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August 5, 2005King David’s Palace found?Related: Pool of Siloam This is obviously a very exciting story: King David’s Palace Is Found, Archaeologist Says So, why should I feel a little let down? Well, take a look at the way the NY Times wrote it: Line 1) An Israeli archaeologist says she has uncovered in East Jerusalem what may be the fabled palace of the biblical King David. Line 2) Her work has been sponsored by a conservative Israeli research institute and financed by an American Jewish investment banker who would like to prove that Jerusalem was indeed the capital of the Jewish kingdom described in the Bible. Am I the only one annoyed that before we get to read anything specific about what has been found, we must first be warned by the Times that this research is funded by “conseravtive(s)” and (paraphrased) “a Jew with an agenda?” That before I have read one interesting revelation, the Times inserts the “doubt?” Later in the article, of course, we read this: The find will also be used in the broad political battle over Jerusalem - whether the Jews have their origins here and thus have some special hold on the place, or whether, as many Palestinians have said, including the late Yasir Arafat, the idea of a Jewish origin in Jerusalem is a myth used to justify conquest and occupation. Ah, yes…so you see, it was necessary to begin the article with a debunking, because if you are a Palestinian sympathizer, you wouldn’t want to give fresh impetus to the idea that - gasp - the Jews might have some rights to East Jerusalem. The NY Times made sure it did its part. Interspersed within the piece are some interesting lines about the archeological site, but we read repeatedly that maybe biblical Jerusalem wasn’t much to write home about, after all. In every way, the idea that Jerusalem and Jews belong together is downplayed. Much space is given over to doubt, to questioning the methods of means of the archeologist (she’s trying to fit history…blah, blah…”) An annoying article…but I do love the last line, which seems almost like God Having Fun, and which will attract many folks interested in “end-times” postulations: Ms. Mazar continues to dig, but right now, three families are living in houses where she would most like to explore. One family is Muslim, one Christian and one Jewish. Imagine that…a little microcosm of interested conflict, reflecting a worldwide one, right there on a tiny plot of land that might be incredibly - earthshakingly - important. Yes, I do think God has a sense of humor. UPDATE: Greg at rhymes with right brings up another news story, this time in the WaPo, about the discovery of the remains of a Coptic Monastery. He notes that the article does not cast doubt on the Christian presence in Egypt. Good catch. WELCOME readers of The Corner. What’s nicer than a Friday afternoon K-Lolanch? While you are here, please look around. In the last day or so we’ve been talking about what might be behind the snooping into adoption records by the NY Times, how President Bush got ZERO PROPS from anyone on negotiating a workable alternative to the Kyoto treaty, why the EU is worrying about cleavage and whether Every Sperm is Sacred. http://theanchoressonline.com/2005/08/05/king-davids-palace-found/trackback/ 12 Responses to “King David’s Palace found?” |
August 5th, 2005 at 5:33 pm
[...] Maybe. And The Anchoress covers the coverage. Comments » [...]
August 5th, 2005 at 7:07 pm
Actually, there is another story that is not being reported on. The Waqf, the Islamic religious authority on the Temple Mount, has been destroying archeological artifacts for years, in the attempt to destroy any Jewish/Christian connection to that area.
If they negate Jewish presence, they negate Chriatian presence.
It wasn’t like Jesus can to visit the Mosque.
August 6th, 2005 at 1:56 am
Oh, but SC and A, don’t you realize that Jesus was a Muslim? As were other “Jewish” prophets. How they could be Muslim hundreds of years before Mohammad’s birth is a mystery, but Islamic “scholars” assure us this is so.
Muslims also do not believe Jesus was crucified - according to the Koran,it was all some sort of optical illusion. I can understand why Mohammad, who ruled an army, was intensely uncomfortable with the idea of Jesus crucified. After all, Mohammad ordered executions himself - how could he possibly honor a “loser” who suffered and died such a painful death? He had to come up with an alternate theory to make Jesus acceptable to the Muslim religion.
That’s why I always scoff when journalists glibly state that “Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet.” They believe in a whole ‘nother Jesus, a non-Jewish, non-suffering prophet.
August 6th, 2005 at 2:54 pm
Trust the NYT with history?
We can’t even trust them with the present!
Can’t wait ’til they come out with their new octogonal format…I won’t have to trim it to line my birdcages…
August 6th, 2005 at 9:35 pm
[...] The Anchoress has certainly been having some interesting posts and comments to them. I would like to point your attention to the post called King David’s Palace Found. [...]
August 7th, 2005 at 2:56 am
A Tale Of Two Discoveries
Two archaeological discoveries, only a few hundred miles apart. Both shed light on the region’s rich heritage and importance. Notice how differently they are reported. The first comes from israel, where a possible palace or fortress from the time of…
August 8th, 2005 at 9:55 pm
[...] And remember how the Times went out of its way to minimize the discovery, fomenting doubt before it even got to the story, and then quoting only scholars who maintained that ancient Jerusalem was really nothing to write home about? Archaeologists debate “to what extent Jerusalem was an important city or even a city in the time of David and Samuel,” he said. “Some believe it was tiny and the kingdom unimportant.” The site of ancient Jerusalem, stuck between two valleys on a ridge south of the Temple Mount, is very small, less than 10 acres. [...]
August 13th, 2005 at 6:55 pm
[...] KING DAVID’S PALACE Is Found, Archaeologist Says …. (theanchoressonline) [...]
August 23rd, 2005 at 2:44 pm
[...] Third Generation Iraqi Looks After Abraham’s Birthplace Kind of a nice story which leads to a jumping off point to this piece by Diana Muir - wherein she takes a hard look at how the NY Times underplays archeological discoveries, particularly if they are evidence of Israel’s roots in Jerusalem, which - some of you might remember, is something I’ve written about here. If y ou are interested in archeaology, biblical history or the whole question of Israel/Palestine - Muir’s piece is the read of the day. [...]
September 29th, 2005 at 11:33 am
[...] Comes on the heels of the finding of what seems to be King David’s Palace and the Pool of Siloam. [...]
November 7th, 2005 at 6:21 am
[...] Come on the heels of the uncovering of the Pool of Siloam and what could possibly be King David’s Palace. [...]
March 14th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Considering the scriptures detail the prescence of Jews in Jerusalem millenia before a Pelstine ever existed in the fevered minds of Lefty twits, the NYTimes’ reportage is typical dreck.
Any attempt to be in the middle of the road so as not to offend the Palestinians, is simply stupid, and in the long run, suicidal.
Nice post, Anchoress. You always come through!