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Jerusalem Updates

Joe Lauer sends along a couple of articles worthy of notice. The excavations at Ramat Rahel are featured in a 3-minute video by infolive.tv. It begins:

Deep inside of the hills of Jerusalem rests the Kibbutz of Ramat Rachel. Over the past 50 years many archaeologists have realized that hidden beneath this kibbutz are archaeological treasures beyond one’s imagination – the ruins of the palace of one of the king of Judah, along with relics from the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman era. At this site where space and time are mixed within the earth, another hidden treasure long buried underground has recently resurfaced. Just a few days ago, 15 silver coins dating from the Second Temple period were discovered inside of an ancient pot hidden in a columbarium.

The Jerusalem Post has an article on the increase of tourism to sites in east Jerusalem.

The Company for the Development of East Jerusalem reported 28 percent growth in the number of visitors to the historical sites in and around the Old City’s walls during the first six months of 2008. “More Israelis have rediscovered Jerusalem this year and they visit it more frequently then they used to do in the past,” Gideon Shamir, the company’s director-general, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. During the first half of the year, 143,967 people visited the Ophel Archeological Park, situated at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount, a 24% rise over the same period in 2007, the company said. The Old City Ramparts saw 74,728 people walk on them from January to June, a up 29% from the same months in 2007. Both sections of the Promenade begin at the Jaffa Gate; one route passes through the New Gate, Herod’s Gate and the Lions’ Gate (aka St. Stephen’s Gate), and the other stretches from Jaffa Gate to Zion Gate. Since January 1, 5,549 people visited Zedekiah’s Cave, which was opened to the public in April 2007. During nine months of activity in 2007 the cave was toured by 9,356 people; visits during April to June 2008 are up 86% from the same period last year.

The article continues here. I’m certainly happy to see these sites open again, but there has been a price. Getting into the City of David with a group now requires an advance reservation, a fast pace to stay ahead of countless tour groups, and a wad of cash. Zedekiah’s Cave cost $1 before it closed in 2000; now they charge $5 a person to keep the lights on and a guard at the door.

Tagged Excavations, Jerusalem

Satellite Imagery plus

A guy discovers a ship 10,000 feet underwater that was sunk 60 years ago – without ever leaving his computer! Wetherby News has the fascinating story and some potential benefits to archaeologists. A previous article was in the Times Online.

The Israel Antiquities Authority has posted a 7-minute movie about the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Worldmapper.org has quite a selection of interesting (modern) maps.

HT: Joe Lauer

Tagged Discoveries

Barkay on Temple Denial

Lela Gilbert has an article in the Jerusalem Post on the recent trend of denying that a Jewish temple existed in Jerusalem. It includes a lengthy interview with archaeologist Gabriel Barkay, and concludes:

IN SPITE of these discoveries, Temple denial remains a growing phenomenon in Europe and America, particularly in leftist intellectual circles. It is supported by the reality that there are no visible remains of the temples of Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. Barkay contends that there were remains still visible in the 1960s and 1970s, which have either been removed or covered up by gardens.
“The Islamic Wakf says, ‘We are not going to let you dig, but show us any remains of the Temple.’ You cannot have it both ways. If you don’t allow people to dig, then don’t use this absence of remains as an argument.
“Temple denial is a very tragic harnessing of politics to change history. It is not a different interpretation of historical events or archeological evidence. This is something major. I think that Temple denial is more serious and more dangerous than Holocaust denial. Why? Because for the Holocaust there are still living witnesses. There are photographs; there are archives; there are the soldiers who released the prisoners; there are testimonies from the Nazis themselves. There were trials, a whole series of them, starting with Nuremberg. There are people who survived the Holocaust still among us. Concerning the Temple, there are no people among us who remember.
“Still, [to deny the Temples], you have to dismiss the evidence of Flavius Josephus; you have to dismiss the evidence of the Mishna and of the Talmud; and you have to dismiss the writings of Roman and Greek historians who mention the Temple of Jerusalem. And you have to dismiss The Bible. That is, I think, way too much.”

Previous related post: Muslims Recognize Temple’s Existence

HT: Joe Lauer

Tagged Jerusalem, Temple Mount

Plastered Skulls Found in Galilee

From Arutz-7:

Archaeologists have discovered three 9,000-year-old skulls at the Yiftah’el dig in the Lower Galilee, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday. Experts said the placement of the skulls confirms the worship of ancestors from during that time, practiced by displaying skulls inside houses. The skulls were apparently placed on benches in a house where they would inspire the younger generation to continue in the ways of their forefathers. A similar custom was also identified in Syria, Turkey and Jordan. The skulls are 8,000-9,000 years old and were buried in a pit adjacent to an excavated large public building. They were discovered during excavations for a new highway interchange at the Movil Junction, a major intersection. “The skulls were found plastered – that is to say sculpted – which is a phenomenon that is identified with the New Stone Age,” said site director Dr. Hamoudi Khalaily. “The practice included the reconstruction of all of the facial features of the deceased by means of sculpting the skull with a variety of materials such as plaster that was specifically intended for this. On the skulls that were found in the excavation the nose was entirely reconstructed.”

The story continues here.

Tagged Discoveries, Galilee

ESV Study Bible

From earlier previews of the maps, illustrations, and study notes, I think that the ESV Study Bible will be a very useful resource for those interested in biblical geography and archaeology. The Bible includes more than 200 full-color maps, and 40 stunning, up-to-date illustrations. (For one example of “up-to-date,” look at the Pool of Siloam on the Jerusalem illustrations.)

The Bible is due out on October 15, but the publisher wants everyone to know just how good this Bible will be before then. To that end, they have just begun a blog. I’d draw your attention to the post on the Gamla synagogue, with its outstanding reconstruction drawing (which you can download in high resolution). Leen Ritmeyer gives his perspective on the illustration he helped to create here.
If you want to know more about the Bible, there’s a 5-minute video overview that shows off some of the beautiful illustrations.

One thing that I don’t think I’ll ever understand is how books like this can be so affordable ($31.50 online).

Tagged Resources

Sepphoris Temple and More

A Roman temple from the 2nd century A.D. has been excavated at Sepphoris. The temple was about 40 by 80 feet (12 x 24 m) and its facade faced the decumanus, the main east-west street of the city. A church was later built over the temple. The story is reported by ScienceDaily, Physorg, and the Jerusalem Post. The first two links each have a photo.

Zondervan Academic has a new blog and they have, among other things, links to the online programs for the national meetings of AAR, ETS, and SBL. I also liked John Walton’s post on bad things people do in teaching children the Bible.

The JPost has a short article about “Genesis Land,” a tourist site that recreates patriarchal life midway between Jerusalem and Jericho.

Some people know General Charles Gordon because of his work in China and Sudan, and others for his popularization of “Gordon’s Calvary” or the Garden Tomb. NPR has a five-part series on China and Sudan, in which Gordon’s influence is discussed in part one.

Tagged Discoveries, Galilee, Lectures