Silwan necropolis: Difference between revisions
→Types of tombs at Silwan necropolis: Changed first mention to full name |
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{{Short description|Ancient Israelite cemetery in Jerusalem}} |
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{{Infobox ancient site |
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| ⚫ | The '''Silwan necropolis''' is the |
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| name = Silwan necropolis |
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| image = Tomb of Pharao's Daughter.JPG |
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| alt = |
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| map_type = |
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| map_size = 250 |
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| map_dot_label = Silwan necropolis |
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| location = Silwan, Jerusalem |
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| coordinates = {{coord|31.7733|N|35.2368|E|display=inline,title}} |
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| type = Necropolis |
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| length = |
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| width = |
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| height = |
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| material = Rock-cut |
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| built = 9th-7th centuries BC |
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| abandoned = |
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| public_access = Yes |
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}} |
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| ⚫ | The '''Silwan necropolis''' is the remains of a rock-cut cemetery assumed to have been used by the highest-ranking officials residing in [[Jerusalem]]. Its tombs were cut between the 9th and 7th centuries BC.<ref name="Ussishkin70">{{cite journal |title=The Necropolis from the Time of the Kingdom of Judah at Silwan, Jerusalem |first=David |last=Ussishkin |journal=The Biblical Archaeologist |volume=33 |issue=2 |year=1970 |pages=33–46 |doi=10.2307/3211026 |jstor=3211026 }}</ref> It is situated on the rocky eastern slope of the [[Kidron Valley]], facing the [[City of David (historic)|oldest part of Jerusalem]]. Part of the Palestinian district of [[Silwan]] was later built atop the necropolis.<ref name=Ussishkin>{{cite web|url=http://archaeology.tau.ac.il/?page_id=2047 |title=Silwan, Jerusalem: The Survey of the Iron Age Necropolis |first=David |last=Ussishkin |authorlink=David Ussishkin |publisher= Tel Aviv University }}</ref><ref>Bible Encyclopedia entry: Siloam; International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.</ref> |
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==History== |
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The existence of underlying tombs in the village of Silwan had been known since the 19th century, including by [[Charles Warren]], who attempted to carry out a survey of the tombs in 1876—an effort Warren claimed was thwarted by "the hostile nature of the villagers" whom he described as "a lawless set."<ref>Charles Warren, ''Underground Jerusalem,'' (1876), p. 149.</ref> |
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According to archaeologist [[David Ussishkin]], all of the tombs have long since been emptied and their contents removed, while a great deal of structural destruction has also been done to the tombs over the millennia by quarrying and the conversion of tombs for use as housing, most notably by monks in the Byzantine period, when they were used as monks' cells and some even as churches.<ref name=Ussishkin70 /> In the modern period, Ussishkin notes: "When the Arab village was built; tombs were destroyed, incorporated in houses or turned into water cisterns and sewage dumps."<ref name=Ussishkin70 /> The first careful survey was not performed until 1968.<ref name=Ussishkin70 /> |
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==Significance== |
==Significance== |
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[[File:Silwan tombs.jpg|thumb|Rock-cut tombs in the bedrock under modern homes in Silwan]] |
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The Silwan necropolis is an archaeological site of major significance. In the 19th century, it contained some forty rock-cut |
The Silwan necropolis is an archaeological site of major significance. In the 19th century, it contained some forty [[rock-cut tomb]]s of distinguished caliber, of which most were still preserved by the late 1960s.<ref name=Ussishkin /> The inscriptions found on three of the tombs are in Hebrew.<ref name=Ussishkin /> |
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The architecture of the tombs and the manner of burial is different "from anything known from contemporary Palestine. Elements such as entrances located high above the surface, gabled ceilings, straight ceilings with a cornice, trough-shaped resting-places with pillows, above-ground tombs, and inscriptions engraved on the facade appear only here."<ref name=Ussishkin70/> The stone benches on which bodies were laid out and the small square entrance doors are similar to those found elsewhere in Judah. [[David Ussishkin]] believes that the architectural similarity to building styles of the [[Phoenicia]]n cities validates the Biblical description of Phoenician influence on the Israelite kingdoms.<ref name=Ussishkin70/> |
