Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the health of the Western Wall stones is also being cared for

Ahead of Passover prayers at the Western Wall, a preservative is being injected into its ancient stones  to conserve them and ensure worshipers’ safety

Israel Antiquities Authority conservator: The non-invasive measures are protecting the Western Wall from the ravages of time.

Pre-Passover conservation work began at the Western Wall during this latest lockdown using injections with the aid of syringes very similar to those used by medical staff.

Every six months, before Passover and the High Holy Days, Western Wall Heritage Foundation engineers and Israel Antiquities Authority conservators conduct thorough inspections of the 2,000year-old Western Wall stones at the prayer plaza to ensure visitors’ safety.

The work being carried out at the site is subject to religious strictures established by the rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, after consultations with great rabbis of the time, nearly eighteen years ago, particularly Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv.

Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, says, “Over 12 million people visit the Western Wall Plaza each year. Although this year, in the shadow of Covid-19, people are increasingly ‘visiting’ the Western Wall virtually, we are already preparing for the return of visitors to the Wall. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation is making every endeavor to preserve the Wall’s ancient stones and ensure its stability  for the safety of worshipers and visitors.”

According to Yossi Vaknin, Head conservator for the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Western Wall area, “The Wall’s 2,000year-old stones are subject to natural weathering, and we are making sure to strengthen them. Our routine biannual inspections enable us to track the condition of every single stone. We have an ‘identity card’ for each of the hundreds of stones in the plaza and monitor dozens of features. Our most recent survey revealed that it was necessary to treat the ‘peel,’’ or outer layer, of several stones. Our work on the historic wall is nondestructive. We do not drill into the rock but delicately inject dissolved stone into the gaps and fissures. Limestone-based grout is injected into the fissure as a liquid, and when dry, the crack is repaired. It is the best possible method of ‘healing’ the stones and the ultimate defense against weathering for the most important stones in the world.”

One of the main contributors to the weathering of the Temple Mount’s walls is the ecosystem that forms an integral part of the landscape of the ancient Western Wall. “The Western Wall is a unique ecological environment that supports its own life forms,” says Vaknin. “A lot of plants have taken root in the Wall’s stones – particularly thorny capers, golden drops, and golden henbanes. Added to this, many birds nest in the Wall, including the common swift, which arrives every year, ravens, and doves. As part of our conservation work, in recognition of the importance of the site’s unique flora and fauna, we also preserve this ecosystem while guaranteeing the stones’ stability, thus ensuring that the Western Wall will remain strong for at least 2,000 more years.”

Two 1,800-Year-Old Sarcophagi Discovered at Ramat Gan Safari Park

An expansive new facility currently being built at Ramat Gan Safari Park will be an important addition to its wildlife hospital. The new complex, designed to provide advanced veterinary services for birds and mammals, includes a specialized operating theater and a large bird nursery that will provide quiet, heated housing for the frequent feeds needed during the chick-rearing seasons.

During its construction, an extraordinary discovery was made last week – two unique sarcophagi, ancient stone coffins, were found in the earthworks.

Veteran safari workers present at the time said that the coffins had been found years ago in the area of the safari’s parking lot. At the time, the sarcophagi were moved to a location near the veterinary clinic and the African savanna zone. Still, over the years, they were forgotten and became buried under sand and thick vegetation.

When work on the new wildlife hospital began a few days ago, the contractor working in the area started digging. Suddenly, Rami Tam, head of the African savanna zone, noticed the two coffins jutting out of the soil. He quickly called animal health and management director Shmulik Yedvab, who came to see the find and contacted Alon Klein and Uzi Rothstein at the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit. Hardly believing their eyes, the inspectors were astonished to see sarcophagi of this kind at the Safari Park. After a thorough examination, they excitedly confirmed the unique find’s great age.

Based on the stones and their ornate decoration, the sarcophagi were intended for high-status people who were buried near the Safari Park.

According to Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists, the sarcophagi are roughly 1,800 years old and date from the Roman period. They are ornamented with symbolic discs – to protect and accompany the soul on its journey to the afterlife – and flower garlands, often used to decorate sarcophagi in the Hellenistic period as well. Between the garlands are oval blanks, which the archaeologists believe were originally intended to be filled with a customary grape-cluster motif, but for some unknown reason the work remained unfinished.

