The Biblical Archaeologist - Vol.59, N.2

68 Pages·1996·25.26 MB·English

by  American Schools of Oriental Research

Perspectives on the Ancient World from Mesopotamiat o the Mediterranean Vol.59 No.2 June 1996
Should BA change its name?
The response to our reader survey has been overwhelming: more opinions than imagined and more ardor than
anticipated. Serials librarians, lifelong subscribers, long-tenured dirt archaeologists, and new fans have all
chimed in. A sample of comments follows, representing the breadth of views and depth of convictions among
BA's readers. More to come in the next issue, along with a tabulation of the survey results.
IT
;S"Z
* The problem I have seen with the name Biblical in the title is * The removal of Biblical from the title would be counterpro-
that many people think the magazine should only reflect ductive. For most people ,n our society the Bible provides
Christian interests. I always thought Biblical in the title meant their only contact with our-ancient Near-Eastern roots. Also,
areas spoken at in the Bible or at the same time periods of public sympathy and government support for this research
Bible happenings. Edna Toll, Westntinster,C alifornia often are based on the connection with biblical backgrounds.
* Please continue to focus on the cultures of the entire Near James E. Miller, Madison, Wisconsin
East and avoid emphasis on the Bible. * As a librarian responsible for cataloging journals, I am not in
* Biblical is not appropriate; expansion would be great. Content favor of name changes. A 60 yr. reputation and name recogni-
tion are important.
could still cover traditional topics. The title is too limiting for
the content. * Periodicals of all kinds change their names far too frequently
* In fact the magazine now deals with the history and region of apneldli nugs.u aLlliyb rtahreiairn sr eliakseo nms ef ocro mdopilnagin s ob eacraeu nseo tw vee rhya cvoem to- pro-
the Near East. The title should reflect this. Jane A. Barlow,
vide records so that people can find the information they
Massachusetts
Shiutesbury, need quickly and easily. As scholars, you should be the first
* To me BiblicalA rchaeologists ounds contradictory and too lim- to know the value of research. Please don't make it harder.
ited.
* It depends upon the motive. I imagine it is economic as much
* As the contents of each issue show, Biblical archaeology, i.e., as anything..... Perhaps even more than continued debate
the archaeology of Palestine, is only one of the many subjects over the possibility of a biblicala rchaeology.I n any case-any
being discussed. A change of the name would also indicate change from mission brings a change in the essential nature
cont. next page cont. next page
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . .. ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . ..... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .
Stronglya gree Stronglyd isagree
1 2 3 4 5
BA is a great name and should be maintained. IO I L I (cid:127)
The content of the magazine should focus on the Bible. IO H I I I
It's not too late to
register your opinion: Comments:
should Biblical
Archaeologiscth ange
its name or not?
What's your view?
II II
IIII-
that the unscientific holy alliance between of the organization. The original deire toproj e
biblical theology and archeology which was a "reliable account of archaeological di ~c ries as
the main reason for excavating in Palestine they relate to the Bible," from founder G.E. Wright
in the 19th and early 20th century has finally (BA 1 (1938):4), has always been the magazine's
been dissolved and not too early, since it has strength. The name describes that goal very effec-
obfuscated important historical facts. Gerd T. tively.
Schlos,T ucsonA, rizona
* The name should be kept because it is widely rec-
* The name Biblical Archaeologisti mplies a ognized and respected. To remove biblicalw ould
focus that we were correctly taught as stu- lessen the support and interest of the various faith
dents, the science of archaeology should not communities for whom the Bible is important, and
have; that is a specific, or apparent, agenda when would give BA a purely academic orientation. The pre-
dealing with cultural remains. Luciano Celentano, sent mix of articles gives the journal and its title their defi-
TorontoO, ntario nition for readers. The focus is on the Bible, but the depth of
field is very large. DouglasM . ParrottR, iversideC, alifornia
* Viewing and interpreting the entire Near East as an adjunct to
the Bible not only is an obscene and politically motivated I have no problem with the name Biblical Archaeologist.I t
endeavor, but it runs counter the spirit of peace in the mod- reflects journal's origin, its scholarly focus and the interests of
em Near East.A ntoineS ammanE, l SobranteC, alifornia its readers. Why change it? JamesM uhly, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
* The title is quite misleading. Very few of the articles are bibli-
cal in nature. Very few even inform of sites or situations that Even though Biblical Archaeologistn o longer accurately
are directly relatable to the Bible. If the current mix of articles describes the magazine's content, it should be retained. This
continues to predominate, it would be nice to change the title title accurately reflects the history of the discipline in the USA
to reflectc ontent. FrankeJ . ZollmanM, ount VernonO, hio and even if the field has fortunately reinvented itself, why
* I like its more scholarly tone than BAR. However, each has it hide from the past? Rather, the content of the magazine, with
special focus issues, etc., has successfully confronted the issue
place and I think the similarity of names has become confus- that we no longer study the ANE simply to illuminate biblical
ing to more of us interested in Near Eastern archaeology. Was studies. That says more than any title change could hope to,
actually discussing the confusion of names with a colleague and encapsulates the more modem approach. If the title BA is
last week! NancyB ernardG, reenwichC, onnecticut
dropped the publication will undoubtedly be dropped from
* The popular appeal of the magazine must seek to compete many seminary/theological institute libraries, just the audi-
with BAR without compromising its scholarly integrity. Few ence, and broadening target that needs to be reached. So,
scholars are well-read enough in both biblical studies and while title and content are no longer in lock-step, it is a con-
archaeological studies to write the kinds of "generalist" arti- tradiction that does not do violence to where the field came
cles that are needed for this appeal. M. Pierce Matheney, Kansas from, where it is, and where it is going.
