Strata

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Rabbis Added to Israel’s Archaeological Council

The Culture Wars, Continued

Will four rabbis appointed to Israel’s Archaeological Council help prevent future clashes between ultra-Orthodox zealots and archaeologists at ancient burial sites? Or is this the beginning of a shift in power away from professional control over archaeology in Israel?

The council is a 38-person body appointed by Israel’s Minister of Education to advise the director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Though the council is only advisory, IAA director Amir Drori relies on it heavily: “I have never, never failed to accept the recommendations of the council.” The council’s most important decisions concern the granting of permits to dig.

“[Education] Minister Yitzhak Levy thinks that these appointments will help with conflicts related to digging ancient graves,” said council chairman Moshe Kochavi, of Tel Aviv University. Kochavi doubts that the newly appointed rabbis can make much difference in the disputes over graves, which have pitted haredim (ultra-Orthodox), who vehemently oppose the excavation of Jewish graves, against archaeologists. The newly named rabbis are from the religious Zionist wing of the Israeli political and religious spectrum and work within the institutions of the State of Israel. The ultra-Orthodox demonstrators at dig sites, in large part, do not accept the legitimacy of the State. “The ultra-Orthodox couldn’t care less about Mafdal [religious Zionist] rabbis,” Kochavi said.

When asked why no haredi rabbis were appointed to the council, David Felber, of the Ministry of Education, said that it would have made no sense to “put people on the council who oppose the whole thing—the State and archaeology. They don’t want any digging.” The appointments, Felber noted, “are rabbis who think and respect other views. One of them, Rabbi Israel Rozen, of the Tzomet Institute of Law and Technology, was trained as an engineer and as a rabbi.” Drori observed that “Rozen wrote an essay on the problem of excavating ancient tombs and concluded that in some cases it is right to do it.”

Rabbi Rozen himself describes his thinking somewhat differently. “We don’t have the right to cause great public expense, and if something may destroy a cemetery, we must move bones with honor and respect,” Rabbi Rozen told BAR. On the question of whether bones may be studied temporarily in a laboratory, another point of contention between archaeologists and protesters, Rozen says he did not deal with that issue but added that “bones must be in the earth.” Rozen, too, concedes that the ultra-Orthodox protesters will not listen to him: “I am not in their group,” he explains.

However, Micha Rothschild, a haredi organizer and an active participant over the last ten years at demonstrations at archaeological sites ranging from Jerusalem’s City of David to Tiberias, took issue with that point. “Appointing these rabbis,” he told BAR, “is an excellent step towards solving the problem. There are two ways: One is politically, through laws, which is not good because that would force something on people. The other way is discussion. The Archaeological Council has no authority, but it can help with discussion and understanding. You have to understand that the religious feel close to archaeology because they live 2,000 years of history, so solving the conflict with archaeologists would be a blessing.”

On this Rozen agreed emphatically. “We must urge on the council that archaeology will be part of education because it is about our connection to the land, to our country, to our history, to the Bible.”

Looking to the future, Hebrew University professor Ephraim Stern sees the appointment of rabbis as a “bad development,” even though for now it “won’t change anything.” Stern contends that Education Minister Levy saved IAA director Drori a year ago from religious pressure that was being placed on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire Drori and appoint someone sympathetic to the ultra-Orthodox viewpoint on archaeology. Stern’s worry is that “some politician will be appointed to replace Drori when his term is up” less than two years from now.

Ben-Tor, Keel and Levy Come Up Winners

Book Awards Announced

Three books on the archaeology of Israel have been granted the prestigious Irene Levi-Sala Prize.

Hazor V: An Account of the Fifth Season 1968, edited by Amnon Ben-Tor and Ruhama Bonfil, received the prize in the Final Excavation Report category. The report deals with material excava-ted by Yigael Yadin 30 years ago. Highlights include a Late Bronze Age temple, a Middle to Late Bronze Age city gate and a water shaft from Iron Age II (see Ben-Tor’s article on Hazor elsewhere in this issue).

Othmar Keel received the prize for a Substantial Scientific Publication by a Single Author Dedicated to a Specific Study for his Corpus der Stempelsiegel: Amulette aus Palästina/Israel. The awards committee noted, “This magnum opus will become and remain the standard reference work on scarabs and seals for a long time to come.”

