Israel Archaeological News - General

[Resource Manager]

Excavations in the City of David

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Leen Ritmeyer

"David Willner and Barnea Levi Selavan met up with archaeologist Yuval Gadot (Tel Aviv University), who generously gave of his time and knowledge to help them understand the City of David in First and Second Temple times.
 

Dr. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University has initiated a long term excavation to explore several research issues in the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age periods. After two months in the field he welcomed David Willner and Barnea Levi Selavan of Foundation Stone’s LandMinds program to see the excavation taking shape.

On the Foundation Stone’s website you can watch a 

 of this interview and also listen to three audio segments."

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[Resource Manager]

Did Ancient Beams Discarded in Old City Come from First and Second Temples?

A collection of neglected wooden beams from the Al-Aqsa mosque offer a glimpse at ancient Jerusalem — and possibly at the biblical temples themselves

By MATTI FRIEDMAN May 22, 2013, 5:14 pm

"Under a tarp in one little-visited corner of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem lies a pile of rotting timber that would hardly catch a visitor’s eye.

In a padlocked storage space under a building in the settlement of Ofra, in the West Bank, lies an even larger pile of similar beams, some with rusted metal nails. Still more of the same beams can be found in one of the rooms of the Rockefeller Museum, outside Jerusalem’s Old City.

Despite their unprepossessing appearance, the beams are unique and important to scholars because of their place of origin — the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount — and their age: Some were hewed from trees felled nearly 3,000 years ago."

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[Resource Manager]

Parts of Dead Sea Scrolls, World’s Oldest Biblical Manuscripts, Are For Sale - In Tiny Pieces

By Associated Press, Sunday, May 26, 2:44 AM

JERUSALEM — Parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls are up for sale — in tiny pieces.

"Nearly 70 years after the discovery of the world’s oldest biblical manuscripts, the Palestinian family who originally sold them to scholars and institutions is now quietly marketing the leftovers — fragments the family says it has kept in a Swiss safe deposit box all these years.

Most of these scraps are barely postage-stamp-sized, and some are blank. But in the last few years, evangelical Christian collectors and institutions in the U.S. have forked out millions of dollars for a chunk of this archaeological treasure. This angers Israel’s government antiquities authority, which holds most of the scrolls, claims that every last scrap should be recognized as Israeli cultural property, and threatens to seize any more pieces that hit the market."

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[Resource Manager]

Computer Network Piecing Together a Jigsaw of Jewish Lore

By JODI RUDOREN

Published: May 26, 2013

TEL AVIV — "One scholar likened it to finding the orphaned socks for generations of a family. Another compared it to law-enforcement’s use of DNA databases and face-recognition software.

The idea is to harness technology to help reassemble more than 100,000 document fragments collected across 1,000 years that reveal details of Jewish life along the Mediterranean, including marriage, medicine and mysticism. For decades, scholars relied mainly on memory to match up pieces of the Cairo genizah, a treasure trove of papers that include works by the rabbinical scholar Maimonides, parts of Torah scrolls and prayer books, reams of poetry and personal letters, contracts, and court documents, even recipes (there is a particularly vile one for honey-wine)."

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[Resource Manager]

Top 10 Israeli Ancient Mosaic Discoveries

A fantastic ancient floor found in the Negev is just the latest in a series of discoveries throughout the country.

By Miriam Feinberg Vamosh

May 26, 2013 12:36 PM

"The spectacular mosaic floor found in the Negev near Kibbutz Beit Kama is just the latest magnificent tiling discovery of ancient times in Israel.

There are dozens of these marvelous, meticulous creations, some almost 16 centuries old. Most of the mosaics were installed in ancient churches and synagogues. They tell Bible stories, extolled donors, beautified the experience of faith and even educated people.

The mosaics brim with human and animal figures, some fanciful, some realistic; some from Jewish tradition and some, like the pagan sun god Helios galloping across the sky, borrowed from other cultures."

