Excavations Archives - Page 68 of 97

More Excavation in the Western Wall Tunnels

In his column today at the Jerusalem Post, Wayne Stiles traverses the length of the Western Wall underground, recommending this as an ideal way to get more out of your day in Jerusalem.

Traveling though these excavated tunnels a few weeks ago, I saw several discoveries made in recent years. The steps of a very large mikveh (ritual bath) are visible about 10 meters below the modern path (noted previously on this blog here).

Eastern steps of mikveh built next to western wall of Temple Mount

Last month, they finished excavating and opened up to visitors a new portion of the Struthion Pool.

This is located to the east of the part of the pool that once served as the terminus of the tour.

Struthion Pool

Excavations continue in the Great Hall, not far from the location of the largest stone in the Temple Mount.

Excavations in the Great Hall, January 2012

Tagged Excavations, Jerusalem, Temple Mount

New Excavations Slated for Azekah

One of the most significant cities in the Shephelah of Judah, Azekah has never been scientifically excavated. Victim to the spades of Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister and Frederick J. Bliss in 1898-99, Azekah’s secrets have remained hidden while major expeditions have studied the nearby cities of Gezer, Beth Shemesh, Gath, and Lachish. Now the Wissenschaftlich-Theologisches Seminar of Heidelberg University has joined with Tel Aviv University to lead an international consortium in a survey and excavation of the site and vicinity.

The excavation will be directed by Oded Lipschits and Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University along with Manfred Oeming of Heidelberg University. The first season runs from July 15 to August 24, 2012 and volunteers are encouraged to apply. Three courses are offered for credit for university students.

The importance of Azekah is clear from its mention in Assyrian and biblical texts.

The Canaanites escaping from Joshua’s attack fled as far as Azekah (Josh 10:10-11).
The Philistines and their giant Goliath were camped between Azekah and Socoh (1 Sam 17:1).
Rehoboam fortified Azekah (2 Chr 11:9).
An Assyrian king, possibly Sargon II, said of the city, “Azekah is a stronghold which is situated in the midst of the mountains, located on a mountain range like a pointed dagger, it was like an eagle’s nest and rivaled the highest mountains and was inaccessible even for the siege ramps and for approaching with battering rams it was too strong.”
Azekah was one of the two last cities holding out against the Assyrian king Sennacherib (Jer 34:7; cf. Lachish Letter #4).
Azekah was resettled after the Babylonian exile (Neh 11:30).

HT: G. M. Grena

Azekah and Elah Valley from the east

Tagged Excavations, Shephelah

Interpretation in Archaeology

William Dever:

There are few “facts” in archaeology. There are artifacts which can become “data,” but only when they are properly excavated in context, interpreted in relation to a pertinent question, and published (i.e., “given”) in full. The notion that the archaeologist is an “objective” scientist, who approaches a site with a mind that is a tabula rasa, is incredibly naïve—and dangerous. We see in the dirt only what we are sensitized to see; and unfortunately, we unwittingly destroy the rest of the evidence in getting it.

Source: William G. Dever, “Archaeology, Syro-Palestinian and Biblical,” in Anchor Bible Dictionary 1: 362-63.

Excavations of Megiddo under Yigael Yadin, April 1967 Source: Views That Have Vanished

Tagged Excavations

Western Wall Plaza Excavation Results

Over the years I’ve mentioned the excavation at the “back” of the Western Wall prayer plaza. The latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review has a report by the excavators on their discoveries at the site from 2005 to 2010. Since I expect some curious student to ask me in a couple of days about the big hole in the ground, the article arrived at a good time for me. I made a few notes as I read the article that I thought I’d share here.

The earliest remains at this spot indicate that it was used as an Iron Age quarry.

Later in the Iron Age, a four-room house was constructed here. This was a Jerusalemite’s home sometime after Hezekiah fortified the Western Hill with a new wall (part of which is known today as the “Broad Wall.”) The house may have been destroyed by the Babylonian assault in 586, but this is not certain. Several personal seals were found in the building, including one depicting an Assyrian-style archer.

