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In the wake of the 1993 Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority (PA), through its Ministry of Religious Endowments (Waqf), systematically eroded the administrative role that had been assigned to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as the caretaker of Muslim shrines on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In October 1994, the PA even appointed its own mufti for Jerusalem, who displaced Jordan's candidate. Even though the Oslo Accords recognized Israel's jurisdiction over Jerusalem, pending any change reached through future permanent status negotiations, Israeli governments were extremely hesitant to confront the incremental but steady PA efforts to broaden religious control over Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, especially on the Temple Mount. Furthermore, since the entire Israeli-Palestinian peace process had been launched under U.S. auspices, a full-scale clash over the Temple Mount could also lead to a U.S.-Israeli diplomatic crisis, which the governments in Jerusalem sought to avoid. These considerations continued to influence Israeli decision-making even after the outbreak of Palestinian violence in 2000, even though any expression of Palestinian governmental authority in Jerusalem was an outright violation of the Oslo Accords. Is There Israeli Supervision on the Temple Mount?In recent years, the Waqf has repeatedly challenged Israel by undertaking construction projects on the Temple Mount, many of which were unauthorized. Yet these initiatives have undermined the archaeological heritage on the Temple Mount, as well as the very stability of some of its structures. On May 18, 2004, the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee of the Israeli Knesset met to deliberate the danger of the possible collapse of the Temple Mount's eastern wall, some of whose foundation stones had weakened and cracked. Yehoshua Dorfman, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Micha Ben-Nun, director of the Licensing and Inspection Department of the Jerusalem municipality, told the committee that while they were both responsible for routine inspection and law enforcement on the Temple Mount, in practice they had been denied access to the Temple Mount and did not receive information about what occurred there. Dorfman stated that, following a directive issued by the prime minister, the Antiquities Authority's inspection of the archaeological sites on the Temple Mount was partial, indirect and unofficial.1 "We receive all our information about what happens...from the Israeli police....We don't go there," he admitted. "We think we know what is going on as far as archaeology is concerned, but to say that I genuinely know...I wouldn't swear to it."2 Ben-Nun said that "while the Jerusalem municipality does have formal and statutory responsibility for the Temple Mount, in practice we have no access and no control over what happens there. Not only that, there is what we call the 'deliberate interference' of those who are in charge of it, whether the police or whoever, to keep us away and to minimize our knowledge. None of the information we receive is official and we have no way of obtaining such information. If the eastern wall collapsed, no one would tell us. No one talks to us."3 No one familiar with what is really happening on the Temple Mount was surprised by what they said, but rather by the fact that for once someone actually had said it publicly. This situation has existed for years and is no different today. According to instructions from Israel's attorney general, the certified authorities must carry out routine inspections of the Temple Mount, but in reality their powers are limited. TheJerusalem municipality, the Israel Police, and the Antiquities Authority were instructed by the Attorney General to report "any serious infraction discovered in laws governing planning or the antiquities [themselves]." However, the attorney general forbade both the municipality and the authority from taking steps to enforce the law (including demolition or issuing a demolition order), to take testimony, carry out detentions, or issue indictments without prior coordination with his office.4 In that regard, he himself was subordinate to the prime minister, to whom he had to report before any steps could be taken on the Temple Mount.5 The law governing the Temple Mount is explicit regarding the full jurisdiction of Israeli law over the location. Legal expert Dr. Shmuel Berkowitz summarized the main points in his 2006 book:6 All the laws of Israel are valid for the Temple Mount, as it is located on ground that has been part of the State of Israel since the unification of Jerusalem and the enforcement of Israeli law over East Jerusalem, including the Law of Planning and Construction, 1965, and the Antiquities Law of 1978. As early as August 1967, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall were designated as antiquities, as part of the Old City of Jerusalem and its environs. According to Article 29(A) of the Antiquities Law, no action is to be carried out, including actions of construction, demolition, earthworks, and change or dismantling of an antiquity without authorization from the Antiquities Authority. According to the law, "Archaeological activities at...sites, which are legally defined as holy sites, are not dependent on the sole discretion of the IAA Director-General. Any changes (e.g., excavation, construction, preservation of ancient walls, etc.) require approval of the Ministerial Committee for Holy Places, which consists of the Ministers of Justice, Education and Religious Affairs."7 However, the discrepancy between the letter of the law and what happens in practice is vast. The dominant, decisive factor on the Temple Mount is the Israel Police. A high-ranking officer in the police once said:
For the same reason, the Israel Supreme Court treats infractions of planning and construction with kid gloves, and does not compel the authorities to enforce the law. For years, the court has respected the sensitivity of the state towards the Temple Mount, and displayed understanding for the "considerations" it exercises. One after another, it has rejected appeals lodged by various Jewish groups claiming that the Temple Mount is of particular importance to them, regardless of whether they are the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful movement or the far more widely accepted Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount. The result, in any case, is that the antiquities are repeatedly damaged, and Israeli law and sovereignty are repeatedly flouted. In the early 1990s, the Antiquities Authority unofficially inspected the activities of the Waqf on the Temple Mount. Dr. Dan Bahat, who was the district archaeologist for Jerusalem for many years, reported on this inspection to the Supreme Court.9 One of the informal understandings between the Antiquities Authority archaeologists and the Waqf was that the Waqf would keep the authority informed of its plans, but nothing was ever done formally because officially the Waqf does not recognize the legitimacy of Israeli control of eastern Jerusalem.10 During those years, Antiquities Authority inspectors had a fairly free hand on the Temple Mount. They could walk around, enter where they pleased, and document and take photographs of what they saw. In September 1996, the opening of the northern exit of the Hasmonean tunnel, an extension of the Western Wall tunnel, changed the situation completely. After