BiblePlaces Blog - Page 356 of 571

Controversy over Plans for Lifta, ancient Waters of Nephtoah

On the outskirts of modern Jerusalem lies an abandoned Arab village that is likely to be identified with the biblical waters of Nephtoah. The site is listed on the Judah-Benjamin border in the tribal lists of Joshua (cf. Josh 18:15).

Joshua 15:8–9 (NIV) Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim).

As Anson Rainey notes in The Sacred Bridge (p. 181), the name of the Arab village Lifta preserves the ancient name of Nephtoah. Gabriel Barkay has suggested that Mei (waters of) Nephtoah preserves the name of the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah (“What’s an Egyptian Temple Doing in Jerusalem?” Biblical Archaeology Review 26/03, May/Jun 2000; online here).

The site is in the news today because of controversial plans to transform the crumbling village into luxury apartments and a hotel. From the Jerusalem Post:

In January, the Israel Lands Authority published a tender to build 212 luxury apartment villas and a hotel in the area of Lifta, turning the crumbling stone houses into lavish residences.
A coalition of activists successfully petitioned the Jerusalem District Court to halt the tender in March. The petition, filed by former Lifta residents, Rabbis for Human Rights, and Jafra, a Palestinian heritage organization, calls for the courts to freeze the bidding process and for the ILA to require that an independent monitoring organization complete a survey of the area to determine what should be preserved and what can be developed.
[…]
But the current legal impasse seems miles away from the peacefulness of Lifta, which has stood abandoned but largely intact for 64 years. It is the only completely abandoned Arab village that was not destroyed or inhabited by Jews after 1948, though its empty buildings have provided a haven for drug dealers, prostitutes and the homeless.
[…]
Isaac Shweky, the director of the council, takes a pragmatic approach to Lifta’s development: The site is in desperate need of repair, and if nothing is done it will continue to crumble away and eventually be reduced to nothing, as the weeds and vandals reclaim all 54 of the remaining structures. The cost to preserve the buildings would be astronomical, in the hundreds of millions of shekels. The only way to fund the preservation of the buildings, he believes, is to develop the site commercially.

The story includes a video interview with a former resident of the town who desires that the ruins be preserved as a witness to al-Naqba (“the Catastrophe”) of the founding of Israel in 1948.

Lifta, site of the biblical “Waters of Nephtoah”

Tagged Jerusalem

Israel’s Polluted Skies

If you’ve ever compared the (lack of) clear air in Israel today with scenes in older photographs, you may not be surprised that one factor affecting Israel’s skies today is pollution arriving from other countries. From Haaretz:

Air pollution from North Africa and Europe containing toxic materials has reached Israel, according to a series of studies by the Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Tests show that toxic materials also get here on particles of desert dust.
[…]
Scientists have been studying air particles arriving in Israel for years, and it is known that pollution can move long distances. But only in recent years has a precise analysis been made of the pollution and its origins.
The meteorologic data indicates that for two thirds of the days of the year, air currents arrive from Western and Eastern Europe, and for more than one-fifth of the year, air currents arrive from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and North Africa.

The story continues here.

The Sea of Galilee. Clear skies are the norm in David Bivin’s photographs from the 1960s.

Tagged Weather

Weekend Roundup

Hezekiah’s Pool in the Old City of Jerusalem has been a place for depositing garbage for many years.

City authorities are no longer ignoring the health hazard but have begun removing the debris by tractor. The report in Haaretz sent Tom Powers to take some photos and speculate on possible discoveries that could be made if trash removal leads to archaeological excavation. Ferrell Jenkins pulled out some of his earlier photos and discusses the pool’s name and date.

An IMAX film entitled “Jerusalem” but with aerial footage from all of Israel is scheduled for release in 2013, notes Leen Ritmeyer. A six-minute preview is already online.

Tel Burna (Libnah?) has a roundup of activities from the first week of the summer excavation.

On the BiblePlaces page at Facebook, Michael Sisson recommends the iTunes app “British Library 19th Century Collection” for good works about the Holy Land by early explorers. The collection will increase from its current 1,000 works to more than 60,000 titles later this summer.

While you wait for the latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review to land in your mailbox, you can get a preview of the contents. This includes an announcement of a brand new section of their “award-winning Web site,” Bible History Daily. The screenshot indicates that it will have an RSS feed.

Tagged Jerusalem, Resources, Shephelah

Deal: 50% off Tubingen Bible Atlas

Eisenbrauns has a 50% discount on the Tubingen Bible Atlas this weekend only. That cuts the cost from $150 to $75. This is widely considered to be one of the best Bible atlases for advanced students.

