Ramat Rachel
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| Ramat Rachel | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founded by | Gedud Ha'avoda "Jerusalem Brigade" |
| Region | Jerusalem |
| Industries | Hospitality, Agriculture |
| Affiliation | |
| Website | http://www.ramatrachel.co.il/about_us.htm |
Ramat Rachel is a kibbutz in Israel just south of the city center of Jerusalem, overlooking Bethlehem. A frontier kibbutz since its founding, it was destroyed three times between 1929 and 1967. In 1948 it changed hands six times, and in 1967 it was the target of intensive artillery shelling from Jordanian positions.
Its main industry is now related to its hotel, but it is also building an archeological park. The remains of a massive palace and waterworks have been discovered at the site, perhaps dating back to the early Israelite kingdom and showing occupation by the Babylonians, Persians, Romans and Hasmoneans..
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[edit] Archaeology
Benjamin Mazar and Moshe Stekelis conducted the first scientific excavations at the site in 1930-1931. Yohanan Aharoni conducted a more thorough series of digs from 1959-1962, and he tentatively identified it with Biblical Beth Haccherem ("house of the vineyard"; Jeremiah 6:1). It had been given the name "Height of Rachel" by the kibbutz, but the ancient remains had been called Khirbet es-Sallah in Arabic. Yigael Yadin, another excavator but one who never dug at this particular site, suggested that the palace excavated by Aharoni dated to the reign of Athaliah, and he identified it with the "House of Baal" recorded in 2 Kings 11:18.
One of many important artifacts uncovered at the site are LMLK seal impressions found on broken jar handles, most of which bear one or two enigmatic words that continue to puzzle researchers. Gabriel Barkay, another excavator who worked at the site in 1984, claims that the ancient name of the site may have been MMST, one of the four mysterious words.[1] Supporting Barkay is a potsherd found by Aharoni that may contain a painted depiction of Hezekiah, the king reigning during the period these jars were manufactured. However, more handles with HBRN (Hebron) and ZYF (Ziph) inscriptions have been found at Ramat Rahel than MMST.[2]
Renewed excavations began in 2004 under the direction of Oded Lipschits and Manfred Oeming. According to Lipschits, the site may have been known as Gerut Kimham ("House of Chimham") per Jeremiah 41:17.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Barkay, Gabriel (2006). "Royal Palace, Royal Portrait?". Biblical Archaeology Review 32:5 (September/October): 34-44.
- ^ Grena, G.M. (2004). LMLK--A Mystery Belonging to the King vol. 1. Redondo Beach, California: 4000 Years of Writing History. ISBN 0-9748786-0-X.
- ^ Fit for a king, The Jerusalem Post, Sep. 21, 2006 19:10 | Updated Sep. 22, 2006 14:47
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Ancient biblical waterworks found in Israel, Reuters, Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:27 AM BST
- Dig shows Ramat Rahel was royal Judean site, The Jerusalem Post, Aug. 21, 2006 21:29 | Updated Aug. 22, 2006 15:57
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