City,M issouri
Place
Stamp
Here
Biblical Archaeologist
4500 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington DC 20016-5690
USA
Perspectiveosn the AncientW orldf romM esopotamitao the Mediterranean Vol.59 No.2 June1 996
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Perspectiveos n the AncientW orldf romM esopotamitao the Mediterranean Volume5 9 Number2
A Publicationo f the AmericanS choolso f OrientaRl esearch June1 996
74 TheS trangeS earchf ort he Asheso f the RedH eifer
page 74 Daniecl BrowninJgr, .
Never heardo f the "searchf or the asheso f the RedH eifer?"I s VendylJ onesa bsentf rom
the index of your latestb ook on the Dead Sea Scrolls?W hile occasioningm any a schol-
arlyb lanks tare,V endylJ onesa ndh is excavationsin the Caveo f the Columni n thev icinity
of Qumranh ave vast populara ppeal.W itha n idiosyncraticr eadingo f the CopperS croll,
Jonesc laims to know the hiding place of the ashes of the Red Heifer.H is excavations
have produced a substanceh e claims as the long-hidden remainso f the incense mix-
ture used in the JerusalemT emple.D o Jones'sc laimsh ave any merit?C an he be safely
ignoreda s a harmlessf oolo r do competenta rchaeologisthsa ve a responsibilityto respond
publiclyt o his assertions?
90 Terqaa ndt he Kingdomo f Khana
MarkC havalas
The ancienth istoryo f Syriab ecomesm orev ivid with each passing archaeologicasl ea-
son. Recente xcavationsa t Terqah ave addedn ew chapterst o the urbanizationo f the third
millenniuma s well as the competitiveO ld Babylonianp eriod. In the thirdm illennium
BCET erqas erved as an importantb ridge between coastal sites of the Mediterranean
and Mesopotamiap roper.I ts massive defensive system testifies to its strategici mpor-
tance.A fterM arif ell to Babylont, he twenty-acrete ll ruledm ucho f the middleE uphrates
and featureda largea dministrativec omplexa nd a temple of Ninkarrak.
104 BiblicalA rchaeologya nd the Press:S hapingA mericanP erceptionos f
Palestinei n the FirstD ecadeo f the Mandate
LawrenceD avidson
The work of archaeologistsin Palestinei n the 1920sc onstitutedb ig news: newspapers
such as TheN ew YorkT imest urned the story into one of dramatic proportions. The
press createda n "archaeologicatlh eater."S torieso f discovery took on a melodramatic
qualityt hate mphasizedt he universals ignificanceo f biblicala rchaeologyT. hea ct of exca-
vationb ecamet he confirmationo f the trutho f the Biblea nd its world-envelopingv ision.
How did this "theater"p lay in Peoria?I n subtlew ays, a temporalt ranspositionw as car-
out. Storiesd escribedt he biblicalp astw ith sufficientt heatricael ffectt o makei t more
i?(cid:127) *ried -.real thant he Arabp resent,w ith tangiblec onsequencesf or the futureo f Palestine.
115 The Disappearance of the Goddess Anat: The 1995 West Semitic Research
.
Projecto n UgariticE pigraphy
TheodoJr.Le ewis
i
1'5B (cid:127)(cid:127) The Syrianw arriord eity Anat:w as she a cannibalo r a lover with a "fatala ttraction?"
Thes lendere pigraphicc ordu pon which scholarsh ave long hung such depictionso f this
goddess has now been definitivelys evered.I n their photographo f the famous
(cid:127)Ugaritic tabletK TU1 .96,W estS emiticR esearchP roject'sU gariticp rojectp rincipalr esearchers
page 90 WayneT . Pitarda nd TheodoreJ . Lewis have provided the first epigraphicallyr eliable
:.
recordo f the tablet.V oilht:h e goddessA natd isappearsf romt he texta s does the certainty
of threea nd a half decadeso f scholarlyr econstructionos f her cannibalisticn ature.