The architecture of the tombs and the manner of burial is different "from anything known from contemporary Palestine. Elements such as entrances located high above the surface, gabled ceilings, straight ceilings with a cornice, trough-shaped resting-places with pillows, above-ground tombs, and inscriptions engraved on the facade appear only here."<ref name=Ussishkin70 /> The stone benches on which bodies were laid out and the small square entrance doors are similar to those found elsewhere in Judah. [[David Ussishkin]] believes that the architectural similarity to building styles of the [[Phoenicia]]n cities validates the Biblical description of Phoenician influence on the Israelite kingdoms.<ref name=Ussishkin70 /> |
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If the ancient Israelite kingdoms followed the practice of other west-Semitic kingdoms, the kings themselves would have been buried within the city walls, underneath the royal palace.<ref name=Rahmani2>"Ancient Jerusalem's Funerary Customs and Tombs: Part Two, L. Y. Rahmani, The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Autumn, 1981), pp. |
If the ancient Israelite kingdoms followed the practice of other west-Semitic kingdoms, the kings themselves would have been buried within the city walls, underneath the royal palace.<ref name=Rahmani2>"Ancient Jerusalem's Funerary Customs and Tombs: Part Two," L. Y. Rahmani, ''The Biblical Archaeologist'', Vol. 44, No. 4 (Autumn, 1981), pp. 229–235.</ref> The scholarly consensus is that the royal palace stood on the opposite hill to the west. |
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==Types of tombs at Silwan necropolis== |
==Types of tombs at Silwan necropolis== |
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There are tombs combining characteristics of the two described here above. |
There are tombs combining characteristics of the two described here above. |
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The third type consists of just three "magnificent" monolith tombs, now located in the northern part of the |
The third type consists of just three "magnificent" monolith tombs, now located in the northern part of the Palestinian settlement. These have been carved out of the cliff to create free-standing buildings above the underground burial chambers. Hebrew inscriptions survive on these three tombs; these are the only ancient inscriptions that survive in Silwan.<ref name=Ussishkin70/> |
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The following are the three monolith tombs: |
The following are the three monolith tombs: |
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===Tomb of the Royal Steward=== |
===Tomb of the Royal Steward=== |
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[[File:Silwan-inscr.jpg|thumb|Lintel of the tomb of "...yahu who is over the house"]] |
[[File:Silwan-inscr.jpg|thumb|Lintel of the tomb of "...yahu who is over the house"]] |
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Another notable tomb, called the Tomb of the Royal Steward, is now incorporated into a modern-period house in the main street of the |
Another notable tomb, called the Tomb of the Royal Steward, is now incorporated into a modern-period house in the main street of the Palestinian settlement. At one point plastered for use as a cistern, in 1968 it was in use as a storage room.<ref name=Ussishkin70 /><ref name=Ussishkin /> It was discovered in 1874 by [[Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau]].<ref name=Ussishkin70 /> |
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The ancient inscription reads "This is the tomb of [...]yahu who is over the house. No silver or gold is here but (his bones) and the bones of his Amma. Cursed be the man who opens this."<ref name=Rahmani2/> The first part of the Hebrew name is effaced, but it refers to a Judean royal steward or chamberlain.<ref name=Rahmani2/><ref name=Ussishkin/> Clermont-Ganneau shipped the tomb inscription to the [[British Museum]], but it was only deciphered in the 1950s by [[Nahman Avigad]].<ref name=Ussishkin/><ref>Nahman Avigad, Israel Exploration Journal, III (1953), |
The [[Shebna inscription|ancient inscription]] reads "This is the tomb of [...]yahu who is over the house. No silver or gold is here but (his bones) and the bones of his Amma. Cursed be the man who opens this."<ref name=Rahmani2 /> The first part of the Hebrew name is effaced, but it refers to a Judean royal steward or chamberlain.<ref name=Rahmani2 /><ref name=Ussishkin /> Clermont-Ganneau shipped the tomb inscription to the [[British Museum]], but it was only deciphered in the 1950s by [[Nahman Avigad]].<ref name=Ussishkin /><ref>Nahman Avigad, ''Israel Exploration Journal'', III (1953), 137–152; V (1955), 163–166.</ref> Some scholars believe that this is the tomb of the biblical [[Shebna]], the steward and treasurer of King [[Hezekiah]] (727–698 BC). It is thought that at the relevant time the same name could be written with or without the ending -yahu, thus allowing Shebanyahu as a variation of Shebna. According to [[David Ussishkin]], the tomb contained two chambers, the outer chamber with a probable double bench for the occupant and his wife, and an inner chamber with a single burial bench for a relative who may be referred to in the second inscription fragment.<ref>"On the Shorter Inscription from the "Tomb of the Royal Steward," David Ussishkin, ''Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research'', No. 196 (Dec., 1969), pp. 16–22,</ref> The Book of Isaiah (22:16) reproaches Shebna for his presumption: "What hast thou here and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an inhabitation for himself in the rock?"<ref name=Rahmani2 /> |
