A thundering silence on Temple Mount's depredation

Jewish World Review ^ | September 10, 2007 | Hershel Shanks

[Convert from ECUSA]

A thundering silence on Temple Mount's depredation

By Hershel Shanks

The "Jewish State" is allowing Judaism's holiest site to have its priceless artifacts destroyed and nobody seems to care

No one really cares. But that puts me in an elite group: It includes two of Israel's most prominent Jerusalem archaeologists (Gaby Barkay and Eilat Mazar) — and me.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Waqf goes on tearing up Jerusalem's Temple Mount, where once the Jewish Temple stood. The week before last, they hit an ancient wall that might be the foundation of a wall from the Second Temple complex built by Herod the Great.

It's an old/new story. For the past 35 years the Muslim religious authority known as the Waqf, to whom Israel has been given custody of the Temple Mount, has been periodically digging it up — illegally. (That's the Israel Supreme Court's characterization.) Several years ago, for example, the Waqf used mechanical equipment to dig a huge hole for a wide stairway down to a greatly expanded underground mosque, dumping hundreds of tons of dirt from the mount into the adjacent Kidron Valley.

When Zachi Zweig, a graduate student of Barkay's, started looking for antiquities in the Waqf dump, the Israel Antiquities Authority had Zweig arrested for digging without a permit. Since then, Barkay has obtained the permit and, with Zweig, they have engaged in a multi-year project sifting this archaeologically rich dump. They have found thousands of ancient artifacts going back 3000 years, including a seal impression of a probable brother of someone mentioned in the Bible.

Now the Waqf wants to lay new telephone and electric lines on the mount. Under Israeli law, in an area that might contain antiquities, the trench must be excavated by professional archaeologists.

[Convert from ECUSA]

A good Anglican FR friend of mine emailed me this over the weekend, and I thought it was worth posting.

The full text of the article follows:

A thundering silence on Temple Mount's depredation

By Hershel Shanks

The "Jewish State" is allowing Judaism's holiest site to have its priceless artifacts destroyed and nobody seems to care.

No one really cares. But that puts me in an elite group: It includes two of Israel's most prominent Jerusalem archaeologists (Gaby Barkay and Eilat Mazar) — and me.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Waqf goes on tearing up Jerusalem's Temple Mount, where once the Jewish Temple stood. The week before last, they hit an ancient wall that might be the foundation of a wall from the Second Temple complex built by Herod the Great.

It's an old/new story. For the past 35 years the Muslim religious authority known as the Waqf, to whom Israel has been given custody of the Temple Mount, has been periodically digging it up — illegally. (That's the Israel Supreme Court's characterization.) Several years ago, for example, the Waqf used mechanical equipment to dig a huge hole for a wide stairway down to a greatly expanded underground mosque, dumping hundreds of tons of dirt from the mount into the adjacent Kidron Valley.

When Zachi Zweig, a graduate student of Barkay's, started looking for antiquities in the Waqf dump, the Israel Antiquities Authority had Zweig arrested for digging without a permit. Since then, Barkay has obtained the permit and, with Zweig, they have engaged in a multi-year project sifting this archaeologically rich dump. They have found thousands of ancient artifacts going back 3000 years, including a seal impression of a probable brother of someone mentioned in the Bible.

Now the Waqf wants to lay new telephone and electric lines on the mount. Under Israeli law, in an area that might contain antiquities, the trench must be excavated by professional archaeologists. (The same holds true for construction: Such areas must first be professionally excavated, most often by the Israel Antiquities Authority.) The Waqf simply ignores this law, however. A few weeks ago they began digging a utilities trench almost five feet deep, often going down to bedrock. Worse still, the workmen were using mechanical equipment — anathema to any professional archaeologist in such a site.

It's certainly all right for the Waqf to lay new telephone and electrical lines. But there would seem to be no reason why the trench could not first be excavated by professional archaeologists who dig by hand and with great care to document the context of all discoveries — no reason except the Waqf's unwillingness to recognize Israeli law.

On July 18, 2007, I published an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, headed "Biblical Destruction," protesting the Waqf excavation. It has had no effect. Since then, the excavation has been extensively expanded.

Observers have reported seeing numerous antiquities in the excavated dirt and in the trench, including mosaic tesserae, a quantity of pottery vessels (some of which had been freshly broken by the tractor scoop) and carefully carved and decorated building stones typical of the Second Temple period. Last week, as I said earlier, the excavation hit part of an unusually wide wall that has now been destroyed. It could well have been part of the Temple complex.

Barkay and Mazar continue to protest vehemently and publicly. But they have mostly been met with silence. The archaeological community as such has not raised its voice. Each archaeologist is concerned with his or her own dig, not someone else's violation of the antiquities law. And why jeopardize a career by making trouble when all the well-known political names and faces remain silent? Yes, a few newspaper articles have appeared, but nothing serious. The Antiquities Authority has been queried on several occasions about this violation of Israel's antiquities laws — on Judaism's holiest site — but the response has always been the same: "No comment."

