King David’s Tomb on Mt. Zion
In January 2013, the tiles that decorated the walls of David’s Tomb were methodically destroyed in an act of vandalism. The tiles were the remnants of a unique decoration from the 17th century – the Ottoman Period. The destruction was carried out with the goal of removing any Muslim element and strengthening the Jewish face of David’s Tomb. The inter-religious tension at David’s Tomb, and use of vandalism of the antiquities as an expression of this tension, did not begin with the destructive act in January 2013. Over the past decade, there has been a noticeable rise in tension between Jewish visitors and residents of Mt. Zion vis-à-vis Christians and Muslims there.
David’s Tomb, like other holy sites, such as the Temple Mount in the Old City or the Tombs of the Patriarchs in Hebron, is thousands of years old, and built layer upon layer. These sites were never properly excavated or researched. The religious tension and political interests make it impossible to relate to these structures as antiquities sites; their holy status clouds the research. As we have illustrated in the case of David’s Tomb, some of the information originates in the most limited excavations, and most is from archaeological surveys or historical sources.
Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions mingle together at David’s Tomb. This is evident in the architecture of the tomb building, and the Coenaculum. Since David’s Tomb is not located in the heart of a political conflict, like the Tombs of the Patriarchs in Hebron or the Temple Mount / Haram a-Sharif, one might expect Israel to uphold its obligation to protect the structure from vandalism by extreme elements. Despite this, the authorities have failed in fulfilling this mission, and the sense is that the situation that has arisen is convenient for the government, or at least, the authorities have come to terms with the damage to the site.
The case of David’s Tomb is a test case for Israel’s ability to foster religious tolerance. It appears that greater international involvement in the compound will emphasize the international importance of the site. Such involvement could serve as a counterweight to extreme Jewish groups which are unprepared to accept a lifestyle or beliefs that are different from their own. Israel would do well to prove to itself and to the world that it is capable of protecting a site holy to all three faiths, one that is located outside of the political conflict, and that it does not enable extreme groups to determine the nature of the place. However, as mentioned above, it is impossible to detach the location of Mt. Zion and David’s Tomb from the adjacent Old City. The political struggle in the Old City, which brings about national and religious extremism, also reaches David’s Tomb. It appears that as long as there is no political accord in the Old City, the phenomena of the strengthening of extremist groups will be an inseparable part of the atmosphere at Mt. Zion and the tomb compound.
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Remaking the City: Archaeological Projects of Political Import in Jerusalem’s Old City and in the Village of Silwan
During 2013, the Israeli authorities and the settlers’ organizations continued advancing archaeological excavations and tourist projects in the Old City and in the Village of Silwan – the “Historic Basin of Jerusalem.” Most of the excavations and projects are a continuation of previous years’ activity. As we have made known in the past through our publications, the archaeological excavations, exposure of the tunnels and construction planned for the area are part of a multi-year government plan intended to strengthen the Israeli hold on the Old City and to create facts on the ground, the goal of which is to impede on the attempts to reach a political solution for the historic basin.
Alongside the excavations, which have been continuing for many years, such as the Givati Parking Lot, the Spring House and the tunnels, the Israeli authorities and settlers’ organizations, mainly Elad, are initiating new excavations located between old excavations – for example, the excavation between the Spring House and Warren’s Shaft in Silwan, or the new tunnel being excavated west of the main tunnel that crosses the Village of Silwan. Other excavations, separate from known excavation areas, such as the Tel Aviv University excavations, also constitute part of the program of expanding Israeli control of the historic basin.
In this document, we present the developments and changes that have occurred during 2013. In some of the sections we will provide a link to previous reports published by Emek Shaveh, which described in detail the significance of a particular site and its political importance, both separately and as part of the overall Israeli plan in the historic basin.
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Jerusalem Underground: The excavation of tunnels, channels, and underground spaces in the Historic Basin
The tunnels being dug in the OldCity and in the adjacent Palestinian village of Silwan have reached the headlines once again. In the four years since 2007, the Israel Antiquities Authority (henceforth: IAA) seems to have been focusing its efforts and energies on the excavation of channels, tunnels, and underground spaces in the Historic Basin of Jerusalem (The Old City and its environs). Under the mantle of scientific research, the IAA is laying the groundwork for an ideological tourism with political overtones.
Although engaging in ostensibly scientific activity, the IAA provides no easily accessible information regarding the location and objectives of its excavations, the scope of its activities, or the nature of its finds. More often than not, the information about the tunnel excavations is provided after the fact, through a communiqué from the IAA spokesperson, and is not reported transparently during the excavation, as would be expected from a government service acting in the center of a city. Needless to say, such secrecy heightens the suspicion of irregularities, of harm done to archeological finds, and of the advancement of covert goals through the excavations.
The goal of this document is to provide a detailed picture of the state of underground excavations in the Historic Basin. We estimate that additional areas are being excavated, but they are not mentioned in this document, as we do not yet have enough information about them. It is our hope that in the future, the IAA will fill the gaps and provide the public with all the required information about its excavations in the Historic Basin of ancient Jerusalem. Such transparency is vital for the restoration of the trust of the public—including the Palestinian public and the international community—in the archeological activity being undertaken in the city.
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