Curiously, there is no evidence of occupation at the site in the Babylonian, Persian, or Hasmonean periods (586-50 BC).

In the New Testament period, the Lower Aqueduct ran through this area, bringing water from
“Solomon’s Pools” to the Temple Mount. The only other discovery from the 1st century was a ritual bath (mikveh).

The most impressive remains at the site are that of a monumental street. This cardo is similar in size and design to its counterpart to the west, located today in the heart of the Jewish Quarter, but the archaeologists say that the eastern cardo was constructed in the Roman period by Hadrian (whereas the southern extension of the western was built by Justinian c. 530).

All the details are presented in a much more interesting style in the January/February 2012 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. The article, with all of its illustrations, is currently available online, no subscription required.

(Yellow box = present excavations; red box = Byzantine Valley Cardo previously revealed)

Western Wall prayer plaza with excavations, May 2008

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Jerusalem

Vandals Destroy Antiquities Site in the Jezreel Valley

Horvat Tevet, a site with remains from the Iron Age (1200-600 BC), has been attacked and damaged by vandals. The site is located in the Jezreel Valley about 6 miles (10 km) south of Nazareth. Horvat Tevet is next to Afula Illit and along the route of a future bypass road. From the Jerusalem Post:

Vandals attacked and heavily damaged an Antiquities Authority site near Afula overnight Wednesday, destroying findings dating back to the First Temple era.
“All the signs” pointed to a group of haredi activists as the main suspects, due to their opposition to what they describe as the desecration of graves, Dror Barshad, an archeologist for the authority’s northern district, told The Jerusalem Post.
“They rioted at another archeological site nearby, at Yakuk,” Barshad said. “With no legal authority, they take the law into their own hands and try to dictate where roads and tunnels can or can’t be built.”
The same group vandalized a second archeological site near the Kinneret last month, he said.

The full story and photos are here. The Hebrew version of the Ynet article includes a photo of the site before the destruction. A report of the 2008 excavations and a photo of a Late Bronze tomb was published last month in Hadashot Arkheologiyot.

HT: Joseph Lauer

Archaeological site near Afula after attack (Photo: IAA)

Tagged Excavations, Jezreel Valley

Wednesday Roundup

A Byzantine-period bathhouse has been discovered near Moshav Tarum north of Beth Shemesh.

A cuneiform inscription discovered in the Tas-Silg sanctuary on Malta is now the westernmost such inscription known.

Haaretz reports on an archaeologist who believes he is close to finding the true tombs of the Maccabees.

Preston Sprinkle asks if Jesus was born at an inn and if he was a carpenter.

Leon Mauldin shares some photos of the traditional site of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and of a stone manger possibly similar to one used for the newborn.

Ferrell Jenkins links to some previous posts about the birth of Jesus and Christmas.

Aren Maeir’s idea of a Hanukkah/Christmas gift is to share one letter from an inscription found at Gath.

As far as we know, he was never known as “Herod the Great” during his lifetime. Ferrell Jenkins explains why a better appellation is “Herod the Small.”

The Bible and Interpretation is sharing one of my favorite photos of Jerusalem today (click on the thumbnail for large version).

Bryant Wood will be giving a series of lectures at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary on March 14, 2012. His topic will be “Archaeology and the Conquest: New Evidence on an Old Problem.”

The Daily Mail publishes an illustrated account of one visitor’s five-day visit to Jordan and its main attraction, Petra.

The Jerusalem Post suggests 10 things to do over Christmas in the Holy Land. For the first time ever, live-size nativity scenes will be set up in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Item 9 explains how you can celebrate Christmas three times this season.

HT: Charles Savelle, Jack Sasson, Joseph Lauer

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Holidays, Jerusalem, Jordan, Judah, Lectures, Weekend Roundup