Antiquities and Ancient Art

Holyland Archaeologist Claims Breakthrough Discovery of King David's Palace Rewrites History

The Washington Post reports on a discovery in East Jerusalem that claims to have found the foundation of King David's palace, the poet-warrior who the Bible says consolidated the ancient Jewish kingdom around the 10th century B.C. and expanded its borders to encompass the Land of Israel. Others are doubtful.

The excavations are taking place down the slope from the Old City's Dung Gate, where rows of thick stone walls, shards of pottery and other remains of an expansive ancient building are being exhumed from a dusty pit.

The site is on a narrow terrace at the edge of the Kidron Valley, which sheers away from the Old City walls, in a cliffside area the Bible describes as the seat of the kings of ancient Israel.

What is taking shape in the rocky earth, marked by centuries of conquest and development, is as contested as the neighborhood of Arabs and Jews encircling the excavation. But the Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar believes the evidence she has uncovered during months of excavation and biblical comparison points to the extraordinary discovery of a palace of David much grander than current scholars generally believe.

Mazar's find is emerging at the nexus of history, religion and politics, volatile forces that have guided building, biblical scholarship and war in this city for millennia, says the Washington Post. Even before the findings have been assembled in a scientific paper, the discovery is prompting new thinking about when Jerusalem rose to prominence, the nature of the early Jewish kingdom, and whether the Bible can be used as a reliable map to archaeological discovery.  Read the entire article and see photos in the Washington Post.

Evidence of Biblical Goliath Found as Scientists Unearth Philistine Inscription Outside Jersaulem

A very small ceramic sherd unearthed by Bar-Ilan University archaeologists digging at Tell es-Safi, the biblical city "Gath of the Philistines", may hold a very large clue into the history of the well-known biblical figure Goliath. The sherd, which contains the earliest known Philistine inscription ever to be discovered, mentions two names that are remarkably similar to the name "Goliath". Tell es-Safi/Gath is located in the southern coastal plain of Israel, approximately halfway between Ashkelon and Jerusalem.

The discovery is of particular importance since the Bible attributes Gath as the home town of Goliath. "Gath of the Philistines," was one of the major cities of the Philistines, the well-known arch-enemies of the Israelites in the biblical text. The archaeological find may also be seen as the first clear extra-biblical evidence that the well-known biblical story of the battle between David and Goliath (and, in particular, the very existence of a figure such as Goliath during the biblical period) may be more than just a legend, according to Prof. Aren Maeir, Chairman of Bar-Ilan University's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, who has been directing the excavations since they began in 1996. Prof. Maeir presented his findings last week at the conference of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Philadelphia.

Other recent findings uncovered at the recent excavations at Tell es-Safi include a large assortment of objects of various types which are linked to Philistine culture. Additional remains relating to the siege system constructed by Hazael, King of Aram Damascus around 800 BCE, were revealed, along with extensive evidence of the subsequent capture and destruction of the city by Hazael, as mentioned in Second Kings 12:18. Remains of the Crusader period fortress, Blanche Garde, built after the first Crusade in the mid-twelfth century CE, were also discovered.

Written in archaic "Proto-Canaanite" letters, the inscription found on the sherd, dating to the 10th or early 9th century BCE, contains two non-Semitic names: Alwt and Wlt. Most scholars believe the name Goliath, of non-Semitic origin, is etymologically related to various Indo-European names, such as the Lydian name Aylattes. Following intense examination of the inscription, Prof. Maeir (along with his colleagues Prof. Aaron Demsky, an expert in epigraphy at Bar-Ilan University, and Dr. Stefan Wimmer, of Munich University) has concluded that the two names which appear in the inscription are remarkably similar to the etymological parallels of Goliath.

"It can be suggested that in 10th-9th century Philistine Gath, names quite similar, and possibly  identical, to Goliath were in use," says Prof. Maeir. "This chronological context from which the inscription was found is only about 100 years after the time of David according to the standard biblical chronology. Thus, this appears to provide evidence that the biblical story of Goliath is, in fact, based on a clear cultural realia from, more or less, the time which is depicted in the biblical text, and recent attempts to caim that Goliath can only be understood in the context of later phases of the Iron Age are unwarranted."

While the letters are Semitic, the names appearing in the inscription are Indo-European (the linguistic family of ancient Greek and related languages). It is assumed by most scholars that the Philistines migrated to the Levant from somewhere in the Aegean region. On their arrival, they brought with them assorted Aegean cultural facets. With time, their culture became more and more effected by the local cultures, slowly incorporating local elements. This inscription, with Semitic script and Indo-European
names, is among the earliest hard evidence showing this process.

Part of Ancient Wall that Encircles Jerusalem Called Unstable by Israeli Antiquities Authority

Part of the historic ancient wall which encircles the Old City of Jerusalem has become unstable and in need of repair, according to a report from the International Press Center of the Palestenian National Authority which quotes sources of the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA).

