Eilat Mazar on temple architecture surviving on Temple Mount

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar has a radio interview with Aaron Klein in which she discusses the archaeology of the Temple Mount at some length. The interview is linked to and excerpted by WorldNetDaily.

2nd Jewish Temple just 'waiting to be unearthed'
Archaeologist 'absolutely sure' structure beneath Jerusalem's holy mount

Posted: June 05, 2011
6:11 pm Eastern

© 2011 WND

One of the most prominent Israeli archaeologists declared today that remains from the First and Second Jewish Temple period – including the Second Temple itself – lie underneath the Temple Mount surface, just waiting to be excavated.

Dr. Eilat Mazar of Hebrew University accused the site's Islamic custodians of destroying Jewish artifacts while attempting to turn the Temple Mount into a "giant mosque."

"I think we will find all the remains starting from the First Temple period and remains of the Temple itself," said Mazar, a third-generation archeologist. "I mean, no one took it out, it's there."

Mazar said she is "absolutely sure" remains from the First and Second Temple periods, including "the Second Temple itself," as well as later remains from the Byzentine and early Islamic periods, are just under the surface of the Temple Mount.

Continued Mazar: "I am absolutely sure, in light of my very rich experience excavating Jerusalem for 30 years now, all these remains are waiting to be revealed. And if it can't be done nowadays because of all kinds of sensitivities, at least we should take care that it won't be ruined for future excavations when time comes."

Mazar was speaking in an interview with "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on New York's WABC Radio.

[...]

How much of the earlier temple architecture remains in the Herodian Temple Platform depends very much on how thoroughgoing Herod's renovation of the Second Temple was. If it amounted to clearing the site and putting up a third, much grander temple, then there may not be much architecture in the fill. There's no way to tell at present. That said, I completely agree that "at least we should take care that it won't be ruined for future excavations when time comes" and have frequently said the same thing, adding that future non-invasive and non-destructive technologies may allow us to scan and explore what's there without damaging it.

More on the State Comptroller's partially suppressed report here.

For the Temple Mount Sifting Project go here and follow the links at the bottom of the post.

That 2007 Waqf excavation was noted here, here, and here.

The Gedaliah bulla is discussed here. As Joe Lauer noted, the WND article above mistranslates Jeremiah 38:6: the reference should be to "Malchiah the son of the king."

(HT Gerald Rosenberg and Joseph I. Lauer.)