The sarcophagi, made of local stone – probably from the Judean Hills or Samaria – are locally-produced imitations of the prestigious sarcophagi made of Proconnesian marble from the Turkish island of Marmara. Found together, the two sarcophagi bear identical ornamentation, and they may have been made for a husband and wife or for members of the same family. The exact provenance of the sarcophagi is unknown. Still, they were probably buried near the Safari Park, in the region of Messubim – the site of ancient Bnei Brak in the Roman period, known to us from the Passover Haggadah.

The wealthy owners of the sarcophagi, buried with their grave goods, had no idea that the coffins would find a place of honor alongside giraffes, elephants, and a bird nursery. On Tuesday of this week, the sarcophagi were transferred to their rightful location in the Israeli National Treasures repositories.

IDF Soldier Finds Rare 1800-Year-Old Coin on Southern Carmel

The find was reported to the National Treasures Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the soldier received a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship * The coin bears the head of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius.
Very few coins of this kind from recorded contexts have been found in Israel

A rare coin bearing the head of the Roman emperor Antonius Pius and dating from 158–159 CE was found during a training exercise by the soldier Ido Gardi.

The well-preserved coin was minted in the city of Geva.
Dr. Donald Tzvi Ariel, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Numismatics Department, says, “This coin joins only eleven such coins from known locations in the National Treasures Department collection. All the coins were found in northern Israel, from Megiddo and Zippori to Tiberias and Arbel.”

On its obverse, the coin bears the head of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, who ruled in 138–161 CE, and the reverse shows the Syrian god MEN (the moon god) with the legend “of the people of Geva Phillipi” [civic] year 217 (158–159 CE).

According to Dr. Avner Ecker, lecturer in classical archaeology at Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, “The coin discovered is one of the municipal coins minted in the city of Geva Philippi, also known as Geva Parashim. In the Roman period, cities (poleis) were granted the right to mint their own coins. The year marked on the coin is the year when the municipal council was evidently established, and its citizens were allowed self-government under the Roman Empire. Geva is an ancient settlement, referred to by Josephus as a town located on the foothills at the edge of the Jezreel Valley. Herod settled his cavalry forces there (hence the name Geva Parashim, ‘City of Horsemen’), and in the Great Revolt, in 66–70 CE, local and Roman forces set out from there to fight Jewish rebels near Bet She‘arim. Some believe that Geva is located near Sha‘ar Ha-‘Amakim, but most scholars identify the site as Tel Abu Shusha, near Kibbutz Mishmar Ha-‘Emek. Excavations conducted by Bar Ilan University on the tell last summer unearthed remains of fortifications and buildings dating from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine period.”

According to Nir Distelfeld, an inspector for the Antiquities Authority Northern District’s robbery prevention unit, “The coin was probably lost by its owner on one of the roads that cross this area, until the soldier spotted it almost 2,000 years later. This is an opportunity to call on any members of the public who have found coins, or any other ancient artifacts, to report them to the Israel Antiquities Authority. We will come and transfer the find to the National Treasures Department, hopefully adding more data and enriching scholarly research with another piece of evidence from the past. It should be stressed that antiquities are national treasures; it is forbidden to seek them actively, and any chance finds must be reported to the authority. The soldier, Ido Gardi, demonstrated exemplary civic behavior, and we hope that he will act as an example for others who discover ancient finds.”

Historical Discovery at Timna: A Glimpse into the Wardrobe of King David and King Solomon, 3000 Years Ago

§  In groundbreaking research, archaeologists have recovered scraps of fabric dyed in royal purple from the time of King David and King Solomon

§  According to the researchers, "The color immediately attracted our attention, but we found it hard to believe we had found true purple from such an ancient era."

For the first time, rare evidence has been found of fabric dyed with royal purple dating from the time of King David and King Solomon.

While examining the colored textiles from Timna Valley - an ancient copper production district in southern Israel - in a study that has lasted several years, the researchers were surprised to find remnants of woven fabric, a tassel, and fibers of wool dyed with royal purple. Direct radiocarbon dating confirms that the finds date from approximately 1000 BCE, corresponding to the biblical monarchies of David and Solomon in Jerusalem. The dye produced from species of mollusk found in the Mediterranean, over 300 km from Timna, is often mentioned in the Bible and appears in various Jewish and Christian contexts. This is the first time that purple-dyed Iron Age textiles have been found in Israel, or indeed throughout the Levant. The research was carried out by Dr. Naama Sukenik from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef, from the Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with Prof. Zohar Amar, Dr. David Iluz, and Dr. Alexander Varvak from Bar-Ilan University and Dr. Orit Shamir from the Israel Antiquities Authority. The unexpected finds are being published today in the prestigious PLOS ONE journal.

