Ritmeyer Archaeological Design
…for the latest research, analysis and products on Biblical Archaeology
We mentioned in a previous post that the Baptismal Site at Bethabara in Israel was to open today. We were able to view the new site from across the River Jordan.
An impressive Ethiopian ceremony took place on the southern side:
It was interesting to see that baptism knows (almost) no boundaries!
It was reported a few days ago that renovation work was taking place at the Kotel haKatan (the Small Wall) in preparation for opening the small courtyard for Jewish prayer. Today, Haaretz reports that the site has been opened.
Here is a description of the site:
The Kotel Ha-Katan is a small portion of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, which is exposed (with no houses covering it). It is located approximately 200 meters north of the Western Wall Plaza, and next to Sha’ar Ha-Barzel (the Iron Gate). The Kotel Ha-Katan is close to the middle point of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, and it is the place second closest to the Holy of Holies (outside of the Temple Mount) where Jews can pray. The closest location is within the Kotel Tunnels, and is exactly facing the Holy of Holies.
The wall shown in the picture is certainly part of the Western Wall, but the large stones are not Herodian. The Western Wall tunnel runs below this plaza and there Herodian stones can be seen. In most places along the Temple Mount walls these Umayyad (Early Muslim period) stones are visible above the Herodian masonry, see this previous post. They were placed there in the beginning of the eighth century AD, after the El Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock were built. During that time the destroyed Herodian walls were repaired with large stone blocks, which lack the typical Herodian margins. These stones were often reused ashlars taken from large Byzantine churches nearby, such as the Nea Church.
It is ironic to see that Haaretz is worried about a strong reaction from the Waqf (the Muslim religious trust), while the praying Jews are apparently oblivious to the fact that they are touching stones laid by Muslims, which may have been taken from a destroyed Christian church, in order to repair the ancient Jewish Temple Mount walls.
Yesterday, 8 January, 2011, Oleg Grabar, Professor Emeritus in the School of Historical Studies at Princeton University, passed away.
Oleg Grabar’s research has had a profound and far-reaching influence on the study of Islamic art and architecture. His extensive archaeological expeditions and research trips cover the vast expanse of the Islamic world in Africa, the Middle East, and Muslim Asia.
His book, The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem (1996), details the role of Islam in defining the “look” of Jerusalem that remained largely intact until the twentieth century. A great part of the book is taken up with a description of the beautiful mosaics of the Dome of the Rock, complemented by a set of splendid photographs.
A brief overview of his career can be viewed here.
Source: Jack Sasson
According to this Jerusalem Post report, the site where Jesus was baptised will be opened to the public in 10 days’ time, on January 18, 2011. See also Todd Bolen’s report here.
When we tried to visit the site last year, following the signs for Qasr el-Yahud, we found that the road was blocked by a military fence and gate.
There was a sign which we ignored because we didn’t understand what “photgraphy” was!
It will be wonderful to visit this site, which has been off-limits for 42 years. The site where Jesus was baptised is called Bethabara in John 1.28. The Hebrew name Bethabara means the “Place of Crossing”. Not only was it a suitable place where travellers crossed the River Jordan opposite Jericho, but the name also indicates that it was the place where the Israelites crossed over into the Promised Land after the death of Moses.
The crossing of the Jordan is described in Joshua 3.15,16 (quotes from ESV):
“as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks othroughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.”
Bethabara played an important role in the life of Jesus, as he returned there many times after his baptism. He went there, for example, after his rejection in Jerusalem during Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, “He went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.” (John 10.40). “Beyond Jordan” is, of course, also the place where the Camp of Israel was located just before they entered the Promised Land! Undoubtedly this site had a strong impact on the mind of Jesus as he would have been very familiar with the Biblical events that took place there.
After Jesus was baptised, he was tempted in the wilderness nearby. He used the words of Deuteronomy to counter the temptations of the devil. Moses wrote the Book of Deuteronomy while Israel was encamped “beyond Jordan” (Deut. 31.9).
After the crossing, Joshua commanded to take out 12 stones and place them in the next camping place, Gilgal: “these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever” (Joshua 4.7). As John was baptising here, he probably referred to these 12 stones when he said: “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3.9).
Bethabara features again in the book of Judges. To complete his victory over the Midianites, Gideon:
“sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb.” (Judges 7.24,25).
This victory is reflected in a psalm when David longed for the victory over Israel’s future enemies “Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb”, looking forward to a time when their adversaries would be confounded forever (Psalm 83.11,18).
And there are still further references in Scripture to Bethabara: During the rebellion of Absalom, King David crossed here and returned later via the same crossing place:
“So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan. ” (2 Samuel 19.15).
