Biblical Archaeology Review
Biblical Archaeology Review is the flagship publication of the Biblical Archaeology Society. For more than 40 years it has been making the world of archaeology in the lands of the Bible come alive for the interested layperson. Full of vivid images and articles written by leading scholars, this is a must read for anyone interested in the archaeology of the ancient Near East.
Footnote 4 - Was the Site of the Jerusalem Temple Originally a Cemetery?
Footnote 3 - Was the Site of the Jerusalem Temple Originally a Cemetery?
See Neil A. Silberman, “In Search of Solomon’s Lost Treasures,” BAR 06:04.
Footnote 2 - Was the Site of the Jerusalem Temple Originally a Cemetery?
The Bible contains two parallel accounts of this episode. The other is contained in 1 Chronicles 21:18–26. In Chronicles. Araunah is called Ornan. And the price of the site has inflated in the retelling: In 2 Samuel, we are told that the price was 50 shekels of silver. In 1 Chronicles, it is 600 shekels of gold.
Footnote 1 - Was the Site of the Jerusalem Temple Originally a Cemetery?
This same period is also referred to as Early Bronze IV, Intermediate Bronze Age and Early Bronze-Middle Bronze Age. Archaeologists have not yet agreed on the appropriate designation. See Rudolph Cohen, “The Mysterious MB I People—Does the Exodus Tradition in the Bible Preserve the Memory of Their Entry Into Canaan?” BAR 09:04.
Footnote 10 - Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years
Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura who visited the site in 1488 relates that the Moslems who “prostrate themselves there would make a monetary donation which would be let down into the caves. When they wished to go down to collect the money, they would lower a young boy down by a rope and he would recover the money and come up.”
Footnote 9 - Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years
See Leroy Aarons, “The Dayan Saga—The Man and His Archaeological Collection,” BAR 08:05.
Footnote 8 - Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years
However, in the opinion of one prominent Israeli archaeologist who is an expert on Ma‘arat ha-Machpelah these steps are almost surely Herodian—to a “95%” certainty.
Then why were the monks lowered by a rope if they could have walked down the stairs? This remains a puzzle, according to the Israeli archaeologist. Apparently the area was filled with dirt that took the monks four days to clean. With the dirt in place, the opening appeared much like a slanted shaft.
Footnote 7 - Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years
Note the conflict about the place of Joshua’s burial between the Book of Joshua, on the one hand, and the apocryphal Testament of Joseph, on the other. This may suggest that the author of the apocryphal testament did not have an authoritative, canonized text of Joshua that in turn would dictate where Joshua was buried. This suggests that the text of Joshua as we know it was probably not fixed and canonized before the second century B.C. In any event, we see how early the traditions concerning additional burials at Machpelah arose.
Footnote 6 - Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years
Pages
