http://catholiccourier.com/tmp1.cfm?nid=76&articleid=100495
At Jerusalem dig, archaeologists get a peek at palatial gardens
(Publication Date: 03-26-2008)
By Karin Kloosterman
Catholic News Service
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Ancient kings, armies, prophets and pilgrims have made their mark on the ancient hills of Jerusalem and have left behind some of the world's most important archaeological finds. But with every stone overturned, puzzling questions about the history of modern Western civilization come to light.
This is especially true at the Tel Aviv University-owned site of Ramat Rachel, an archaeological site from biblical times. For that reason, Jewish and Christian archaeologists, theologians and volunteers come to dig there year after year.
Clues revealed by last year's dig, such as elaborate underground water tunnels, pools, pipes and gutters, suggest that this year's dig, July 20-Aug. 15, could give answers about the rulers who once lived there, said the site director and Tel Aviv University archaeologist Oded Lipschits.
The site, Lipschits said, is the location of an ancient palace replete with an impressive garden, which was built during the end of the First Temple period in the seventh century B.C.
"This is the only palace from the time period of the kingdom of Judah, and today it is a venerated site for all world religions," he said.
For Jews, this palace is believed to have been standing during the time of the Judean kings Hezekiah, Manasseh and Josiah. Christians believe it to be the site where Mary came to rest on her way to Bethlehem. An ancient octagonal church, "Katisma," built around the holy rock down on the slope of the hill commemorated her resting place and is also known as the seat of Mary.
Some scholars believe this church inspired the construction of the golden Dome of the Rock, also an octagonal structure built around a holy rock on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, one of Islam's most sacred spiritual centers.
Ramat Rachel is a modern name for the kibbutz on the high hill on the outskirts of Jerusalem, from which one can see Rachel's Tomb nearby in Bethlehem, West Bank, as well as modern and ancient Jerusalem and mountains surrounding the city.
The excavations at Ramat Rachel first began in the 1950s. Today Lipschits directs the site in conjunction with Manfred Oeming, a professor at Germany's University of Heidelberg. Every year, the dig attracts more than 100 volunteers and scholars from Israel and throughout the world.
A majority of the volunteers are Christians and include priests, theology students, nuns and archaeology students. Daily Scripture readings are made available to volunteers at the site.
All areas of the site are open to the public, and visitors to the archaeological park get a sense of the site's 3,000-year-old history. They can touch the original walls and fortress of a Judean king and find traces of later inhabitants of Persian, Hellenistic and Jewish descent.
Also on the site are the remains of a Jewish village from the Second Temple period, with numerous Jewish ritual baths, and the remains of the 10th Roman Legion, which built an elaborate villa there and a large Roman bath. During the Byzantine period, the site was home to monks and pilgrims who grew olives and grapes. During the Early Muslim period, there was a large farm on the site, and its remains are being excavated.
One of the most impressive elements of the site, said Lipschits, is an ancient royal garden. It is one of a few palatial gardens of its kind in the world.
Lipschits explained the significance: "The Assyrians and Babylonians believed that gardens represented spirituality. The name for garden in Hebrew represents a protected place, surrounded by a wall or a fence. This is exactly the meaning of the old Persian word 'pardes,' and this is why the Greeks, when translating the Bible, choose this word to describe the Garden of Eden story.
"From here, it was a short jump to the use of 'pardes' to describe paradise," said Lipschits.
"In a way, we are excavating paradise at Ramat Rachel," he said. "This is the only known garden in Judah from the biblical world, and excavating it is fascinating. We explore its plan and think about the connection between the garden and the attached palace."
In his ongoing research, Lipschits draws parallels between the ancient palatial garden at Ramat Rachel and the Western interpretation of heaven. At the site, he also is researching exotic trees, bushes and flowers imported from across the ancient Near East.
A team is analyzing seeds, pollen and soil. Lipschits said team members hope the garden may give a deeper understanding to imagery and symbolism found in the Bible.
Lipschits also is completing a book of stamp impressions bearing the name of the province "Yehud" from the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Jews left Babylon to go back to their homeland. He wrote "The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem," and continues to author publications in partnership with Boston College and David S. Vanderhooft, a theology professor there.