122 The Enigmao f the Shekel Weightso f the Judean Kingdom
YigalfRonen
Inscribed stone and bronze shekel weights are a distinctive feature of Late Iron 11
Judahw here they were used to weigh pieces of silver in monetaryt ransactions.B ut a
curiousc ircumstanceh as always plagued theiri nterpretationT. he weights themselves
are arrangedi n a system of 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 40 shekels,b ut the hieraticn umer-
als inscribedo n thema re 1, 2,5,10,15, 20, 30, and 50. Anotherc uriosityh as neverb efore
been noticed: why does the system of weights employ base eight when people in
Judahc ountedb y units of ten or six?Y igalR onenc an solve both enigmas.
On the Cover:U gaitict ablet KTU1 .96, photographed by W. Pitarda nd T. Lewis as
part of West Semitic ResearchP roject'sU gariticp roject. This tablet has
traditonally offered one of the more colorful episodes for characterizingt he
nature of the goddess Anat. UnderW SP'sp hotographic lens, however, the name
Anat disappearsf rom the tablet and, with it, one vivid and scandalous aspect of
her personality.C WSRP
From the Editor
BiblicalArchaeologist
This issue of BA ranges from the tiny cuneiform impression made clear under a Perspectives on the Ancient World from
sharply focused camera lens to the subtle shaping of political perceptions manifest in Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean
splashy newspaper headlines. The articles expose the sometimes tenuous base but tena- Art DirectEodri Btourc Dkya vEiddg Cet. tH, LoupckkinyPs roductions
cious staying power of ideas, whether entrenched scholarly interpretations or broad Book Review Editor Michel Fortin
public opinion. Arti-Facts Editors Bruce and Carolyn Routledge
EditoriaAl ssistants
How many stories have been built like inverted pyramids on the sixty-year old read- MaryP etrinaB oyd,E llenR owseS pero
ing of a single cuneiform word? Believed to be mentioned at the opening of one Ugaritic EditoriaCl ommittee
tablet, the Canaanite divinity Anat became associated with some rather violent appetites. JefferyA . Blakely KennethG . Hoglund
Lewis and Pitard's photographic prestidigitation, conclusively re-reading the signs so ElizabethB loch-Smith DouglasA . Knight
that Anat's sobriquet disappears, ought to transform the goddess's reputation. We shall JB.eP t.sD yMr es. Bserly an GMlaorryiJa Lo aonnL deointh
see. It may well be that the tale of Anat's cannibalism or hearty sexual appetite is too ErnestS . Frerichs JodiM agness
salacious or grotesque to die, like some modern "urban legends" ("thumb found in pickle Ronald S. Hendel Gerald L. Mattingly
jar!!"). Anat's storied behavior may be too emblematic of an assumed cultural divide RichardS . Hess GaetanoP alumbo
between the Canaanites and the Israelites to be abandoned. Perhaps, on the other hand, Paul Zimansky
our growing consciousness of the involvement of scholarly constructs in political real- Sfourbi nscdriivpidtiuoanlsAsa nnndu $4a5ls u fobrsi cnrsitpittuiotinroa ntseT.s ah reer$ ei3 s5 a
ities will allow this new reading to move us toward a new valuation of the "'other" speciala nnualr ateo f $28f ors tudentst, hoseo ver
that has no need for de-humanizing contrast. 65, physicallyc hallengedo, r unemployedB. iblical
Such tendencies toward a more global vision were certainly not widespread in the Archaeologiiss ta lso availablea s parto f the
benefitso f someA SORm embershipca tegories.
early part of this century. The New YorkT imes'sp resentation of the archaeological "con- Postagef orC anadiana ndo theri nternational
quest" of Mandate Palestine offers an easy quarry for historian Lawrence Davidson's addressesi s an additiona$l 5. Paymentss hould
analysis of the newspaper's role in shaping the place of this land on the mental map of be sent to ASOR Membership/Subscriber
ServicesP, .O.B ox1 5399A, tlantaG, A3 0333-0399
public opinion. Lifting up the reality of Palestine's biblical past meant a corresponding (ph:4 04-727-2345B;i tnetS: CHOLARS@
devaluation of the life of its Arab present. In this archaeological theater, the Holy Land EMORYUI)V. ISA/Mastercard orders can be
acted as the underpinning of progressive Western civilization even as it was rescued phonedi n.