the Western Wall tunnel riots,11 Antiquities Authority inspectors were limited to the trails reserved for tourists and were denied access to the rest of the Temple Mount. In other words, they were only granted partial access to the site and were forbidden to take photographs. Important underground sites were treated by the Waqf as its own property and were closed to Israeli inspectors, including Solomon's Stables, the old Al-Aqsa mosque and the Triangle Gate, and the area of the above-ground Golden Gate. With the outbreak of the Second Intifada in September 2000, even this partial access for authority inspectors ended as the Waqf cut off all Israeli entry into the Temple Mount. Since September 1996, the Waqf has cooperated only with the Israel Police. Whenever the Antiquities Authority wants to examine a site on the Temple Mount, it has to coordinate its activities with the police, and the police do not always cooperate since their top priority is quiet, not antiquities. Sometimes, the inspectors have resorted to subterfuge by disguising themselves as policemen or tourists. In view of the damage done repeatedly to the antiquities, the Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount was established early in 2000. Its membership includes author A.B. Yehoshua, former Supreme Court President Meir Shamgar, former State Comptroller Miriam Ben-Porat, former Tel Aviv Mayor Shlomo Lahat, the late Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek, Meir Dagan (before he became head of the Mossad), and well-known archaeologists, scholars, and retired high-ranking army officers. Damage Done to Temple Mount Antiquities in 1999The damage done to the antiquities on the Temple Mount has been substantial. In the summer of 1999, the Waqf undertook renovations on the galleries beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque, what is known as "old Al-Aqsa." They contained the "double passageway," the only passageway preserved in its entirety from the time of the Second Temple, from Hulda's Gates (blocked up today) in the southern wall of theTemple Mount to the square in front of the Temple, the main thoroughfare in ancient times. Four domes were preserved in the double passageway with inscriptions carved into the stone, work done by Jewish artisans 2,000 years ago.12 The Waqf excavated extensively and made irreversible changes, and the passageways became integral parts of a new mosque, Al-Aqsa al-Qadim.13 Members of the Antiquities Authority in 2000 called it "an archaeological distortion."14 In November 1999, the Waqf and the Israeli Islamic Movement dug an enormous pit southeast of the Temple Mount, 1,600 square meters in area and 15 meters deep.15 It exposed four ancient arches, four meters wide and ten meters high. The debris from the excavation was loaded onto 200 trucks which shuttled back and forth without interference, disposing of thousands of tons of earth rich in archaeological remains from all the periods of the Temple Mount. The earth was dumped into the Kidron Valley and the city garbage dump at El-Azaria, near Ma'ale Adumim. The Waqf had received authorization for excavation at the Temple Mount's southeastern corner to construct an emergency exit for the new underground mosque (which had formerly been Solomon's Stables). Authorization was given to widen the mosque's main entrance to a maximum of two meters. The work was conditional on Antiquities Authority inspection, and included only two arches. The Waqf had no authorization to excavate to the depth and width actually completed. Supervision for the excavation was non-existent. Heavy equipment was used, including bulldozers, in violation of the accepted norms at archaeological sites, wiping out and removing entire strata. At the government meeting held to discuss the issue, Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein called the Waqf excavation a swift kick aimed at the history of the Jewish people. Antiquities Authority director Amir Drori called it "an archaeological crime."16 More Damage in 2007Serious damage was again done to antiquities on the Temple Mount in the summer of 2007. The Waqf requested authorization to dig a ditch dozens of meters long, eastward towards the hill on which the Dome of the Rock is built, to replace power lines. The work was carried out by small tractors and hydraulic shovels. Members of the Antiquities Authority occasionally visited the site but were of the opinion that the earth was ordinary soil and that there was no danger to archaeological remains. They paid no attention to the repeated warnings of members of the Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount. The work was finished, the new electricity lines were laid, and the ditch was filled in. Subsequently, the Antiquities Authority issue a formal statement which included details about a "sealed stratum of human activity," a layer of earth which, according to archaeological assessment, "has been preserved as a homogeneous whole, and even the pottery shards found there were broken in situ, and had remained without change since the days of the First Temple."17 The announcement caused a great deal of excitement in the archaeological communities in Israel and abroad. Although the announcement mentioned nothing about the discretion exercised by the Antiquities Authority, it was clear that a mistake had been made. Initially, the members of the authority thought there were no antiquities and allowed a tractor to be used. Some of them said informally that it was entirely possible that during the excavations other "sealed strata" had been damaged. Following the authority's announcement, the Knesset State Control Committee decided to turn the issue of the Waqf excavations on the Temple Mount over to the State Comptroller for examination, as well as the conduct of the authorities in Israel in their dealings with the Waqf. Antiquities in the RubbleIt is only too evident that the on-going Waqf excavations on the Temple Mount, which are generally carried out without archaeological supervision of any kind, have severely damaged antiquities from many periods. Since 2004, archaeologist Dr. Gabi Barkai and Zachi Zweig have been sifting through the rubble the Waqf removed from the Temple Mount to the Kidron Valley eight years ago. The project is being carried out in the Tzurim Valley, not far from the Mt. Scopus campus of the Hebrew University. The archaeologists in charge, aided by hundreds of volunteers, occasionally document new discoveries and publish pictures.18 An article appearing in Ariel contained information about finds described as "very small" because, during the excavation on the Temple Mount, the Waqf separated out the larger pieces from the rubble and reused the ancient building blocks, since the Waqf feared the police would prevent them from bringing new building materials to the site. Among the small findings recovered were a few pre-historic flint implements, approximately ten thousand years old; many pot shards; about a thousand ancient coins; many varicolored items of jewelry made of various materials, including pendants, rings, bracelets, earrings and beads; decorations for clothing; amulets; ivory and bone dice and game pieces; ivory and mother-of-pearl furniture insets; icons and statuettes; stone and metal weights; weapons and ammunition such as arrow heads and musket balls; broken pieces of stone and glass utensils; stone and glass squares from floor and wall mosaics; decorated wall hangings and fragments of decorations from buildings; seals and seal impressions; and many other