The Popular Non-Fiction award went to The Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land, edited by Thomas E. Levy. The committee described the book, which covers the Paleolithic period to the present as “the most comprehensive and widely ranging textbook of the archaeology of israel currently available.”

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Breakfast of Pharaohs

A Great Way to Start Your Morning

“Step 3,000 years back through time, to the age of the Middle Kingdom” says the back of the cereal box. “Fields of tall, sturdy Kamut grain and millet ripple in the warm wind like waves on the Nile.”

Nature’s Path, a Canadian health-food company, is marketing Kamut Krisp cereal as a way of getting in touch with ancient Egyptian civilization. “Legend has it that an American farmer found a few large kernels in the tomb of King Tutankhamen, which he took back to Montana and planted … Kamut is now grown organically, much the way it was in ancient times.”

For those whose breakfast tastes run more to the traditional, Nature’s Path also offers Corn Flakes, Multigrain Raisin, and Honey’d Raisin Bran. As they say on TV, it’s all part of a nutritious breakfast.

Who Pays? Who Digs?

Court Ruling May Hamper Salvage Excavations

Antiquities are often encountered in the course of housing or highway construction in Israel. When that happens, the law calls for rescue operations to salvage the ancient remains. But a recent Israeli Supreme Court decision requires the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) to pay for these emergency excavations.

The Supreme Court ruled that it is unlawful to require the developer to pay the cost because antiquities are a state, not a private, concern. But the IAA does not have the funds. This may put a damper on private construction, although large-scale government projects are expected to continue—at least for now. Land developers have long been required to pay for such archaeological excavations.

IAA director Amir Drori told BAR that the IAA would continue excavations at any site where the developer is willing to finance the work. “We can’t stop all development in the country, but we don’t have the money to do [salvage excavations] ourselves,” Drori said. For some developers, delaying the excavation—which legally must be completed before beginning any development work—is more costly than paying the expenses for the excavation, Drori said.

Since the majority of developers are government-affiliated companies such as the Department of Public Works, Drori added, the new ruling would require only a reshuffling of government monies so the funds for salvage excavations would be allocated to the IAA in its annual budget. The IAA’s budget currently funds only its statutory responsibilities, such as preservation of antiquities, theft prevention and administration of the national collections.

Spokeswoman Osnat Goaz said the IAA undertakes some 300 salvage excavations each year, at a cost of about $12 million.

There has been mixed reaction in the academic community to the court’s decision. Some university archaeologists have been at loggerheads with the IAA for several years, with accusations of financial, organizational and archaeological incompetence flung back and forth. The universities brought a lawsuit against the IAA to stop them from conducting salvage excavations and to require the agency instead to put the work out for bid. The universities stood to benefit because they were an obvious candidate for such digs, but their lawsuit has been withdrawn in the wake of the court’s recent ruling.

Tel Aviv University archaeologist (and BAR Editorial Advisory Board member) David Ussishkin noted that the universities may not be able to compete for salvage excavations now that the IAA has to pay for them, as the IAA can claim to lack the funding for such work. Ussishkin is also worried that if the government becomes directly involved in budgeting for salvage excavations, religious political parties will determine where—and if—excavations are conducted.

Ze’ev Herzog, chairman of Tel Aviv University’s archaeology department, said the court decision will have little effect on most salvage excavations, since they will still be handled by government agencies.

But Hebrew University archaeology professor Ehud Netzer praised the Supreme Court’s ruling, noting that he was “not sure it was always the case that the IAA conducted salvage excavations in the most modest way possible. Maybe,” Netzer added, “if the IAA has to foot the bill, the excavations will be kept on a lower scale.”

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Newsstand Wars

Readers to Benefit from Boom in Archaeology Magazines

Interest in archaeology has never been higher. No fewer than five new magazines are out or are expected to come out in the next year to feed a growing market.

Archaeology, the magazine of the Archaeological Institute of America, plans to publish a bimonthly children’s magazine beginning in April. Archaeology’s Dig will present paleontology, archaeology and geology for kids ages 8 to 13. “There’s really nothing like it,” says publisher and mother of two young adults, Phyllis Katz. “It’s going to be designed to be fun.”