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===Burial of Z=== |
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Another former monolith was first described in 1968 by Ussishkin. At that time it was located under the courtyard of a modern-period house serving as a cistern.<ref name=Ussishkin70/> It has "the finest and most delicate stone dressing in the Silwan necropolis."<ref name=Ussishkin70/> The upper story was destroyed for use as quarried stone in the Roman/Byzantine period. Only a small section of the inscription survived to be recorded by Ussishkin. The first line is "[This is the] burial of Z ...". The second line "(the one) who op[ens] (this tomb) . .." The third line was illegible.<ref name=Ussishkin70/> |
Another former monolith was first described in 1968 by Ussishkin. At that time it was located under the courtyard of a modern-period house serving as a cistern.<ref name=Ussishkin70/> It has "the finest and most delicate stone dressing in the Silwan necropolis."<ref name=Ussishkin70/> The upper story was destroyed for use as quarried stone in the Roman/Byzantine period. Only a small section of the inscription survived to be recorded by Ussishkin. The first line is "[This is the] burial of Z ...". The second line "(the one) who op[ens] (this tomb) . .." The third line was illegible.<ref name=Ussishkin70/> |
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{{Cemeteries in Jerusalem}} |
{{Cemeteries in Jerusalem}} |
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[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 9th century BC]] |
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[[Category:19th-century archaeological discoveries]] |
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[[Category:Mausoleums used as housing]] |
[[Category:Mausoleums used as housing]] |
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[[Category:Archaeological sites in Jerusalem]] |
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Jerusalem]] |
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[[Category:Jewish pilgrimage sites]] |
[[Category:Jewish pilgrimage sites]] |
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[[Category:Cemetery vandalism and desecration]] |
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[[Category:Necropoleis]] |
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[[Category:Cemeteries in Jerusalem]] |
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Latest revision as of 23:44, 20 December 2024
 Remnants of the Monolith of Silwan, a First Temple period tomb. | |
| Location | Silwan, Jerusalem |
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| Coordinates | 31°46′24″N 35°14′12″E / 31.7733°N 35.2368°E |
| Type | Necropolis |
| History | |
| Material | Rock-cut |
| Founded | 9th-7th centuries BC |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
The Silwan necropolis is the remains of a rock-cut cemetery assumed to have been used by the highest-ranking officials residing in Jerusalem. Its tombs were cut between the 9th and 7th centuries BC.[1] It is situated on the rocky eastern slope of the Kidron Valley, facing the oldest part of Jerusalem. Part of the Palestinian district of Silwan was later built atop the necropolis.[2][3]
History
[edit]The existence of underlying tombs in the village of Silwan had been known since the 19th century, including by Charles Warren, who attempted to carry out a survey of the tombs in 1876—an effort Warren claimed was thwarted by "the hostile nature of the villagers" whom he described as "a lawless set."[4]
According to archaeologist David Ussishkin, all of the tombs have long since been emptied and their contents removed, while a great deal of structural destruction has also been done to the tombs over the millennia by quarrying and the conversion of tombs for use as housing, most notably by monks in the Byzantine period, when they were used as monks' cells and some even as churches.[1] In the modern period, Ussishkin notes: "When the Arab village was built; tombs were destroyed, incorporated in houses or turned into water cisterns and sewage dumps."[1] The first careful survey was not performed until 1968.[1]
Significance
[edit]
The Silwan necropolis is an archaeological site of major significance. In the 19th century, it contained some forty rock-cut tombs of distinguished caliber, of which most were still preserved by the late 1960s.[2] The inscriptions found on three of the tombs are in Hebrew.[2]
The architecture of the tombs and the manner of burial is different "from anything known from contemporary Palestine. Elements such as entrances located high above the surface, gabled ceilings, straight ceilings with a cornice, trough-shaped resting-places with pillows, above-ground tombs, and inscriptions engraved on the facade appear only here."[1] The stone benches on which bodies were laid out and the small square entrance doors are similar to those found elsewhere in Judah. David Ussishkin believes that the architectural similarity to building styles of the Phoenician cities validates the Biblical description of Phoenician influence on the Israelite kingdoms.[1]
If the ancient Israelite kingdoms followed the practice of other west-Semitic kingdoms, the kings themselves would have been buried within the city walls, underneath the royal palace.[5] The scholarly consensus is that the royal palace stood on the opposite hill to the west.
