a few miles away.
Michele Nucciotti, an archaeologist from the University of Florence, which has been working on developing the archaeology of the town over the last several years, said the project aims to introduce the area to tourists.
“Shobak has a tourist and historical value that has been overlooked. Our job is to develop the city and prepare it for the prominence it deserves,” he said, referring to Shobak Castle as one of the best preserved existing crusader castles.
As part of the project, officials will work to enhance facilities in the castle to enable it to accommodate larger numbers of tourists. Restoration experts will also work to renovate Ottoman and Mamluk buildings in the town for some to be converted into small-scale tourism businesses, he added.
[…]
Originally known as Montreal, Shobak Castle was built in the early 12th century by Baldwin I of Jerusalem as a Crusader stronghold of what was then considered “Arabia”, standing at the ancient crossroads between the Gulf of Aqaba, Damascus and Mecca.
After succumbing to a two-year siege by armies led by Salah Addin in 1189, the castle fell into disrepair before being taken over and renovated by the Mamluks in the 14th century.

The full story is here.

Shobak Crusader Castle from east

Tagged Jordan, Tourism

Weekend Roundup

Parts of Caesarea are in danger of being destroyed by the erosion caused by ocean waves, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. At risk is the port, the restaurants, and the sand on the beach.

Officials would like $15 million to protect the site.

Ancient gardens at Ramat Rahel are profiled in a recent article at ScienceBlog.

UNESCO has issued a report which refers to “Rachel’s Tomb” as a mosque. Israel’s prime minister disagrees.

A couple of archaeologists are lecturing at Queen’s College in New York in November. Eric Meyers is speaking on the “Origins of Nabratein’s Synagogue” on the 3rd. Jodi Magness’ topic on the 9th is
“Ancient Synagogues: Their Origins and Paradox.”

Anson Rainey will be lecturing on the “Ancient Hebrew Language: Recent Trends in Research” on November 29 in Fort Worth.

Female visitors to Egypt now have some electronic assistance in avoiding the ubiquitous sexual harassment.

A bill in the Knesset may eliminate nearly all hunting in Israel.

More has been published about the untimely death of Ehud Netzer, including this article in Haaretz.

HT: Joe Lauer

Tagged Weekend Roundup

Falling Stones Endanger Women at Western Wall

From Arutz-7:

A recent report by engineers says that the condition of the Mugrabi Gate is continuously deteriorating and that a few incidents of rocks collapsing from it were recently reported.
The Mugrabi Gate is the only entry point for Jews and other non-Muslims to the Temple Mount.
Jerusalem District Archaeologist Yochanan Zeligman recently addressed a letter to Israel Antiquities Authority Director-General Shuka Dorfman, in which he warned that “a danger exists to the crowd in the women’s section of the Western Wall Plaza, as well to those who walk on the temporary bridge, should stones fall from above.”
The temporary bridge to which Zeligman referred is a wooden pedestrian pathway to the Temple Mount which was constructed in 2007 after a landslide two years earlier made the earthen ramp leading to the Mugrabi Gate unsafe and in danger of collapse. Zeligman’s letter was based on a report he submitted which determined that since the construction in the Mugrabi Gate has not yet been completed, there are sections which are unsupported and could endanger visitors to the site.
Archaeologist Dr. Gabi Barkai, Jerusalem Prize Winner, member of the Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, and lecturer at Bar Ilan University, spoke with Arutz7 on Thursday and expressed his sorrow that the Mugrabi Bridge is not being maintained for illogical political reasons.

The story continues with Barkai giving the background to the ramp. The Temple Mount was closed to non-Muslims until 2003, not 2008 as stated in the article.

New temporary ramp (left) alongside original ramp leading to Mugrabi Gate. Al Aqsa Mosque and the Mount of Olives are visible in the background.

Tagged Jerusalem, Temple Mount

Rainey: Teaching History and Historical Geography

Eisenbrauns has announced a new book by Anson Rainey entitled Teaching History and Historical Geography of Bible Lands: A Syllabus. Few details about the publication are available beyond its release date in December. Rainey taught a popular course in advanced Historical Geography for decades at the Institute of Holy Land Studies (now Jerusalem University College). A lifetime of research culminated in The Sacred Bridge, the most detailed resource on the subject ever written. I look forward to his latest contribution.

Tagged Resources

Ehud Netzer, 1934-2010

Ehud Netzer, an Israeli archaeologist renowned for his excavations of projects of King Herod, has passed away in Jerusalem following a fall at Herodium a couple of days ago. Limited details are posted at the blogs of Jim West, Menachem Mendel, and Aren Maeir, as well as the Jerusalem Post.

His fall was reported today in the Hebrew press here, here, and here. Netzer excavated at Herodium, Masada, Caesarea, Jericho, and in Jerusalem. His recent work, The Architecture of Herod, the Great Builder, is an excellent survey that makes available to the public the decades of his research. His death is a great loss to many. May his family and friends be comforted.

HT: Joe Lauer

Tagged Herod's Tomb

Samaritans Celebrate Feast of Tabernacles

The Samaritan calendar differs from the Jewish calendar, and their celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) began last week. Haaretz has a brief article about the observance, along with the notice that there are 712 living Samaritans (not “about 500” or “about 600,” as I’ve always heard, but “712”).

The Samaritans, members of an ancient sect closely associated to Judaism, marked the holiday of the Tabernacles, or Sukkot, on Friday.
Followers of the religion held an annual pilgrimage ceremony on Mount Gerizim, the sect’s holiest site, near Nablus.
Though the Samaritans numbered well over one million in late Roman times, there are now only 712 remaining members, who live mostly on Mount Gerizim and in Holon.

The newspaper has a gallery of six photos, but you’ll do better to head over to the Denver Post, which has beautiful images of previous Samaritan and the Jewish celebrations. The Samaritan community also has a page with video (Hebrew) about the event. China View has even more information about the Samaritan community and Sukkot.

Samaritan prayers on Mount Gerizim

This photo is from the Traditional Life and Customs volume of The American Colony and Eric Matson Collection (Library of Congress, LC-matpc-01846).

HT: Joe Lauer

Tagged American Colony Photos, Samaria