At Jerusalem dig, archaeologists get a peek at palatial gardens
(Publication Date: 03-26-2008)
By Karin Kloosterman
Catholic News Service
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Ancient kings, armies, prophets and pilgrims have made their mark on the ancient hills of Jerusalem and have left behind some of the world's most important archaeological finds. But with every stone overturned, puzzling questions about the history of modern Western civilization come to light.
This is especially true at the Tel Aviv University-owned site of Ramat Rachel, an archaeological site from biblical times. For that reason, Jewish and Christian archaeologists, theologians and volunteers come to dig there year after year.
Clues revealed by last year's dig, such as elaborate underground water tunnels, pools, pipes and gutters, suggest that this year's dig, July 20-Aug. 15, could give answers about the rulers who once lived there, said the site director and Tel Aviv University archaeologist Oded Lipschits.
The site, Lipschits said, is the location of an ancient palace replete with an impressive garden, which was built during the end of the First Temple period in the seventh century B.C.
"This is the only palace from the time period of the kingdom of Judah, and today it is a venerated site for all world religions," he said.
For Jews, this palace is believed to have been standing during the time of the Judean kings Hezekiah, Manasseh and Josiah. Christians believe it to be the site where Mary came to rest on her way to Bethlehem. An ancient octagonal church, "Katisma," built around the holy rock down on the slope of the hill commemorated her resting place and is also known as the seat of Mary.
Some scholars believe this church inspired the construction of the golden Dome of the Rock, also an octagonal structure built around a holy rock on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, one of Islam's most sacred spiritual centers.
Ramat Rachel is a modern name for the kibbutz on the high hill on the outskirts of Jerusalem, from which one can see Rachel's Tomb nearby in Bethlehem, West Bank, as well as modern and ancient Jerusalem and mountains surrounding the city.
The excavations at Ramat Rachel first began in the 1950s. Today Lipschits directs the site in conjunction with Manfred Oeming, a professor at Germany's University of Heidelberg. Every year, the dig attracts more than 100 volunteers and scholars from Israel and throughout the world.
A majority of the volunteers are Christians and include priests, theology students, nuns and archaeology students. Daily Scripture readings are made available to volunteers at the site.
All areas of the site are open to the public, and visitors to the archaeological park get a sense of the site's 3,000-year-old history. They can touch the original walls and fortress of a Judean king and find traces of later inhabitants of Persian, Hellenistic and Jewish descent.
Also on the site are the remains of a Jewish village from the Second Temple period, with numerous Jewish ritual baths, and the remains of the 10th Roman Legion, which built an elaborate villa there and a large Roman bath. During the Byzantine period, the site was home to monks and pilgrims who grew olives and grapes. During the Early Muslim period, there was a large farm on the site, and its remains are being excavated.
One of the most impressive elements of the site, said Lipschits, is an ancient royal garden. It is one of a few palatial gardens of its kind in the world.
Lipschits explained the significance: "The Assyrians and Babylonians believed that gardens represented spirituality. The name for garden in Hebrew represents a protected place, surrounded by a wall or a fence. This is exactly the meaning of the old Persian word 'pardes,' and this is why the Greeks, when translating the Bible, choose this word to describe the Garden of Eden story.
"From here, it was a short jump to the use of 'pardes' to describe paradise," said Lipschits.
"In a way, we are excavating paradise at Ramat Rachel," he said. "This is the only known garden in Judah from the biblical world, and excavating it is fascinating. We explore its plan and think about the connection between the garden and the attached palace."
In his ongoing research, Lipschits draws parallels between the ancient palatial garden at Ramat Rachel and the Western interpretation of heaven. At the site, he also is researching exotic trees, bushes and flowers imported from across the ancient Near East.
A team is analyzing seeds, pollen and soil. Lipschits said team members hope the garden may give a deeper understanding to imagery and symbolism found in the Bible.
Lipschits also is completing a book of stamp impressions bearing the name of the province "Yehud" from the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Jews left Babylon to go back to their homeland. He wrote "The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem," and continues to author publications in partnership with Boston College and David S. Vanderhooft, a theology professor there.
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