Jerusalem Archives - Page 147 of 195

Excavation and Restoration of the Tomb of the Kings

Tom Powers commented on yesterday’s post, but knowing that many do not read the comments, I’m making a portion of it a post of its own. He is replying to my statement that “Gaining access to the tomb today is more difficult than the average tourist site, but it is well worth it.”

Just a word about access to the “Tombs of the Kings” these days: There is none, as far as I know, for the forseeable future. The main reason is that the site is undergoing complete restoration. In fact, as part of this process folks from the Ecole were called on to excavate on top of the tomb and completely remove all of the accumulated earth. One object was to inspect and then seal the bedrock surfaces there, in order to prevent leakage of water into the tomb chambers. Also of interest, though, was to try to identify any traces of a superstructure — a nefesh — over the tomb, especially since Josephus mentions the “monuments of Helena” (War 5:147) as a landmark in tracing the line of Jerusalem’s Third Wall. Many have supposed that the tomb featured the sort of pyramids or cones that you have atop the “display tombs” in the Kidron Valley. Long story short: nothing conclusive was found. One byproduct, though: several tons of nice topsoil, which wound up in the garden of the Ecole Biblique!

You can see one artist’s reconstruction of the tomb with the original superstructure in James Finegan, The Archeology of the New Testament, page 315.

I hope that the current restoration work signifies an interest in making the tomb accessible to the public.

Tagged Excavations, Jerusalem

Sarcophagus of Queen Helene on Display

The most impressive tomb in all of Israel from any of the biblical periods is the “Tomb of the Kings.” Despite its modern name, the tomb actually belonged to Queen Helene of Adiabene, a royal convert to Judaism from a Mesopotamian kingdom. Her tomb was constructed about a decade after the crucifixion of Jesus a few hundred meters north of the Garden Tomb. Gaining access to the tomb today is more difficult than the average tourist site, but it is well worth it.

Tomb of Queen Helene of Adiabene, aka Tomb of the Kings

One thing you will not see at the tomb, however, is Queen Helene’s sarcophagus. This 2,600-lb (1,200 kg) stone coffin was shipped to the Louvre following the tomb’s excavation in the 1860s. I’ve hunted around the French museum looking for this sarcophagus, but without success. The object has been safely stored in the basement for years and years. Nevertheless, the French were reluctant to loan the sarcophagus to Israel where people could actually view it. After a year of negotiation, the sarcophagus has arrived at the Israel Museum where it will be on display for four months as part of the exhibition, “Breaking Ground: Pioneers of Biblical Archaeology.”

Queen Helene is not mentioned in the New Testament, but there is a connection. Josephus (Ant. 20.2.5) writes that she supplied food for Jerusalem during the famine that is mentioned in Acts 11:27-30.

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Haaretz tells the story and provides a photo. For more about the tomb itself, including photos and links, see this page at BiblePlaces.com. Several years ago, archaeologists working in Jerusalem claimed that they located her palace in the City of David.

Tagged Jerusalem, Museums, New Exhibits

The Palace of David: A Flawed Proposal

Several years ago Eilat Mazar announced with great fanfare that she had discovered the palace of David. It was right where she had predicted it would be. Her analysis was based in part on the Bible, which she believed gave clues to where David’s palace was.

The main verse in Mazar’s proposal is 2 Samuel 5:17:

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.

The key word for locating the palace is “down.” Because David went from the palace “down” to the stronghold, the palace must be north of the stronghold because of the topography of Jerusalem.

But the Bible doesn’t say that David went from the palace, and it doesn’t say that he went to the stronghold of Jerusalem. In fact, I’m certain that he did not.

You might read the passage in 2 Samuel 5 yourself. I think you’ll be surprised that Mazar ever made this proposal, that it has been published twice in Biblical Archaeology Review, and that it (apparently) has never been critiqued.

Then you might check out my analysis published today at The Bible and Interpretation. Who do you think is right? Does it matter how one reads the biblical text as long as it agrees with the archaeological discoveries?

Area of excavations of possible palace of David

Tagged Analysis, Jerusalem

Muslims Building Wall above Garden Tomb

Most visitors to the Garden Tomb do not realize that a Muslim cemetery sits on the hilltop above.

