Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Whatever our political views

Israel Finkelstein e' il piu' grande archeologo biblico vivente. In
questo articolo spiega un paio di cose che tutti dovrebbero tenere
presenti, quando si parla di scavi archologici a Gerusalemme
Archaeological activity in Jerusalem has been sucked into a whirlwind
of conflicting political agendas, and the site commonly referred to as
“the City of David” is in the eye of the storm. At issue is a place of
seminal importance for the Jewish people and indeed for anyone who
cherishes the heritage of Western civilization.
When dealing with archaeology in Jerusalem, one must first know the
facts. Otherwise it is easy to be led astray by unfounded historical
interpretations or to succumb to misinformation from those pursuing
their own political agendas.
The City of David is a long and narrow six-hectare ridge that
stretches to the south of the Temple Mount, outside the Old City of
Jerusalem. It is the subject of an explosive mix of territorial
disputes, political propaganda and conspiracy theories. But it is
first and foremost a remarkable archaeological site that has been
intensively explored by British, French, German and Israeli
archaeologists starting as far back as the mid-19th century.
Confusion regarding this area begins with its name. Palestinians call
it Silwan, but this is base propaganda aimed at the uninformed and
uncritical international media. The Palestinian village of Silwan is
located not in the City of David but rather to the east, on the other
side of the deep Kidron Valley. Old photographs taken before the
middle of the 20th century show the ridge cropping out south of the
Temple Mount to be devoid of almost any buildings.
Jews and researchers of all backgrounds call the site the City of
David — a name given to the ridge by early European explorers.
Scholars agree that together with the Temple Mount and the
southwestern part of the Old City, this ridge is the location of
biblical Jerusalem.
Contrary to Palestinian claims, there is a scholarly consensus that
the Temple Mount was indeed the location of the two Temples. Orthodox
Jewish and Muslim sensitivities, however, have prevented modern
archaeological work on the Temple Mount, which for the past 1,300
years has been the site of two Islamic holy places, the Al-Aqsa Mosque
and the Dome of the Rock. Archaeological attention has therefore been
diverted to the ridge to its south, where remains dating from the
Bronze and Iron Ages were detected as early as the mid-19th century.
From the outset of modern exploration, the City of David produced
exciting discoveries. Truly thrilling finds include the Siloam
Inscription, a late-8th-century BCE Hebrew inscription that
commemorates the hewing of a water tunnel under the ridge. Other
important recent discoveries are the Pool of Siloam, dating from the
Roman period, and the monumental street that connected it with the
Temple Mount — places that were frequented by thousands during the
three pilgrimage festivals each year.
But is the ridge south of the Temple Mount the location of the actual
city of King David? This is one of the most excavated spots on the
face of the earth, but so far fieldwork has not yielded any monuments
from the 10th century BCE, the time of King David.
Recent claims by an archaeologist working at the site regarding the
supposed discovery of the palace of King David and the city-wall built
by King Solomon are based on literal, simplistic readings of the
biblical text and are not supported by archaeological facts. The
supposed “palace” features walls from different periods, none dating —
as far as I can judge — from the 10th century BCE. And the “wall” of
Solomon cannot be considered a true fortification and cannot be dated
as early as the 10th century BCE. In light of this context, some
scholars think that the remains of the Jerusalem of King David’s time
are located under the surface of today’s Temple Mount.
This, however, does not diminish the tremendous importance of the City
of David ridge. Scholars agree that starting in the late 8th century
BCE, it was part of the enlarged city of Jerusalem. Illustrious
biblical figures, such as Kings Hezekiah and Josiah and the prophets
Isaiah and Jeremiah, probably strolled here at that time. Monuments
unearthed here include impressive fortifications from the Bronze Age,
the Kingdom of Judah and the period of the Hasmoneans, as well as
water installations associated with the nearby Gihon Spring, ancient
Jerusalem’s main water source. The Pool of Siloam is associated with
the New Testament story of Jesus’ healing of a man who was blind from
birth.
This site should be revered as one of humanity’s great landmarks. Were
it not for the political controversy surrounding the site, it would
doubtless be high on the list of world heritage sites.
Allegations are sometimes heard in the media that work in the City of
David is unlawful and not executed to the standards of modern
archaeology. This is untrue. Fieldwork there is carried out according
to law and — taking into account the difficulties of excavating in a
built-up area — using sound field methods. All excavation projects are
directed by seasoned archaeologists and inspected by the Israel
Antiquities Authority.
Palestinian accusations — sometimes uncritically accepted by
international media — that tunnels are being dug under the Al-Aqsa
Mosque in order to undermine its foundations, are false. The closest
excavation to the mosque is some 70 meters to its south; this
excavation stopped when it reached bedrock.
Still, there are legitimate criticisms to be made of the management of
the site and the educational efforts conducted there. The City of
David’s archaeological park is administered and its monuments
presented to the public by a nongovernmental organization with a
decidedly right-wing political orientation. While this is a result of
complications over land ownership at the site, a way must be found to
allow state organizations, such as the Israel Antiquities Authority
and the Israel National Parks Authority, to oversee the management of
this sensitive place.
The question of how to preserve Jerusalem’s extraordinary heritage is
culturally and politically sensitive. Antiquities authorities under
British Mandate, Jordanian and Israeli rule all failed to prevent
construction of houses in the City of David. Further to the east, the
village of Silwan is built over unique, monumental Judahite rock-cut
tombs from the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. Two of these tombs had
ancient Hebrew inscriptions on their façades. But the tombs are
neglected, flooded with sewage and filled with village garbage. And,
of course, the greatest devastation to have recently been inflicted on
Jerusalem’s archaeological heritage was the large-scale bulldozing a
few years ago of buried antiquities on the Temple Mount by the Waqf,
which administers the Islamic holy sites, in preparation for the
construction of a massive underground mosque.
The City of David’s monuments and antiquities — some yet to be
discovered — are too important to be allowed to fall victim to
politics or neglect. Whatever our political views, we need to be
vigilant in maintaining this place as a tangible link to a rich past
and as a site of honest historical inquiry.
Read more: 
http://www.forward.com/articles/137273/#ixzz1KiVrk3SS

 politics or neglect.
Quoto, ma dato ciò che leggo in questo stesso articolo non ci spero.
PP