When Christians Break the Law

Israel Today is reporting that some Palestinians believe that Jewish prayers on the Temple Mount is a violation of international law. This is how Israel Today reported the event:

Taking their misinterpretation of international law to new heights, the Arab League this week accused the Jews of Israel of violating the rules that govern global behavior by praying atop Jerusalem's Temple Mount.

The incident occurred on Sunday, when the head of the Temple Institute led a small group of Jewish tourists atop the Temple Mount. Israeli police at the site forbid non-Muslims from praying there or making any kind of outward religious gestures, such as kneeling or bowing.

But the Temple Institute told Israel National News that the group managed to hold a very brief prayer session without being detected.

After reading about the Jewish prayers at Judaism's holiest site, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa called them "a serious blow to the holiness of the site."

Moussa insisted that under international law, Jews and Christians are forbidden from praying atop the Muslim-controlled Temple Mount.

I have not read Mr. Moussa’s statement nor his interpretation of the law that declares that Jews and Christians cannot pray on the Temple Mount. I have been to Israel several times and I have seen Christians praying aloud and silently on the Temple Mount.

If praying on the Temple Mount is a violation of international law, many Christians are guilty of breaking the law.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Prayer, Temple Mount

Archaeology and Politics

Raphael Greenberg, writing in the Jewish Quarterly, 208 (Winter 2007), has written an excellent article in which he deals with the history of excavation in Jerusalem and how politics have influenced excavation in the city. He begins his article with the following words:

Any intellectual practice in Israel entails both the representation of politics and the politics of representation. The ideological implications of practising archaeology in Jerusalem are as many-layered as the cultures that lie buried beneath the city's surface. Archaeology has always been implicated in the conflict of claims to the contested land but now archaeologists find themselves increasingly in the pay of right-wing settler groups, who use their finds to write their own particular version of history.

His article begins discussing the first archaeological conference in Jerusalem following the Six-Day War. This conference, which was held in October 1967, brought together Yigael Yadin, Benjamin Mazar, and Nahman Avigad. The aim of the conference was to discuss the possibility of large-scale excavation of Jerusalem by Israeli archaeologists.

Greenberg’s article details how archaeology was influenced by politicians and religious leaders to affirm the Jewishness of Jerusalem. Greenberg wrote:

The history of Israeli-Palestinian relations in Jerusalem reached a remarkable turning point in 1992-3. The electoral success of Yitzhak Rabin and the Labor Party paved the way to the 1993 Oslo accords, yet the election of Ehud Olmert as mayor of Jerusalem a few months later signaled the victory of a religious and right-wing agenda in the city. Galvanized by the threat to their settlement program in the West Bank, the ideological right went into overdrive. In Jerusalem, a two-pronged campaign was pursued, aimed at suppressing Palestinian political activity in East Jerusalem while also establishing a Jewish presence in as many locations as possible around the Old City.

This activity marked the beginning of a hitherto-unknown intimacy between the non-governmental settlement movement and archaeology in the historic basin. The ultimate aim of the settlers was to create wedges of Jewish settlement in the interstices between Palestinian neighborhoods that would prevent any political division of the city, and eventually to dilute the entire Palestinian presence. Archaeology provided physical and symbolic capital for this project, in the form of a narrative emphasizing Jewish continuity and of relics that testify to such continuity.

Raphael Greenberg has served as a staff member in the Temple Mount and City of David excavations. He also served as the Senior Editor in the Israel Antiquities Authority from 1985 and 2000 . At the present he is a Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at Tel Aviv University.

Read the article in its entirety by visiting the official page of the Jewish Quarterly.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, Jerusalem, Temple Mount

A House from the Second Temple Period

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) is announcing that Israeli archeologists have discovered a large-sized house from the Second Temple Period south of the Temple Mount. According to archaeologists, the structure may be the remains of Queen Helena’s palace.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the building was unearthed during a six-month excavation in the Givati parking lot just outside the Old City's Dung Gate.

According to the report published in The Jerusalem Post,

The site also indicates that the ancient City of David was much larger than previously thought, said archeologist Doron Ben-Ami, who is directing the dig at the site.

The palace, which was destroyed by the Romans when they demolished the Second Temple in 70 CE, was dated to the end of the Second Temple period by pottery and stone vessels, as well as an assortment of coins from that time, Ben-Ami said.

Read the full report by clicking here.

The coins found at the site (pictured above), have ancient Hebrew writing and depict leaves and vessels.

For other photos of the site, click here.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, City of David, Doron Ben-Ami, Temple Mount

The Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) Recited on the Temple Mount

Last week, the Priestly Blessing described in Numbers 6:24-26 was recited on the Temple Mount for the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in the first century. The blessing was delivered by a group of Jews who were visiting the Temple Mount to commemorate the anniversary of Maimonides’s visit to the Temple Mount.