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[Resource Manager]

Holy Land archaeological treasure hurt by politics

Holy Land Archaeological Site Caught in Political Crossfire, Suffers From Looting, Neglect

By Daniela Berretta, Associated Press | Associated Press – 14 hrs ago

SEBASTIA, West Bank (AP) - "The ancient town of Sebastia is one of the major archaeological sites of the Holy Land, with its overlapping layers of history dating back nearly 3,000 years. But today the hilltop capital of biblical kings, later ruled by Roman conquerors, Crusaders and Ottomans, is marred with weeds, graffiti and garbage.

Caught between conflicting Israeli and Palestinian jurisdictions, the site has been largely neglected by both sides for the past two decades. Beyond the decay, unauthorized diggers and thieves have taken advantage of the lack of oversight to make off with priceless artifacts.

"You can learn the history of the whole region (by) staying here because all the powers that crossed the region since the time of the Egyptians were passing through," said Carla Benelli, an art historian who has been working on restoration projects in parts of the site, financed in part by the Italian government . "From this point of view, it's really very important."

But the site needs basic maintenance, protection and cleaning, she said. "There is no one who is doing this here in Sebastia. It will not last forever in this way."

The ancient greatness of Sebastia — located in the northern West Bank just outside the city of Nablus — remains visible. It served as the capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel under the name of Samaria in the 8th and 9th centuries B.C. Alexander the great, King Herod and Medieval Islamic rulers have all left their marks. According to tradition, the town is also the burial place of John the Baptist, revered by both Christians and Muslims."

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[Resource Manager]

Virtual Tour of Herod the Great Exhibit

 

H/t: BiblePlacesBlog

[Resource Manager]

Herod the Great Exhibition in the Israel Museum

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Leen Ritmeyer

"Last March I was able to visit this exhibition and it took my breath away. We were fortunate to have special permission to film before the exhibition was opened to visitors as I was part of a team making a documentary for the National Geographic."

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[Resource Manager]

Berko Park, Aka Ancient Tiberias

King Herod Antipas unwittingly built Tiberias directly over a Jewish cemetery. Luckily, some 130 years later, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai decided to purify the place

By AVIVA AND SHMUEL BAR-AM

June 8, 2013, 3:21 pm

"After the death of Herod the Great in 4 BCE, the Romans who ruled the Land of Israel granted the Galilee to his son Antipas. In the middle of his reign, around 20 CE, Herod Antipas decided to erect a Roman-style capital city to rival the spectacular but hostile Jewish center at Tzippori. He built it on the western shores of Lake Kinneret and named it Tiberias after the ruling Roman emperor. Besides the glistening lake, which was to provide a handsome living for the city’s fishermen, the locale featured fertile farmland and hot springs that were famous for their miraculous healing properties.

Lain out in typical Roman grid patterns, Tiberias boasted handsome avenues lined with shops, impressive statues, a luxurious bathhouse, and a grandiose palace. Unfortunately for the Jews of Israel, who would have delighted in the free land, housing, and tax exemptions that Herod was offering new residents, the king had unwittingly located Tiberias directly over an ancient Jewish cemetery, and fear of contamination kept most of them away."

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[Resource Manager]

Mysterious Monument Found Beneath the Sea of Galilee

Monday, June 10, 2013

TAU research says unique structure is the product of skilled construction

"The shores of the Sea of Galilee, located in the North of Israel, are home to a number of significant archaeological sites. Now researchers from Tel Aviv University have found an ancient structure deep beneath the waves as well.

Researchers stumbled upon a cone-shaped monument, approximately 230 feet in diameter, 39 feet high, and weighing an estimated 60,000 tons, while conducting a geophysical survey on the southern Sea of Galilee, reports Prof. Shmulik Marco of TAU's Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences. The team also included TAU Profs. Zvi Ben-Avraham and Moshe Reshef, and TAU alumni Dr. Gideon Tibor of the Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute."