This thundering silence perhaps explains why the Israeli embassy in Washington has not provided any account or explanation of this depredation on the Temple Mount. Why raise questions and create a problem when nobody really cares?

[Convert from ECUSA]

Temple Mount Ping!

A good Anglican FR friend of mine emailed me this over the weekend, and I thought it was worth posting.

[Salem]

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[TheBattman]

Let me get this straight...

If Muslims just blindly dig (destroying artifacts) in a Jewish holy site (in fact the most holy site in all of Judaism) - all is ok.

But what would happen if Jews were digging in a Muslim holy place? I would imagine it would start a major war.

Just another example of the lopsided “justice” prevalent in our world.

[Alouette]

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[SunkenCiv]

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[John Leland 1789]

You are saying that Judaism, or Israel, is actually more tolerant and benevolent and peace loving (generally) than Islam and the countries that are ruled by Islam. You are saying that Israel acts in a more defensive nature (generally), and Islam in a more offensive nature. You are saying that Israel has more capacity for give-and-take (generally), than Islamic countries. I agree.

If you are not saying these things, then I will, thank you.

[Bob J]

By Jewish and Christian approval, Muslims have control of the Temple Mount. If Jews don’t like what they are doing, they should kick them off and install their own supervision.

I would.

[Ancesthntr]

a abomination of desecration

The present government of Israel is an abomination. It not only cares not one whit about the religion of the vast majority of its citizens, but it is actively hostile to it. It cuts funding to religious educational institutions, kicks the religious out of their homes at gunpoint, prosecutes any religious person who dares to complain, it is in a rush to give away holy sites in a fait accompli, etc., etc.

It is sickening - even if you aren't religious, AT LEAST defend your own citizens against the common avowed enemy and protect their property! AT LEAST get something in return for those things you are willing to give up! This government is apostate AND incompetent, and it must go, ASAP.

All good Jews of whatever denomination, as well as those non-Jews who are friendly toward Israel, should pray to G-d for help for the people of Israel. That, and contact the Israeli embassy or the nearest consulate. Maybe some heat from the Diaspora Jews and other supporters of Israel will change this government's direction.

[Convert from ECUSA]

"even if you aren't religious, AT LEAST defend your own citizens against the common avowed enemy and protect their property! AT LEAST get something in return for those things you are willing to give up! This government is apostate AND incompetent, and it must go, ASAP."

I've started terming the Olmerde government the Weimar Republic of Israel, though the Weimar government wasn't as totally incompetent. Ben-Gurion, Golda, and the other founding parents of Israel are rolling in their graves at what is going on.

"All good Jews of whatever denomination, as well as those non-Jews who are friendly toward Israel, should pray to G-d for help for the people of Israel."

Prayers sent up daily. I'm going to check out the IFCJ and see if they have any petitions/etc. protesting the Olmerde goverment's total lack of disregard for the history and sanctity of the Temple Mount.

[Convert from ECUSA]

"even if you aren't religious, AT LEAST defend your own citizens against the common avowed enemy and protect their property! AT LEAST get something in return for those things you are willing to give up! This government is apostate AND incompetent, and it must go, ASAP."

I've started terming the Olmerde government the Weimar Republic of Israel, though the Weimar government wasn't as totally incompetent. Ben-Gurion, Golda, and the other founding parents of Israel are rolling in their graves at what is going on.

"All good Jews of whatever denomination, as well as those non-Jews who are friendly toward Israel, should pray to G-d for help for the people of Israel."

Prayers sent up daily. I'm going to check out the IFCJ and see if they have any petitions/etc. protesting the Olmerde goverment's total lack of disregard for the history and sanctity of the Temple Mount.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Oooops, sorry for the double post. System hiccuped!

[Kevmo]

Do you have a Temple Mount Ping list that you maintain?

[norton]

I searched but couldn't find a recent palestinian diatribe about Israel destroying artifacts in order to falsify a Jewish history in the area.

I think they took it to the UN...?

[norton]

I searched but couldn't find a recent PA diatribe about Israel destroying palistinain artifacts in order to 'falsify' a Jewish history in the area.

I think they took it to the UN...?

[Jim W N]

I’ve read that all this digging is also seriously weakening the foundation of the Temple of the Mosque. For those of you who are aware of the biblically-prophetic times in which we are living, this looks like the kind of thing it will take to make room for the new temple which must be in use during the soon-coming 7-Year Tribulation (AKA Jacob’s trouble) according to Daniel, Thessalonians and Revelation. We are living in amazing times.

[Convert from ECUSA]

No. FReeper Sunken Civ has an archeology ping list, which includes Temple Mount items.