From the publisher’s description:

The 29 carefully researched and highly detailed maps in this atlas cover every biblical era and are based on the highly regarded Tubinger Atlas of the Near and Middle East (TAVO). Each of the large-format maps unfolds to 28-1/4 x 19-1/2 inches and reveals an immense wealth of information in carefully rendered detail with clear, easy-to-read labels. Although based upon the TAVO, some maps have been further revised to be more relevant to biblical scholars. In addition, a new map focusing on the archeology and history of Sinai has been added and is being published here for the first time. A second volume contains the map index. Bound as a separate volume, the index is easy to use while the maps are open.

Carl Rasmussen reviewed the work in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, June 2003, pp. 314-15. He comments on various strengths and weaknesses of the atlas:

We must emphasize that this is not a volume for the English lay reader of the Bible, because the (usually) simple process of finding a place on a map is a daunting process. For example, the familiar Capernaum is nowhere to be found in the index volume, for one must know to look under Kapharnaom…
[…]
But we must also emphasize that this book is certainly for scholars and academic libraries…
[…]
The book is especially strong in providing maps of background material from the ancient Near Eastern and eastern Mediterranean worlds…
[…]
It seems to me that almost all historians writing biblical commentaries and/or articles will find this volume useful and convenient for their research….it truly is amazing to discover all of the goodies that are included in this book.

The complete review is online in pdf format.

Tagged Resources

Recommended: Rose Guide to the Tabernacle

The Rose Guide to the Tabernacle is a work that I would typically ignore, especially because it is a book without a (listed) author. The cover and the title page credit the work to “Rose Publishing,” and that sends a message to me that this is not a work of credible scholarship. A review of the contents, however, suggests otherwise.

However the book was created, it is a very valuable resource for learning about and teaching the tabernacle. The 115 pages of text is well-researched, well-written, and accurate. To understand the tabernacle and God’s purpose for it, one must begin with Creation and the Garden of Eden. This book takes the reader from there to the encampment at Mount Sinai and on to the wilderness travels and the celebration of the feasts. Each section is well-organized and clearly presented.

Few subjects benefit from illustrations more than does the tabernacle.

This book is full of photographs, reconstructions, maps, and charts.

Clear plastic overlays allow the reader to “peel back” exterior layers in order to see what is inside (the tent and the ark). Teachers will appreciate the generous permission to make copies of pages for students.

I know of no better resource for an initial study of the tabernacle or for teaching it. I could profitably use it for teaching my family, a Sunday School class, as well as in high school and college courses.

Having this book, in fact, inspires me to find ways to teach the subject.

Since charts tend to be valuable educational tools, I’ve made a partial listing of those included in the book:

Old Testament Covenants
Time Line of the Exodus
Why Is the Tabernacle Important Today?
Bible References about the Tabernacle
Sacrifices in the Tabernacle
The Holy Place
Tabernacle Symbolism
Intercessors in the Bible
Priests, Levites, and the High Priest
Jesus and the High Priest
Contents of the Ark
The Visible Presence of God
Manifestations of God’s Presence
The Journey of the Ark
Jesus and the Ark of the Covenant
Organization of Tribes Camp and March

The book concludes with a section about the major feasts of the Old Testament, including “fascinating facts” about each one.

Amazon currently carries the book for $20 and it includes the “Look Inside” feature so you can check it out yourself. I see now that the book was the “Winner of the 2009 Christian Retailers Choice Award for Bible Reference and Bible Study.” I agree that this book is a winner.

Tagged Resources

Wednesday Roundup

Antiquities thieves were caught in the act of pillaging a site in the Shephelah. The specific site is not identified, but the article references “a severe wave of theft digs in the area of the Elah Valley near Beit Shemesh.” One is reminded of the recent Israeli archaeologist squabble in which Oded Lipschitz apparently accused Yosef Garfinkel of illegally excavating Socoh. Perhaps the authorities have now discovered the real culprits.

In the latest CitySights video, Danny Herman explores the suggested locations for the tomb of King David.

Leen Ritmeyer’s book on the Jerusalem temple is the best on the subject. David Lang reviews The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on the Accordance Blog.

The Wild West (Jerusalem): If you’re a tourist who wants to get a look at Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, you might want to think twice before venturing in. Apparently Israeli police consider the ultra-orthodox neighborhood a “no-go zone” because they are attacked when they enter. If you get in trouble, don’t expect the police to come to your rescue.

John Byron explains “Why Biblical Scholars Should Participate in at Least One Dig.” I think he only scratches the surface on the value of joining an excavation, but I believe there is at least one thing every biblical scholar (and full-time teacher of the Bible) should do: Go on a Study Tour of Israel. I wouldn’t say that one cannot teach the Bible without such a study, but neither would I say that a one-legged man cannot snow ski.

HT: BibleX

Tagged Jerusalem, Shephelah, Tourism, Weekend Roundup