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Egyptian Revolt. In 486 bce, while the Persians were amassing their forces for the war against Hellas, news arrived at the Persian court that a new rebellion had broken out in Egypt (Herodotus 7.1, 3). Shortly after that Darius died (cf. Lecoq 1997:255, §4, n. 2) and was succeeded by the eldest son of his royal wife (Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus II; Herodotus 7.3.4), viz. Xerxes (Old Per. Xßayœrßœ; Akkad. Ùißi’arßa’; Elam. Ikßer’ißßa; Gk. Xe/rxhß; Heb. ‘a˙aßw®rôß). Meanwhile, a business document from Babylon attests to a certain IÙu-ta-x-x-‘ A-ßú ßá IPa-ga-ka-an-na L¨pa-≈a-tu4 E.KI ù e-bé-ri ^D = IÙuta–‘ apilßu ßa IPagakanna pœ≈œtu Bœbaili u Eber Nœri, “Ùutta–‘ son of Pagakanna governor of Babylon and Beyond the River” (BM 74554:1_3; Stolper 1989:284). The date of the transaction, ITUKIN UD.24.KæM MU.36.KæM IDa–ri-iá-muß LUGAL E.KI u KUR.KUR.MEÍ = Ul∑lu ∑m 24 ßanat 36 IDariyawuß ßar Bœbili u mœtœti, “Month of Ul∑lu, day twenty-four, year thirty-six of Darius king of Babylon and of the lands” (BM 74554:20_22), proves that the provinces of Babylon and Beyond the River had not been separated yet, and they were still under one satrap (Stolper 1992).

OSTRACA FROM THE OPHEL

Ói[z]qîyœhû son of Q‹rœ’œh son of ͺreß. Buqqîyœhû
 A˙îyœhû son of “Sandy” son of ‘Amaqyœ[hû].
 . . . ]yœhû son of Qry son of ‘Amaqyœhû

œ

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There’s a joke in Israel that you can’t dig a hole in the ground without uncovering a major historical discovery. And it’s true! In most countries, important archaeological finds are rare, in Israel, significant and unusual finds are just a way of life.

Last year was a bumper year for archaeology, with the discovery of new Dead Sea Scroll fragments in the Judean Desert. Archaeologists believe more of these precious documents could still be found during renewed excavations in the Indianan Jones-sounding “Cave of Skulls.” The cave is named for the seven human skulls discovered there by Professor Yohanan Aharoni in 1960.  

While finds on that level are rare, since the start of 2017, there have been a host of other exciting discoveries. These include a 1,400-year-old coin hoard uncovered during excavations in the widening of Highway 1, which runs between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. 

The nine bronze coins, struck at three different mints in Constantinople, Antioch and Nicomedia, bear the images of three important Byzantine emperors: Justinian (483-565 AD), Maurice (539-602 CE) and Phocas (547-610 CE). They were found beneath the ruins of a building, part of a large complex near En Hemed, that experts believe served Christian pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem.

  Before the Mei Shemesh Corporation water company installed a pipeline in Bet Shemesh, the firm organized a salvage excavation to make sure it wasn’t operating in an archaeological site. This being Israel, it was! During the excavation, archeologists discovered a well-preserved 2,000-year-old road dating back to the Roman period. 

This road, which is being conserved in situ for everyone to enjoy, measured up to six-meters-wide and ran for 1.5 kilometers. The newly discovered road linked the Roman settlement of Bit Nativ with the main highway known as the “Emperor’s Road.” which connected the large settlements of Eleutheropolis (Bet Guvrin) and Jerusalem.  

Sometimes, people literally stumble on new discoveries. This happened to three hikers who were visiting caves in the Judean Shephelah. While they thought they were just checking out some hidden caves, they actually discovered a seven-branched Menorah and a cross hewn in the chalk bedrock.

The menorah has a base with three feet and represents the menorah that stood in the Temple during the Second Temple period. The cave also yielding another engraving, a key, along with other, as yet, unidentified carvings, giving archaeologists something new to puzzle over.

Just when you think there can be nothing left to discover, yet another important find comes to light. Who knows what other incredible discoveries will soon be uncovered. 

By Danielle Max

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In the past, some believed it was the rose of Sharon from the Song of Songs, others argued it was the white Madonna lily (Lillium). The consensus today identifies the lily of the field as the crown anemone (Anemone Coronaria), a flower associated with the Crucifixion in various traditions.   

Some representations of the Crucifixion depict clusters of anemones growing close to or even right under the cross. One belief even holds that the flowers derive their fiery, blood-red color from the blood of Christ dripping down the crucifix onto the earth below. 

In Israel, anemones flower during the rainy season and blossom until March or April. During their brief flowering, they carpet entire swathes of the land of Israel a deep fiery red, making “flower peeping” a seasonal national pastime with hundreds of thousands of people descending on the northern Negev to see the blooms.