from the shackles of its "oriental" dereliction. Backi ssues Backi ssuesc anb e obtainedb y
The tendencies in TheN ew YorkT imes'sr eporting of biblical archaeology have hardly callingS PC ustomerS ervicesa t 800-437-669o2r
left us. The last time archaeology and the Bible were together on the Times's front page wArlpithinagr SePtt CaG,u Ast3 o0m2e3r9 S-e6r9v9ic6e.s , P.O. Box 6996,
(apart from the Dead Sea Scroll controversy), the headline read: "Archeologists Unearth PostmasterS enda ddressc hangest o Biblical
'Golden Calf' in Israel" (July 25, 1990; A 1:2). The WashingtonP ost's subsequent offering ArchaeologiAstS, ORM embership/Subscriber
of the same story casts TiheT ime'sa ccent in relief: "Possible Early 'Golden' Calf Found in ServicesP, .O.B ox1 5399A, tlantaG, A3 0333-0399.
Israel" (Jul 28, 1990; C 12:3). The change in the location of the quotation marks (the Second-clasps ostagep aid at AtlantaG, Aa nd
additionaol ffices.
find was indeed a calf, but not golden; it was cast of bronze with a partially preserved
silver overlay) immediately tones down the biblical associations. Similarly, the adjective Copyrigh?t 1996b y theA mericanS chools
of OrientaRl esearch.
"early" signals the fact that the diminutive figurine could itself have had nothing directly
to do with the Exodus narrative (the calf was interred at the end of the Middle Bronze II CorrespondenceA ll editoriacl orrespondence
shouldb e addressedt o BiblicaAl rchaeologi4s5t,0 0
period, ca. 1550 BCE).D oes The Times merely know better how to coin a catchy headline MassachusettAs venueN W,W ashingtonD, C
(cf., "The Goddess Anat Disappears") or does its portrayal of a verifiable biblical past 20016-569(0p h:2 02-885-869f9a;x :2 02-885-8605;
continue the paradigm, laid down in the 1920s, of religio-cultural identification with the ermegaairldd hinogspu kbinmsi@sscioanissf. ocroA mCr)ot.i r-rFeascptcosa nndb een sceen t
Holy Land? to Brucea nd CarolynR outledgeD, epartement
Both the manifest politics and the questionable archaeology of the "golden age of d'histoireU, niversiteL avalS, te-FoyQ, uebec,
biblical archaeology" have made most archaeologists circumspect about identifying con- CanadaG IK7 P4.
nections between the archaeological and biblical record. The Times's headline, BookR eviewsA ll booksf orr eviews houldb e
sent to:P rofessorM ichelF ortinD, epartement
however, confirms the continuing appeal of this world of ideas, an appeal that comes to d'histoireU, niversiteL avalS, te-FoyQ, uebec,
prominence in a figure such as the idiosyncratic religious leader Vendyl Jones. Archae- Canada G1K 7P4. Books entering Canada should
ologist Daniel Browning shows that Jones's search for the cultic treasures of Qumran's be marked: Educational Material for Review; No
Copper Scroll represents single-minded prospecting alloyed with self-serving transla- Commercial Value-GST Exempt.
tions of ancient texts. Yet many lay people will not have the wherewithal to evaluate Advertising Correspondence should be
addressed to Leigh Anderson, Scholars Press, P.O.
Jones's claims. The overt tie between his "archaeological" search and an incendiary reli- Box 15399,A tlanta, GA 30333-0399( ph: 404-727-
gio-political agenda makes scholarly silence about work that can "safely be ignored" 2327; fax:[phone]).A ds for the sale
potentially hazardous. Sound archaeological commentary on popular belief cannot be of antiquities will not be accepted.
evaded. BiblicalA rchaeologist (ISSN 0006-0895)i s
Archaeologists long for the clarity of the perfectly focused, composed, and published quarterly (March,J une, September,
December) by Scholars Press, 819 Houston Mill
exposed photo and also covet the front page prominence given to the artifact or site that Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, for the American
strikes a chord in the broader cultural story. Mostly we navigate the unstable waters Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR),3 301 North
between the two aspirations. Charles Street, Baltimore,M D 21218. Printed by
Cadmus JournalS ervices, Baltimore,M D.
Hw~~'
/Wh~L
The
Strange
Search
for the
Ashes
of the
Red
Heifer
Two views of 3Q15 CopperS croll,c ut 12,
showing column vi of the text with top
lighting. Owing to the curvatureo f the cut
piece, only the text on the right side of the
column is discerniblei n the left-hand photo.
The words spr chd( 7Mr A O) are clearly
visible in line 5. On the right, only the left
part of the text can be read;t he right edge
curvingu p toward the viewer.T he letters9 m
qll (tIn IV.), "there( isa ) qalal,"o n which
VendylJ ones bases his searchf or the Ashes
of the Red Heifer,c an be seen at the (left)
end of line 4. Photographsb y Brucea nd
KennethZ uckerman,W estS emiticR esearch
in collaborationw ith the Princeton
TheologicalS eminary.C ourtesyD epartment
of Antiquities,J ordan.