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[Resource Manager]

Seeing Things as They Were — There’s an Israeli App For That

Using advanced augmented reality technology, Architip lets users visualize ancient sites in their original form

By DAVID SHAMAH June 15, 2013, 6:47 am

"Visitors to Israel’s many archaeological sites are often told to come equipped with a camera, and an imagination. The camera is to take photos of themselves and their companions at these famous sites — and the imagination is supposed to help them visualize what many of the faded, ancient, and time-worn places looked like during their heyday.

There are loads of aids to help prompt those imaginations, from guidebooks to audio recordings to professional guides. But Architip, a new app created by a team of image and archaeology professionals, takes a decidedly high-tech approach to the issue. Using augmented reality (AR) technology, the app lets users see what sites actually looked like long ago, bringing to virtual life a view of the ancient world."

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http://vimeo.com/66671176

Site Link to Application

Architip

H/t: BiblePlacesBlog

[Resource Manager]

June 23, 2013

Saving the Holy Land's oldest monastery in Gaza

TEL UMM AL-AMR - Agence France-Presse

"A haven of peace in the sea of concrete that is the Gaza Strip, the crumbling remains of the Holy Land's oldest monastery are in danger of disappearing for lack of funds to preserve them. Saint Hilarion, also known as Tel Umm al-Amr, draws its name from the fourth century hermit who came from southern Gaza and is considered to be the father of Palestinian monasticism. Its life close to the Mediterranean shore spanned more than four centuries -- from the late Roman Empire to the Umayyad period. Abandoned after an earthquake in the seventh century, it was uncovered by local archaeologists in 1999.

But today, "it's a complete mess -- archaeologically, scientifically and on a human level," laments Rene Elter, a researcher at the Ecole Biblique, a French academic institution in Jerusalem, who is responsible for trying preserve the site."

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[Resource Manager]

Section of an 1,800 year-old Roman Road Exposed in Jerusalem

25 Jun 2013

​The road section discovered in the excavations in Beit Hanina is part of the imperial network of roads that led to Jerusalem from the coastal plain.

(Communicated by the Israel Antiquities Authority)

According to the excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “This is the first time we have encountered such a finely preserved section of the road in Jerusalem”. The road was exposed within the framework of an IAA archaeological excavation prior to the installation of a drainage pipe by the Moriah Company.

An ancient road leading from Jaffa to Jerusalem, which dates to the Roman period (second–fourth centuries CE), was exposed this past fortnight in the Beit Hanina neighborhood in northern Jerusalem. The road remains were revealed in an archaeological excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted in Beit Hanina prior to the installation of a drainage pipe by the Moriah Company.

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[Resource Manager]

New Mosaics Discovered in Synagogue Excavations in Galilee

Jun 25, 2013

"Excavations in the Late Roman (fifth century) synagogue at Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village in Israel's Lower Galilee, have brought to light stunning mosaics that decorated the floor.

The Huqoq excavations are directed by Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-directed by Shua Kisilevitz of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Sponsors are UNC, Brigham Young University, Trinity University in Texas, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Toronto and the University of Wyoming. Students and staff from UNC and the consortium schools are participating in the dig.

Last summer, a mosaic showing Samson and the foxes (as related in the Bible's Judges 15:4) was discovered in the synagogue's east aisle. This summer, another mosaic was found that shows Samson carrying the gate of Gaza on his shoulders (Judges 16:3). Adjacent to Samson are riders with horses, apparently representing Philistines.Although he is not described as such in the Hebrew Bible, Samson is depicted as a giant in both scenes, reflecting later Jewish traditions that developed about the biblical judge and hero."

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[Resource Manager]

Jerusalem Home Harbors Buried Second Temple Artifacts

The Siebenberg House Museum in Jerusalem’s Old City Reopens to Public.

By: Anav Silverman, Tazpit News Agency

Published: June 26th, 2013

"Miriam Siebenberg lives in a very unusual house – unusual because of the fact that her home was built on top of another home, one that existed over 2,000 years ago. Within the ancient walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, Miriam and her husband Theo purchased a house after the Six Day War, eventually discovering that it contained a treasure trove of history buried deep underground.