The articles in Dig will be shorter than in the parent magazine and will cover everything from the search for mummies and the discovery of dinosaurs to the mystery of the Sphinx. It will also feature puzzles, projects, comics and games. Departments will have names like “Stones & Bones” and “Ask Dr. Dig.” An annual “Mummies & Daddies” guide will help parents and teachers use the magazine as an educational resource. “Its mission,” says Katz, “is to present archaeology to the young, introduce the scientific method and teach them to be stewards of the world’s cultural heritage.” Subscriptions will cost $15.95 and can be ordered from PO Box 469076, Escondido, CA 92046 or by calling 212–732-5154.

Discovering Archaeology made its debut this January. Of all the new archaeology magazines, this well-illustrated bimonthly has the widest range. “We’re very eclectic,” says Discovering Archaeology’s founder, archaeologist Jeff Leach. “No other archaeology magazine has wrestler Hulk Hogan in it,” Leach said, referring to a possible article comparing the popular wrestler with his ancient Greek counterparts.

BAR readers encountered Leach when he presented daily Web updates of his New Mexico excavation of a woolly mammoth while it was still in progress (Strata, BAR 24:04). Leach’s decision to publish an archaeology magazine was made last fall; the first issue came out only three months later. The 96-page premier issue featured articles on the discovery of what may be Amelia Earhart’s bones on the tiny Pacific island of Nikumaroro, the oldest bridge in Ireland, ground-penetrating radar and Egyptian hieroglyphs. Articles on excavations in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt; the acoustic mapping of caves; bog bodies in Europe; and dog cemeteries are planned for the March issue. Excerpts will be posted on the magazine’s Web site, http://www.discoveringarchaeology.com.

“We’re going to try to bring the many faces of archaeology to people,” says Leach. “Imagine taking a news magazine and a hardcore science magazine like Scientific American and putting them together.”

Leach’s allusion to Scientific American is not an accident. Industry insiders have 025been aware of negotiations between the two magazines for the past few months. Negotiations were still in progress as we went to press. Leach and Scientific American’s president, Jo Rosler, said the older publication was considering acquiring a minority interest in the new magazine. According to Rosler, the minority position would have no effect on who is running the magazine or where its office would be. It would, however, mean that the title of the magazine would change to Scientific American Archaeology by its third or fourth issue and that the new magazine would mimic the layout style of the senior magazine. Leach hopes to reach a circulation of 100,000 by the end of the year, a possibility if the publication is promoted by Scientific American.

Leach’s plans for the magazine also include a large-print edition, expected out in July. Annual subscriptions cost $19.95. The office can be reached at 915–533-8503.

The archaeology of the classical world is the subject of our sister magazine, Archaeology Odyssey, which premiered last year. The first issues have considered whether archaeology had discovered or could discover Homer’s Troy, whether the British Museum should return the Elgin Marbles to Greece, how the architecture of Egypt’s pyramids should be understood, and the beauty and significance of Etruscan tomb paintings. “Archaeology Odyssey explores ways of life and thought that are no longer possible,” says managing editor Jack Meinhardt. “We look at ancient epics that cannot be rewritten, forms of worship that cannot be resurrected, civilizations consigned to the dustbin of history. If this magnificent past doesn’t always tell us who we were—and almost never tells us what we can be—it does offer a tantalizing glimpse into what was once humanly possible.”

The May/June issue will feature articles on the antiquities market—how to stop looting and what to do about antiquities already on the market—on beautiful statues excavated from workers’ tombs near the Giza pyramids, and on sea travel in the ancient world. Subscriptions (call 1–888-403–9001) are $14.95 a year for six bimonthly issues.

American Archaeology, a quarterly now in its third year, deals primarily with the preservation of sites in the United States. “We have the view that there are just as many exciting things going on in the United States, almost in people’s backyards, as there are overseas,” says editor James Burroughs. “There are a lot of sites in the U.S. that people don’t visit because they don’t know that the sites have anything to do with archaeology.”

The magazine is published by the Archaeological Conservancy, a group that buys endangered sites to save them from looting, development and vandalism. The magazine is available at major bookstores or through a $25 annual membership. The conservancy is based in New Mexico and can be reached at 505–266-1540. Their Web site, , will soon include content from their magazine. It is currently devoted to promoting their tours.

Reports are also circulating that an English version of the French magazine Le Monde de la Bible will soon be released in the United States by Bayard Presse, with the support of the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR). Representatives of Bayard Presse did not respond to our inquiries, but Joe Seger, ASOR’s president, says, “They want to expand, but the Presse has not committed itself fully; it’s waiting for the results of its reader survey. We should know soon.” According to Seger, the Presse marketed a German version last year to great success.