By Daniel C. Browning, Jr.
enormous popular appeal because of its eschatological allure
S5A PROFESSOORF RELIGIOANT A SMALLB APTISTC OLLEGiEn for various groups. This appeal is furthered by Jones's great
the South, I am frequently asked to speak in local charisma, both in person and through the secular and reli-
churches.W heneverp ossible,I use the opportu- gious media. A high level of awareness of his excavation
nity to talk about archaeology and the Bible, allow- efforts exists among certain elements of the religious public,
ing time for questions from the congregation. More often both Christian and Jewish. Since virtually no recognition
than not, someone in the group will ask about the "search of Jones's theories or excavation appears in scholarly or semi-
for the Ashes of the Red Heifer." They are referring to the scholarly publications, a tremendous information gap has
work of the controversial Vendyl Jones, who dug for a num- developed between scholars and lay persons on this issue.
ber of years in a cave at Qumran.J onesc laims that the Copper I decided to take on this investigation as an effort to bridge
Scroll indicates his cave is the hiding place of the ashes of the that gap. It is my hope that scholars will benefit from a review
Red Heifer. of the work of Vendyl Jones and that interested lay persons
While most scholars have ignored Jones's work, it has will receive a balanced and informed assessment as well.
74 BiblicalA rchaeologist5 9:2 (1996)
Temple. The Messiah, according to later tradition, will pre-
pare the tenth and last of the Heifers (Strikovsky 1972:13).
Indeed, there is a great deal of speculation about the possi-
bility of an eschatologicalr ole for the ashes in medieval Jewish
literature.
Vendyl Jones asserts that the Ashes of the Red Heifer were
hidden away along with other objectso f Israel'sc ult just prior
to the Temple'sd estructionb y the Romans in 70 CET. he recov-
ery of these items, he avows, will resulti n the re-establishment
of the Sanhedrin, the Levitical priesthood with the sacrificial
system, and the return of all observant Jews to the Land of
Israel (Researcher1 989:30).
Therea re political implications of Jones's scenario in addi-
tion to the religious ones. Jones points out that the second
sura of the Moslem Koran is entitled "The Cow." He
relates the sura's title to the Ashes of the Red Heifer and says,
VendylJ ones (right)s hown in Aprilo f 1992 at a Bedouin
encampmentn ear the north end of the Dead Sea. Photo by Larry According to Islamic interpretation, when The Cow is
Banks. found the nation in possession of the ashes of the Red
Cow will become head of all nations. All nations will then
The CopperS crolla nd the Asheso f the RedH eifer submit to that Holy Nation....Thus, the recovery of the
Jones's excavation efforts have their basis in his read- Red Cow will bring a true and lasting peace between
ing of certain passages in the enigmatic Copper Scroll, or all the Sons of Abraham (Researcher1 989:30;E llis 1981b).
3Q15 (see sidebar," TheC opper Scrolla nd the Worko f Vendyl
Jones"). One section of the scroll-the twenty-sixth Jones'sS earch
cache-lists items buried in the "Caveo f the Column,"i nclud- By his own account, Jones began working on the prob-
ing a vessel specifiedb y the Hebrew word qalalI. n the Mishnah lem of the location of the "Cave of the Column" while in
(Para3 :3) the word is used to describe a vessel which held Israel in 1967. The previous entry in the Copper Scroll (3Q15
the Ashes of the Red Heifer. Jones contends that the qalal v 12) referst o a nhlh kp, "WadiK ippa,"o r "Wadio f the Dome."
mentioned in the Copper Scroll is that vessel. Jones tells how he searched for other references to this wadi
The Red Heifer-more properly Red Cow-sacrifice is without success. A chance meeting, however, with Israeli
described in Numbers 19. The Cow was slaughtered outside archaeologist Pessach Bar-Adon was his lucky break. Bar-
the camp and burned. This process resulted in ashes which Adon had much experience in the Judean Wilderness (cf.
were mixed with spring water to produce the Watero f Purifi- Greenhut 1993). According to Jones (1993b; Seal 1992:142),
cation (Num 19:17-19). This solution was used for the in September of 1968 he was investigating the Qumran area,
ritual cleansing of anyone who became impure through con- newly acquired by Israel in the Six-Day War.A bove a short
tact with a dead body or any object which became polluted wadi, unnamed on Bar-Adon's maps of the area, Jones saw
by corpse contamination. The rite is unique in that, while a a dome-like formation in the rocks. Adjacent to the wadi
sacrifice, it was performed away from the altar of the sanc- he found twin cave openings. Jones was convinced that
tuary. Furthermore, though the process was intended to the wadi was the Wadi Kippa, and that the two cave entrances
remove impurity, individuals who contacted the Cow, its represented the "Cave of the Column" mentioned in the
ashes, or the water of purification were considered unclean Scroll.
