Unearthing Tanach: The Message of Yerushalayim Shel Matah

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Unearthing TanachThe Message of Yerushalayim
Shel Matah

• Ari Z. Zivotofsky
• ASKOU Mesorah Conference IV
• 12 Sivan 5768

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Israel - Land of Tanach

• Many sites in which Tanach comes alive
• Shilo, Shomron, Yericho/Yarden, Megiddo, Tel Dan,
  Beersheva, Hazor, Bet Shemesh, Tel Azaika, Ein
  Gedi, etc.
• Even places in chul such as Haran (but not
  Teaneck)
• Will here focus on Yerushalayim and its unique
  character

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Purim on 15th Adar

• -Walled from time of Yehoshua bin Nun
• Only city in the world Yerushalaim (seemingly
  unrelated to its keduash)
• why? Mesorah
• But can still ask Where is that wall??

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?????? ??? Genesis 224 ????????
????????????? ?????????? ????????? ???-???????
???????? ???-????????? ???????
On the third day, Avraham looked up, and saw the
place from afar
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Avraham came from southView from Armon Hanatziv
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Chizkiyahus Tunnel
???? ??????? ??? ??-???? ???? ????? ??????
?????? ????-????? ???? ???? ????? ???????
???-?????" (???? ????? ?' ???)
?"? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ???
???? ???? ??? (??"?)
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Did he do good or bad?

• ???? ????? ??? ????? ??? ?????--?? ????? ???? ??,
  ??? ????? ?? ???? ??. ?? ????? ???? ??--????
  ????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?????, ????? ?? ???? ???
  ??????, ????? ?? ??? ??? ??????, ????? ??.  ???
  ????? ?? ???? ??--???? ????? ????? ?????? ????
  ????, ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?? ????? ??????, ???
  ???? ?? ???? ???? ?????, ??? ???? ??. (????? ??)

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Did he do good or bad? (cont)
???? ???? ??? (????? ?) ??
??????? ??? ????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ????
???? ?????. ??? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ????
?????. ??? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ?????.
????? ?? ????? ???????? ??????? ???? ???? ?????.
????? (??"? ??) "??????? ???? ?? ?????? ???
???????? ????? ?????? ????????? ???? ???? ????
??? ?????? ????? ??????". ??? ?? ????? ???????
???? ???? ?????. ????? (??) "??????? ??? ??
???? ???? ????? ??????, ?????? ???? ????? ????
???, ????? ??????? ??? ?????"
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Siloam Inscription
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Siloam inscription (Ksav Ashuri)
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... the tunnel ... and this is the story the
thing - "dvar" of the tunnel while ... the axes
were against each other and while three cubits
were left to cut? ...the voice of a man ...
called to his fellow, for there was a
through-passage "Zedah" in the rock, from the
right ... and on the day of the tunnel being
finished the tone hewers struck literally
"hit" each man towards his fellow, ax against
literally "on" ax, and the water went from the
source to the pool for two hundred and a thousand
cubits. and one hundred (?) cubits was the height
over the head of the stone hewers.
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Dating the Tunnel

• Until recently via paleography and philology of
  Siloam inscription
• But could be later copy of early work (i.e.
  tunnel older), or mis-dated and really tunnel
  newer
• Nature 2003 article used more precise science
• Dating plant life disrupted by the tunnel (by
  C-14 dating) and stalactites and stalagmites that
  grew after completion of the tunnel (by
  uranium-thorium dating) yield a probable date of
  construction of about 700 BCE or slightly earlier

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Dating the tunnel

• Thus, paleography and radiometric dating both
  date the tunnel in Ir David that is commonly
  called Chizkiyahus tunnel to the time when the
  Tanach tells us that Chizkiyahu rerouted the
  Gichon.

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Things are not always as they seem. Or at least
as they are named. For example .
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?? ?????? Yad Avshalom
???? ??? Davids Citadel
?????? ???? Solomons Pools
?????? ???? Solomons Stables
???? ???? ??? King David Hotel
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Har Habayit Rescue Sifting
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Destroying the Makom Hamikdash!
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Sifting in Emek Tzurim
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Har Habayit sifting

• Approx 10 of findings are from Bayit Rishon
  period
• Including.

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Dated from 586 BCE
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Bullae signets clay seals
Concept found in Jeremiah 2911, 329-14 and
Shabbat 85
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Bullae house

• Excavated in 1982 Ir David, Area G
• Rich collection of artifacts in destroyed
  building from period of churban (586 BCE)
• 51 bullae found in a 1 square meter area
• 41 in excellent hardened condition due to fire
• 47 had names 87 of them readable
• 50 of the 51 names end yud heh vuv ( ???..)

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from Bullae house
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Bullae house

• All the names appear Jewish
• None are biblical persons except
• First need to read a story

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• Then Baruch (ben Naryah) read from the book the
  words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, in
  the chamber of Gemaryahu the son of Shafan the
  scribe, in the upper court at the entrance of the
  new Gate of the Lord's House in the hearing of
  all the people (Jeremiah 3610).

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Gemaryahu ben Shafan
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Gemaryahu ben Shafan

• If this is really THE Gemaryahu ben Shafan, then
  this bulla is personal regards from
• A well known official and scribe in the court of
  a melech from Beis David
• (Possibly from his archive)
• Whose father was also a scribe in a royal house
• And whose son was also an active participant
• This bulla, hardened by fire, was found in situ
  in a controlled excavation

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The City Walls
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Broad wall
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Har Tzion wall
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Har Tzion wall
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Oldest preserved biblical verses

• One of THE most important archeological finds
• From Bayit Rishon period
• On Ketef Hinnom, behind Begin Center under Dr.
  Gabi Barkai
• One large undisturbed repository with gt700 items,
  including two small silver scrolls
• 1) an unknown blessing
• 2) longer 4 sections, 4th is shortened form of
  Birchat Kohanim from Numbers 624-26

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Who cares about location?
???? ????? ??? ?
?,? ????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??????, ???? ????
???? ????? ???????? ????? ???.
?? ??, ?
??? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ????? ??????
???? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????
????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???
???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?????
????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ????
???? ?????
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Message - secondary
But it is absolutely untrue that archaeology
disproves the Bible. On the contrary, I think
archaeology proves it, If someone attacks the
Bible, saying it is not historical, that it is
nonsense and fiction, then I say that archaeology
has increased my belief that basically the
historical parts of the Bible are true. No doubt
of that. I think archaeology has actually given
me, if you ask me subjectively, a greater respect
for the Bible. (Yigal Yadin, BAR, 1983)
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Message

• Seeing it in-situ greatly facilitates ones
  understanding of Tanach
• And studying Tanach clarifies the artifacts and
  remains found in the ground
• The traditions of our past are inexorably bound
  with our present.

And our future.
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?????? ??? ??
?? ?????? ??????, ???????? ??????? ????-???
??????????, ????-??? ??????.
?? ????-????? ?????????, ???-?????????
?????-????????, ?????????.
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And finally one last slide Hakarat
hatov
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Thanks to

• Shlomit Zivotofsky and Yosef Zivotofsky for
  powerpoint assistance
• Asher Altshul (from EL AD foundation) for photo
  and informational assistance