Rabbi Chaim Richman, one of the organizers of the trip, said:

This was probably the first time since the destruction of the Temple [1,937 years ago] that the Priestly Blessing was delivered on our holiest site. At times like these, when there is talk of giving away our precious places, and when despair is sometimes in the air, events of this nature serve to remind us that G-d has not forgotten about us, and that He still has big plans for both us and the Holy Temple - and that the Temple will yet become the focal point of the world once again.

Read the news report by clicking here.

Orthodox Jews and many conservative Christians believe that the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt soon. For many, the rebuilding of the Temple is a necessary event that must happen before the coming of the Messiah.

My question is: should Jews and Christians look at this event as a sign that the Temple will be rebuilt?

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, Priestly Blessing, Temple , Temple Mount

Traces of the First Temple Found

Israel National News is reporting that traces of the First Temple have been found during the digging of a trench in the Temple Mount. The following is an excerpt from the news report:

The unauthorized dig of a trench this past summer by the Moslem Waqf on the Temple Mount had a thin silver lining: Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) personnel monitoring the trench-digging have, for the first time.

It was assumed that precious findings were destroyed.

The IAA studied an archaeological level dating to the First Temple Period, exposed in the area close to the south-eastern corner of the raised platform surrounding the Dome of the Rock.

Jerusalem District Archaeologist Yuval Baruch uncovered fragments of ceramic table wares, animal bones, and more. The finds date from the 8th to 6th centuries BCE; the First Temple existed between the 9th and 5th centuries BCE, having been built by King Solomon in 832 and destroyed in 422 BCE.

The archaeological team - Baruch of the IAA, Prof. Sy Gitin, Director of the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, Prof. Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University and Prof. Ronny Reich of Haifa University - reached the conclusion, after examining the finds, that their characteristics and location may aid scholars in reconstructing the dimensions and boundaries of the Temple Mount during the First Temple Period.

The finds include fragments of bowl rims, bases and body sherds, the base of a juglet used for the ladling of oil, the handle of a small juglet, and the rim of a storage jar. The bowl sherds were decorated with wheel burnishing lines characteristic of the First Temple Period.

The Israel Antiquities Authority is promising to hold a conference to discuss the findings and the reasons it associates these finding with the First Temple.

I hope that this conference is held as soon as possible. There are so many news coming out of this dig in the Temple Mount that the Israel Antiquities Authority should make an official statement of what is fact and what is propaganda.

Claude Mariottini
Profesor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, Solomon, Temple , Temple Mount

The Second Temple Quarry Found

The Jerusalem Post has announced that archeologists have found the Second Temple quarry, the same quarry that Herod used in the construction of the Second Temple. The following is an excerpt of the news report:

An ancient quarry where King Herod's workers chiseled huge high-quality limestones for the construction of the Second Temple, including the Western Wall, has been uncovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Sunday.

The quarry, which is located four kilometers northwest of the Old City of Jerusalem in the city's outlying Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, was used 2,000 years ago by dozens of King Herod's workers at the site during the construction of the Second Temple walls, archeologist Yuval Baruch said.

"This unique and sensational find is the first Second Temple quarry ever found," he said.

Read the article by clicking here.

The article describes the process of quarrying the stones used in the construction of the Temple. Since the site of the quarry is located near Arab land, and it is private property, it is possible that any further attempt at excavating at the site will intensify the bitter controversy between Jews and Arabs over recent Arab work on the Temple Mount.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, Second Temple, Temple Mount

The Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount

The most extensive work on the Temple Mount in more than a decade is being carried out by Islamic officials and it is causing a great deal of consternation among Israeli archaeologists.

In a news article published in the Jerusalem Post, Dr. Gabriel Barkai, an archeologist with the Bar-Ilan University said that “the Israeli government is lending a hand to the destruction of one of the most important archeological sites in the world.”

According to the news report, “Barkai said that the dig, which is being carried out with tractors and other heavy construction machinery, has created a 400-meter long and 1.5-meter deep trench on the site, destroying several layers of ancient remains. Among the antiquities which have been damaged is a seven-meter-wide wall which apparently dates back to the Second Temple, and is likely to have been part of its courts.”

Read the news report by clicking here.

It is sad that this excavation of the Temple Mount is being carried out without the supervision of archaeologists. The destruction of antiquities cause irreparable damage and obliterate precious evidence that could help archaeologists in their study of the site.

When prominent archaeologists such as Ephraim Stern, Amihai Mazar, Ehud Netzer, Israel Finkelstein, Moshe Kochavi, Gabriel Barkai, and Eilat Mazar say that evidence is being destroyed, someone in the Israeli government should listen and act fast.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Photo: The Jerusalem Post

Tags: Archaeology, Jerusalem, Temple Mount

The Temple Mount: The Controversy Continues

The Weekly Standard has published an article discussing the controversy surrounding the building of a ramp to allow non-Muslims to reach the enormous platform atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The article says in part:

Hundreds of truckloads were unloaded in municipal garbage dumps. Some drops were made late at night. This was vandalism on a breathtaking scale, and the vandals knew it. (In fact removing the soil was a crime in itself; archaeologists need to inspect soil in situ to understand the context and to know which layers were on top, what came next, and so forth.) All in all this was a sickening crime against the human spirit, a rape of the Mount. But radical Arab leaders routinely deny that a Temple ever existed in this place. They would love to annihilate every trace of Jewish history as they would love to destroy the Jews themselves. For would-be murderers, destroying truth is the next best thing to destroying life.

