I24 News: Beautiful Hasmonean fortress is being excavated for first time in Israel
Uri Shapira-Senior Producer, Holy Land Uncovered | @UriShapira
Daniel Bock / i24NEWSMan Digging at the Hyrcania Fortress, in Israel
‘Hyrcania’ is one of the most interesting historical sites in the Holy Land, but, it has never been excavated, until today
A desert hilltop in the Judean Desert called “Hyrcania ” is one of the most interesting historical sites in the Holy Land, but, it has never been excavated, until today.
Archaeologists and volunteers gathered last month for the first time to dig and research the magnificent site, whose history goes back to the second century BCE.
“The archaeological significance of the site is tremendous. Unearthing the evidence, it’s something that overwhelms us” said Michal Haber, one of the archaeologists who led the excavations.
Hyrcania is mentioned in Josephus’ book “Antiquities of the Jews” as one of the three fortresses that Queen Salome Alexandra, wife of Alexander Janneaus (the second Hasmonean king who ruled the land during the first century BCE), refused to give up to the Pharisee party.
Later, the site was associated with the famous King Herod the Great. It was known as the place where the Roman-appointed king of Judea imprisoned and tortured his rivals. The fortress is also linked to the copper scroll, one of the famous Dead Sea scrolls, which contains instructions about a mysterious treasure.
Dr. Oren Gutfeld, the head of the excavation, has a long history of research in the area. He excavated the tunnels located on the slope of the hill, a tunnel which he believed are associated with the copper scroll.
“We assume that the treasures which are mentioned in the scroll are the treasures of the temple. The late archaeologist Hanan Eshel suggested that they are also treasures from the first temple era” Gutfeld said, “We conducted excavations in two locations, of two tunnels on the foothill. They were huge – two-meter high, one meter wide, with a length of 123 meters.”
Unfortunately, no treasures were found in the tunnels.
Daniel Bock / i24NEWSThe Hyrcania Fortress excavation site in Israel.
Digging in Hyrcania was said to be quite a challenge. It’s located in a remote area in the heart of the Judean desert. It takes around an hour of driving and another half an hour of walking to get to the top of the hill.
Up until recently, it was inside a military training zone, and it also stands in area C of the West Bank. Limited access to the site brought the team to use donkeys, to bring heavy gear to the top of the hill. It is also an extremely hot area, which sometimes suffers from floods.
Nevertheless, around 20 enthusiastic diggers came here in the midst of a heat wave.
“We found some glasswork that for me was unique” said Kevin Sullivan, a volunteer from the United States.
Daniel Bock / i24NEWSDrone footage of the desert around the Hyrcania Fortress excavation site in Israel.
“Ancient history is our history, and as we discover history we feel like we are making history here today,” said Bill Hild, professor of archaeology at the Carson Newman University, who was also involved in the excavation alongside the Hebrew University.
Another entity which takes part in the digging is the American Veterans Archaeological Recovery, an organization that helps war veterans facing challenges in their life. Dr. Stephen Humphreys CEO of the organization says that the initiative started at 2016.
“I think that what we are doing, is giving them purpose. Israeli archaeologists are so persistent, that is something that helps the veterans to overcome some of their symptoms,” said Dr. Humphreys.
So far, the team managed to uncover a part of a Byzantine monastery, which was based on a secondary use of stones from the second temple period. They also found some fascinating items like a golden ring with an early Arabic inscription.
The name Hyrcania refers to John Hyrcanus, a Maccabean leader and a Jewish high priest of the second century BCE. The team hopes to continue their expedition hundreds of years after the site was deserted and became a target for antiquities looting.
