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Hanukkah Re-creation in Hasmonean Village

Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight. The Washington Post reports on a city in Israel that has re-created the story.

Dressed in a tunic and brandishing a sword, Zohar Baram leaps around the makeshift stage in the re-created Israeli village of Kfar Hashmonaim as dozens of children follow the action.
“I am the old Mattathias, and I have seen a lot in my life,” he says in a booming voice. “The Greeks have forbidden us from reading the Torah and observing the Sabbath. . . . We are Jews, and we will always be Jews. Whoever is for God, follow me!”
What follows is a tale of military triumph and a miraculous supply of oil, a story told the world over that gains magic when recounted in the land where it took place. The reenactment of the Hanukkah story, which commemorates the time when a small band of Jews, the Hasmoneans, fought the Greeks for the right to worship in the Temple in Jerusalem, is only part of a visit to Baram’s Hasmonean village, which tries to re-create life during that period, more than 2,000 years ago.
At the village, about halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, children can participate in several activities appropriate to Hanukkah. In one area they harvest olives from a tree and crush them into oil using an ancient olive press. In another they make mosaics, and in a third they make copies of ancient coins.

You can read the rest here.

HT: Paleojudaica

Tagged Opportunities

Ivory Pomegranate Inscription Not Forged, Says Scientist

The Biblical Archaeology Society has posted a new study by Professor Yitzhak Roman of Hebrew University in which he concludes that the inscription was carved before the ivory pomegranate was broken. This agrees with the previous study of André Lemaire of Sorbonne University, against the conclusion of Yuval Goren and the Israel Museum that the inscription was forged in modern times.

You can get the original report in Hebrew, or an English translation, as well as various related materials at the BAS website. There’s been quite a bit of discussion in the ANE-2 list, largely attacking the experts or explaining why now it doesn’t matter. If Roman’s and Lemaire’s arguments are invalid, hopefully someone will step up and refute the evidence. You can do your own analysis of the photographs here.

Tagged Forgery

Two Important Coins Found in Temple Mount Rubble

Many interesting finds have been made from the pile of “trash” that was removed from the Temple Mount and dumped in the Kidron Valley. The Jerusalem Post reports the latest discovery.

Two ancient coins, one used to pay the Temple tax and another minted by the Greek leader the Jews fought in the story of Hanukka, have been uncovered amid debris from Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, an Israeli archeologist said Thursday.
The two coins were recently found in rubble discarded by Islamic officials from the Temple Mount. It is carefully being sifted by two archeologists and a team of volunteers at a Jerusalem national park.
The first coin, a silver half-shekel, was apparently minted on the Temple Mount itself by Temple authorities in the first year of the Great Revolt against the Romans in 66-67 CE, said Bar-Ilan University Professor Gabriel Barkay, who is leading the sifting operation.
One side of the coin, which was found by a 14-year-old volunteer, shows a branch with three pomegranates, and the inscription “Holy Jerusalem”; the other side bears a chalice from the First Temple and says “Half-Shekel.”
In the Bible, Jews are commanded to contribute half a shekel each for maintaining the Temple in Jerusalem. At the time of the Temple’s construction in the sixth century BCE, every Jew was ordered to make an obligatory symbolic donation of a half-shekel. This consistent yet small payment allowed all Jews, irrespective of socioeconomic position, to participate in building the Temple.

You can read the full story here.

In related news, the archaeologists in charge of this project face a significant funding shortfall. A recent letter from Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Zweig concludes:

The Temple Mount Sifting Operation is not a project for an elite group of archaeologists. It is now the property of the entire Jewish people, including the tens of thousands of volunteers who have helped us sift through the rubble over the years. Many times throughout history the most important projects are adopted by private donors who have the privilege to make a significant difference well before the state steps in to help. The Temple Mount Sifting Project is just such an opportunity. Please take part in this effort to save the Temple Mount Antiquities and help us to continue the educational programming which is having an immeasurable impact on thousands of visitors from all walks of Jewish life.

You can read more about this important project and learn how to make a contribution here.

HT: Joe Lauer

Tagged Discoveries, Jerusalem, Temple Mount

Mariottini on the Top Ten Discoveries of 2008

Dr. Claude Mariottini has posted his “Ten Important Archaeological Discoveries in 2008 Related to the Bible.” Since he beat me to it, I think I’ll not try to create my own list, but will give some of my thoughts on these finds. I’ll do that in the next few days. For now, you can read his list and follow the links.

Tagged Discoveries

Video Review: Noah’s Ark in Iran

Robert Cornuke, renowned discoverer of the true Mount Sinai, location of the Ark of the Covenant, and anchors from the Apostle Paul’s shipwrecked boat, has recently produced a video on his discovery of Noah’s Ark.

This video has recently been reviewed by Gordon Franz, Bill Crouse, and Rex Geissler, who note:

“Because of the excellent production quality, we are concerned once again that its sensational claims will mislead the Christian public.”

From the review:

The main premise of the video, as stated on the back cover of the video box, is that: “Based on the testimony of the Bible, personal investigation, examination of evidence, and other factors, Cornuke points to Mount Suleiman in the modern-day country of Iran, as the most probable resting place for Noah’s Ark.” This premise, however, collapses on Biblical grounds and other known facts.
Cornuke bases his conclusion on five main assumptions:

The veracity of the Ed Davis testimony as to the location of the Ark

The region (country) of Ararat (Urartu) extended into the central Elburz mountain range in Iran

An interpretation of Genesis 11:2 would mean that the Ark landed in Iran, east of Shinar (modern-day, south central Iraq)

Other ancient sources, for example Josephus, might extend the Land of Ararat eastward into Iran

The rock outcrop they found on Suleiman is the Ed Davis object, is petrified wood, and by implication, the remains of Noah’s Ark

The review then considers each of those assumptions.

The problem is, as with all of Cornuke’s “discoveries,” that they are never published in a credible journal where specialists in the relevant fields can respond. Instead, Cornuke (like his predecessor Ron Wyatt) goes straight to the public, where the standards are much, much lower. Sadly, perhaps no group is more gullible to these sorts of claims than evangelical Christians.

Tagged Analysis

Photos from Iran, ancient Persia

If you’ve been looking for photos of Iran/Persia, you won’t find any in the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands. Maybe one day I’ll make it there, but I don’t have any plans in the near future. In the meantime, Stephen Jones has sent a link to a terrific collection of photos on flickr, including Susa, Persepolis, and some from the Iranian National Museum. The photos include helpful historical descriptions.

Tagged Resources