(Num 19:7-10,2 1). The rabbis recognized that the enigmatic Initial examination of the site appeared to find the cave's
nature of the sacrifice provided the potential for scorn by bedrock floor. According to Jones, however, he noticed that
enemies of the Jews.' the ceiling and sides of the cave exhibited a "verticals trike"-
According to the Mishnah, the ashes were divided into that is, the layers of rock were not flat-while the cave
three parts: one was kept on the Rampart,o ne on the Mount floor was horizontal. With the help of some Arab boys, Jones
of Olives, and one divided among the twenty-four courses says, he dug through the floor which turned out to be
of priests (Para3 :11). The water for purification was mixed "concrete" and several feet below hit a plaster floor (Seal
from ashes placed in a jar (here called qalal)a t the entrance 1992:142).H e was determined to excavate the cave.
to the Temple Court. There is some indication that the ashes Although Jones is not a professional archaeologist, an
continued to be used after the destruction of the Temple and excavation license was obtained using Bar-Adon's standing,
into the Talmudic period. The Mishnah mentions there were an arrangement which continued through several seasons
only seven (according to Rabbi Meir) or nine (according to of digging. WithJ ones providing the money, excavationb egan
the Sages) Red Heifers burned (Para3 :5), it having become in 1977 with a few volunteers and continued with a larger
impossible to sacrifice more after the destruction of the group in 1982.M ost of the work involved the removal of tons
BiblicaAl rchaeologis5t9 :2 (1996) 75
A
nd Vicinity
A-gQumran
OilJuglet Cave
3Q'3
/ Cave of the Column
Jericho .
If
1?
The twin entrances of the "Caveo f the Column"f lankingt he lai
"column"o f rockt hat separatest hem. Though referredt o as a single
Qu ra
cave, the two entrancesd o not actuallyg ive accesst o the same , Khirbet
cavity.T he entrancesh ave been greatly enlarged by the excavations
of VendylJ ones from 1977 to 1989. Photo by LarryB anks.
ZEn Gedi
10 IN
43
of rock that had collapsed from the ceiling onto the cave The environs of Qumrana nd the Caveo f the Column,e xplored by
floors. Digging was concentratedi n the more northerno pen- VendylJ ones. Other names mentioned in the text are shown, as well
ing, since the Copper Scroll entry specifies the "northern as the IsraelG rid.M ap by Daniel Browning.
entrance"a s the location of the cache which includes the qalal.
Finds were limited to small amounts of pottery and flint. of iridescent aura of blue sky" ([Jones] 1988a:1-6), at the
Nevertheless, Jones related a sand-filled pit and large flat entrance to the passage into the column. Jones related this
stones to his reading of the Copper Scroll and thus provided effect to "the blue opening" in his reading of column I of the
an impetus for another season of excavation (Ellis 1982a- Copper Scroll. This fueled hopes that the excavation was on
h). In 1983, excavation continued, primarily in a "passage the right track and that the excavator would find the ashes
between the two caves as described in the scroll" ([Jones] during the following season. Jones resumed the excavation
1983). At the end of the season, the danger of collapse during the firsth alf of 1989-still in cooperationw ith Patrich-
made further excavation of this passage impossible (Baker but with disappointing results in the Cave of the Column
1983:116). ([Jones] 1989:2-3).
Bar-Adon died in 1985, leaving Jones without the archae- In the meantime, Patrich continued to explore nearby
ologist needed to obtain the excavation license. Nevertheless, caves. In 1988 one of them produced a juglet from the first
Jonesw as able to work alone for the 1986s eason, which ended century CE which still contained a fluid. The substance
in disappointment. Jones eventually began a relationship may be balsam oil, produced from the now extinct balsam
with Joseph Patrich, who wanted to reexamine other caves tree (Patrich and Arubas 1989). Patrich announced the find
in the Qumran area. Jones provided the money, Patrich pro- to the media in February 1989 and it made headlines around
vided the necessary credentials, and a license was obtained. the world. Though Patrich barely mentioned the involve-
Patrich and a small staff-paid with Jones's funds-worked ment of Jones and his Institute for Judaic Christian Research
in other caves (Patrich 1989:32-42), while Jones continued (IJCR),J2o nes got considerable local press because of the find
excavation of the Cave of the Column in 1988. Tremendous (e.g., Lewis 1989:1, 11). Jones refers to the oil as the per-
amounts of rock were removed using an innovative conveyor fume of Achor, the "Holy Anointing Oil used in the
system. Jones interpretedt he lines in the Copper Scrolli mme- Temple...called shemen afarsimon," claiming-without ref-
diately after the mention of the qalal (3Q15 vi 7-10; see erence-that, "theC opper Scrolln ames this perfume as being
comparative translations in sidebar) as instructions to dig one of the items hidden in the caves of the Valley of
nine cubits under a large stone to locate a passage into the Achor" ([Jones] 1989b:1-2).
