King David Era Find ‘Buried’ by Authorities for Political Reasons

King David Era Find ‘Buried’ by Authorities for Political Reasons



Soon the area will be handed over to the PA.


By: Yori Yanover





Published: April 19th, 2013
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/king-david-era-find-buried-by-authorities-for-political-reasons/2013/04/19/

The initial discovery was made by Benjamin Troper, the training
coordinator of the Kfar Etzion field school, who suddenly, while aiding a
troubled tourist down a deep cave south of Jerusalem, turned to look at
the nearby wall and saw an ancient stone column.

“I had gone down that hole dozens of times,” Tropper told Makor
Rishon, “but this was the first time, because I was helping the tourist,
that I came down looking in that direction.”

What he saw was a bona fide ancient column with a crown, which he
recognized from his years as tour guide and from the time he spent
working in excavating ancient Jerusalem.

That’s the story of a remarkably rare archeological discovery, which
no one has heard about. For some reason, possibly political, the Israeli
authorities have been trying to silence this discovery which could
usher in a breakthrough in our understanding of the periods of King
David and his son, King Solomon.

The column crown Tropper ran, or rather climbed down into, is very
likely part of a complete temple or palace buried underground.

Tropper, who expected nothing short of a medal for his fortunate
discovery, called over the field school’s director, Yaron Rosenthal, who
in turn alerted a senior employee of Israel’s Antiquities Authority.
But no medals were to come any time soon.

The find is really big, according to Rosenthal. It may also be a
singular opportunity to unearth a whole structure that hadn’t undergone
“secondary use,” meaning that it hasn’t been altered by later dwellers
of the area. Often, later period folks utilize the components of older
structures as building blocks for their own structures.

But even better than that: there are still, to this day, raging
debates between the school of archeologists who claim there was a great
Jewish dynasty begun by David and Solomon, and the school that doubts
there ever really existed two people by those names.

Rosenthal (you know which school he belongs to) believes the
discovery will offer startling details about the everyday lives of those
Jewish kings.

According to Rosenthal, the reaction of the Antiquities official was
“astonishing.” He told him: “Yaron, please, you found it, but we know
about it. Now forget the whole thing and keep your mouth shut.”

Apparently they’re very blunt over at Antiquities.

Later, Rosenthal found out that the authority had indeed been aware
of the artifact for a year and a half. He is upset both for the fact
that they avoided digging up the area to discover what’s down there, and
for the fact that they took no steps to mark off the cave, to protect
it from damage.

Over the past few months, the defense ministry was drawing the path
of the section of the security fence that will separate the Palestinian
Authority’s Bethlehem County from South Jerusalem. They knew about it at
Antiquities, reports Makor Rishon, but kept mum and let the fence line
be drawn about a hundred yards from the site, effectively leaving it in
Palestinian hands.

According to Makor Rishon, Antiquities’ director-general Shuka
Dorfman and former chief of the central front Gen. Avi Mizrahi were
called in to look at the find, a year and a half ago and decided
together to silence the discovery.

The question is, based on their track record, how respectful would
the future owners of the area, the PA, of a site that could prove beyond
doubt that it used to belong to a Jewish empire – the very empire the
PA officially says never existed.

The Antiquities Authority’s response to the Makor Rishon inquiry has
been that it is aware of the situation and is already making efforts to
excavate the important find, while cooperating with all relevant
entities.

That’s a huge relief.

Incidentally, inside the cave where the exposed column crown is
situated, there is a water hole, where local Arab children go bathing.
How long before one of them discovers the ancient relic and calls his
daddy over?

Very interesting....found for a reason?

I find this fascinating...trying to understand Israel keeping it quiet...maybe to protect it until they decide the appropriate time to reveal it...puzzling! Thanks Ward!!!

Zimi31 I have to agree with you. Certain people shouldn't know about it..but if it was allowed now...it's for a reason.