If you go anemone viewing, make sure you are looking at the right flower and not a seasonal lookalike. It’s easy to confuse the crown anemone with other red flowers, including the Persian buttercup (Ranuculus asiaticus) and the Semitic poppy (Papaver umbonatum) that blossom around the same time.

The easiest way to distinguish between them is to count their petals. The crown anemone usually has six, the Persian buttercup five and the Semitic poppy four. But to make sure nature is not playing a trick on you, you need to look a little closer.

Once the crown anemone has been pollinated (by beetles and not by bees or other insects), it develops a white ring at the base of its petals. The poppy develops black spots and the Persian buttercup’s petals stay fiery red.  

Given the sheer quantity of flowers that can be seen today, it’s hard to believe this little wildflower was once so loved it was nearly picked into extinction. Thankfully, a law was passed in the 1960s that prohibits picking anemones and other wildflowers, such as the cyclamen, leaving them to be enjoyed in their natural setting, neither toiling, nor spinning, for generations to come.

  Find out more in Sacred Flowers, Holy Trees & Blessed Thorns: Fifty Plants in the Life of Jesus by Ami Tamir 

By Danielle Max

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The enigma of the Lupinus Pilosus carpets occupies botanists to this day, and it seems that the answer lies in the flower’s seed dispersal. Animals avoid eating the seeds due to their toxicity and bitterness and therefore don’t take part in the dispersal process. The seeds of the Lupinus Pilosus are especially big and heavy, so the wind can’t help either. The secret of the flower’s seed dispersal lies in its great weight and that is what causes the dispersal to be limited to its immediate surroundings. This is a strategy opposite to that of most plants who tend towards widespread dispersal. On this account, the one responsible for the dispersal of the Lupinus Pilosus seeds is Newton himself. Remember, the one behind the gravitational theory? This dispersal type is called by botanists “stain dispersal”, moving from the center outwards, while the stain’s radius grows larger year by year. Obviously, seeds that fall and blossom within the stain’s perimeter would be those that cause its growth.

Like many other plants of the Fabaceae Family, the Lupinus also carries a siliqua. The two valves of the siliqua are in the shape of a coil, and that way when the siliqua dries and cracks, it acts as a spring, firing the seeds from within. However, due to their great weight, the seeds would land close to the original plant. The growth pace of the Lupinus Pilosus is rapid, occupying a wide area (half a meter in width and height) from the moment it sprouts, that doesn’t leave much of a chance to competition. The rapid growth of the plant, thanks to its capability to maximize the absorbance of the sun’s rays – is a scarce commodity in a somewhat cloudy season. The leaves of the Lupinus Pilosus are shaped like a spread hand, some say similar to the Cannabis leaves.  When observing them during the day, it is apparent that they can trace the sun’s path in the sky by turning their broad leaves toward the sun.
As mentioned, the Lupinus Pilosus is a type of Fabaceae in the Faboideae Family. There are seven species of the Genus Lupinus in the Holy Land, the main difference among them being the color of the flowers – blue, white, purple and even yellow. Their prominence is due to their inflorescence that can reach up to twenty flowers per plant, each of which is quite small but together they create a “billboard” that is seen from a distance. When examining the flower closely, one can see that along the sail shape created by the top petals, there is a white patch that turns pink-red with time. The changing of the color depends on the flower’s age and its location on the flower head – upper ones are the newly opened and the bottom ones are already aging. However, it appears that the changing and reddening of the patch depends on pollination. The changing of the color signals the pollinators not to over-visit a flower that has already been pollinated, and that way spare the energy needed to visit flowers that have not yet been pollinated. It is a way of communication between the pollinators and the pollinized that developed through evolution. Indeed, wonderful are the ways of nature.

Although the Lupinus flowers have no nectar, all sorts of bugs and especially bees are attracted to them and get in return plenty of food in the form of protein and fat from eating the stamens. However, it is important to know that most of the pollination in the Lupinus is self-pollination.

 By: Ami Tamir  

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A 2,000 Year Old Road was Exposed Near Bet Shemesh

 In an archaeological excavation that was carried out prior to the installation of a water pipeline
at the initiative of the Mei Shemesh Company, and the Israel Antiquities Authority
plans to conserve the road which passes close to the Israel National Trail

 A wide and impressive 2,000 year old road dating to the Roman period, in an extraordinary state of preservation, was revealed last February in archaeological excavations of the Israel Antiquities Authority near Highway 375. The excavation was conducted prior to laying a water pipeline to Jerusalem, at the initiative of, the Bet Shemesh water corporation “Mei Shemesh”. Students from “Ulpanat Amit Noga” in Ramat Bet Shemesh volunteered to participate in the dig.