In the Siebenberg’s house, a collection of archaeological artifacts discovered after years of digging in the basement, appear on display. Arrowheads, ink-wells, coins, ancient pottery, a glass cup and pieces of jewelry including a bronze key ring, likely used in the Second Temple era by a woman to unlock her jewelry box, can all be seen in the display.

But even more intriguing is what lies beneath their home. One can see the remains of an ancient Jewish residence and a way of life that dates back to the days of King Solomon and the Second Temple period. “The further we dug, the more history we uncovered,” Seibenberg told Tazpit News Agency in an exclusive interview."

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[Resource Manager]

Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Evidence of Siege in Jerusalem

History records the siege of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, but archaeologists never have found evidence of the famine that plagued Jews – until now.

By: Jewish Press Staff

Published: June 27th, 2013

"Archaeological excavations near the Western Wall have unearthed three complete cooking pots and a small ceramic oil lamp that are the first pieces of evidence of the Jewish famine during the revolt during the siege of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.

The Israel Antiquities Authority is digging up history in excavations of the drainage channel that runs from the Shiloah Pool in the City of David to Robinson’s Arch, at the southern end of the Western Wall.

“This is the first time we are able to connect archaeological finds with the famine that occurred during the siege of Jerusalem at the time of the Great Revolt,” said excavation director Eli Shukrun."

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[Resource Manager]

Further on from post #116:

Clay Pots Testify to Jewish Fears of Second Temple Rebels

Archaeologists said they had found historical evidence of the fear and terror imposed on Jews during the destruction of the Second Temple

By David Lev

First Publish: 6/27/2013, 2:27 PM

"Archaeologists announced Thursday that they had found the first historical evidence verifying the fear and terror imposed on Jews during the period of the destruction of the Second Temple by both Roman soldiers and extremist Jewish rebels. The evidence consists of three small pots that had been used for food, discovered inside an underground water channel."

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[Resource Manager]

Stone Age, Canaanite, Arrowheads and Blades Found in Judean Foothills

Archaeological excavations of the Israel Antiquities Authority done prior to laying down a sewer line turned up evidence of human habitation 9,000 years ago.

 

By: Jewish Press Staff

Published: June 30th, 2013

"Archaeological excavations which were conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Judean foothills moshav (cooperative village) of Eshta’ol, before laying a sewer line, have unearthed evidence that the area where the moshav houses sprawl started attracting agricultural entrepreneurs as far back as 9,000 years ago.

According to Benjamin Storchen, the excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "the ancient findings we unveiled at the site indicate that there was a flourishing agricultural settlement in this place, and it lasted for as long as 4,000 years."

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[Resource Manager]

Oldest-Ever Graves Decorated with Flowers Found in Israel

Using flowers on graves is not such a new idea. It may even date back 12,000 years to a society that lived in Haifa Mount Carmel areas, where Elijah the Prophet lived in Biblical times.

By: Jewish Press Staff

Published: July 1st, 2013

"Israeli archaeologists have unearthed 12,000-old Natufian society graves that are the oldest-ever proof that flowers were used for decorating graves.

The Natufian society is considered to be one of the first, if not the first, to reside in permanent villages instead of being nomadic, according to University of Haifa archaeologist Daniel Nadel. Carbon dating revealed that the graves were between 11,700 and 13,700 years old.

The graves were discovered in the nearby Mount Carmel area overlooking Haifa, with imprints of flowering plants, such as mint and sage, stamped into the dirt of the ancient graves."

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Also @ National Geographic

Mysterious Pair Buried With Flowers—Oldest Example Yet

Aromatic sage and mint lined graves found on Israel's Mount Carmel.

 

In Full

[Resource Manager]

Archaeologists: We Found Shilo Tabernacle

The findings, to be displayed this week at Shilo, include hewn holes in which wooden beams could have been placed.