"This is a very exciting and important discovery," explains Dr. Naama Sukenik, curator of organic finds at the Israel Antiquities Authority. "This is the first piece of textile ever found from the time of David and Solomon that is dyed with the prestigious purple dye. In antiquity, purple attire was associated with the nobility, with priests, and of course, with royalty. The gorgeous shade of the purple, the fact that it does not fade, and the difficulty in producing the dye, which is found in minute quantities in the body of mollusks, all made it the most highly valued of the dyes, which often cost more than gold. Until the current discovery, we had only encountered mollusk-shell waste and potsherds with patches of dye, which provided evidence of the purple industry in the Iron Age. Now, for the first time, we have direct evidence of the dyed fabrics themselves, preserved for some 3000 years".

Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef from Tel Aviv University's Archaeology Department says, "Our archaeological expedition has been excavating continuously at Timna since 2013. As a result of the region's extremely dry climate, we are also able to recover organic materials such as textile, cords and leather from the Iron Age, from the time of David and Solomon, providing us with a unique glimpse into life in biblical times. If we excavated for another hundred years in Jerusalem, we would not discover textiles from 3000 years ago. The state of preservation at Timna is exceptional and it is paralleled only by that at much later sites such as Masada and the Judean Desert Caves. In recent years, we have been excavating a new site inside Timna known as 'Slaves' Hill'. The name may be misleading, since far from being slaves, the laborers were highly skilled metalworkers. Timna was a production center for copper, the Iron Age equivalent of modern-day oil. Copper smelting required advanced metallurgical understanding that was a guarded secret, and those who held this knowledge were the 'Hi-Tech' experts of the time. Slaves' Hill is the largest copper-smelting site in the valley and it is filled with piles of industrial waste such as slag from the smelting furnaces. One of these heaps yielded three scraps of colored cloth. The color immediately attracted our attention, but we found it hard to believe that we had found true purple from such an ancient period".

According to the researchers, true purple [argaman] was produced from three species of mollusk indigenous to the Mediterranean Sea: The Banded Dye-Murex (Hexaplex trunculus), the Spiny Dye-Murex (Bolinus brandaris) and the Red-Mouthed Rock-Shell (Stramonita haemastoma). The dye was produced from a gland located within the body of the mollusk by means of a complex chemical process that lasted several days. Today, most scholars agree that the two precious dyes, purple [argaman] and light blue, or azure [tekhelet] were produced from the purple dye mollusk under different conditions of exposure to light. When exposed to light, azure is obtained whereas without light exposure, a purple hue is obtained. These colors are often mentioned together in the ancient sources, and both have symbolic and religious significance to this day. The Temple priests, David and Solomon, and Jesus are all described as having worn clothing colored with purple.

The analytical tests conducted at Bar Ilan University's laboratories, together with dyes that were reconstructed by Prof. Zohar Amar and Dr. Naama Sukenik, can identify the species used to dye the Timna textiles and the desired hues. In order to reconstruct the mollusk dyeing process, Prof. Amar traveled to Italy where he cracked thousands of mollusks (which the Italians eat) and produced raw material from their dye glands that was used in hundreds of attempts to reconstruct ancient dyeing. "The practical work took us back thousands of years," says Prof. Amar, "and it has allowed us to better understand obscure historical sources associated with the precious colors of azure and purple."

The dye was identified with an advanced analytical tool (HPLC) that indicated the presence of unique dye molecules, originating only in certain species of mollusk. According to Dr. Naama Sukenik, "Most of the colored textiles found at Timna, and in archaeological research in general, were dyed using various plant-based dyes that were readily available and easier to dye with. The use of animal-based dyes is regarded as much more prestigious, and served as an important indicator for the wearer's high economic and social status. The remnants of the purple-dyed cloth that we found are not only the most ancient in Israel, but in the Southern Levant in general. We also believe that we have succeeded in identifying the double-dyeing method in one of the fragments, in which two species of mollusk were used in a sophisticated way, to enrich the dye. This technology is described by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder, from the first century CE, and the dye it produced was considered the most prestigious."