But it is construction work in one cemetery that is recently alleged to threaten the safety of those in another. The original story in Ma’ariv is summarized in the Caspari Media Review:

According to this report, the Wakf – the Islamic trust most well-known for controlling and managing the Islamic edifices on the Temple Mount – is currently building a wall above the Garden Tomb, “an historic site important to Christianity,” which is “threatening to undermine relations between the three faiths in the city.” The work is part of the maintenance and expansion of the Muslim cemetery located above the Garden Tomb. “Thus far, high wooden foundations of a height of two meters have been laid at the site, and the work is due to be completed by the addition of concrete on top of the wooden beams.”
The managers of the Garden Tomb have protested, fearing that the wall might fall on tourists coming to visit the site. “‘They didn’t show us any plans or ask for our agreement regarding the building work,’ says Steve Bridge, the deputy manager. ‘More than a quarter of a million pilgrims visit the site, and a disaster may occur if something is not done properly. Three or four hundred worshippers stand right under the wall every day. Were it to fall while there are visitors here, there might well be a catastrophe the like of which we’ve never seen.'”
The managers of the Garden Tomb are also worried that the incident might lead to “irreversible damage” to the tomb itself – which in turn would spark a serious crisis in Jewish-Muslim relations in Jerusalem and internationally. “‘It’s a scandal,’ added Bridge. ‘We’ve turned to them with a list of questions, and I hope that we will receive satisfactory answers.'” According to the municipality, the building was begun without permission and in contravention of the customary procedures. The Wakf announced that they intend to sort out the problems with both the municipality and the Garden Tomb.

The Muslim cemetery sits atop the hill of the “skull” (center) and the tomb (off the edge to the left).

Tom Powers recently wrote about D. L. Moody’s troubles when preaching in this cemetery.

Tagged Jerusalem

Questions about a Hasty Excavation in Jerusalem

I am intrigued by a new report of an excavation of a Jerusalem burial cave for several reasons (HT: Roi Brit). First, the tomb is interesting in its own right, with six kokhim, a standing pit, a blocking stone, and seven complete ossuaries. The lid of one of these bone boxes was attached by a bronze nail and another had a two-line inscription which read in part, “Cursed is the one who casts me from my place.” The archaeologists date the cave to the 1st century AD.

But I’m less impressed by the obvious haste with which the tomb was excavated. The archaeologists make no attempt to mask the conditions under which they worked. They write:

On the night of January 18, 2009, a rock-hewn burial cave was hastily documented in the Qiryat Shemuel neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Night conditions are less than ideal for archaeology, even when the excavation is in a cave.

The hurried process and poor lighting conditions in the cave precluded a proper examination and description of the cave’s contents.

The operation was so hasty that they could not even get sufficient lighting in place for their examination.

Artifacts were not removed from the cave and once its documentation was done, it was sealed and covered with soil.

Sealing a cave after excavation is not unusual, particularly when it is not necessarily unique and lies in the way of a building project. But it is disturbing that artifacts were left in the cave when a proper examination was not done. The world has not yet been rid of grave robbers.

Due to the haste, only two complete ossuaries and several decorated fragments were documented (Figs. 4, 5)….Careless engravings or traces of faded paint were noted on other ossuaries; these may also be inscriptions that require further research for decipherment.

The obvious question here is who is running the show in Jerusalem. Do building contractors have more authority than government archaeologists? It seems to me that this report is a quiet protest against the way antiquities are being treated in Israel. The tomb and its artifacts are part of the nation’s heritage. Whatever construction project is involved is likely not part of that heritage. What is so important that the contractors cannot wait one day while the tomb is properly studied? Who makes the decision on these matters? Are they influenced by the deep pockets of the building contractors? Are Israeli government officials selling out the nation’s heritage to line their pockets?

Tagged Analysis, Excavations, Jerusalem

Cameo Stone Discovered in Jerusalem’s Central Valley

This Roman-period discovery appears to have been announced to heighten interest in the 11th Annual City of David Archaeology Conference to be held Wednesday on Jerusalem. The Givati Parking Lot is located just south of the Dung Gate in the (now filled-in) Central Valley on the west side of the City of David. From the Jerusalem Post:

A 2,000 year-old cameo stone bearing an image of cupid (Eros in Greek mythology) has been found in the Givati Parking Lot Excavation, part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park. The cameo, measuring 1cm in length and 0.7mm in width, was discovered during the excavation being conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, funded by the Ir David Foundation. Dr. Doron Ben Ami of the Israel Antiquities Authority said: “the cameo is made from two layers of semi-precious onyx stone. The upper layer, into which the image of cupid is engraved is a striking blue color which contrasts with the dark brown background color of the lower layer. The brown layer is the side of the cameo which would have been inserted into the round metal setting of a piece of jewelry, apparently an earring.

See the Jerusalem Post for the full report and Haaretz for a large photo.

Tagged Discoveries, Jerusalem