The
Artifacts with links to Bible
unearthed
By Jay Bushinsky
THE
Published
JERUSALEM --
Israeli archaeologists, screening tons of rubble scooped out of this ancient
city's sacred Temple Mount, have discovered hundreds of artifacts and coins, as
well as jewelry, some with biblical links dating back more than three
millennia.
Most of the stones and earth originally were taken to
an organic garbage dump in nearby
This ambitious archaeological project, known as the
Temple Mount Antiquities Operation, was started in November 2004, when Muslims
excavated the sector north of
The Waqf, or Muslim officials
who administer the site -- known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary -- helped
the Israelis arrange the transfer.
Among the unusual finds extracted by
"It bears the name Gedalyahu Ben Immer Ha-Cohen,
suggesting that the owner may have been a brother of Pashur Ben Immer,
described in the Bible [Jeremiah 20:1] as a priest and temple official,"
Mr. Barkai said.
That verse says: "Pashur, the son of Immer the
priest, who was also chief governor in the House of the Lord, heard that
Jeremiah prophesied these things."
The team's discoveries span 10,000 years "and
belong to all the historical periods that transpired in
One of the finds is a stone weight equivalent to four
shekels (an ancient Hebrew measure, about 2 ounces), marked with words written
in the ancient Hebrew alphabet.
The site is not considered an archaeological dig. The
workers use a technique called "wet sifting," similar to the way
prospectors pan for gold.
Mr. Barkai's team examines every particle, using large
wire filters to rinse each one with cold water while looking for valuable
objects.
Some finds reflect the
Presumably belonging to the 10th Legion, Mr. Barkai
said, "it was launched from catapults exclusive
to the
"There also are beautiful objects that belong to
the Crusader period," Mr. Barkai said, noting the many Byzantine coins,
which testify to large attendance at the
Many of the more-recent coins date from the 17th
century, and the research team even found a gold coin issued by the French
Empire under Napoleon III.
A bronze pendant several hundred years old depicts the
Holy Grail.
The team works in a large plastic tent pitched on a spur
of the
Because of the quantity, time and patience required to
rinse the objects, this archaeological project likely will take several years
to complete.