The city of Jerusalem is one of the most excavated places on earth, and also one of the most complicated, according to Israeli archaeologist Gabi Barkay. Barkay has been coming to Madison to speak to the Madison Biblical Archaeology Society for 30 years or more and always brings an insightful and authoritative report on what’s happening in Biblical Archaeology.
Often the report includes details of his own work, such as the 1979 discovery of two silver amulet scrolls in the Ketef Hinnom area of Jerusalem. Dated to the 7th century BC, they contain the oldest biblical texts ever found, the priestly benediction from Numbers 6:24-26.
On this occasion, though his survey of recent and less recent archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem was as comprehensive as it was illuminating, he also included a few words about his own recent identification of another 7th century BC artifact that contains the only ancient reference to Bethlehem outside of the Bible.
This clay seal impression, called a bulla, came from near the Gihon spring, the water source that originally drew settlement to the area of Jerusalem in ancient times. It is part of a category of seal impressions called fiscal bullae, and tells the story of heavy taxes that were collected during the reign of the Judahite king Manasseh in order to placate the Assyrian super power that cast a long shadow over the Middle East during that period.
Quips and Quotes
Though speaking in accented English and scarcely pausing for breath, Barkay’s descriptions were eloquent:
“In Jerusalem everything is political…it’s a cauldron of boiling stew stirred by 100 spoons” — describing the many political and religious factions that are reflected in modern Israel.
“In Jerusalem the old city is outside the Old City” — describing the City of David, the oldest part of the city, which is located outside of the 16th century walls that surround medieval Jerusalem.
“The Temple Mount was the largest barbecue site in the world during the first century” — describing the burnt offerings made by observant Jews up until the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple by the Romans in 70 AD.
Ancient Streets and Ancient Gold
Some of the most recent excavations in Jerusalem have centered on two streets which led from the Pool of Siloam up to the Temple Mount in the time of Jesus. Underneath the streets were sewers which the ancient historian Josephus described as hiding places for many Jewish residents during the Roman destruction of the city in 70 AD. Barkay showed photos of paving stones of the streets that were broken by heavy sledge hammers of the Roman soldiers, as they went after the hidden occupants.
One of the streets traces the route of what once was the Tyropean valley, west of the Temple Mount. Over the centuries the valley has been filled in by debris, to the depth of a ten story building, so that there is no longer any visible evidence of its location.
Other exciting discoveries in Jerusalem included 240 gold coins found a couple years ago during the construction of a car park (parking ramp) just outside of the Dung Gate of the old walls. Barkay noted another cache of gold was found earlier this year and announced just a few weeks ago a short distance away, near the southern steps of the Temple Mount.
Barkay spent little time discussing the Temple Mount sifting project, the subject of a previous visit to Madison in 2007. However, he noted that the techniques developed to sift debris removed illegally from the Temple Mount in 1999 are now becoming common at other archaeological excavations, and the Temple Mount Sifting Project itself is being contracted by other archaeologists to sift materials from their excavations.
Next Meeting
Almost 100 people were in attendance for Barkay’s lecture, to hear a new perspective on the ancient city. The Madison Biblical Archaeology Society will meet again this coming Sunday for another lecture. Michelle Stillinger of the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Rock Magnetism will discuss a new tool that is helping archaeologists date their excavations. The lecture is free and open to the public. It begins at 2:00pm, at Westwood Christian Church, 5210 Odana Road, in Madison.
An interview with Barkay is featured this week on The Book & The Spade radio program.
Barkay’s lecture was recorded and can be downloaded or heard at http://www.radioscribe.com/BarkayTalk.MP3.