Israel has opened to the public an underground archaeological exhibit near Jerusalem’s most sensitive shrine, drawing fire from Palestinians who say the project endangers the foundations of the holy site.Israel’s opening of an archaeological tunnel near al-Haram al-Sharif, the site of the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque where the biblical Jewish Temples once stood, sparked Palestinian anger in 1996. Sixty-one Arabs and 15 Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes.
The “Chain of Generations Center” took over 10 years to construct and recently opened its doors to visitors for the first time. Among the attractions is a Jewish ritual bath dating to the 1st century which was discovered during building work.
The site runs parallel to Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall, in the Israeli-annexed Old City of Jerusalem. Palestinians have long opposed Israeli excavations in the area, asserting it could weaken al-Haram al-Sharif’s foundations.
An organization created by the Israeli government said the center was founded to highlight Jerusalem’s central role in over 3,000 years of Jewish history. The display uses glass sculptures and a light and laser show.
Arieh Banner, an official with Israel’s Western Wall Heritage Foundation which runs the site, said: “It is the first discovery of a ritual bath from the Second (Jewish) Temple in the area of the Western Wall.”
The remains of Crusader walls and an ancient aqueduct, also unearthed during building work, are part of the exhibit.
“Such archaeological finds have not been discovered so close to the Western Wall before,” Banner said
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
The article is interesting, but do you need to repeat the non-Jewish news agency’s constant reference to the Har HaBayis as “al-Haram al-Sharif”, as well as their reference to “Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem”? Also, the Kosel is not “Judaism’s holiest site”, the Har Habayis itself is (I know, this is a regular error made by non-Jewish sources, but do you have to repeat it?).
A Ksiva VaChasima Tova,
IsraeliYid