Will all these magazines glut the market? We hope not, of course, but it will be the readers who have the final say. Happy reading!

Bronze Age Brew

Talk About Well-Aged …

Everyone knows that beer, unlike wine, does not get better with age. Researchers at the University of Barcelona have just proven it, too. They recently re-created a 3,100-year-old brew, the oldest beer ever discovered in Europe, from the residue left on a pottery sherd at a site in Spain’s northeast Catalonia region.

The residue was found on the bottom of a red pot from the ancient settlement of Geno. A group of soldiers stumbled across the site while digging a machine-gun nest during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Since 1976, the small site has been under continuous study. The residue discovered there was subjected to microscopic analysis to identify what ingredients went into it. The researchers found that the beer contained barley and emmer, a variety of wheat. “They also added herbs as preservatives,” says University of Barcelona history professor Jose Luis Maya. “If you don’t—it goes bad quickly.”

When local brewers were given the researchers’ recipe for the ancient beer, they prepared enough to fill 400 bottles. What they produced was 16 proof, flat, dark and thick with particles floating in it. Tasters gave it generally positive reviews, but the scientists have no plans to market the unique product. Probably just as well.

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Mark Your Calendar

Exhibitions

The Holy Land Through the Eyes of Explorers

April 26–May 3, 1999

Sixty antique photographs, culled from an archive of 20,000 images belonging to the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem, will go on view in the nation’s capital at this premiere of a national touring exhibit and lecture series. Taken by École Biblique scholars from 1900 to 1920, the photos record a way of life that has now almost completely disappeared, monuments that no longer exist and landscapes that have been changed beyond recognition.

For more information contact the American Friends of the École Biblique 847–475-4114 or e-mail EcoleBibli@aol.com; or the Cultural Service of the Embassy of France 202–944-6091.

Women of the Nile

January 30–May 23, 1999

From Queen Hatshepsut to the goddess Sekhmet, the women of the Nile Valley played leading roles in family life, religion and government. The 100 artifacts on view here create an intimate portrait of these women and the world in which they lived.

For more information call 408–947-3636.

Seminars

Archaeology and the Bible 2: Jews and Christians in a Roman World

March 20, 1999

Prominent archaeologists, historians and New Testament scholars will discuss recent discoveries relating to the life of Jesus and the rise of Christianity. Topics include the role of the Roman Empire in creating an atmosphere of religious resistance and experimentation, the culture and economy of the Galilee in the time of Jesus, and the political background to the career and travels of the apostle Paul.

For more information call 215–898-4890.

1999 BAS Seminar on Bible and Archaeology

April 8–April 10, 1999

Have you yearned to hear of the latest research being conducted in Bible scholarship? BAS programs put you into direct contact with today’s top specialists. Lecturers will be John Collins, University of Chicago Divinity School; Bart Ehrman, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Charles Hedrick, Southwest Missouri State University; James Tabor, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; and James VanderKam, University of Notre Dame.

For more information call 800–221-4644.

1999 BAS Israel Seminar: Israel—The Land, Its People, Its History

April 11–April 26, 1999

Participants will visit Caesarea, Sepphoris, Beth-Shean, Masada and Jerusalem and will spend two days in Jordan at Mt. Nebo, Madaba and Petra. Veteran BAS tour leader Avner Goren, an archaeologist with the W.F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research and one of the chief archaeologists at Tel Miqne (Biblical Ekron), is one of Israel’s outstanding guides and lecturers.

For more information call 800–221-4644.

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What Is It?

A. Wall hanging

B. Good-luck charm

C. Makeup palette

D. Ancient Valentine

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What It Is, Is …

C. Makeup palette.

In Predynastic Egypt (before 3100 B.C.), both men and women wore eye makeup. To manufacture eye cosmetics, they would grind mineral pigments on a palette such as this example, which is made from polished green slate. The heads of two birds, possibly falcons, carved in profile at the top may be early depictions of the sky-god Horus. The drilled holes serving as eyes for the birds may originally have been inlaid. A third, central hole may have been used for hanging. Palettes were often placed in graved, perhaps to ensure that the deceased could apply makeup in the next world.

Rabbis Added to Israel’s Archaeological Council

The Culture Wars, Continued