"column" separating the two entrances of the cave. Using The quest resumed in 1992 with two significant changes.
this understanding as a guide, digging began under a First, Jones terminated his relationship with Joseph
large stone and excavators followed a passage into the col- Patrich, primarily because of a financial dispute. This left
umn until it was impossible to continue. Thus ended the 1988 Jones without a qualified Israelia rchaeologistt hrough whom
season. After the volunteers returned to the U.S., Jones claims to gain an excavationl icense.3A lso, the excavationw as shifted
to have seen a "blue aura," created by "a beautiful diffusion to a smaller cave, which lay slightly to the north and at about
76 BiblicaAl rchaeologi5st9 :2( 1996)
with the view toward the east dig three
cubits and there is the kalal and under
it one book" (Researche1r9 92:9)A. search
during the 1989 season had indeed dis-
covered an opening "with a view toward
the east." This cave was dubbed "the
North Entrance to the Cave of the
Column," and the 1992 work was con-
centrated there.
At the mouth of the cave, excava-
tion revealed a rock-covered,r amp-like
buildup of debris that seemed to be laid
by human activity.T his overlaid a rock-
lined pit that terminated in the bedrock
floor at the mouth of the cave. A lens of
red materiala t the bottom of the pit con-
tinued over the floor and filled a shallow
trench-like cavity. Marvin Antelman, a
rabbi and chemical consultant at the
Weizman Institute's Department of
Nuclear Physics, analyzed the mater-
A (left) Officialso f the IsraelA ntiquitiesA uthoritya nd VendylJ ones (right)i nspectt he ial, which appeared to be organic in
southwesterne ntrance of the Caveo f the ColumnA pril1 ,1992. Photo by LarryB anks. nature. Based on the results Jones
held a press conference at the cave on
A (right)T he southwestern entrance to the Cave of the Column( upper left). The figures at 8 May 1992, at which Antelman
lower right stand in the opening of a "passageb etween the two caves"g oing into the announcedt hath e was "80%c/oon vinced"
"column"o f rocks eparatingt he two entrances.I nw hat amounted to tunneling, tons of rock that the substance represented the
were removedf rom this area in 1988 using a conveyors ystem.P hoto by Daniel Browning. remains of the incense mixture used in
the Temple (Griffin 1992a:28;1 992b:13)
The 1992 excavation ended in controversy.T wo days after
the press conference, the Israel Antiquities Authority moved
to shut down the excavation on the grounds that a permit
had not been issued-because a qualified Israeli archaeolo-
gist was not involved in the project (JerusalemP ost 1992:28).
While the media reportedt hat the excavation was shut down,
Jones claims to have continued digging "to the very end, plus
four days!" ([Jones] 1992).
Since 1992, Jones has concentrated on the north end of
the Dead Sea, where he locates the site of ancient Gilgal. Jones
announced his intent to utilize remote sensing equipment to
"determine exactly where the Tabernacleo f Moses actually
stood" and "recover the complete Tabernacle so that it can
be placed in its original position" ([Jones]1 993:1-2).B etween
Februarya nd May of 1994, Jones explored the area with vol-
unteers and claims to have discovered the exact location of
Worka t the "NorthernE ntrancet o the Cave of the Column,"A pril2 , the Tabernacle,u sing "satellite imagery."T he work was con-
1992. The originals mallo pening was enlarged duringV endylJ ones's ducted in a security zone under the authority of the Israeli
excavationsa roundt he cave'se ntrance.V iew to south-southwest. military.N o Israeli archaeologists or the Antiquities Author-
Photo by LarryB anks. ity were involved. According to an IJCRn ewsletter (IJCR
1994), "Vendyl and some of the excavation team were able
the same level as the Cave of the Column. This move was to walk directly to the SE corner and, using the anomalie [sic]
based on a different reading of the Copper Scroll advo- rods, were able to obtain approximate measurements."
