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This discovery is significant in establishing the historical basis for confirming that Jerusalem, Israel itself, pre-exists revisionist history claiming Muslim possession. As to o'pre-1967's agreements (clandestine or otherwise) to force a return to the '67 boundries is absurd on its face; however, as evidence clearly show in Biblical history, Greek and Roman writings, physical evidence -- the Syrian/Jordanian'squatters' have no legitimate claim on any of Jerusalem much less Israel. Read the WND repost (below the archaelogy article entitled "Palestinian People Do Not Exist".) -- rfh
Netanyahu Hails 'Magnificent' Archaeological Find in Jerusalem
Ancient golden treasure is the oldest Torah ornament ever found and "attests to the ancient Jewish presence" in Jerusalem.
By Kochava Rozenbaum, http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/171750, 10Sep13
First Published: 9/10/2013
Golden medallion unearthed at Ophel dig
Uria Tadmor / Eilat Mazar
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has hailed the discovery of one of the oldest Torah ornament ever found in archaeological digs as a "wonderful gift to the Jewish people."
Yesterday, after the archaeologists found an ancient golden medallion at the the foot of the Temple Mount, Prime Minister Netanyahu contacted Hebrew University's Dr. Eilat Mazar, who made the stunning discovery of two bundles of treasure containing thirty-six gold coins, gold and silver jewelry, and a gold medallion with the menorah (Temple candelabrum) symbol etched into it. Also etched into the 10-cm medallion are a shofar (ram's horn) and the image of a Torah scroll.
The Prime Minister said, "This is a magnificent discovery. Nationally, it attests to the ancient Jewish presence and to the sanctity of the place; this is as clear as the sun and it is tremendous."
Netanyahu continued to praise the discovery by saying, "This is very moving. This find is the essence of our heritage."
"It is interesting that even then, over 500 years after the destruction of the Second Temple, we see the menorah in an original illustration. This is historic testimony, of the highest order, to the Jewish People's link to Jerusalem, to its land and to its heritage – menorah, shofar, Torah scroll. The essence of the Jewish People could not be any more succinct and clear. This is a wonderful gift to the Jewish People. Thank you."
Responding to the Prime Minister's unexpected call, Dr. Mazar said, "We do not always witness an archaeological find that speaks so clearly. The archaeological work was outstanding. It was very professional. This cannot be denied. I thank you personally. I am moved by your interest and involvement in antiquities and heritage."
The discovery was unearthed just five days into Mazar's latest phase of the Ophel excavations, and can be dated to the late Byzantine period (early seventh century CE). The gold treasure was discovered in a ruined Byzantine public structure a mere 50 meters from the Temple Mount's southern wall.
Earlier this year, Mazar's Ophel excavation made headlines when she announced the 2012 discovery of an ancient Canaanite inscription (recently identified as Hebrew) - the earliest alphabetical written text ever uncovered in Jerusalem.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS' STUNNING FIND: ANCIENT TREASURE TROVE AT TEMPLE MOUNT IS A 'ONCE IN A LIFETIME DISCOVERY'
By Billy Hallowell, The Blaze, 9Sep13
Coming off an array of exciting holy land finds, archaeologists have now discovered ancient treasure at the foot of the Temple Mount, one of the world's most revered religious sites. The uncovered items provide further insight into Jewish life in Jerusalem, while also offering a lens into a highly-contentious time in the region's history.
During excavations this summer, Dr. Eilat Mazar of Hebrew University of Jerusalem found stunning relics including 36 gold coins, gold and silver jewelry and a gold medallion, the university announced.
Jewelry found during the latest Temple Mount dig in Jerusalem. (Photo credit: Hebrew University)
The medallion has a menorah symbol etched into it, along with a ram's horn, known as a shofar, and a Torah scroll. It's believed the medallion was used to adorn a Torah scroll. Mazar is calling the find "a breathtaking, once in a lifetime discovery."
"We have been making significant finds from the first temple period in this area, a much earlier time in Jerusalem's history, so discovering a golden seven-branched menorah from the 7th century CE at the foot of the Temple Mount was a complete surprise," Mazar said in a news release.