Prof. Ben-Yosef identifies the copper-production center at Timna as part of the biblical Kingdom of Edom, which bordered the kingdom of Israel to the south. According to him, the dramatic finds should revolutionize our concepts of nomadic societies in the Iron Age. "The new finds reinforce our assumption that there was an elite at Timna, attesting to a stratified society. In addition, since the mollusks are indigenous to the Mediterranean, this society obviously maintained trade relations with other peoples who lived on the coastal plain. However, we do not have evidence of any permanent settlements in the Edomite territory. The Edomite Kingdom was a kingdom of nomads. When we think of nomads, it is difficult for us to free ourselves from comparisons with contemporary Bedouins, and we therefore find it hard to imagine kings without magnificent stone palaces and walled cities. Yet in certain circumstances, nomads can also create a complex socio-political structure, one that the biblical writers could identify as a kingdom. Of course, this whole debate has repercussions for our understanding of Jerusalem. We know that the Tribes of Israel were originally nomadic and that the process of settlement was gradual and prolonged. Archaeologists are looking for King David's palace. However, David may not have expressed his wealth in splendid buildings, but with objects more suited to a nomadic heritage such as textiles and artifacts." According to Ben-Yosef, "It is wrong to assume that if no grand buildings and fortresses have been found, then biblical descriptions of the United Kingdom in Jerusalem must be literary fiction. Our new research at Timna has showed us that even without such buildings, there were kings in our region who ruled over complex societies, formed alliances and trade relations, and waged war on each other. The wealth of a nomadic society was not measured in palaces and monuments made of stone, but in things that were no less valued in the ancient world – such as the copper produced at Timna and the purple dye that was traded with its copper smelters."

A 1,500 year-old inscription bearing the name “Christ, born of Mary” discovered at et-Taiyiba in the Jezreel Valley

Engraved in stone, the Greek inscription is part of a lintel set initially in the frame of a church entrance from the late Byzantine period

Israel Antiquities Authority excavations in the village of et-Taiyiba in the Jezreel Valley recently unearthed an inscription dedicated to Jesus, the Son of Mary. The Greek inscription, engraved in stone, comes from the frame of an entrance door dating from the Byzantine period (late fifth century CE). It was discovered incorporated in secondary use in one of the walls of a magnificent building dating from the Byzantine or Early Islamic period. The excavations uncovered two rooms containing mosaic pavements with a geometric design.

The inscription was recovered in an archaeological excavation directed by Tzachi Lang and Kojan Haku of the Israel Antiquities Authority before constructing a road inside the village. As part of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s policy of increasing public interest in archaeology, students, volunteers, and workers from the local community participated in the excavation.

According to Dr. Leah Di-Segni, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who deciphered the text, it is a dedicatory inscription engraved casting the foundations of the church. It reads, “Christ born of Mary. This work of the most God-fearing and pious bishop [Theodo]sius and the miserable Th[omas] was built from the foundation - -. Whoever enters should pray for them.” According to Di-Segni, the formula “Christ born of Mary” was intended to protect its readers from the evil eye, and it was commonly used at the beginning of inscriptions and documents of the time. Christ (Christos in Greek, or ‘Messiah’) refers to Jesus. Di-Segni adds that “The inscription greets those who enter and blesses them. It is therefore clear that the building is a church, and not a monastery: Churches greeted believers at their entrance, while monasteries tended not to do this.”

Theodosius, whom the text refers to as the building’s founder, was one of the first Christian bishops. He served as the regional archbishop – the supreme religious authority of the metropolis of Bet She’an, to which et-Taiyiba in the valley belonged. Dr. Walid Atrash of the Israel Antiquities Authority says, “This is the first evidence of the Byzantine church’s existence in the village of et-Taiyiba, and it adds to other finds attesting to the activities of Christians who lived in the region. Remains of a church from the Crusader period were previously uncovered at the site, and a monastery was discovered more recently by Nurit Feig of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Dr. Moti Aviam of Kinneret College in Kfar Kama is one of a series of monasteries that were under the jurisdiction of the Bet She’an religious metropolis.”

According to excavation directors Tzachi Lang and Kojan Haku of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The excavation yielded finds from a variety of periods, shedding light on the long settlement sequence at et-Taiyiba in the valley, and on its status among the local settlements.”

