'David's Castle' to be Unveiled on 'Palestinian' Land - Israel Today

'David's Castle' to be Unveiled on 'Palestinian' Land

Friday, January 10, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff  

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Archeology

We reported last year on the discovery of an ancient biblical-era palace probably dating back to the time of King David himself that was subsequently covered up for political reasons.

Now, the group that stumbled upon the unprecedented find tells Israel National News that they will publicly reveal the location of the buried palace next Friday, January 17, an event that is likely to cause a diplomatic earthquake.

Israel's Makor Rishon Hebrew daily reported last April that a major biblical archeology find in the Judean hills south of Jerusalem was apparently being covered up by the government.

At the time, a member of the Kfar Etzion Field School in the Eztion Bloc of Jewish communities had stumbled across an ancient ornate pillar as he descended into a cave in the Judean hills. The pillar and its attached capital clearly belonged to a royal structure, and local archaeologists said it certainly dated back to the times of the Judean kings, if not David himself.

The undisturbed nature of the find suggested that a large part of the ancient palace was probably buried intact beneath where the pillar was found.

"We appear to have a complete castle here," Kfar Etzion Field School Director Yaron Rosental told the newspaper. "Those who lived here after it did not know of its existence and thus, instead of using its stones to build a new building as was the usual practice, left it intact."

But, when Rosental contacted Israel's Antiquities Authority, he was harshly rebuffed and told to "keep [his] mouth shut" about the find.

The Antiquities Authority later confirmed to Makor Rishon that the find exists, and had actually been first discovered the year prior, but that political sensitivities had prevented archaeologists from exploring the site.

It was pointed out that the find is located in territory claimed by the Palestinian Authority. Uncovering a major and even unprecedented archaeological site that solidifies the ancient Jewish presence in and control of these lands could upset the peace process.

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Poll Says 65%: No Fear of New Holocaust

Editor's Note:  The March of Remembrance  (Yom HaShoah) is being held this Sunday, April 7, 2013, across many cities in the USA and the world.)

65%: No Fear of New Holocaust

Most Israelis think the Jewish people do not face a new near-elimination.

By Maayana Miskin, Israel National News, First Publish: 4/3/2013

Hate grafitti at Yad VaShem  

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Sixty-five percent of Israelis believe the Jewish people do not face a second Holocaust, according to a new poll conducted by Dahaf on behalf of the Knesset Channel.

The poll shows Israelis’ optimism on the rise. A similar survey last year found that just 60% believed there would not be a second mass slaughter of the Jewish people.

Twenty-nine percent said in 2013 that they believe there is a danger of a second Holocaust, compared to 36% who believed that such a danger existed the year before.

However a different poll, conducted by Dr. Mina Tzemach, found most Israelis are concerned over potential threats, with 75% believing that a nuclear weapon in Iranian hands would pose an existential threat to Israel. Twenty-one percent said it would not.

A slim majority of Israelis – 52% - said they do not fear an existential threat from nuclear weapons in the hands of Pakistan or North Korea, while 42% said that those countries, too, could pose an existential threat.

The entire survey will be published Thursday by the Knesset Channel’s Shovrim Kelim program.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166724