Here's more about the find:
Based on how the items, which were organized into two bundles, were discovered, Mazar believes they likely date back to the Persian conquest of Jerusalem in 614 A.D. One of the bundles was hidden underneath the ground and the other was seemingly abandoned in haste, with contents scattered on the floor, the university said.
It's thought that the items were hidden to eventually contribute to a potential new synagogue near the Temple Mount, something that obviously never happened, as they were never retrieved. The resulting find at the site, referred to as the "Ophel Treasure," is only the third collection of coins to be uncovered in Jerusalem excavations, according to Hebrew University.
The items were found in a Byzantine public structure that fell into ruins.
These latest discoveries come after yet another exciting recent find by Mazar and her team. In July, they uncovered the earliest sample of written text ever found in Jerusalem. The piece that was discovered is part of a ceramic necklace jar — one that dates back to the time of Kings David and Solomon, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier this summer.
The relic emerged near the southern wall of the Old City.
It is significant mainly because the text, which is in the Canaanite language, is 250 years older than the earliest known Hebrew writings found in Jerusalem. This latter inscription dates back to the 8th century BC (read more about this discovery here: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/15/archeologists-uncover-king-david-and-solomon-era-inscription-the-oldest-text-ever-found-in-jerusalem/).
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article source: http://www.heritagedaily.com/2013/09/ophel-treasure-discovered-at-foot-of-temple-mount-by-archaeologists/98942
Header Image : A 10-cm gold medallion discovered in Hebrew University excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Etched into the medallion are a menorah (Temple candelabrum), shofar (ram's horn) and Torah scroll. (Photos by Ouria Tadmor)
Treasure" discovered at Foot of Temple Mount by archaeologists
In summer excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount, Hebrew University of Jerusalem archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar made a stunning discovery: two bundles of treasure containing thirty-six gold coins, gold and silver jewelry, and a gold medallion with the menorah (Temple candelabrum) symbol etched into it. Also etched into the 10-cm medallion are a shofar (ram's horn) and a Torah scroll.
A third-generation archaeologist working at the Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology, Dr. Mazar directs excavations on the City of David's summit and at the Temple Mount's southern wall. Calling the find "a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime discovery," Dr. Mazar said: "We have been making significant finds from the First Temple Period in this area, a much earlier time in Jerusalem's history, so discovering a golden seven-branched Menorah from the seventh century CE at the foot of the Temple Mount was a complete surprise."
The discovery was unearthed just five days into Mazar's latest phase of the Ophel excavations, and can be dated to the late Byzantine period (early seventh century CE). The gold treasure was discovered in a ruined Byzantine public structure a mere 50 meters from the Temple Mount's southern wall.
The menorah, a candelabrum with seven branches that was used in the Temple, is the national symbol of the state of Israel and reflects the historical presence of Jews in the area. The position of the items as they were discovered indicates that one bundle was carefully hidden underground while the second bundle was apparently abandoned in haste and scattered across the floor.
Given the date of the items and the manner in which they were found, Mazar estimates they were abandoned in the context of the Persian conquest of Jerusalem in 614 CE. After the Persians conquered Jerusalem, many Jews returned to the city and formed the majority of its population, hoping for political and religious freedom. But as Persian power waned, instead of forming an alliance with the Jews, the Persians sought the support of Christians and ultimately allowed them to expel the Jews from Jerusalem.
Hanging from a gold chain, the menorah medallion is most likely an ornament for a Torah scroll. In that case it is the earliest Torah scroll ornament found in archaeological excavations to date. It was buried in a small depression in the floor, along with a smaller gold medallion, two pendants, a gold coil and a silver clasp, all of which are believed to be Torah scroll ornamentations.
It would appear that the most likely explanation is that the Ophel cache was earmarked as a contribution toward the building of a new synagogue, at a location that is near the Temple Mount," said Dr. Mazar. "What is certain is that their mission, whatever it was, was unsuccessful. The treasure was abandoned, and its owners could never return to collect it."
The Ophel cache is only the third collection of gold coins to be found in archaeological excavations in Jerusalem, said Lior Sandberg, numismatics specialist at the Institute of Archaeology. "The thirty-six gold coins can be dated to the reigns of different Byzantine emperors, ranging from the middle of the fourth century CE to the early seventh century CE," said Sandberg.