items. The most ancient findings were glass fragments ten thousand years old. Only a few pottery shards and fragments of alabaster vessels were found belonging to the Canaanite and Jebusite periods (the early and late Bronze Age), but many items were found belonging to the late period of the Kings of Judea (8th and 7th centuries BCE), including stone weights for weighing silver. The most striking find was a seal impression with letters in the ancient Hebrew script of the last days of the First Temple. One can only imagine what findings could have been rescued and researched if the pit dug by the Waqf on the Temple Mount down into Solomon's Stables had been excavated under archaeological supervision. For example, in October 2005, Hungarian archaeologist Tibor Grull reported on a find in the publication of the Albright Institute for Archaeological Research.19 In 2002, Grull visited the Temple Mount where he found part of a stone tablet, a fragment from a monumental Latin inscription which bore the name of Flavius Silva, Governor of the Province of Judea in 79-73 BCE and the general who laid siege to Masada. The Waqf permitted Grull to photograph and document the find, which was part of the dedicatory inscription of a triumphal arch built by the Romans on the Temple Mount after the destruction of the Second Temple and the city. Members of the Waqf told Grull that the fragment came from the great pit dug in 1999. According to the Antiquities Authority, other finds have made their way to the black market. Zweig has also examined photographs of the ditch dug by the Waqf in the summer of 2007. By August 2007, the ditch had reached a length of 350 meters and an average depth of about 1.2 meters. Twenty meters south of the eastern steps of the Dome of the Rock, a massive, ancient wall was uncovered which, according to expert opinion examining its location and size, could very well be the southern wall of both the Women's Court (Ezrat Nashim) and the Chamber of Oils (Lishkat Hashmanim) that were part of the Second Temple.20 Despite the many legal petitions filed, mainly by the Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, the Israel Supreme Court has not intervened, even though its members are well aware that Islamic groups continually violate the laws governing construction and antiquities. For example, the court rejected a petition filed by the Temple Mount Faithful, determining on January 1, 2000, that it could not rule because the issue was "clearly the job of the government," since it had implications for public peace and the general good. For this reason, the court ruled that while there was nothing to prevent it from intervening in cases of illegal activity on the Temple Mount, such intervention would be the exception that proved the rule. There had to be a compelling reason for the court to take exception to its standard procedures and trespass on the territory of the executive authority.21 Nonetheless, current petitions still under review by the Supreme Court are seeking its intervention to prevent the use of tractors by the Waqf on the Temple Mount, and to prevent any construction work at night. The Sharon government began to reassert Israel's rights on the Temple Mount by re-opening the area to all international visitors in August 2003. But in the last few years, the Waqf's abuse of the archaeological heritage of the Temple Mount has been resumed. The bottom line is that officially, the Temple Mount is subject to Israeli law, while, in reality, Israeli law is not consistently enforced there. The government, its various authorities, and the Supreme Court accept the situation because of what is known as "the deeply religious and sensitive nature of the site and fear for public peace if the law were enforced there as elsewhere." The Waqf, the Islamic Movement, and various Islamic groups have exploited the situation and have seriously damaged Temple Mountantiquities. The Israel Police plays the dominant Israeli role and its activities are coordinated with the prime minister's office and the office of the attorney general, while the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Jerusalem municipality have only limited influence over what is done at the Temple Mount.  Notes1. Shmuel Berkowitz, Ma nora ha-makom ha-ze, (How Awesome Is This Place) (Carta, 2006), p. 403. 2. Nadav Shragai, "Reshut ha-atikot matria" ("Director of the Antiquities Authority Issues a Warning"), Ha'aretz, May 19, 2004. 3. Announcement made by the committee spokeswoman on May 18, 2004, and minutes of the meeting. Also mentioned in Berkowitz. 4. Berkowitz, pp. 388-9; a document from the office of the attorney general is in the author's possession. 5. Report from an official in the attorney general's office to the Jerusalem municipality, 1993. 6. See also Nadav Shragai, Har Ha-meriva, Ha-maavak al Har Ha-bayit, Yehudim ve-Muslimim, Dat ve-Politica (The Mount of Contention, the Struggle for the Temple Mount, Jews and Muslims, Religion and Politics) (Keter, 1995), pp. 299-306. 7. Ibid., p. 387. 8. A private conversation with the author. 9. The author was present at the deliberation. See Shragai, Har Ha-meriva, p. 303. 10. The various announcements issued by the Waqf over the years are in the possession of the author and were reprinted in Shragai, Har Ha-meriva. 11. There were four days of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians on September 24-27, 1996, during which 14 Israeli soldiers and 69 Palestinians were killed, and hundreds wounded on both sides. 12. Reported by Drs. Eilat Mazar and Gabi Barkai, both members of the Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount. 13. Berkowitz, p. 394. 14. Minutes of the Knesset State Control Committee, January 9, 2000. 15. The report is based on conversations between the author and high-ranking police officials, members of the Antiquities Authority, and members of theJerusalem municipality. It is summarized in Berkowitz, p. 395. 16. Nadav Shragai, "Petzira be-Har Ha-bayit: be'ita be-historia ha-yehudit" ("Rubinstein: the Breach of the Temple Mount: a Swift Kick at Jewish History"), Ha'aretz, February 12, 1999. 17. The announcement was made to the press in October 2007 and concerned discoveries from the period of the First Temple. 18. Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz, June 19, 2006, summary of article later printed in Ariel, "Sinun afar hasaf memtzaim Middle East-Bayit Rishon" ("Sifting through the rubble revealed findings from the time of the First Temple"). 19. Nadav Shragai, "Luah even mantziah covesh Metzada...hitgala be-Har Ha-Bayit" ("A stone tablet immortalizing the conqueror of Masada, discovered on the Temple Mount"), Ha'aretz, November 1, 2006. 20. The Chamber of Oils was where oil and wine for Temple ceremonies was stored. For example, it stored the oil used for the Menorah of the Temple. For detailed photographs of 2007 damage to Temple Mount antiquities with Hebrew analysis, see http://www.echad.info/bait/hnewp29-8-07.htm 21. Israeli Court Rulings 94, p. 206, at the letters Aleph-Beit, and p. 203, Aleph-Vav. Also found in Berkowitz, p. 396. Nadav Shragai is the author of At the Crossroads, the Story of the Tomb of Rachel (Jerusalem Studies, 2005); The Mount of Contention, the Struggle for the Temple Mount, Jews and Muslims, Religion and Politics since 1967 (Keter, 1995); and "Jerusalem is Not the Problem, It is the Solution," in Mister Prime Minister: Jerusalem, ed. Moshe Amirav (Carmel and the Florsheimer Institute, 2005). He has been writing for the Israeli daily newspaper Ha'aretz since 1983.