Ma'ariv, an Israeli newspaper, quoted these sources as saying "an area of 380m.of the Old City wall may fall down before long, in addition, there is another part of the wall of length measures around one Km. will collapse once immediate maintenance has not been made."

Full text of the short article

Historic First-Temple Period Seal Found in Discarded Jerusaleum Rubble

According to the Jerusalem Post, a First-Temple period seal has been discovered amidst piles of rubble from Jerusalem's Temple Mount, an Israeli archaeologist said Tuesday, in what could prove to be an historic find.

The small - less than 1 cm - seal impression, or bulla, discovered Tuesday by Bar-Ilan University archaeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay amidst piles of rubble from the Temple Mount would mark the first time that an written artifact was found from the Temple Mount dating back to the First Temple period.

The 2,600 year old artifact, with three lines in ancient Hebrew, was discovered amidst piles of rubble discarded by the Islamic Wakf that Barkay and a team of young archaeologists and volunteers are sifting through on the grounds of a Jerusalem national park.

The seal, which predates the destruction of the First Jewish temple in 586 BCE, was presented Tuesday night to the press at an archaeological conference at the City of David sponsored by the right-wing Elad organization.

Barkay said that the find was the first of its kind from the time of King David.  More click here.

Earliest Jewish Mosaics from Roman Empire to go on Display at Brooklyn Museum Next Month

Twenty-one extraordinary Roman-period mosaics from the first archaeological ruins of an ancient synagogue to be discovered in modern times will be on view October 28, 2005 through June 4, 2006, at the BrooklynMuseum. This exhibition will examine the role of these mosaics, acquired by the Museum in 1905, in the devel-opment of synagogue decoration in the late Roman Empire. Approximately thirty-eight related artifacts, such as contemporaneous textiles, marble statues, gold jewelry, and bronze ritual objects, will be included.

Tree of Paradise: Jewish Mosaics from the Roman Empire will investigate the origins of synagogues, thedevelopment of Jewish art in the Roman period, female patronage in the ancient synagogue, the differences between early Christian and Jewish symbolism in art, and the relationship between ancient and modern synagogues. 

Modern scholars have recognized that the gloomy picture of Jewish life in the later Roman Empire portrayed in texts must be viewed alongside a decidedly different picture formed from archaeological evidence.Archaeological remains of ancient synagogues from Turkey to Spain and from Hungary to Tunisia showthat many Jewish communities prospered in spite of official intolerance. Other discoveries of ancientsynagogues in modern Israel, Jordan, Syria, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Italy reveal the vitality ofJewish life around the Mediterranean Sea during the Roman Empire and an unexpected tolerance fromtheir non-Jewish neighbors.

Twelve of the mosaic panels that will be on display were part of the sanctuary floor of the synagogue inHammam Lif, Tunisia (the ancient Punic city of Naro, later the Roman Aquae Persianae), the primary subjects of which are Creation and Paradise. The Latin inscription on the floor panels indicates that Julia of Naro gave the floor to the community. Two menorahs flank the inscription. Included are depictions of a tree in Paradise, sea animals and birds in a scene portraying Creation, and symbolic birds and baskets that relate to the themes of Creation and the coming of the Messiah. Decorative motifs include birds and fruits. The remaining nine panels come from other rooms in the building and other nearby buildings. They depict animals, a male figure, and a female figure.

The discovery of these mosaics, last on view in Brooklyn in 1998, ushered in the birth of synagogue archae-ology on February 17, 1883, when the French army captain Ernest de Prudhomme ordered soldiers under his command in Hammam Lif, Tunisia, to prepare his backyard for a garden. Instead of planting vegetables, Prudhomme and his men unearthed the first archaeological ruins of a Roman-period synagogue. Eventually, synagogue archaeology would revolutionize modern understanding of ancient Jewish life and religion.

Tree of Paradise: Jewish Mosaics from the Roman Empire has been organized by Edward Bleiberg, Ph.D., Associate Curator in the Brooklyn Museum’s Department of Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle East-ern Art. It is accompanied by a full-color catalogue by Dr. Bleiberg, published by the Brooklyn Museum. As an appendix, the volume includes a previously unpublished 1905 study of the mosaics by the early Brooklyn Museum researcher Henri de Morgan. A variety of educational programs will be presented in conjunction with the exhibition, including gallery talks. The exhibition will also be featured on the Museum’s Web site at www.brooklynmuseum.org.

New Dead Sea Scroll Fragments Discovered in Judean Desert

A secretive encounter with a Beduin robber in a Judean Desert valley has led to what one archeologist hailed as one of the most important biblical finds from the region in half a century, according to an article in the Jerusaleum Post.