Types of tombs at Silwan necropolis
[edit]There are three different types of tombs in the Silwan necropolis, each type concentrated in one specific area.
Seven of the tombs feature gabled ceilings and extremely fine stonework. Ussishkin describes them as "among the most beautifully rock-cut tombs known in the Jerusalem area even when compared with tombs of later periods."[1] In contrast with the extensive family tombs of later periods, these are for single or double burials, with only one of the seven having room for three bodies. Later destruction has effaced the original doorways.[1]
A second tomb type described by Ussishkin has flat ceilings and 1, 2 or 3 chambers of well-dressed stone carefully squared into spacious rooms. One features a rear chamber of especially "impressive" scale and quality.
There are tombs combining characteristics of the two described here above.
The third type consists of just three "magnificent" monolith tombs, now located in the northern part of the Palestinian settlement. These have been carved out of the cliff to create free-standing buildings above the underground burial chambers. Hebrew inscriptions survive on these three tombs; these are the only ancient inscriptions that survive in Silwan.[1]
The following are the three monolith tombs:
Tomb of Pharaoh's Daughter
[edit]The most famous of the ancient rock-cut tombs in Silwan is the finely carved monolith known as the Tomb of Pharaoh's Daughter.[2] It is the only one of the three free-standing tombs in which the above-ground chamber survives, although the pyramid-shaped roof is missing because it was quarried for stone. The ceiling is gabled.[1]
Tomb of the Royal Steward
[edit]
Another notable tomb, called the Tomb of the Royal Steward, is now incorporated into a modern-period house in the main street of the Palestinian settlement. At one point plastered for use as a cistern, in 1968 it was in use as a storage room.[1][2] It was discovered in 1874 by Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau.[1]
The ancient inscription reads "This is the tomb of [...]yahu who is over the house. No silver or gold is here but (his bones) and the bones of his Amma. Cursed be the man who opens this."[5] The first part of the Hebrew name is effaced, but it refers to a Judean royal steward or chamberlain.[5][2] Clermont-Ganneau shipped the tomb inscription to the British Museum, but it was only deciphered in the 1950s by Nahman Avigad.[2][6] Some scholars believe that this is the tomb of the biblical Shebna, the steward and treasurer of King Hezekiah (727–698 BC). It is thought that at the relevant time the same name could be written with or without the ending -yahu, thus allowing Shebanyahu as a variation of Shebna. According to David Ussishkin, the tomb contained two chambers, the outer chamber with a probable double bench for the occupant and his wife, and an inner chamber with a single burial bench for a relative who may be referred to in the second inscription fragment.[7] The Book of Isaiah (22:16) reproaches Shebna for his presumption: "What hast thou here and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an inhabitation for himself in the rock?"[5]
Burial of Z
[edit]Another former monolith was first described in 1968 by Ussishkin. At that time it was located under the courtyard of a modern-period house serving as a cistern.[1] It has "the finest and most delicate stone dressing in the Silwan necropolis."[1] The upper story was destroyed for use as quarried stone in the Roman/Byzantine period. Only a small section of the inscription survived to be recorded by Ussishkin. The first line is "[This is the] burial of Z ...". The second line "(the one) who op[ens] (this tomb) . .." The third line was illegible.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Ussishkin, David (1970). "The Necropolis from the Time of the Kingdom of Judah at Silwan, Jerusalem". The Biblical Archaeologist. 33 (2): 33–46. doi:10.2307/3211026. JSTOR 3211026.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ussishkin, David. "Silwan, Jerusalem: The Survey of the Iron Age Necropolis". Tel Aviv University.
- ^ Bible Encyclopedia entry: Siloam; International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
- ^ Charles Warren, Underground Jerusalem, (1876), p. 149.
- ^ a b c d "Ancient Jerusalem's Funerary Customs and Tombs: Part Two," L. Y. Rahmani, The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Autumn, 1981), pp. 229–235.
- ^ Nahman Avigad, Israel Exploration Journal, III (1953), 137–152; V (1955), 163–166.
- ^ "On the Shorter Inscription from the "Tomb of the Royal Steward," David Ussishkin, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 196 (Dec., 1969), pp. 16–22,
| Christian cemeteries | |
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| Islamic cemeteries | |
| Jewish cemeteries | |
| Military cemeteries | |
| Tombs | |