By Gil Ronen

First Publish: 7/2/2013, 8:50 AM

"Archaeologists say they have found the remains of the Biblical Israelites' Tabernacle at site of ancient Shilo. The Tabernacle precedes the Temples and dates to the period between the conquest of the Land of Israel by Joshua and the rise of King David.

According to a report in Yisrael Hayom, the archaeologists will display their findings this week at the Shilo site in Samaria, in a conference that is to be held by the Shilo Organization.

Among the findings are holes hewn into the rock at the site. These holes, the archaeologists explain, could have been used in order to prop up wooden beams used in a temporary structure like the Tabernacle. The beams formed part of the walls of the Tabernacle, and they would have had to be fixed to the ground in some way."

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[Resource Manager]

Also @:

Newsletter Tuesday July 2, 2013

In Shiloh, an intriguing discovery alludes to the Tabernacle

"Archaeologists discover holes carved into the ground in Shiloh which could have held the beams of The Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting, which, according to the Bible, housed the Ark of the Covenant."

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[Resource Manager]

8 Jewish Archaeological Discoveries

From Dead Sea Scroll fragments to a ‘miracle pool’

 

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H/t: PaleoJudaica

[Resource Manager]

Israeli Archaeologists Uncover Base of 6th Roman Legion in Galilee

Legion camp served as a type of headquarters for managing Rome's military. From there, 3,500 soldiers ruled over the Galilee and part of Samaria 1,800 years ago.

By Eli Ashkenazi | Jul.03, 2013 | 6:09 PM

"Israeli archaeologists have found ruins they believe are the site of one of the two Roman legions based in the country between 120 and 300 C.E.

Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Yotam Tepper had long suspected that the site in the Galilee was the base of the Legio Sexta Ferrata, the 6th Roman Legion, also known as the Ironclad Legion. The other legion in the country was the 10th, based in Jerusalem.

Over the past week, an expedition led by Tepper and archaeologist Matthew Adams found the base of a battery or wall, a moat surrounding the camp, water pipes, a covered sewage channel, coins and tiles. The legion's symbol adorned a broken shingle."

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[Resource Manager]

June 2013, Cover Stories, Daily News

Archaeologists Excavate Jerusalem Cave and Tunnel Network

Fri, Jul 05, 2013

Finds suggest it was a possible hideout during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE.

"Archaeologists excavating in the ancient Ophel area near the Temple Mount (or Haram Ash-Sharif) of Jerusalem have uncovered a plaster-lined cave with an associated system of subterranean tunnels that may tell a story about life there when the Romans besieged the city during the First Jewish Revolt in 70 CE.

Under the overall direction of Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University, excavators removed uncounted bucket-loads of dirt and rock fill from the cave, discovering in the process that its walls had been lined with a layer of plaster. This, along with the cave's apparent connection to a structure dated to the First Temple period (10th to 6th centuries BCE) above it which featured water channels for directing water into the cave, told the archaeologists that they were actually exploring what was originally an ancient water cistern. Given the location, the water cistern, not an atypical feature of ancient Jerusalem during the centuries when Jerusalem was ruled by Israelite and Judahite kings before Babylonian captivity in 586 BC, may have been used by Jerusalem's royalty for collecting and storing water."

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http://youtu.be/WZp0HBvowe0

[Resource Manager]

Post #114 also refers:

Ancient Mosaic Depicting Samson Uncovered in a Galilee Synagogue

By: Rachel Avraham

Published: July 4th, 2013

"Excavations in a late Roman era synagogue at Huqoq in Israel’s eastern lower Galilee have uncovered a new mosaic depicting the biblical hero and judge, Samson. Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who has been conducting archaeological excavations at Huqoq since 2011, notes that while scenes from the Bible are not uncommon in ancient synagogues, mosaics featuring Samson are. Last summer (2012), excavations in the Huqoq synagogue brought to light a scene depicting Samson and the foxes (Judges 15:4). This summer, another section of the mosaic floor was discovered which shows Samson carrying the gate of Gaza (Judges 16:1-3)."

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