Prof. Chanan Eshel, an archeologist from Bar-Ilan University, said Friday that the discovery of two fragments of nearly 2,000 year-old parchment scroll from the Dead Sea area gave hope to biblical and archeological scholars, frustrated by a dearth of material unearthed in the region in recent years, that the Judean Desert could yet yield further treasure.

"No more scrolls have been found in the Judean Desert since 1965. This encourages scholars to believe that if they bother to excavate, survey and climb they will still find things in the Judean desert. The common knowledge has been that there is nothing left to find there," Eshel said.

The two small pieces of brown animal skin, inscribed in Hebrew with verses from the Book of Leviticus, Eshel said mostly likely are from "refugee" caves in Nachal Arugot, where Jews hid from the Romans in the second century. The scrolls are currently being tested by the Israel Antiquities Authority.  Click for full article.

New Book Blasts Israeli Antiquities Authority for Handling of Antiquities Case

A new book entitled L'Affaire des Fausses Reliques, Enquete au Coeur des Trafics de Vestiges Biblique (Paris: Albin Michel, 2005), by French investigative reporter Patrick Jean-Baptiste, blasts the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) for its handling of the inquiry into the James Ossuary and other inscriptions alleged to be forgeries. The inquiry has lead to the indictment of five leading figures in the Israeli antiquities market, including prominent collector, dealer, restorer and at least two others.

The book, according to translated excerpts appearing in the July/August 2005 issue of Biblical Archaeology, questions the independence, motives and integrity of the IAA in pursuing its case.  The magazine quotes one passage: "After a two-year inquiry, from the number of dead-end trails, rumors and insinuations, it seems clear that this new affair is a pretext to destroy the Israeli antiquities market as a way of preventing archaeological looting."   The magazine also quotes Jean-Baptiste accusing the IAA of "telling a number of lies and half-truths....They also falsified certain facts."

These sentiments seem consistent with those expressed by many art market insiders familiar with the pending case. Regardless of outcome, this is an ugly case that is being played out in the media and the courts.  Sadly, this is occurring in a market where there has generally been good cooperation between the archaeological community and the licensed antiquities dealer community.

Fact or Fiction: Antiquities Authority Warns of 'Unprecedented Archaeological Crime"

From the Jerusalem Post comes a report in which the head of Israel's Antiquities Authority proclaims the recent excavations conducted at the Temple Mount under the auspices of Islamic Wakf officials "unprecedented archaeological crime."  We quote excerpts from the article:

"On the grounds of a Jerusalem national park with a view of the Temple Mount, a small group of Israeli archaeologists and volunteers sifting through piles of rubble discarded by Islamic Wakf officials from the Temple Mount into a city garbage dump have recently uncovered a series of history-rich artifacts dating back to the First and Second Temple periods.

"The five-month old privately-funded project underway at the site, which is being directed by Bar Ilan University archeology professor Dr. Gabriel Barkay, is being called virtually unprecedented since archaeological excavation has never been permitted on the Temple Mount itself."

"Six years ago, following the Islamic Wakf's unilateral construction of a mosque at an underground area of the Temple Mount known as Solomon's Stables, Wakf officials discarded more than 10,000 tons of rubble with history-rich artifacts, at a municipal garbage dump in the Kidron Valley and other locations outside the Old City."

Frankly, judging from the photos in the Jerusalem Post of some of the relatively minor artifacts found in the dump heap, this hardly seems to compare to the "archaeological crime," of say, the Taliban destruction of the destroyed two large statues of the Buddha outside of the city of Bamiyan in 2001. But judge for yourself.....full story click here.

Rockefeller Museum in Israel Suffers from Derth of Visitors

Built in 1938, the Palestine Archaeological Museum, more commonly known as the Rockefeller Museum, houses one of the most comprehensive collections of artifacts from the Levant. 

The Rockefeller has many things going for it: striking architecture, convenient location just outside Jerusalen's Old City walls, and a permanent exhibition -- established by the first curator, John H. Iliffe -- that displays artifacts in chronological order form the Stone Age (about two million years ago) until 1700 CE.  What's missing?  Visitors.  These days, two dozen or more people wandering the museum is considered a busy day.  Click to read the full story in the Jerusalem Post.

Biblical Scholars Locked in High-Tech, High-Stakes Debate Over Authenticity

Interesting article from the Associated Press discusses three current high-profile, high-tech debates involving biblical antiquities:

In the most important development, scholars, including Russell Adams of Hamilton's McMaster University, say tests on remains from a dig in Jordan indicate the biblical country of Edom existed during the era of kings David and Solomon, if not earlier. The find could undercut skeptics of biblical history.

Prosecutors in Israel filed fraud charges Dec. 29 involving a purported first-century inscription of Jesus Christ's name. But a prominent archeology magazine plans to assail the government's scientific evidence.

New testing indicates the Shroud of Turin, a celebrated relic said to be Christ's burial cloth, could actually date from his time. That opposes scientists' earlier conclusion that the artifact is a fraud from the medieval era.