cated by Jones's then-wife, Zahava Cohen. Instead of giving The team defined an enclosure and immediately interpreted
instructions to dig "at the north entrance," the lines fol- it as the boundary of the Tabernacle. In places, the wall
lowing mention of the Cave of the Column (3Q15v i 3-5) were was exposed on the surface and further exposed by exca-
now taken to read: "At the entrance on the side by the north vation. They found a pottery sherd, tentatively dated to
BiblicaAl rchaeologis5t9 :2( 1996) 77
the "2nd Bronze Age." Jones announced his discovery to the < A rock-covered
media, saying that the discovery is "greatert han Troy,g reater slope at the mouth
than Pompeii" (O'Sullivan 1994). of the "Northern
This new effort-despite initial appearances-is related Entrancet o the
to the search for the ashes. Jones has always maintained that Caveo f the
his discovery of the ashes would lead to the discovery of the Column,"a s
Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle and, hence, to the exposed on April
re-establishment of the sacrificial system (Ellis 1981a; Grif- 2,1992. Thisw as
fin 1992b:13).J ones earlier envisioned this process unfolding part of a buildup
on the Temple Mount (Ellis 1981c), apparently accepting a that appeared to be
theory which places the Second Temple somewhat north laid by human
of the present mosque (Kaufman 1983:40-59). This theory activityo ver a pit
is quite popular with both Christiana nd Jewish groups whose found to contain a
eschatology envisions an imminent rebuilding of the Tem- red materialw ith
ple. Regardless, any attempt to establish a Jewish religious an organic
presence on the Temple Mount-the exact location notwith- appearance. Photo
standing-would provoke a crisis in Jerusalem. by LarryB anks.
In recenty ears,h owever, Jonesh as used a variety of proof- V Dismantlingo f
texts to insist that when he finds the Tabernacle,i t must be the rock-covered
restored in Gilgal rather than Jerusalem. He now claims slope or ramp in
(1992d:10; 1993b) that the Copper Scroll twice mentions front of the "NorthernE ntrancet o the Caveo f the Column,"A pril4 ,
the Tabernacle in conjunction with the Cave of the Col- 1992. The size of the stones comparedt o the fracturedr ock behind
umn. Jones also cites a tradition (2 Macc 2:4-5) that the and above the seated figure was one indicationt hat the buildup
Tabernacle was hidden away by Jeremiah in a cave on Mt. might be the resulto f human activity.T he white-painted line on the
Nebo along with the Ark of the Covenant and other objects rockf ace indicatest he originalg round level before excavation.
of Israel's cult. He proposes (1992d:10-11)t hat the Essenes Photo by LarryB anks.
moved these objectsf rom Mt. Nebo and hid them in the Cave
of the Column, along with the Ashes of the Red Heifer.
Assessment
What is one to make of all this? Is the search for the ashes
a legitimate venture? Although it is difficult to give a quick
and fair appraisal of Jones's efforts, they may be chal-
lenged at several points. We shall begin with Jones's
interpretation of the Bible and rabbinical literature.
Biblical Interpretation
According to Jones, the Bible predicts that a Gentile will
find the ashes and restoret he Tabernacle.H is principal proof-
text is Amos 9:9-12,w here the prophet delivers God's promise
of restoration to Israel. The key verses are 11 and 12. The
Authorized Versiono f verse 11 reads: "In that day will I raise
up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the to the restorationo f the Tabernacle,b ut rathera prediction of
breaches thereof;a nd I will raise up his ruins, and I will build the restoration of the kingly line of David. Indeed, this is
it as in the days of old."J ones (1992d:11t)a kes this as a promise the emphasis of Acts 15:16,w here Amos 9:11-12i s quoted by
that the physical Tabernaclew ill be restored.T he word trans- James. Jones (1992d:11)g oes on to cite Amos 9 as evidence
lated "tabernacle,"h owever, is sukkahm, eaning "booth/hut," that Gentiles will actually carry out the restoration of the
rathert han the normal word used for the Tabernacle,m ifkan. Tabernacle,r eading the last phrase of verse 12, "Thus saith
Nowhere is sukkahu sed as a direct reference to the Taberna- the L-rd, all the Gentiles which are called by my name
cle. Thus, most recent translations render the verse: "In that doeth this." "Doeth" translates a singular participle which
day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair must refer to the action of the Lord, not that of the Gentiles.
its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the In addition, the phrase "says the LORD,i"s used to emphasize
days of old;" (RSV). The Septuagint (LXX)a nd Acts 15:16, and punctuate several significant statements in Amos 9.
which quotes the verse, use the Greek skene,w hich means The word "does this"i s found after "says the LORDa"n d mod-
tent. This Greek word is also used in the LXX to refer to the ifies Lord rather than the more remote "Gentiles." This is
Tabernacle, but usually with modifiers (i.e., "the Tent of reflected in every major translation, such as the RSV,w hich
Testimony").I n any case, the Amos passage is not a reference reads, "'that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all
78 BiblicaAl rchaeologis5t9 :2( 1996)