Bethabara is also the place where Elijah and Elisha went after leaving Jericho. There “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2.11).
A visit to this site will be a valuable addition to any tour of the Land. Needless to say, such a visit would be greatly enriched if it is with “Bible in hand”, in order to reflect on all the significant events that took place here. Hopefully I will be able to see the place from the other side, when I visit Tall el-Hammam in Jordan.
Having returned from Canada, where we gave a series of lectures on places mentioned in the Gospels, we bring this news item to your attention.
A former prison, locally known as the Kishle, that was built over the ruins of Herod’s Palace in Jerusalem, will soon feature a concert as “one of many performances and exhibits that the Tower of David Museum plans to hold in the Ottoman compound, once it turns it into a hall that it seeks to open to the public by June”.
The new hall will host summertime cultural events that are part of the Jerusalem Season of Culture, sponsored by the Schusterman Foundation, with temporary platforms to be built over the ongoing archaeological excavations. In the future, the Tower of David Museum, which had 300,000 visitors in 2010, plans to use the Kishle compound to house temporary exhibits and shows while allowing visitors to take a look at the archaeological finds beneath their feet.
The Tower of David Museum, which is housed in the Citadel, is an excellent place to visit as one can trace the history of Jerusalem through well-designed exhibits. The remains of the massive Hippicus Tower can still be seen today near the Jaffa Gate.
The State Comptroller has prepared a report on the wanton destruction caused by the Waqf on the Temple Mount, and on Israel’s response. The Committee to Prevent Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities is up in arms that the lion’s share of the report will not be publicized.
Read the rest of today’s Israel National News report here.
You can read some of our earlier posts on this issue here.
There have been previous earthquake warnings in Israel and Haaretz reports today again that a major earthquake may hit Israel at any tine. Read the full report here.
Dr. Avi Shapira, the chairman of the inter-ministry steering committee for earthquake preparedness, asserts that a strong earthquake can be expected here within the next 50 years. That is, it could happen today, tomorrow, 10 minutes from now, or 10 years from now. A powerful quake in Israel is therefore not a question of “if,” but rather a question of “when.”
The last deadly earthquake struck the Land of Israel in July 1927, damaging Jericho, Nablus, Ramle, Jerusalem and many rural locales. In January 1837, a strong earthquake occurred in the Galilee, and killed thousands of people in Safed and Tiberias. In Safed alone the number was estimated at 2,400.
The earthquake that took place during the last year of King Uzziah was still remembered some 400 years later (Zech. 14.5).
Today, the 10th of the Hebrew month Tevet, Israel Remembers the Holy Temple and the Holocaust.
Friday is the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, a fast day on which Jews remember the siege of Jerusalem that preceded the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian exile. The siege is described in the Bible in the Book of Kings.
It is always sad to remember the destruction of such a beautiful building. Read more here.
The design of this beautiful model of Solomon’s Temple is based on the description in the Book of Kings. The Temple had a high Porch, supported by two bronze pillars, called Yachin and Boaz. The inner sanctuary was divided into two rooms, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place), where the Ark of the Covenant stood. A three-storey high structure surrounded the sanctuary. In front of the Temple stood the Altar, the bronze Basin (Sea) and ten smaller basins.
This Temple was frequently damaged and rebuilt during its long history and it was the Temple described in the Book of Chronicles, that was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
The sadness of its destruction is expressed in the Book of Lamentations 2.1:
How the Lord in his anger
has set the daughter of Zion junder a cloud!
He has cast down from heaven to earth
the splendor of Israel;
he has not remembered his footstool
in the day of his anger. (ESV)
It doesn’t often happen that the weather helps archaeologists. Haaretz reported that a massive storm caused a collapse along the Ashkelon coast and revealed a statue of a headless woman. The report also has a slide show of the discovery.
The massive storm that swept through Israel over the weekend caused a great deal of damage to archaeological sites all along the Mediterranean coast, but also uncovered a an impressive statue of a woman between 1650 and 1800 years old in Ashkelon.
This exhibition will be a great reason to visit London in the Spring. Glad we’re not trying to get to the British Museum today, when the city is experiencing drifting snow and Arctic conditions!
The 200 objects on display will include Mesopotamian-influenced gold from 2,000BC, Indian-inspired ivory fittings and Greek carvings from the outpost of Alexander the Great’s empire. The show will also include delicate coloured glass from palaces founded when the nomadic tribes settled and coveted the Hellenic luxuries they had first destroyed.
HT: Jack Sasson