Found with the coins were a pair of large gold earrings, a gold-plated silver hexagonal prism and a silver ingot. Remnants of fabric indicated that these items were once packaged in a cloth purse similar to the bundle that contained the menorah medallion.
Mazar's Ophel excavation made headlines earlier this year when she announced the 2012 discovery of an ancient Canaanite inscription (recently identified as Hebrew), the earliest alphabetical written text ever uncovered in Jerusalem.
The 2013 excavation season at the Ophel ran from the middle of April to the end of July, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University. The Israel Antiquities Authority is carrying out the preservation works, and is preparing the site for the public. The excavation site is situated within the Jerusalem National Park around the walls of Jerusalem of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and is administered by the East Jerusalem Development Company.
The Ophel project has been generously underwritten, since 2009, by Daniel Mintz and Meredith Berkman from New York. The entire project includes the archaeological excavations, the processing of the finds towards publication, as well as the preservation and the preparations of the site for its opening to the public.
Herbert W. Armstrong College in Edmond, Oklahoma supports Mazar's project by sending students to participate in the excavations.
About the Institute of Archaeology
The Institute of Archaeology was founded in 1934 as the Department of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1967 it became the Institute of Archaeology. Today the Institute is an independent research and teaching unit within the Faculty of Humanities, with a staff that provides administrative and scientific assistance as well as the technical facilities necessary to carry out its research projects. Academic programs include studies for B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in prehistoric, biblical and classical archaeology.
Contributing Source : University of Jerusalem
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE DO NOT EXIST
By JOSEPH FARAH, 7/11/2012 -- About Joseph | Archived Articles by Faraharticle source: http://www.wnd.com/2002/07/14501/
Truth does not change. Truth is truth. If something was true 50 years ago, 40 years ago, 30 years ago, it is still true today.
And the truth is that only 30 years ago, there was very little confusion on this issue of Palestine.
You might remember the late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir making the bold political statement: "There is no such thing as a Palestinian people."
The statement has been a source of ridicule and derision by Arab propagandists ever since. They love to talk about Golda Meir's "racism." They love to suggest she was in historical denial. They love to say her statement is patently false – an intentional lie, a strategic deception.
What they don't like to talk about, however, are the very similar statements made by Yasser Arafat and his inner circle of political leadership years after Meir had told the truth – that there is no distinct Palestinian cultural or national identity.
So, despite the fact that conventional wisdom has now proclaimed that there is such a thing as the Palestinian people, I'm going to raise those uncomfortable quotations made by Arafat and his henchmen when their public-relations guard was down.
Way back on March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview with Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:
The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.
For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan.
That's pretty clear, isn't it? It's even more specific than Golda Meir's statement. It reaffirms what I have written on this subject. And it is hardly the only such statement of its kind. Arafat himself made a very definitive and unequivocal statement along these lines as late as 1993. It demonstrates conclusively that the Palestinian nationhood argument is the real strategic deception – one geared to set up the destruction of Israel.
In fact, on the same day Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn in 1993, he explained his actions on Jordan TV. Here's what he said: "Since we cannot defeat Israel in war, we do this in stages. We take any and every territory that we can of Palestine, and establish a sovereignty there, and we use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel."
No matter how many people convince themselves that the aspirations for Palestinian statehood are genuine and the key to peace in the Middle East, they are still deceiving themselves.
I've said it before and I will say it again, in the history of the world, Palestine has never existed as a nation. The region known as Palestine was ruled alternately by Rome, by Islamic and Christian crusaders, by the Ottoman Empire and, briefly, by the British after World War I. The British agreed to restore at least part of the land to the Jewish people as their ancestral homeland. It was never ruled by Arabs as a separate nation.
Why now has it become such a critical priority?
The answer is because of a massive deception campaign and relentless terrorism over 40 years.
Golda Meir was right. Her statement is validated by the truth of history and by the candid, but not widely circulated, pronouncements of Arafat and his lieutenants.
Israel and the West must not surrender to terrorism by granting the killers just what they want – a public relations triumph and a strategic victory. It's not too late to say no to terrorism. It's not too late to say no to another Arab terror state. It's not too late to tell the truth about Palestine.
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