C ity of David Foundat ion

arts & entertainment

Jerusalem
Of Gold

Biblical archaeology sees golden age in
Israel but is in peril in the rest of the
Middle East.

Sean Savage

JNS.org

A

t a time when many archaeo-
logical sites and antiquities
throughout the Middle East
are being looted and destroyed, the City
of David Foundation on Sept. 4 hosted its
annual conference to enable the general
public to experience some of the most
important archaeological discoveries in
Jerusalem in recent years.
A special portion of this year's confer-
ence was devoted to the theme "Jerusalem
of Gold:' highlighting several never-
before-seen golden artifacts.
"The people in ancient times, like today,
used gold for the most important things
in life. It shows what they held dear and
what was most important to them:' Ahron
Horovitz, senior director of Megalim,
the City of David's Higher Institute for
Jerusalem Studies, told JNS.org .
The main themes of the artifacts on
display related to war, beauty and holiness,
or sanctity.
Among the golden artifacts is the larg-
est cache of gold coins ever discovered in
Jerusalem, comprising 264 coins that date
back to the end of the Byzantine period in
the seventh century C.E. The coins were
found in the Givati Parking Lot dig, con-
ducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority
in the City of David neighborhood.
The coins are unique in that they
were minted in Jerusalem, not in
Constantinople — the Byzantine imperial
capital — and were likely made in prepa-
ration for the Byzantine war against the
Persians.
"The coins were found stacked one on
top of another and were never dispensed:'
Horovitz said. "There may be a story of
intrigue here as to why they never were
used, such as them being stolen:'
Additionally, a golden medallion fea-
turing inscriptions of a menorah, shofar
and Torah scroll is on display for the very
first time. The medallion was found in
the Ophel excavation south of the Temple
Mount and was believed to have been
hung on a Torah scroll as a breast plate.
The discovery of the Jewish medallion,
dating back to the time of upheaval in
Jerusalem during the Persian-Byzantine

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September 18 • 2014

JN

wars, was a surprise for archaeologist Dr.
excavations for the Israel Antiquities
Eilat Mazar, who unearthed the artifact.
Authority.
There are normally not many Jewish items
Throughout the years, Shukron has
found from that period.
made a number of very significant finds
Mazar estimated that the medallion
from the period of the Second Temple
originates from the Persian conquest
of Jerusalem in and around the City of
of Jerusalem in 614 C.E. That year,
David, including the Pool of Siloam,
many Jews helped the Persians conquer
mentioned numerous times in both the
Jerusalem from the Byzantines, only to
Old Testament and the New Testament;
have the Persians turn against the Jews
tunnels leading from the Western Wall;
and ally with the Byzantine Christians
an ancient pilgrim road to Jerusalem; and
later on, leading to the Jews' expulsion
the legendary citadel captured by King
once again.
David when he conquered the city from
"These finds tell us about the Jewish
the Jebusites.
presence in Jerusalem in
the late
One of the items Shukron
Byzantine period, which
discovered during his excava-
we didn't know much
tions of one of the Western
about:' renowned Israeli
Wall tunnels was a golden bell
archaeologist Dr. Gabriel
believed to have been part of
Barkay, who spoke at the
the official vestments of the
City of David confer-
high priests of the Jewish
Temple.
ence, told JNS.org.
"The artifacts help
Described in Exodus
us understand that
28:31-35, the priestly
there was a strong
robe — also known
messianic desire of the
as the ephod — was a
Jewish people at that
sleeveless purple-blue or
time; many of them likely
violet garment worn by the
came from abroad in hopes
high priests that was
fringed with small
of construction of the
This golden medallion, found
Third Temple he said.
golden bells, alternat-
south of the Temple Mount,
ing with pomegranate-
Horovitz said the
is believed to have been hung
artifacts highlight the
shaped tassels of blue,
on a Torah scroll as a breast
special bond Jews have
purple and scarlet wool.
with Jerusalem, as well as plate.
The golden bells were
Jewish continuity in the
a necessary part of the
holy city.
ephod and needed to ring when the high
"It shows us that the Jews have a
priest entered the Holy of Holies.
very special bond and connection with
At first I just thought it was a ball —
until I shook it and heard the ringing;
Jerusalem that continues to today:' he
said. "So when modern-day Israelis come
Shukron told JNS.org. "No other artifact
and see these artifacts, they can feel that
from the high priests like this has ever
they are part of Jerusalem from a long
been discovered before:'
time ago:'
The City of David conference came
Another golden artifact on display was
amid a perilous time for Middle East
an earring made of gold, inlaid pearls and
archaeology, as sites from North Africa to
emeralds that dates back to the Roman
Iraq have come under assault by Islamic
period. A copy of this earring was given to
fundamentalists and looters taking advan-
first lady Michelle Obama by Israeli Prime
tage of the breakdown of central govern-
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when she
ments.
visited Israel in 2013.
"I think it is an atrocity:' Horovitz said.
Finally, one of the most unique and rare
"Islamic fundamentalist groups are on
items on display was a golden bell discov-
an ongoing crusade to destroy antiquities
ered by Eli Shukron, an Israeli archaeolo-
because they consider it against their reli-
gist and former director of City of David
gion, or they fear that their religion will be

undermined by excavations that will show
things that they are not happy about:'
The situation for artifacts is particularly
dangerous in Syria and Iraq, where the
Islamic State jihadist group has taken over
large swaths of territory.
According to a report by The Guardian
in June, Islamic State looted about $36
million in antiquities from the al-Nabuk
region in Syria.
Reports indicate that much of the illegal
smuggling, which is taxed by the Islamic
State, is done by local Syrians and Turkish
nationals, who then smuggle the artifacts
across the border into Turkey and sell
them to international antiquities traffick-
ers on the black market.
Meanwhile, in the Iraqi city of Mosul,
which was conquered by the Islamic State
in June, the terror group has already
destroyed important religious sites, such
as the Tomb of Jonah (the famous biblical
prophet who was swallowed by a whale),
and has threatened the Mosul Museum,
which contains numerous artifacts from
the nearby ancient city of Nineveh.
"These areas are where human culture
began; they are the cradle of civilization.
[Islamic State] is destroying the heritage of
mankind; Horovitz said.
The frightening situation in the Middle
East stands in stark contrast with Israel,
which has one of the most robust and
highly regulated antiquities departments
in the world and is eager to preserve the
country's diverse past.
Nevertheless, the City of David
Foundation, which works with the Israel
Antiquities Authority in excavating impor-
tant areas in Jerusalem, has come under
intense scrutiny from the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), which has called
on the City of David to halt historical exca-
vations.
"We should think about proper care
of the cultures of the past:' Barkay said.
"Instead of condemning these acts of
looting, which go on all the time in these
Arab countries, UNESCO is obsessed with
excavations and acts of preservation in
Jerusalem because of political reasons:'
He added, "UNESCO should deal with
salvaging the heritage of mankind instead
of political matters:'

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