From the Jerusalem Post:

Despite recent accusations to the contrary, the chief site engineer for the Western Wall tunnels declared on Thursday that Israeli archeological excavations were not being done under the Temple Mount, were in no way detrimental to the structural stability of the mount or its surroundings, and were actually improving such stability "tenfold." "There’s been a lot of talk about instability [based on ongoing archeological excavations in the area], and let me reassure you, we have improved the structural stability here tenfold over the last few years and have actually strengthened areas where there was danger of further collapse," the chief engineer, Ofer Cohen, said during a Government Press Office-sponsored tour of the tunnels on Thursday afternoon. Standing in a section of the tunnels known as the "Hall of Ages" – so named because the archeological and subsequent reinforcement work there spans from the First Temple period until today – Cohen and the tour’s participants were dwarfed by a series of huge steel beams that had been set up to prevent the walls from caving in. "To those who say that our work here is causing structural instability, the exact opposite is true," Cohen asserted.

The rest of the story is here.

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There are not many computer programs that I am wildly ecstatic about, but Google Earth qualifies even if no others do.  If you haven’t yet downloaded it, I recommend it.

I’ve been doing some reading recently on Pompeii.  I think my fascination with the city may in part be owing to my “discovery” of the site years after I thought I had been to the most important ruins of the Middle East and Mediterranean world.  When I visited, I felt that I had been cheated for years. 

Why had no one sat me down and told me in a most serious tone that I must discard all other travel plans and get myself to Pompeii?  Apparently I do not have friends who love me enough.

Sadly I learned very little from my delay in visiting Pompeii in Real Life, for I have done no better in visiting Pompeii in Google Earth.  I had no idea what a treat was awaiting me.  At least for those used to staring at the fuzzy, low-resolution imagery of Israel, Pompeii is a beautiful contrast.  (To find Pompeii quickly, paste these coordinates in the “Fly To” box: 40.750262°14.486046°).

Here is a comparison, with screenshots taken in Google Earth from the same elevation above the sites.

domeofrock

Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem
pompeii Forum and Temple of Augustus, in Pompeii

I don’t know what it’s going to take before we see high-quality satellite imagery in the Middle East.

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Hebrew University will host the third annual conference on the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Vicinity this Thursday, October 15th, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Mount Scopus, Social Sciences Building, Room 300.  The conference will include three sessions on Jerusalem and vicinity before a closing session on the Qeiyafa inscription.  The conference is co-sponsored by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Hebrew University, and the Moriah Company.  A brief announcement is posted on the IAA site (Hebrew).

HT: ANE-2

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I think that for a certain subset of this blog’s readers, photo challenges are enjoyable.  I’ll tell you a little and you can tell me the rest.  This photo is part of the Jerusalem volume of The American Colony and Eric Matson Collection and it was taken in approximately 1900.

jerusalem_challenge

The best answer in the comments below wins a free copy of the Jerusalem CD (or your choice of another if you already have it).  An important part of the answer is why it is impossible to take this same photo today.

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Recently a friend alerted me to a discussion online about major renovations to be started soon in the vicinity of Jaffa Gate.  Among other things, this will close the gate off to vehicular traffic.  If they dig anything up, chances are very high that they’ll find something of significance, which will slow their progress down even further.  A source in Jerusalem relates the following:

1. The gate is being closed to car traffic due to road renovations.

2. They may leave one lane open for one-way traffic.

3. The gate is supposed to close soon after Succot (which ended a few days ago).

4. A Muslim policeman “who isn’t trustworthy” said that the gate would NOT reopen ever.

5. Shop owners are concerned about how they will receive supplies.

This is not the first time the authorities have done major work on the road here.

View inside Jaffa Gate, mat04928 Jaffa Gate area from east, with Crusader moat of Citadel visible in foreground.  Date of photograph: 1898-1907.  From the new Jerusalem CD.
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