temple siteThe route of the trench shown in red. photo by Baron Wolman. The red route sppears to be precisely wherethe outline of the torn down temple of 70ad...BAR confirms this themselves in an article "Bird's eye view of the temple mount" Volume IX, No.2, April 1983. Very interesting! • • • • • • • Use the proper equipment!It is not necessary to use a backhoe to bury electrical cables. There are several types of equipment that open a "slot" slightly wider than the cable, allowing the cable to be inserted. Think of it as a "knife" that splits the ground open. The only reason to open a wider slot is to remove a rock. This conversation would not be necessary is people would only "think" before taking destructive action. • • • • • • • Temple Mount Destructionthere is a silver lining to this event. gifted research of the debris, discovery of important artifacts, and opportunity to discover in one many trash historical treasures. Ironic, but digging a power line would make such discoveries possible to Israel and the world. I hope the Wadf gets a lot of light for his efforts, while Israel discovers remains of Jewish life and light from its past. • • • • • • • Unfair treatment!This whole situration is unfair, and biased too me. If the situration was in reverse, and this was the Isreali people doing this to a Muslim site there would be world war III. The Muslim people would not stand for such a desacration of there own sites. I hope that the jewish people can stay strong, and be able to resolve this unfair treatment to there history. If the jewish people were going to fight for any thing in this world, if would be to stop this horrible destruction. • • • • • • • Reponse to "Needless Damage"It's sad to see comments like the one posted by Cheryl Simani. Everyone thinks they have the right religion and everyone swears that Almighty God hates the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Open your eyes, the only ones that hate anyone that's not like themselves are all of us. We have all seemed to miss the message that was given by the Prophets. What a shame. • • • • • • • Response to “Needless damage to Temple Site”I happened upon this blog today and would like to respond to a posting. Stephen Ray Hale (USA) posted this comment on 9/20/2007: I wonder if the Arabs have gotten clues from the large number of unbelieving Archeologists who have questioned the Bible's testimony in BAR to arrogate their opinion that the Hebrews never had a temple on this mount. I am part Cherokee and even though we still have an existing population, it is very difficult to find cultural clues pointing to our peoples that actually identify us and verify that we actually existed even two or three hundred years past. Stephen, The Muslims are not following the unbelieving archeologists. They are following the Quran, where in it is stated 21 times that the Jews and 8 times that the Christians altered the Holy Scriptures and negated The Truth, also 27 times for the Jews and 10 times for the Christians that they are evil and perverse. The doctrine is that Abraham and his descendants were given the Quran but they corrupted the Word of Allah. Therefore, to faithful Muslims NOTHING below the Muslim levels of the Temple Mount is holy, because all Jewish and Christian artifacts are lies. • • • • • • • censorshipI attempted o post to this discussion. In that post I mention that I was disappointed in the fact that several posts contained historically inaccurate facts and I anticipated a higher level of education from BAR readers. I also urged cooperation between the jewish and muslim authorities.. My post was never posted, what is more I have read several overtly zealous post urging intoleration and making no real contribution to the discussion except to inflame anger in its readers. I am shocked to realize that a magazine I have always considered fair and unbias censors everything but blatant zionism on its website (personally I believe in isreals right to exist as a nation and to isreal as their homeland however unless you advocate the annhilation of all palestinians then your post will nt be seen as i doubt this one will • • • • • • • Digging Up the Temple MountI am always amazed at what Israel endures from the Muslims trying to pacify other countries of the world That is something which can not be done no matter what their stance. Most countries of the world have shown their hatred of the Jews for 2000 years. Israel should/must take a stronger stance against all who want to destroy the country and its heritage. • • • • • • • arab denialArabs (or "palestinians") seek to deny the historical fact of Israel in antiquity, especially the presence of the ancient Jewish temples. Their wanton destruction of archeological evidence is simply an effort to deny these findings to Israel and the world. Their "Pallywood" version of history, sans Jews, cannot stand up to archeological proofs. • • • • • • • temple mountI find it astonishing that Israelis are complaining about the digs by the Temple while they remain silent on the work being done by the Israelis on the Mosque. The Moslem community has the same concern as the Jews do but their concern is also being ignored. Perhaps if both sides stop playing politics with God's house, the Palestinians could live in dignity and the Jews in peace. • • • • • • • The digging of the Temple MountHamas is now disputing the building in the east part of Jerusalem and yet thru an agreement demolishes part of the Temple Mount by digging trenches. Recently they have defaced a Jewish Temple--all without any consideration. So,I ask, who does Jerusalem belong to and whose country is it in? Why, it belongs to the Jewish people and the country of Israel in case the world has forgotten! So, this interference by outsiders must stop. And why hasn't the country of Israel been more progressive in their actions? They should know by now they are dealing with the devil who keeps not his word. How would other nations like interference with their countries agendas? When the shoe is on the other foot- there would be some grievances and they wouldnt wait for a reaction but would act immediately.So, leave ISRAEL alone to their affairs. • • • • • • • Temple Mount "Destruction"Do arhaeologists finance the delays and extra work involved in hand digging? If so, then fine. If not, then let the folks dig their utility trench and be quiet about it. • • • • • • • Digging at Temple MountI am stunned after reading and viewing the pictures regarding the mechanical digging around the Temple Mount. What could possibly justify this kind of devastation in such an archaeologically sensitive. Who, in their right mind, would authorize such and outrageous activity? I am simply dumbfounded by this. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionFirst the destruction caused by digging that ridiculous entrance a few years ago and now this. How many more careless diggings are going to be allowed to be conducted? Laying necessary pipes is one thing, but when you're in a historically rich area such as this, care must be taken while digging. This blatant disregard and use of heavy machinery is another slap in the face. • • • • • • • Dig on TemplemountHave the Muslems given any reason for the tractor created trench? • • • • • • • Temple MountIt is paramount that someone stops the excavation by machine at any cost. It has come to my attention that what has been most sought by God's people is close. What was hidden in a cave so many centuries may be right there beneath.....!! • • • • • • • Israel’s Supreme Court Hears CPDATM PetitionWhat kind of incompetance makes up the CPDATM and its attorneys? What do you mean the "Committee and its lawyers could not respond to testimony given behind closed doors..."? Why not? Was there proper archaeological supervision or wasn't there? Is the Committee going to sit idle by and allow this ruling or are they going show proof of their case? Why is it so difficult? This should be a slam dunk! Temple artifacts have been carelessly damaged, have they not? By Muslims who apparently couldn't care less, right? I hope to hear about a victory in this case after the 21 day period is up! And how much more will be destroyed by then? • • • • • • • Destruction of temple mountWhy did they turn the temple mount over to the muslims? What were they thinking? Is anyone surprised at their behavior in destroying all these archeological treasures? • • • • • • • Muslim crimesWe have seen by the destruction of the ancient Buddhas of Bamyan statues in Afghanistan that Muslim supremecists have no regard for the holy sites of others. In Iraq Sunnis and Shiites are blowing up each others mosques. Often mosques (such as the ones in Jerusalem) are built right on top of the holy sites of others. I pray every day for a really well placed earthquake that will put an end to the 3rd holiest shrines in Islam. They deserve that. I'd have no problem sharing the site with a truly peace loving religion. Islam is not showing a peaceful face to the world. • • • • • • • Temple mount destructionI'm appalled, not just with the Israeli govt,but moreso with those dwelling in the land and Christians & Jews worldwide for not speaking up vehemently regarding this atrocity! May Hashem wake us up • • • • • • • tempel mountStop the digging. It is destroying history. • • • • • • • Temple MountThis is exciting. I'm glad that the archaeologists are allowed to continue the search and reporting their finding . The walls are getting weaker with every tractor full of dirt. Prophesy is becoming more clear. • • • • • • • "Temple Mount"While I understand others concern over the work being done, I am not convinced that this IS the true "Temple Mount". From what I read in Josephus writings, the ENTIRE city of Jerusalem was leveled EXCEPT for the Legion Antonia Fortress. This fortress was built by Herod using the same materials as the Temple, but was of a size for an entire Roman legion. The only structure that fits the description is what is now called the "Temple Mount" All of the articles in BAR have assumed that this was the site of Herod's Temple but no one has offered concrete proof, just "tradition", and supposedly a vision of Helena, Emperor Constantine's mother. So where was the actual site? It has to be south because the Antonia over looked it on the Temple's northern side. I suspect that the mysterious "Stepped-Stone Structure" is related, and possibly was built by Solomon when he built the first Temple. However, whether Temple or Antonia, the refusal to have the work properly overseen by competant archeologists is inexcusable. • • • • • • • Temple Mount trenchI am very tired of ALWAYS hearing in the media about the Temple Mount being "the 3rd most holy site" of Islam and then, secondly always, hearing it is a holy site for the Jews. It is the holiest of sites for Israel!!! I hope that the Israeli government has the courage to not allow such destruction by Muslims any longer and begin real excavations of the Temple Mount. • • • • • • • Temple Mount trenchWhile the alleged improvements on the Tmple Mount are causing a stir because of the disregard to archaealogical rules, and legal rules also,there may be some positive results. This is an additional time the Arabs are digging up the Temple Mount and have still not found important evidence, as far as we know. We know Jews restrict themselves to going to the area and so they cannot dig or really monitor what is revealed. If Jews were to digg up the Temple Mount and use archaeological rules, they would be stuck at the start of the digging and study the evidence. This way the Arabs are digging and, hopefully, will reach the really interesting levels-those of the First Temple and King Solomon's original structure- and then the Jews and the world can step in and study the really valuable finds. • • • • • • • Destruction at the Temple MountI think this is typical of the self-centered, ignorant attitude of the Moslem authorities responsible for the work near the Dome of the Rock. Since there is antagonism towards and complete disrespect of beliefs and religions other than their own, it does not surprise me that they are allowing the destruction of Byzantine and earlier Judaic artifacts. I guarantee that there would be an uproar from the Islamic community if work at a Jewish temple disturbed some Mohammedian relics. • • • • • • • TEMPLE MOUNT DESTRUCTIONI am disheartened by the blatant disregard for the sacred sit that is being destroyed. Valuable archaeological finds are being corrupted by the flagrant disregard for the importance of the Israelite history of the site. One has to wonder if Mecca would be treated with such disrespect by the Muslim authorities? • • • • • • • Temple MountI oppose any construction in the Temple Mount area. Stephen Barr • • • • • • • Temple Mount diggingB"H The State of Israel has no constitution. Israeli politicians such as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert do what they want to do for reasons that only they know. The Israeli Supreme Court rules on issues of conflict, but it has no power to enforce those rulings. What can the Israel Antiquities Authority do when politicians rule and the Authority must bend to political winds? Zachi Zweig deserves a medal of honor for his tremendous efforts in 1999 in sifting through the dumps of Temple Mount destruction. More power to him. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionIs it possible that good can come out of what is considered destruction? • • • • • • • Waqf destruction of Temple MountIn The USA we have a proverb - give someone an inch, they'll take a mile - (give a centimeter they will take a kilometer). Let WAQF take this, next they'll take the whole mount area. Pathetic. Sacrilegious. Blasphemous. Immoral. Why does not Israel do something? Who gave WAQF the right to do this in the first place? Take back their privileges. • • • • • • • temple trenchMy heart is broken over the continuing destruction of our Holiest Temple Mount remains. I don't blame the Wakf, they're barbarians. I do blame Olmert and all the secular Israelis • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionMy earlier posting to the IAA decrying the destruction of the Temple Mount so far has received no response. However, I also e-mailed the Prime Minister's Office which did respond though (which is reproduced below) I would like to read Mr. Shanks's take on it: We acknowledge receipt of your recent e-mail to the Prime Minister’s Office regarding excavations on the Temple Mount. Please be assured that the Israeli Antiquities Authority is closely following the work being carried out on the Temple Mount, and is ensuring that there is no damage to any antiquities unearthed. Thank you for writing to express your concern. Sincerely, Prime Minister’s Office – E-Correspondence • • • • • • • Temple MountNeeded renovations and enhancements should not be called destruction. This a charged word that indicates prejudice. Whole Palestinian villages and churches were destroyed by Israel. Where were you? • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionWith all of the sensitive history surrouinding the Temple Mount, one would think that Isreali leaderes would follow archeological methods when digging. There must be fear of worse reprisals to oppose the digging. If you have not read it, find Dore Gold's 2007 book, "The Fight for Jerusalem" to learn the history of the Temple Mount. • • • • • • • Contact ListNatan Sharansky has on his website a contact list of those you can e-mail or call and let them know of your outrage at the destruction. It appears though that all protest is falling on deaf ears! His web site is onejerusalem.org Blessings, Bee • • • • • • • Needless damage to Temple SiteI feel frustrated. There appears to be a call for the Christians to help discourage the Muslim desecration, but I am unsure how to contact these folk to protest. I will still be searching if some others with knowledge have established such a communication. I wonder if the Arabs have gotten clues from the large number of unbelieving Archeologists who have questioned the Bible's testimony in BAR to arrogate their opinion that the Hebrews never had a temple on this mount. I am part Cherokee and even though we still have an existing population, it is very difficult to find cultural clues pointing to our peoples that actually identify us and verify that we actually existed even two or three hundred years past. • • • • • • • Temple MountIsn't there a way to carefully install telephone, etc. cables without destroying valuable archaeological sites? This IS the site where two Temples stood. • • • • • • • temple Mount destructionIt is insanity to even consider the destruction of the Temple Mount. You can't change history. The ancient temple of the Israelites has been gone for millenia, replaced by succeeding cultures and structures, just as it occurs in every civilization that has ever existed. The very suggestion reeks of prejudice and racism. Would a Jew gladly allow the destruction of synagogues across the world because they were not the original inhabitants of that property? want to cause more conflict in the world? Support this type of insanity. • • • • • • • Islamic Disregard for anything Non-IslamicTeaching for three years in Kuwait in a private, bilingual school gave me a direct impression of the Islamic idea of "truth". It was demonstrated in what I observed to be a fundamental idea of "truth" in settings involving elementary, secondary and post-secondary students. "Truth" is a tribal matter in Islamic society; lying cheating and stealing are "OK" if they help out the tribe (Muhammed himself stole to help his followers). Whatever is not reflective of "Islamic" realities is not "truth". If it's not good for the tribe, then it's not truth. It is easy to see how Jewish history is disregarded by Islamic authorities; it simply isn't relevant and can never have any "true" significance for them. The bulldozer is a wonderful metaphor for Islamic regard for other than Islamic truth; Islam has NO REGARD for anything non-Islamic. They are the bulldozers of Judaism as well as Christianity, not to mention Buddhism. Furthermore, they are the great usurpers of Jewish and Christian history. They bulldoze it and "reinvent" it as Islamic. The Temple Mount becomes then for them just another place of Islamic significance, good for the tribe. To accuse them of lying or stealing or cheating is to make the mistake of assuming that they are see "truth telling" in a Western way. They simply won't get it. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionGod is good all the time. And what would His possible reason be for allowing the destruction and desecration of His Holy place by the Muslims? The Lord also has a sense of humor and maybe He's decided that if the Muslims clear everything off the Temple Mount, whether it be Muslim, from the time of the Crusades, or (how I hate this phrase!) pre-Islamic, i.e. Jewish or Roman, it will make it easier for the Jews to reconstruct the New Temple when the time comes. One thing's for certain, there will be much less stuff to sift through! • • • • • • • temple mountI am outraged at the travesty of justice in the world; the destruction of truth; and the silence of the people. What can a little person like me do? The heritage of the Jewish people is being destroyed. • • • • • • • Destruction on Temple MountI believe the Moslems should allow excavations on the Mount before they totally destroy valuable historic information. The mount is a place sacred to both religions (Judaism, first) and the Moslems should not destroy history (no matter whose it is). • • • • • • • Temple Mount destructionAll interested parties should be present and have a say in what goes on on the Temple Mount. What good is the U.N. if it cannot or will not intervene? • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionHow the various authorities can sit back and allow this destruction to take place on one of the most precious sites on the planet is beyond belief. "Legal" it may be but it is certainly also immoral. Even a careful well planned excavation would be daunting but driving a backhoe through the site is sheer vandalism. If cabling is needed then well protected surface trunking might suffice but I guess as the Palestinian leaders have decided neither Solomon’s Temple nor Herod’s Temple ever existed on the site who are we to question the decision. If even the Israeli authorities, who you would think would have an interest in their own history, blatantly let the excavations continue without protest the Waqf Muslim religious trust will continue to abuse their custodianship of the site. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionIf I understand the position of the Waqf, there never was any temple on the temple mount. Therefore digging on the temple mount should not uncover any artifacts from any of the three temples. (I'm not sure what they say about Roman and Byzantine buildings.) Their refusal to do proper archeological work and their willingness to destroy anything dug up by using a backhoe suggests a fear that something might be found that proves that there were Jewish temples before 70 AD. Their real position seems to be, "it's ours now and we can rewrite history as we choose. Others can kiss off." And the Israeli government allows them to go ahead and destroy. That I really do not understand. • • • • • • • The tractor diggingI believe the moslems don't care about the Archaeology of the temple mount. It is a real shame that they didn't bother to get Archaeologists involved. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionThis is just not destruction but scrilege. I am not talking about desecrating an holy site, which they are, but the complete disregard for another people's ancestry. History is not just for the few, but for all. No one culture has survived without affecting all others associated with it. If the idiots who are destroyig ancient artifacts because of (1 hatred, (2 ignorance, (3 religious superiority, or (4 for any other reason, are also destroying part of their own histroy. OR, maybe they have something to hide and are afraid of the truth(s) that are being unearthed. God will always win over the ills of this world and it's inhabitants. I just feel sick that so much history is being wiped from view. • • • • • • • Israelis allowing this?The only explanation for the Israelis allowing this to happen is fear of Muslim extremists, yet I find this hard to believe. I thought the Israelis defended themselves, their turf and their heritage like no other people...have their priorities changed? • • • • • • • excaxation Temple mountAtrocious. This site is holy to Jews and Christians. Would Muslims like it if we dug up Mecca? Mohammed is buried in Medina and couldn't have gone to heaven from Jerusalem. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionThis is SACRILEGIOUS AND BLASPHEMOUS! Olmert has to go because he refuses to stop it. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionI think it is self-evident that the IAA and the Israeli Government (and people) are so terrified of the muslims and the rest of the world that they will allow them to do anything rather than make waves. After all, the world will only blame Israel and support the Waqif. The moslems and palestinians are in control - not just of the Temple Mount but of everything that affects the non-muslim world. They have stated repeatedly that their goal is to wipe out Israel and the Jewish people; destroying that history is a great place to begin. What is truly frightening to me is less the destruction, than that the Israeli (and world) governments are willing to stand by, watch it happen, and do nothing to stop it. Where is the spirit and faith of 1967? • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionIn a word 'DESECRATION' • • • • • • • Temple Mount 'Destruction'Zachi Zweig says "This provides us with new information regarding the topography of the Temple Mount, since previously it was not known that the bedrock at this point was so shallow." Yes, the tractor disturbed the layers, but who had foreknowledge that the soil was so shallow? Same person, same article: "there was a collection of architectural items, among them a fragment of a border and a lattice from the Byzantine period. These had been removed from the trench and gathered here." Note that they had been removed and gathered [conscious, careful actions], not tossed out of the trench hither and yon. How come no one is up there politely asking if they can proceed the tractor and sift through first? The people digging are referred to [same article] as 'the people who make the decisions' rather than a specific organization or individual. This isn't happening in a vacuum, there are people behind those decisions and it sounds like nobody's talking to them. Go find the guy in charge and let him know what's up. Re: “Israeli and Palestinian authorities are failing to protect the Temple Mount.” Well, maybe the Palestinian authorities are too busy keeping their people from being shot by Israelis, or having their access to medical care and food and water and livelihood cut off to care about somebody else's turf. Besides, "the dig is proceeding without interference from Israeli authorities", permission granted by Olmert, with 'no comment' from the Israeli Antiquities Authority. Since "Israel has a long history of ignoring these violations", I don't see how any outsiders can change the course of this trenching. If Israel doesn't care, and hasn't cared, there is no point in calling it 'destruction' because it obviously has little value to them despite it being their own history going under the tractor bucket. It's a shame from a scientific and cultural point of view, let along a religious one, but it is their history they are choosing to relegate to the dusbtin. • • • • • • • SadI think it's terribly sad that thier destroying history. That is precisley what this is. If we don't look back at where we've been, how do we know where we're going? • • • • • • • bachnerthis makes me want to cry. i supposse if the waqif found the holy of holies on day in their DIGGING they would destroy it so no one would know it ever existed. they are trying once again to remove all jewish prsence from this earth. • • • • • • • Shanks Op-EdOne wonders at the intransigence. not of the Waqf as that's assumed, but rather of the Israel Antiquities Authority. While this appears to be the standard manner in which the IAA operates, it is unconscionable that this authority would do nothing to protect it's own history, property, and religious artifacts. Olmert seems to be no better. How can this be? I dislike the idea of being suspicious of their motives in allowing this destruction to continued without even a protest, but it is not possible to ignore the possibilities of some sort of collusion with the Waqf in this. • • • • • • • test our faithI believe this destructin is a sign that the third temple will soon be rebuilt. The motive of Islamics involved in these actions are to destroy remains of the jewish temples, so there will be no physical proof of them having existed. Although they may destroy artifacts, they can not destroy the Biblical records. I believe God wants us to have faith that even though we don't have artifacts we still believe. Blessed is he who has not seen yet believes. • • • • • • • New destruction on the Temple MountThe following is what I e-mailed to the IAA upon reading of this new act by the Waqf: Sirs, I am writing in concern and outrage that the Waqf is once again destroying the history of the Temple Mount ostensibly for legitimate reasons. I understand this is being done in violation of Israeli law yet virtually no one with authority to deal with this tradgedy is taking any action to stop this. Why the silence? What is the fear? This is the heritage of two great religions being obliterated so a third religion can solidify it's claim to the site. This would not have been tolerated when I lived in Jerusalem and worked for Prof. Benjamin Mazar on the Temple Mount Excavations in 1975 