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 |  Subject: Israeli archaeologists may have found fabled Maccabees tomb  Tue Sep 22, 2015 8:11 am | |
| Israeli archaeologists may have found fabled Maccabees tombREAD MORE Israeli Archaeologists|Fabled Maccabees Tomb|Biblical Maccabees|Antiquities Authority  A worker for the Israel Antiquities Authority walks at an archeological site at Ben Shemen Forest near the Israeli city of Modiin on Monday. (AP photo) BEN SHEMEN FOREST(Israel): Israeli archaeologists may be one step closer to solving a riddle that has vexed explorers for more than a century: the location of the fabled tomb of the biblical Maccabees. Israel's government Antiquities Authority said yesterday that an ancient structure it began excavating this month on the side of a highway appears to match ancient descriptions of the tomb of Jewish rebels who wrested control of Judea from Seleucid rule and established a Jewish kingdom in the 2nd century BC. Scholars in Israel's quarrelsome archaeological community tend to agree that the site, in an Israeli forest west of Jerusalem and a short walk from the West Bank, is a significant burial site but reserve judgement about its connection to the Maccabees. Now the Antiquities Authority, which sometimes relies on private funding to help finance digs, is soliciting donations so it can keep searching for evidence. "We still don't have the smoking gun," said Amit Reem, a government archaeologist who helped lead the dig. The Maccabees are considered heroes in both Judaism and Christianity. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah commemorates Mattathias and his five sons who revolted against Hellenic rulers who banned Jewish practices, and rededicated the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The biblical Books of the Maccabees, which include a tale of Jewish martyrs dying for their faith, are a source of inspiration in some Christian traditions. In the late 1880s, a succession of European explorers went searching for the tomb. They were drawn to a barren area near the West Bank village of Midya, a name that resembles Modiin, the ancient town where the biblical account says the Maccabee family was buried. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israeli-archaeologists-may-have-found-fabled-Maccabees-tomb/articleshow/49053712.cms |
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| | Subject: Archeologists Discover The Ancient Tombs Of The Maccabees, And On The Tombs They Find Ancient Christian Crosses Wed Sep 23, 2015 7:33 am | |
| Archeologists Discover The Ancient Tombs Of The Maccabees, And On The Tombs They Find Ancient Christian Crossesby Shoebat Foundation on September 22, 2015 in Featured, GeneralBy Walid ShoebatIsraeli archaeologists may be one step closer to solving a riddle that has vexed explorers for more than a century: the location of the tomb of the biblical Maccabees which they recognized by finding the signature of the Cross. A worker for the Israel Antiquities Authority shows The Holy Cross designed on a mosaic floor at an archaeological site at Ben Shemen Forest near the Israeli city of ModiinOn Monday, Sept. 21, 2015, Amit Reem, an Israeli archaeologist for the Israel Antiquities Authority, said “the cross is a clue” as it appears on the floor of the only Byzantine-era site burial niche where a cross decorates the floor of a burial vault. Reem said that this indicates it may have marked the spot of an important Maccabean figure.The Crusader cross was a rediscovery of French scholar Charles Clermont-Ganneau who first excavated it in the late 1800s and found a mosaic floor featuring a Byzantine Christian cross where he was drawn to a nearby tomb, where he announced that he found the remains of Mattathias. The site was then abandoned. This month, Israeli archaeologists and volunteers cleared away rubble and exposed the simple mosaic cross for the first time in more than 100 years.Reem said the cross is a clue. It appears on the floor of a burial niche at the site. It is the only Byzantine-era site where a cross decorates the floor of a burial vault, he said, indicating that it may have marked the spot of an important figure. He thinks it is likely that the Byzantines — early Christians — identified this site as the Maccabees’ tomb. The Christians would have placed the Cross on the tomb since the Maccabees were important figures for Christendom, being the patron saints of the Christian warrior battling evil and paganism. The Maccabees were also the patron saints for the Crusaders of Medieval times. Oren Tal, an archaeologist at Tel Aviv University agreed with Reem about other characteristics that correspond to the biblical account and to an account by ancient historian Josephus Flavius. Both describe the Tomb of the Maccabees as a tall structure that could be seen from the Mediterranean Sea, featuring columns and seven pyramids.The connect adds up since Biblical history tells us that is was in Modiin that the Maccabee family was buried, and the tomb near the West Bank village of Midya resembles the name Modiin.As they went on their quest, villagers pointed one European explorer toward a hilltop dotted with rock-hewn graves known by locals as “the graves of the Jews” where today even Israeli road signs still label them as Maccabean and Hanukkah ceremonies are held there to honor the ancient rebels.WHY THE MACCABEES ARE IMPORTANT FOR CHRISTIAN SALVATION
When it comes to the Maccabees, Mattathias, a symbol of Christ defeating Antichrist, is the center of their story. Yet their books and history were deemed non-canonical by both Jews and Protestants and are still upheld by denominations with apostolic succession. For the Jews, while their book (Maccabees) is a central theme to their history, to Protestants, the book is removed because it simply speaks of souls being purged in preparation for heaven.But to the Cross the stones are crying out and now Israel’s government Antiquities Authority said Monday that an ancient structure it began excavating this month on the side of a highway appears to match ancient descriptions of the tomb of Jewish rebels who wrested control of Judea from Seleucid rule and established a Jewish kingdom in the 2nd century B.C.Scholars in Israel’s quarrelsome archaeological community tend to agree that the site is a significant burial site but reserve judgment about its connection to the Maccabees. “We still don’t have the smoking gun,” said Amit Reem, a government archaeologist who helped lead the dig. A mosaic floor featuring a cross is seen at an archaeological site at Ben Shemen Forest near the Israeli city of Modiin on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015. Amit Reem …more @http://shoebat.com/2015/09/22/archeologists-discover-the-ancient-tombs-of-the-maccabees-and-on-the-tombs-they-find-an-ancient-christian-crosses/
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