The precious soil was left unprotected, and garbage accumulated on top. Archaeologists managed to sift through certain portions that remained accessible. Important finds turned up. But "we are certain," Mazar said recently, "that a vast amount of important data was lost."

The Israeli government let it happen; ignored the outcry of Israelis and of archaeologists all over the world and allowed construction and dumping to continue. "The world's patrimony is being carried off in dump trucks," wrote Hershel Shanks (editor of Biblical Archaeology Review) in the Washington Post in July 2000. "All who care about the archaeological remains on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem . . . should be incensed at Israel's failure to stop the Waqf . . . from illegally destroying precious remnants of history important to Muslims as well as to Jews and Christians." An open letter to Prime Minister Ehud Barak, signed by dozens of prominent Israelis of all political colors, demanded that Barak stop "a serious act of irreparable archaeological vandalism and destruction."

Read the article in its entirety by visiting The Weekly Standard.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, Temple Mount, Eilat Mazar, Hershel Shanks

Dr. Eilat Mazar and the Temple Mount

Dr. Eilat Mazar, an archaeologist with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, has answered several questions about the excavation near the Temple Mount in recent years. The Jerusalem Post has published the answers to 20 of these questions. Here are three questions posed by readers:

Mary Ellen Marks Highland Lakes: Is it true that the Ark of the Covenant is buried under the mount?

Dr. Mazar: There is a very high probability that the most important ancient remains are inside the compound in the massive underground halls. This includes the Ark of the Covenant.

Margaret, Sydney, Australia: Why is the site important to the Christians?

Dr. Mazar: The Temple Mount is of extreme value to the Christians as well, as it was the very spot where the Temple stood, at which Jesus himself arrived and became infuriated when he saw that it was being desecrated by so many people. He said that this was the holy place that the people must respect, and then he overturned the tables in fury. I see many Christians near the Temple Mount, standing on the stairs leading into one of its gates and praying. I urge the Christian world to raise its voice in order to help us preserve this magnificent site, which is part of Christian heritage, as well.

Thomas Crispin, Phoenix, Arizona: What is the most exciting thing you've discovered in your career so far?

Dr. Mazar: My most exciting find was a personal seal impression one centimeter in diameter from the First Temple period that had the name of a minister who was part of the government of Zedekaya. I found it last year during my excavation in the City of David. His name is mentioned in the book of Jeremiah - he was the one who asked King Zedekaya to kill the prophet Jeremiah because he was telling the people of Jerusalem to surrender to the Babylonians. This is astonishing because it is a direct connection between an archeological find and a biblical document. It reinforces our understanding and appreciation of the bible as an historical source of great authenticity.

It is important to remember that there is no evidence that the Ark of the Covenant is buried in one of the caves in the Temple Mount. Dr. Mazar’s response reflects the views of many Jews that before the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE, the Ark was hidden in order to protect it from the Babylonians.

I have already written here and here about Dr. Mazar’s excavation in the City of David and the discovery of David’s palace. I have also written here about Dr. Mazar’s discovery of the seal of a Judean official named Jehucal (or Jucal), the son of Shelemiah, the son of Shevi.

Her appeal to Christians is a cry for help. The excavation of the Temple Mount has produced much animosity between Israelis and Palestinians. There is a real desire among Israelis today for Christians to validate Israel’s right to excavate in the area of the Temple Mount. The animosity between Israelis and Palestinians will not go away in the near future. It is possible that the excavation will make the problem more difficult to solve.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Ark of the Covenant, Eilat Mazar, Temple Mount, David’s Palace, Jehucal, Shelemiah

Temple's Location Found

According to an Israeli archaeologist, the real location of the Temple has been found. Prof. Joseph Patrich, an archaeologist and professor at Hebrew University, used maps created in 1866 by a British explorer and passages from the Jewish Mishnah to pinpoint the exact location of the Temple.

Today, many people believe that the Temple built by King Solomon and rebuilt by the people who returned from exile in Babylon was on the site of the present Muslim Dome of the Rock. However, according to Patrich, the location of the original temple was outside the area where the Dome of the Rock is located.

Although Patrich said his study of the location of the Temple was strictly academic and that no political connotations should be attributed to his research, in this case, it is impossible to separate politics from religion. If the original Temple was located outside the area where the Dome of the Rock is located, then a new Temple could be built without destroying the Muslim holy site.

Read Patrich’s report and view his reconstruction of the Temple area by clicking here.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Joseph Patrich, Temple, Temple Mount