Ancient Greek Inscription Discovered by Chance near Nizzana in the Negev

A stone bearing an inscription in Greek from the end of the Byzantine period was discovered last weekend in the Nizzana National Park confines in the Negev. The flat, round stone, c. 25 cm. in diameter, was used as a tombstone in one of the ancient settlements' cemeteries. The stone was found by a "Project 500" worker from the Israel Parks and Nature Authority while cleaning and preparing nature paths in the Nizzana National Park. The stone was left at the head of the trail when it was noticed by David Palmach, the director of the Nizzana Educational Village, who realized that it bore an inscription. Palmach photographed and collected it to prevent it from being looted. He also contacted the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the inscription is being transferred to the National Treasuries Dept. 

The inscription was deciphered by Dr. Leah Di Segni of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and it refers to "Blessed Maria, who lived an immaculate life" and died on February 9th. The stone dates from the late sixth–early seventh centuries CE.

According to Tali Erickson-Gini of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "Nizzana is renowned as a key site in research into the transition between the Byzantine and the Early Islamic periods. During the fifth and sixth centuries CE, Nizzana acted as a center for the villages and settlements in the vicinity. Among other things, it had a military fortress as well as churches, a monastery, and a road station that served Christian pilgrims traveling to Santa Katarina, which believers regarded as the site of Mount Sinai." According to Dr. Erickson-Gini, Nizzana was founded in as early as the third century BCE as a Nabatean road station on a major trade route, and the place was inhabited intermittently for about 1300 years until it was abandoned in the tenth century CE and its name was forgotten.

Archaeological excavations at the site in the 1930s unearthed a papyrus archive, and the name 'Nessana' was rediscovered. The burial-stone find, naming the deceased as Maria, joins other stones commemorating Christians buried in the churches and cemeteries around Nizzana unearthed in excavations by the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, among others.

Israel Antiquities Authority Southern District archaeologist Pablo Betzer says, "Unlike other ancient towns in the Negev, very little is known about the burial grounds around Nizzana. The find of any inscription such as this may improve our definition of the cemeteries' boundaries, thus helping to reconstruct the boundaries of the settlement itself, which have not yet been ascertained."

Second Temple period remains unearthed at Jerusalem's Gethsemane – The First Remains from the era that Jesus visited the site according to Christian belief

Archaeological excavations preceding development work unearthed a 2000-year-old ritual bath near the famous modern church, together with the remains of a church from the Byzantine period (c. 1500 years ago). The finds were uncovered during an Israel Antiquities Authority archaeological excavation with the assistance of scholars from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum. * The discoveries were presented in Jerusalem last Monday, December 21, 2020, with the participation of the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Patton

One of the first archaeological evidence of its kind of Second Temple-period activity at Gethsemane was unearthed near the modern church during archaeological excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in collaboration with scholars from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum. A 2000-year-old ritual bath discovered at the site dates from the time of Jesus's presence in Jerusalem, following Christian belief. Impressive remains of a Byzantine church were also uncovered in the Kidron Valley at the foot of the church.

The exciting archaeological discoveries were presented today (Monday), just before Christmas, by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr Francesco Patton, Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists, and scholars from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum.

Fr. Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, said, "Gethsemane is one of the most important sanctuaries in the Holy Land, because in this place the tradition remembers the confident prayer of Jesus and his betrayal and because every year millions of pilgrims visit and pray in this place. Even the latest excavations conducted on this site have confirmed the antiquity of the Christian memory and tradition linked to the place, and this is very important for us and the spiritual meaning connected with the archeological findings. I greet with great pleasure this fruitful cooperation between the Custody of the Holy Land, the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, and the Israel Antiquities Authority, and I hope that we will be able to join our scientific competences for further future collaborations."

In recent years, the Custody of the Holy Land has been investing in the development of tourism at the Gethsemane Church and in the Kidron Valley at its foot for the benefit of tourists and pilgrims. The development work includes a visitors' center and an underground tunnel that will link the church to the Kidron Valley. When the workmen encountered ancient remains, the Israel Antiquities Authority began a salvage excavation at the site, directed by Amit Re 'em and David Yeger and with the assistance of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum.

The Church of Gethsemane (also known as the Church of the Agony or Church of All Nations), located at the foot of the famous Mount of Olives, is one of Christianity's most important churches and is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. The modern church was built on the spot where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was betrayed. According to Christian belief, Jesus used to pray on Mount of Olives (Lk. 22:39) and prayed here on the night before the crucifixion (Matt. 26:36).

