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Israeli archaeologists find 2,000-year-old mansion linked to historic queen
Associated Press
Published: 06.12.07, 10:56
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17 Talkbacks for this article
1. Olmert will give it to the Arabs
russel ,   tlv   (12.06.07)
even though its proof Jlem is ours
2. those "ritual baths" are not Jewish by default
observer   (12.06.07)
surprise!, those were Roman baths NOT mikvahs; As an important part of Roman life, the baths were not just in Rome itself, but in the way it was perceived in its colonies. For example, at the fortress of Masada in Israel, there are the remains of baths built by King Herod. Part of the baths complex is a mikvah, but a large part is a version of a Roman bath - because bath culture was high culture, and Herod wanted to be a part of it. It is interesting how costly was it to follow the "civilized" world, affording water for a bath in the middle of the desert. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/roman/day.html Similarly, the great Egyptian pyramids are NOT Jewish-made by default, because Jews only existed there a thousand years after those pyramids were built.
3. A D????? Anno whose Domini??
M. Hartley ,   Atlanta, US   (12.06.07)
This has nothing to do with the gist of the article which to me is fascinating from a historical standpoint, but I find it odd to see "A D" in a Jewish publication. "Anno Domini" and "Before Christ" may have been universally accepted terms at one time and before there was a Jewish State. It may still be so to Christians and other non-Jews, but wouldn't it be more a propos to use "C E" (Common Era) and "B C E" ( Before Common Era) here? This, in my opinion, is one situation calling for going along with "politically correct." In connection with this article, I'd go one step further and use the Jewish calendar, despite the fact that I, myself, would have to figure out which year of the C E that was.
4. Keep digging!
Petra ,   usa   (12.06.07)
More and more proof of Jewish life will be revealed.
5. King Herod is an Arab of course.
(12.06.07)
His mother is a Nabatean and father is Idumean from the Nomads of south Palestine. He embraced Judaism the only Abrahamic religion at the time. During his reign, Jesus Christ was born.
6. To number 1
(12.06.07)
Well, the Arabic speaking people of Palestine descend form these same people you are talking about. There were Semitic Arabian tribes in Palestine since before 400 BC. Even Canaanites are of Arabian semitic origin. Many of these Arabian tribes embraced Judaism like Idumeans, and some remianed Pagan. Other became Christians like the Ghassanids who had a kingdom in Northern Palestine, and Damascus. History is much more complex than what you are mentioning.
7. #2
Yisraeli   (12.06.07)
Whereas Im sure roman baths were an important feature in affluent homes. The ritual jewish bath - Mikveh are all built to a certain specification only by use of 'qabaim' exact measured amounts of water. It would not be hard at all to discern the ritual jewish bath from that of a pleasurable roman one. So if a ritual bath is discovered, its because through of its specific dimensions it is known to be used as a ritual bath. So nice try observer but your comments dont come out in the wash.
8. does purchasing property buy sovereignty?
observer   (12.06.07)
((Jewish settlers are buying up Palestinian property in the neighborhood and moving Jewish families in.))
9. Queen Helen Palace
Dean ,   Pasadena US   (12.06.07)
Ynet gives an iodd and unnecessary twist to this huge discovery. While the supporting group providing the funding may be controversial to a few the archeologists/professors are of world renown and their methods excellent. I hope the whole area is unearthed and made part of a park for tourist to see as part of the Ir David -City of David Archeology Park site. It would add a large interest for many tourists and be of scholarly interest to many people. It also shows the city at that time was much bigger than realized before - and shows it was all Jewish. Arabs will love that no doubt. And Olmert wants to give the area away...
10. #5, transparent Arab jealousy
Jake   (12.06.07)
It was the Arabs who got nervous when Israeli archeologists found the tomb of Herod. You are just jealous because Arabs were not even a fly speck on the map in the days of Herod. You make Herod out to be an Arab, how pathetic and puerile. King Herod may have been pro-Roman, but as for his own personal identity, there is only one identity he claimed and that is a JEW. He put Judaea back on the map. He was the builder of the Temple, and he fought Arab usurpers, invaders and occupiers attempting to attack JUDAEA. Herod did not "convert" to Judaism, his family had been Jewish for generations, descendants of converted Edomites, who themselves were from the line of Eisav, Jacob's brother. He was far more a Jew than Saladin and Tariq ben Ziyad were Arabs (one a Kurd, the other Berber). Oh and by the way, Arabs are orginally not descended from Abraham but from the patriarchs Adnan and Qahtan, who had NOTHING to do with Abraham or the Hebrews, and lived in the desert since the beginning of time. You are simply trying to poach another people's history, but the facts speak for themselves loud and clear. :-D
11. #8
israeli ,   israel   (12.06.07)
And Muslims are buying land all over the world and building mosques.
12. No. 7 Yisraeli
NYC Girl   (12.06.07)
I appreciate the fact that there are people like you on these talkbacks who have such an in-depth knowledge and can respond to people like observer...who seems to have his own agenda when it comes to certain issues.
13. To 6
Shai ,   IL   (12.06.07)
If you want to stick to academic theories and ignore Torah, the Jews were actually Canaanites. Arabs per se only existed here as Nabateans (proto-Beduin). The Caananites being of Arabian semetic origin is a crackpot theory that nobody except for Arabs with a political axe to grind buys. History is only more complex when you twist it for political aims, as Arabs seeking to displace Jews' history here do.
14. Shai is correct, Jews are indigenous to Israel
Jake   (12.06.07)
The Hebrew language is in fact called the Language of Canaan even in the Bible (see Isaiah 19:18); if language is a determining factor in identity, Israeli Jews are the Canaanites. Phoenician, Ugaritic, and Hebrew emerged as different dialects from the same parent language. Notwithstanding that, Abraham and the Hebrews' pre-Israelite homeland was called "ARAM NAHARAIM", translated in a Hellenistic context to "Mesopotamian Syria". This is the "old country" from which Isaac and Jacob were sent to obtain wives, from among their own people. Today that region is in Kurdistan, not even part of the Arab World. On top of that, Hagar and Ishmael settled down in the "Wilderness of Paran" which is in the Negev region, NOT in Mecca or Hijaz. In short, the original Jews were proto-Syrian (Aramaic) in stock, and proto-"Palestinian" (Canaanite) in speech, while Arabs were from the vast Aravah (Arabian peninsula).
15. #14 a question
curious george ,   georgetown   (12.07.07)
You say that Hagar left Abraham to live in Paran which is in the Negev. But Hagar's tomb is near Mecca. Isn't it so that she took Ishmael to Saudi Arabia and that is where they lived?
16. olmert will give this to his best friend Abbad
(12.07.07)
Olmert will hand it over to Abbas to be capital of his palestian state he would even allow it to be pulled down and have a new mosque built over it if he thought it would be for the good of the roadmap. Nothing is safe when your with Olmert not long from now this place will find itself smashed up and any artifacts that come with it will be on the trash heap just like anything else that has any kind of conection to judsism that the arabs got their hands on.
17. #7
observer   (12.09.07)
whether the volume of that mikveh was the `forty measures’ required by the ritual law, is irrelevant because other more populated religions, like Islam & Christianity use ritual baths and it could have been a mere coincidence. The three skeletons found in the Massada area have been recently attributed to the Roman enemy. The plait of hair found in the dump was a cleanly-cut non-Jewish plait.
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