Ping
I now HATE Archeologists that use BCE. I will call it “Before the CHRISTIAN era”, or “Before CHRIST” forever. They can suck on that one for the rest of their lives. I will resist this change. Have them explain why it is 2013 and watch them squirm.
On the story, I am also concerned that it is “Palestinian” area. Will it be preserved and studied?
****The remains are in the politically charged West Bank, on the outskirts of an Arab village and on land privately owned by a Palestinian — all reasons the Israeli government might deem attempting an excavation there a major political headache to be avoided.*****
if the Israelis do not take charge of this now it will end up like the Moabite stone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesha_Stele
“The stone was discovered intact by Frederick Augustus Klein, an Anglican missionary, at the site of ancient Dibon (now Dhiban, Jordan), in August 1868.[2] The next year it was smashed by local villagers during a dispute over its ownership,”
Very interesting. I lived in Bethlehem for several years back in the 1980’s. I remember exploring what looked like a series of connected underground chambers in the fields outside the town. They were obviously ancient, and I wondered why no one seemed to know anything about them. I happened to be teaching the historical geography and archaeology of the Holy Land at the time.
Those damn Muslims try to stop any archeological research in the Holy Land. ITS NOT THEIRS!!!
They should go back to the desert wastes which spawned them.