An ancient underground quarry in the
Jordan Valley
The Jordan Valley ( ar, غور الأردن, ''Ghor al-Urdun''; he, עֵמֶק הַיַרְדֵּן, ''Emek HaYarden'') forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. Unlike most other river valleys, the term "Jordan Valley" often applies just to ...
was discovered in 2009 by
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa ( he, אוניברסיטת חיפה Arabic: جامعة حيفا) is a university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation in 1972, becoming ...
archeologists.
[Photos: "Glorious" Ancient Chamber Found in Israel (3)]
National Geographic (June 30, 2009). The quarry is located about 3 miles (5 km) north of
Jericho
Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho ...
,
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
.
[
]
Description
The cave is located in the desert north of Jericho, 10 metres (40 ft) beneath the surface. It spans more than 1-acre (0.4-hectare) and its main hall is supported by 22 pillars.[ Various symbols, including Byzantine crosses, a zodiac-like symbol and Roman numerals are engraved upon the pillars.][ An etched Roman legion's pennant indicates that it was used by the Roman Army.][ The cave was dug around 2,000 years ago and served as a large quarry during the Roman era. The chamber's run as a quarry likely lasted approximately 400 to 500 years.][ It may subsequently have been used as a monastery and some believe it may have marked a biblical site which became sacred to ancient Christians.][ Others, while admitting the possibility that the cave could have been associated with monastic activity, claimed that the etched crosses alone cannot confirm the existence of a church, since they may have been made by random pilgrims which was a common phenomenon at the time.
]Adam Zertal
Adam Zertal ( he, אדם זרטל; 1936 – October 18, 2015) was an Israeli archaeologist and a tenured professor at the University of Haifa.
Biography
Adam Zertal grew up in Ein Shemer, a kibbutz affiliated with the Hashomer Hatzair movemen ...
, who led the expedition, contends that the spot may mark the ancient site named Galgala. Referring to the Byzantine era Madaba map, he notes a site called Galgala is depicted next to an inscription that reads "Dodekaliton", which translates as "Twelve Stones". The place is marked at a distance from Jericho that matches the cave's distance from the city. The map shows a church next to ''Dodekaliton'' and today the remains of two ancient churches are located near the cave. Zertal suggests that the meaning of "Twelve Stones" relates to the biblical verses that describe the twelve stones that the Children of Israel
The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan.
The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...
placed in Gilgal
Gilgal ( he, גִּלְגָּל ''Gilgāl''), also known as Galgala or Galgalatokai of the 12 Stones ( grc-gre, Γαλαγα or , ''Dōdekalithōn''), is the name of one or more places in the Hebrew Bible. Gilgal is mentioned 39 times, in particula ...
and may be understood as a reference to the quarry that was dug in the place the Byzantines identified as Gilgal.Cave Dating From The Year 1 A.D. Exposed In Jordan Valley
Science Daily, (July 7, 2009).
References
External links
Photographs
Underground Christian Cave From 1st Century A.D. Exposed Near Jericho
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006213457/http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/0xMyp3d0OIU/Underground+Christian+Cave+1st+Century+Exposed/Z_KPsRCCqz3 , date=2012-10-06
Media
'Largest' Holy Land cave found
Archaeological sites in the West Bank
Caves of the State of Palestine
Jordan River basin