The church, a prominent sight from the Old City, was built between 1919-1924 on the site where the Second Temple-period events are believed to have occurred. When the building's foundations were laid, remains of churches from the Byzantine and Crusader periods were unearthed. However, not a single archaeological trace was found from the Second Temple period, the era when Christians believe that Jesus visited the place.

While digging the new visitors' tunnel, a few meters away from the modern church, workers were surprised to discover an underground cavity, which was identified as a Second Temple-period ritual bath.

Amit Re 'em, Jerusalem District Archaeologist for the Israel Antiquities Authority, explained, "The discovery of the ritual bath probably confirms the place's ancient name, Gethsemane. Most ritual baths from the Second Temple period have been found in private homes and public buildings, but some have been discovered near agricultural installations and tombs, in which case the ritual bath is located in the open. The discovery of this bath, unaccompanied by buildings, probably attests to the existence of an agricultural industry here 2000 years ago – possibly producing oil or wine. The Jewish laws of purification obliged workers involved in oil and wine production to purify themselves. The discovery of the ritual bath may therefore hint at the origin of the place's ancient name, Gethsemane (Gat Shemanim, 'oil press'), a place where ritually pure oil was produced near the city."

The excavation also unearthed remains of a previously unknown church that was founded at the end of the Byzantine period (sixth century CE) and continued to be used during the Umayyad period (eighth century CE). The church was ornamented with finely carved stone elements that attest to its importance.  According to archaeologists David Yeger and Amit Re 'em from the Israel Antiquities Authority, the church commemorates one of the many events attributed to the place in the New Testament. Greek inscriptions found incorporated in the church floor and deciphered by Dr. Leah Di Segni of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Dr. Rosario Pierri of the Franciscan Institute read, "for the memory and repose of the lovers of Christ (cross) God who has received the sacrifice of Abraham, accept the offering of your servants and give them remission of sins. (cross) Amen". David Yeger added, "It is interesting to see that the church was being used, and may even have been founded, at the time when Jerusalem was under Muslim rule, showing that Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem continued during this period as well."

During the Middle Ages, a large hospice or monastery was built on the site with multiple rooms, sophisticated water systems, and two large cisterns adorned with molded crosses on their sides. The archaeologists found evidence of the site's destruction in the twelfth century CE, probably as a result of the Ayyubid conquest (1187 CE). Based on historical sources, the Ayyubid Sultan Salah-a-Din ordered the demolition of the churches and buildings on the Mount of Olives and used their stones to renovate the city walls.

According to Amit Re 'em, "The excavation at Gethsemane is a prime example of Jerusalem's archaeology at its best, in which various traditions and beliefs are combined with archaeology and historical evidence. The recently discovered archaeological remains will be incorporated in the visitors' center being built at the site and will be exhibited to tourists and pilgrims, who we hope will soon be returning to visit Jerusalem."

Ancient Oil Lamp Workshop Discovered is One of Largest Ever Found in Israel

Excavations were conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority with student workers prior to the development of Ramat Beit Shemesh ‘Hey’ neighborhood. The excavation unearthed dozens of pottery oil lamps, two bearing the symbol of the Temple menorah. The oil lamps known as Beit Nattif lamps were produced 1700 years ago and were first discovered in a cistern during 1934. Since the initial discovery the cistern was sealed off and its location remained a mystery…until today.

One of the most extensive ceramic oil-lamp workshops in Israel has been discovered by Israel Antiquities Authority excavations in Beit Shemesh. Hundreds of ceramic oil lamps, two bearing symbols of the menorah and stone lamp molds for their production, were found along with terracotta figurines made about 1600–1700 years ago. In the past few months, the Israel Antiquities Authority excavations were aided by dozens of pre-military program students. The large-scale archaeological excavations are being carried out before establishing a new neighborhood by the Ministry of Construction and Housing. 

The discovery of the lamps, used for lighting in ancient times, surprised the archaeologists not only because of their quantity and quality but also because it solved an archaeological mystery connected with them:

In 1934, archaeologist Dimitri Baramki, an inspector on behalf of the Department of Antiquities during the British Mandate, discovered a water cistern in the region of Beit Shemesh. On excavating the cistern, he was surprised to uncover an ancient ‘treasure’ — a vast quantity of intact oil lamps bearing animal and plant motifs and geometric designs. The lamps are dated to the Late Roman period (third-fourth century CE) and became known as ‘Beit Nattif lamps’ after the nearby village's name and have become an archaeological hallmark. Together with the lamps, Baramki recovered stone lamp molds and a wide variety of pottery figurines depicting animals, horse-riders, women, and birds.