According to Irina Zilberbod, director of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The road that we discovered, which 2,000 years ago passed along a route similar to Highway 375 today, was up to 6 meters wide, continued for a distance of approximately 1.5 kilometers, and was apparently meant to link the Roman settlement that existed in the vicinity of Beit Natif with the main highway known as the “Emperor’s Road”. That road was in fact a main artery that connected the large settlements of Eleutheropolis (Bet Guvrin) and Jerusalem. The construction of the Emperor’s Road is thought to have taken place at the time of Emperor Hadrian’s visit to the country, circa 130 CE, or slightly thereafter, during the suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 132-135 CE. The presence of a milestone (a stone marking distances) bearing the name of the ……..  

Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority 

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Temple Mount view 

To many people, a visit to Jerusalem means the Old City, and, with so much to discover in the one square kilometer (0.4 square mile) where history, culture and religion rub up against each other in such close quarters, who can blame them?

But walk anywhere in Jerusalem and chances are, you are walking on thousands of years of continuous history.

To pinpoint sites outside of the Old City, Carta has created the Jerusalem Biblical Archaeology map. The easy-to-use map details all of Jerusalem’s archaeological sites, from the well-known to the more obscure.

This new map covers the major eras from the Old Testament and earlier up to the Islamic Period, allowing visitors to trace the development of the city from its earliest known times to the modern day.

To find the old in the new, the Jerusalem Biblical Archaeology map fits over Carta’s Map of Jerusalem, for easy location of the ancient sites in the modern city.

And there are unexpected finds in unexpected places.

Malha may be the site of one of Israel’s best shopping malls, but it was once also the site of two large Bronze Age agricultural villages. The Israel Museum and the Bible Lands Museum are full of archaeological finds, but to see discoveries in situ, take a short stroll to the Wohl Rose Garden to examine several rock-cut tombs from the Second Temple Period. or, head over to Gilo Park to discover an ancient wine press and other agricultural installations.

Jerusalem has many secrets and hidden treasures, so, step outside the walls and explore some of the city’s abundant archaeological attractions.

Danielle Max

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Mordechai Cogan,, PhD, is professor emeritus of Biblical History at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has written widely on the political and cultural connections between ancient Israel and the empires of the ancient Near East.

He is the author of many studies and books, among them: The Raging Torrent: Historical Inscriptions from Assyria and Babylonia Relating to Ancient Israel—A Carta Handbook (2nd edition); Bound for Exile: Israelites and Judeans Under Imperial Yoke, Documents from Assyria and Babylonia—A Carta Handbook; Imperialism and Religion; commentaries in the Anchor Bible series on 1 Kings; 2 Kings (with Prof. Hayim Tadmor); commentaries in Hebrew in the Mikra Leyisrael (Bible for Israel) series on Obadiah; Joel; Nahum; and 1 and 2 Kings (in press).

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The Persian Cyclamen (Cyclamen Persicum) may be modest in stature and humble in appearance, but this little flower has an intimate connection to the Virgin Mother in its shape, coloring and even delicate scent.

The shape is said to represent a girl humbly bowing her head among rocks. This image, of a bowing head, has become a symbol of the Pietà, the artistic depiction of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Jesus. The head titled downwards expresses grief and agony while the heart-shaped leaves represent Mary’s aching heart.

The red stain at the edges of the blossoms symbolize Mary’s “bleeding” heart. As Simeon prophesied, “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:35).

Even the smell is connected to Mary. One of the Arabic names of the flower is bakhur Miriam—Mary’s incense.

This deep connection to the Virgin explains why vases brimming with cyclamen are often found in churches dedicated to Mary.

The cyclamen is also associated with King Solomon who wore a crown decorated with cyclamen blossoms—giving the flower one of its Hebrew names Netzer Shlomo (King Solomon’s Crown).

According to legend, Solomon’s crown accompanied the Jews into exile after the destruction of the First Temple. But, the flowers were so upset at the loss of the Temple they bent their heads in sorrow and will only rise again when a son of David is on the throne and the crown returned to Jerusalem.

Despite its association with sorrow and agony, in 2007, the cyclamen (rakefet in Hebrew) became Israel’s national flower. It is such an integral part of Israel’s culture there is even a song dedicated to it (see the translated lyrics here).

During the times of its peak blossoming time from January to March, millions of people head out into nature to enjoy the carpets of delicate white, pink and purple blooms. While one of the best—and most popular—viewing spots is at Cyclamen Hill in Ramot Menashe Park, near Megiddo, the shy, modest cyclamen can be found dotted among the rocks throughout the country.

Find out more in Sacred Flowers, Holy Trees & Blessed Thorns: Fifty Plants in the Life of Jesus by Ami Tamir. 

Danielle Max

Related Images:

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