and 1978. What we found was considered precious to our historical understanding of the past. Now it seems the pre-Islamic remains of the Temple Mount are destined to go the way of the Bamyan Buddas destroyed by the Taliban. Why are you, the keepers of Israel's past allowing this to happen? In the 1930's there was a similar silence to the destruction of Jewish culture until it was too late to stop it. Is history repeating itself in the heart of Eretz Israel? After nearly 30 years away I am returning to Israel in November as part of a tour group. I know my heart will break when I see the Temple Mount. Will anybody care? • • • • • • • Digging on Temple MountCan you just imagine the uproar if Israeli people went to Mecca, rented several back hoes and began digging a trench along the Muslim's holiest site exposing its ancient ruins without regard for inspection or preservation? • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionI continue to be appalled and outraged that this destruction is something no one is able to prevent. All we can hope is that archeologists may recover whatever possible. • • • • • • • temple desicrationHow can the government allow,the destruction of a national treasure,that affects the whole world community. This is a world travisty. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionOUT OF EVERY EVIL DEED CAN BE FOUND SOME MEASURE OF GOOD. • • • • • • • Unbelivable• • • • • • • Destruction of the Temple MountWhen I participated in archaeological digs in Israel in 1974 and 1976, the state of Israel required that all excavations were licensed and led by professional archaeologists. Preservation of finds and documention of each step of the excavation process was required to preserve history for posterity. This destruction needs to be stopped now, with military force if necessary. Peoples of all faiths should be outraged as the destruction is affecting the historical record of Musllms, Christians, and Jews. This site is particularly sensitive but there is no excuse for the blatant disregard for the historical record. There are qualified Palestinian archaeologists who could work on this project with Israeli professionals to ensure proper documentation of the excavation and preservation of artifacts. • • • • • • • Temple MountIt is tragic that, in order to buy peace, the IAA is ignoring it's charter to preserve Israel's precious archeological heritage. Where is there a Joshua who will face the Muslim Goliath and do battle for the artifacts of God's chosen people? Who can catalog what treasures have been lost already or predict what grievous losses are yet to come? The world will support the IAA if it will only stand with integrity and courage and present it's case to the world community. What is being lost transcends national or even religious boundaries for each of us has a stake in preserving our past. • • • • • • • Temple tractorIt is shocking what the Arabs are doing--thumbing their noseat others not Muslim, even when the archaeological finds are very--extremely--important. I'm surprised that the government hasn't intervened already! • • • • • • • and no one does anything?I read these articles ad see the pictures and I ask mysel where is the academic world? The UK Universitied boycot Israeli scienties but don't even say a word about the distruction of one of the most important sites in the world. • • • • • • • Damage to Temple MountThis is typical of (aparently)the contempt the Moslems have for their Jewish neighbors etc. I am certain that Omert is holding his mouth shut in order to avoid violence etc. What kind of neighbors do we have?? • • • • • • • heartsickI am heartsick that this trench digging could not have been closely monitored by Muslim, Jewish and Christian archaeologists. How sad that we have such division among us. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionI was in Jerusalem in March and saw some of the damage to the temple wall caused by previous construction on the Temple Mount. There needs to be an international delegation formed which will confront the Israeli government regarding allowing this type of activity to continue without proper supervision. It is amazing that the Israelis are scrutinized regarding any professional excavations which they are involved in around the base of the Temple Mount, but the Palestinians who control the Temple Mount are allowed to perform whatever destruction it wills at anytime. There must be a public outcry against this type of activity. I can't imagine what potential ancient discoveries are being destroyed by this process. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionWhat a travesty indeed! The Olmert government has failed the Israeli people in so many ways. Not only can they not provide security to the citizens of Israel from the continued rocket attacks, but they have failed even to protect the nations archaeological treasures. Ehud Olmert must resign! Jews and Christians around the world must find a way to stop this wanton destruction of the holiest site in both religions. • • • • • • • Temple desecrationThere is absolutely no reason in the world why the AEI can't arrange to dig in the pre determined area where the Arabs want to excavate. The only reason why I should have to explain this at all is because of sheer cowardice. • • • • • • • Temple Mount destructionI can not understand how the IAA or the GOI can stand by and let the Waqf destroy whatever it chooses to. Almost certainly, they do it with great glee because, whatever else it accomplishes, it helps destroy Judaism's historic claim to the Temple Mount. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionI am amazed that the destruction of two Buddhas by the Taliban brought worldwide condemnation. I suppose the world would consider the Buddhas as of greater cultural value than the Temple mount. • • • • • • • Temple Mount DestructionThe calculated and indiscriminate destruction of this historically unique and irreplaceable site leaves me filled with dread, and disgust with all the involved parties. isn't there any thing the world community can do to protest? • • • • • • • temple mount destructionwhat can a little person like me do about this travesty • • • • • • • |
 From Petra to PalmyraVisiting Syria, Antioch and Jordan October 21—November 5, 2010
Join us for a medley of past and present in Syria, Antioch and Jordan. Experience the beauty and the history of these jewels of the Middle East. Journey from Petra to Palmyra with BAS!
FREE Downloadable E-BooksEaster: Exploring the Resurrection of Jesus
I Volunteered for This?! Life on an Archaeological Dig
The First Christmas: The Story of Jesus’ Birth in History and Legend
Israel: An Archaeological Journey
From Babylon to Baghdad: Ancient Iraq and the Modern West
Exploring Jordan: The Other Biblical Land
Island Jewels: Understanding Ancient Cyprus and Crete
The Olympic Games: How They All Began
The Dead Sea Scrolls—What They Really Say
Real or Fake? Forgery Conference Report |
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