After the British Mandate-era discovery, the cistern's location was lost and has remained a mystery, despite all efforts to re-locate it.

“As part of the Beit Shemesh development program, we examined an area on the edge of the ancient remains of Khirbet Beit Nattif,” explains excavation directors Moran Balila, Itai Aviv, Nicolas Benenstein, and Omer Shalev. “We uncovered a water cistern that looked, at first sights, like many others in the region. But to our surprise, excavation beside the cistern began unearthing massive quantities of oil lamps, stone lamp molds, and figurine fragments.” When the archaeologists entered the cistern, which was still intact, they were amazed to find that they recognized it from photos appearing in Baramki’s excavation publication. The cistern also contained items left behind by Baramki himself, including leather baskets used to extract soil and an empty metal box. “The Beit Nattif oil-lamp cistern has been brought back to life!” the archaeologists say. “We are extremely excited since this is not just an important archaeological discovery in its own right, but also tangible evidence of archaeological history.”

“The figurines and the motifs on the lamps from the Beit Nattif region tell the story of the Judean Hills in the period following the Bar Kokhba Revolt,” explains Benyamin Storchan of the Israel Antiquities Authority, an expert on the Beit Nattif lamps. “From Josephus's writings, we know that in during the Second Temple period, Beit Nattif was a regional administrative center — one of the ten principal cities under the Hasmonean rule. After the failure of the Bar Kokhba Revolt and Roman takeover of the region, the local Jewish population of the Judean Hills was greatly diminished. In turn, the region was settled by pagans. The many figurines unearthed at the site attest to this. Simultaneously, a small number of the ceramic oil lamps area decorated with distinctively Jewish symbols such as the shofar, incense burner, and seven-branched menorah. The fragment tells us that Jewish life continued to exist in the Judean Hills, well after the rebellion’s failure. The oil-lamp workshop produced these lamps in response to continued demand in the region. During this period, Christianity also began to emerge, and some of the Beit Nattif oil-lamps carry fish motifs, one of the symbols of Christianity. Therefore, the sheer variety of lamps and figurines proves that the local population featured a mix of pagans, Christians, and Jews.”

Most of the Ramat Beit Shemesh region excavations are youths and pre-military academy students from throughout the country. The young excavators extracted dozens of oil lamps and other finds from the area around the cistern every day.

“The festival of Hanukkah is a wonderful opportunity to tell the public about the recovery of these oil lamps, which was the main method of lighting in ancient times,” the archaeologists say. In light of the importance of the find and location, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Ministry of Construction and Housing plan to preserve the site and incorporate it in a large park that will be open to the public.

A Fortified Building from the Time of King David is Discovered for the First Time in the Golan

The complex was exposed in archaeological excavations carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority, before the construction of a new neighborhood in Hispin by the Ministry of Housing and Construction and the Golan Regional Council.*** In the excavation, carried out predominantly by residents and youth, a rare stone carved with two-horned figures with outspread arms was discovered.***  According to the archaeologists, "The fort was probably manned by the Geshurites, who ruled in the Southern and Central Golan, and carried out diplomatic relations with King David and the Davidic Dynasty." 

A fortified complex from King David's time (Iron Age, eleventh to tenth centuries BCE) was exposed for the first time in archaeological excavations carried out by IAA in Hispin in the Golan. The archaeologists consider that the fort was built by the kingdom of Geshur, the ally of King David, to control the region. The excavation was undertaken before the construction of a new neighborhood in Hispin and funded by the Ministry of Housing and Construction and the Golan Regional Council, with the participation of many residents of Hispin and Nov, and youth from the pre-military academies at Natur, Kfar Hanasi, Elrom, Metzar, and Qaztrin.

According to Barak Tzin and Enno Bron, Excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The complex we exposed was built at a strategic location on the small hilltop, above the El-Al canyon, overlooking the region, at a spot where it was possible to cross the river. The c. 1.5 m wide fort walls, built of large basalt boulders, encompassed the hill. We were astonished to discover a rare and exciting find in the excavation: a large basalt stone with a schematic engraving of two-horned figures with outspread arms. There may also be another object next to them."

