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Review (#2) of the Pictorial Library

I think in the year and a half that this blog has been going, I’ve only mentioned one review of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands. Today I’m linking to another. The fact that both were posted in the span of one week may trouble those who are looking for more than self-promotional material.

But since this blog is written by a real person who has worked very hard to make this collection of photos, I confess it’s sometimes good to hear how it benefits others. In this case, twice in one week.

More Palace of David Discovered?

This story is about a week old, but I didn’t have time to comment on it before. Here is the complete text from the Jerusalem Post.

First Temple wall found in City of David
A wall from the First Temple was recently uncovered in Jerusalem’s City of David, strengthening the claim that it is the site of the palace of King David, an Israeli archeologist said Thursday.
The new find, made by Dr. Eilat Mazar, a senior fellow at the Shalem Center’s Institute for the Archeology of the Jewish People, comes less than two years after she said she had discovered the palace’s location at the site just outside the walls of the Old City.
The monumental 10th century BCE building found by Mazar in 2005 following a six month dig has ignited debate among archaeologists about whether it is indeed the palace built for the victorious David by King Hiram of Tyre as recounted in Samuel II:5.
A 20-meter-long section of the 7-meter-thick wall has now been uncovered. It indicates that the City of David once served as a major government center, Mazar said.
Mazar estimates less than a quarter of the entire wall has been uncovered so far, and says that it is the largest site from King David’s time ever to have been discovered.
The dig is sponsored by the capital’s Shalem Center, with academic backing from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A few comments:

1) As noted elsewhere, the headline is unfortunate. Mazar did not find, and does not claim to have found, any portion of a wall of a temple. The missing word is “period” – Mazar found a wall from the “First Temple period,” which is equivalent to Iron Age II (1000-586 B.C.).

2) This story strikes me as a publicity-getter, as it lacks much substance. No photos or diagrams are included, and details are sparse. This accords with the rather secretive approach being taken in this dig. I can give personal examples, but will not.

3) I have trouble believing that a 7-meter-thick wall was found, and if it was, I hardly believe that it belonged to a palace (and not to the city itself). That’s the same thickness as the Broad Wall, which is one of the largest fortification walls in the entire country. The City of David is a small area; a 7-meter wall would take away a significant percentage of the living area.

4) I am also suspicious of Mazar’s dating until more is published (and the experts confirm it). That’s not because I don’t believe in the biblical account of David (actually, I do), but because I think that sometimes archaeologists jump to desired conclusions too quickly.

5) I have significant objections to Mazar’s interpretation of the Bible as regards David’s palace. Elaboration on that will have to wait for another time.

Excavation area from the east

Tagged Discoveries, Jerusalem

Review of the Pictorial Library

Bible Software Review has recently posted a helpful review of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.

Rubén Gómez lives in the Mediterranean basin, but has not traveled to the biblical lands.

The saying goes that an image is worth a thousand words, and this is truer than ever in the case of The Pictorial Library of Bible Lands (PLBL). No review can make justice to the fine pictures and excellent presentation of this product. It is the next best thing to actually being there! I love it!

He put the Pictorial Library to the test in preparing a sermon.

Since the proof of the cake is in the eating, I used the slides on Capernaum (Figure 2), among others, to prepare a series of sermons on John 6. I can assure you that watching the shots from the Sea of Galilee and spending some time looking at the remains of the synagogue in Capernaum, built on the earlier basalt level where the original edifice once stood — and where Jesus most likely delivered his bread of life discourse –, brought everything to life and certainly helped a lot in seeing the whole picture of the episodes found in that chapter. It certainly enriched me in no small degree.

The review includes several helpful screenshots that illustrate several of the methods to access the photographs and notes. Ruben’s kind words are greatly appreciated, as is his faithful work in reviewing various Bible software products. His site is a beneficial resource to all!

Tagged Resources

Muslims Open Temple Mount to Excavators

Muslim leaders in Jerusalem today announced that they have no opposition to Israeli archaeologists excavating on the Temple Mount. Such work would be invaluable to understanding the history of one of the most sacred places in the world, and they have acknowledged that their previously-held objections are surpassed by the potential gains.

Israeli archaeologists do not have any immediate plans to excavate, but now that the invitation has been made, experts expect that the several proposals will quickly be made from leading universities.

One of those on QAWF, the Islamic committee that approved the move, denied that the Muslims feared the recovery of Jewish remains on the mount. Muhammad Husseini was quoted as saying, “We recognize that every historical source agrees that the Jewish temple was on the site of our holy mosque. Finding archaeological evidence for that building will not change history.” Another religious official, Ali Abdullah, indicated that this move was intended to show good-will. “There is no reason why we must deny the Jewish people access to their most holy place. We will be delighted if they accept our invitation to excavate and increase their understanding of their ancestors.”

Some scholars, however, are skeptical. Dr. Yosef Rosenthal suggests that the excavation will never begin, because “the Israeli people will debate the matter endlessly, and in the end, the Muslims will look magnanimous and the Jews will never move one spade of earth.”

Muslims authorities have made it clear that excavation will only be permitted outside of Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, and that prayer services may not be disturbed. Israeli archaeologists are still thrilled because the large majority of the enclosure lies outside of the sacred structures.

This change of position is a most unexpected one, especially in light of recent violent protests because of an Israeli removal of an earthen ramp outside of the Temple Mount adjacent to the Jewish holy area of the Western Wall. Such a radical shift may be largely explained by the fact that today is April 1.

Tagged April Fool's Joke

Recent Articles

This has been a busy month with little spare time lately for blogging. Here are some recent articles of interest before I head out on another trip.

Several sites in Israel were given World Heritage status recently, including Megiddo, Hazor, Beersheba, and the Spice Route.

Some archaeologists have vented about the manner in which excavations have been carried out in Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount ramp. The source is Haaretz, so don’t expect a fair report.

And on the tomb of Jesus discovery, Gordon Franz of the Associates for Biblical Research responds.

The Jerusalem Post has a lengthy interview with the moviemaker/investigative journalist/naked archaeologist, Simcha Jacobovici.

The Biblical Archaeology Society has an interview with two scholars who lost their faith and two who didn’t. Despite its appearance, the four are not exactly a representative group. Shanks should have looked harder to find a real Christian. There’s much here worthy of commenting on, but time does not allow for it today.

A Photo Quiz

Things have been too serious here lately, so it’s time for something more fun.

On a recent trip with my students to southern Israel, we took the chance to act out some biblical stories.

The challenge is for you to identify the biblical characters in the photograph below.

I’ll give you two hints:

1. We were at Beersheba and though all of the action didn’t occur here, some did (and the rest not far away).

2. Characters from several separate stories are posed together here, but the stories are told in a two consecutive chapters of the Bible.

When you’re ready, you can check your answers here.