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Tuesday, June 04, 2019

The Ketef Hinnom Archeological Garden

RENOVATION: Where the ancients left their dead: A walk through history in downtown Jerusalem. Newly opened urban park Ketef Hinnom and its surroundings combine history, nature and stunning views in the heart of the capital (Aviva and Shmuel Bar-Am, Times of Israel).
Over half a dozen rock-hewn burial caves that served Jerusalemites during the First Temple Period and for some time after the temple’s destruction in 586 BCE are located on the main road that once passed between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Today found behind the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, at the beginning of David Remez Street, the caves are the site of one of this country’s most important archeological finds: the earliest biblical text ever discovered.
For many past PaleoJudaica posts on the silver amulets excavated at Ketef Hinnom, start here (cf. here) and follow the links. It is good to hear that the site is now being well maintained as a park. It was not always so.

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