It is noteworthy that in 2019, a figure carved on a cultic stone stele was found in the Bethsaida Expedition Project, directed by Dr.Rami Arav of Nebraska University, at Bethsaida just north of the Sea of Galilee. The stele, depicting a horned figure with outspread arms, was erected next to a raised platform (bama) adjacent to the city gate. Arav identified this scene as representing the Moon-God Cult. The Hispin stone was located on a shelf next to the entrance, and not one, but two figures were depicted on it. According to the archaeologists, "it is possible that a person who saw the impressive Bethsaida stele decided to create a local copy of the royal stele."

The fortified city of Bethsaida is considered by scholars to be the capital of the Aramean Kingdom of Geshur, which ruled the central and southern Golan 3000 years ago. According to the Bible, the kingdom upheld diplomatic and family relations with the House of David; one of David's wives was Maacah, the daughter of Talmi, King of Geshur.

Cities of the Kingdom of Geshur are known along the Sea of Galilee shore, including Tel En Gev, Tel Hadar, and Tel Sorag, but sites are hardly known in the Golan. This unique fortified complex raises new research issues on the settlement of the Golan in the Iron Age.

Following this discovery, changes in the development plans will be carried out together with the Ministry of Housing and Construction in order that the unique fortified complex will not be damaged. The complex will be developed as an open area along the El-Al river bank, where educational-archaeological activities will be carried out as part of the cultural heritage and a link with the past. This aligns with the Israel Antiquities Authority's policy that learning the past through experiencing work in the field strengthens the young generation's bonds with their roots.  

Pottery juglet containing four 1,000 year-old gold coins unearthed

The excavations are part of an elevator-installation project initiated by the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City to make the Western Wall Plaza accessible for visitors to the Jewish Quarter * Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist David Gellman: “We discovered an ancient savings box.”

A juglet (a small pottery jar) containing four pure gold coins dating from more than a thousand years ago (the Early Islamic period) was unearthed during archaeological excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), as part of the Jewish Quarter Development Corporation’s plan to build an elevator and make the Western Wall Plaza accessible to visitors coming from the Quarter.

The juglet was found by Israel Antiquities Authority inspector Yevgenia Kapil during preliminary digging at the site last month. Some weeks later, as excavation director David Gellman was examining the finds, he emptied the contents of the juglet.

“To my great surprise,” says Gellman, “along with the soil, four shiny gold coins fell into my hand. This is the first time in my career as an archaeologist that I have discovered gold, and it is tremendously exciting.”

According to Israel Antiquities Authority’s coin expert, Dr. Robert Kool, “The coins were in excellent preservation and were immediately identifiable even without cleaning. The coins date from a relatively brief period, from the late 940s to the 970s CE. This was a time of radical political change, when control over Eretz Israel passed from the Sunni Abbasid caliphate, whose capital was Baghdad, Iraq, into the hands of ​​its Shiite rivals—the Fatimid dynasty of North Africa, who conquered Egypt, Syria, and Eretz Israel in those years. The profile of the coins found in the juglet is a near-perfect reflection of the historical events. Two gold dinars were minted in Ramla during the rule of Caliph al-Muti‛ (946–974 CE) and his regional governor, Abu ‛Ali al-Qasim ibn al-Ihshid Unujur (946–961 CE). The other two gold coins were minted in Cairo by the Fatimid rulers al-Mu‘izz (953–975 CE) and his successor, al-‘Aziz (975–996 CE).”

According to Dr. Kool, “This is the first time in fifty years that a gold cache from the Fatimid period has been discovered in Jerusalem’s Old City. In the large-scale excavations directed by Prof. Benjamin Mazar after the Six-Day War, not far from the current discovery, five-coin and jewelry hoards from this period were uncovered south of the Temple Mount.”

“Four dinars was a considerable sum of money for most of the population, who lived under difficult conditions at the time,” added Dr. Kool. “It was equal to the monthly salary of a minor official, or four months’ salary for a common laborer. Compared with those people, the small handful of wealthy officials and merchants earned huge salaries and amassed vast wealth. “A senior treasury official could earn 7,000 gold dinars a month, and also receive additional incomes from his rural estates amounting to hundreds of thousands of gold dinars a year.”