From the 4 Corners of the World: Another Picture Collection from New Zealand Part I

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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From the 4 Corners of the World: Another Picture Collection from New Zealand Part I Posted: 16 Jun 2014  Women at the Western Wall (circa 1890, Presbyterian Research Centre, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand) Proving that responsible archivists and librarians digitize and preserve their photographic treasures is the collection of 19th century pictures of the Holy Land in the Presbyterian Research Centre in New Zealand.  We present here a sample of the collection. Rachel's Tomb, Bethlehem (Presbyterian Research  Centre, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand) We thank Donald Cochrane, the former curator of the photographs and lantern slides, Myke Tymons the current curator, and Eva Garbutt, archivist at Knox  who gave us permission to use their photographs. The Research Centre's introduction provides some details on the collection:  The Presbyterian Church Archives Research Centre holds a fascinating collection of 144 glass Lantern slides of various scenes from the Holy Land. The majority appear to have been taken in the latter years of the 19th century. While undated, some do carry a manufacturers name or trademark which can act as a guide to dating.  Those high quality slides produced by the Aberdeen firm of George Washington Wilson (marked "GWW"), were produced throughout the late 19th century. Mr Wilson, who died in 1893, received patronage from Queen Victoria and a Royal Warrant due to his obvious abilities. Many slide sets are also numbered which show a considerable number missing... The New Zealand collection is remarkable for the  Elderly Jewish men in Jerusalem. The photo was hand-colored with hues that never would have been worn by the poor, pious men. (Presbyterian Research Centre, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa) angles of some of the pictures -- such as the women at the Western Wall, above -- different from many of the other conventional "postcard" pictures taken at the time.  Some of these photographs/slides were taken by Frank Mason Good in the 1860s.   Color film was not available until years later. The color slides were transparencies with color applied. Kerosene "stereo" lanterns to  project slides onto a screen In the 1880s, before movies or electricity, photographic slides such as these were projected in front of classes or audiences using a kerosene-lit lamp fitted with special lenses. The slides were often produced by optical manufacturers who sold the lanterns.  Lepers outside of the walls of Jerusalem. Note the Montefiore windmill and Meshkenot Sha'ananim housing project behind them (Presbyterian Research Centre, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand)   Sea of Galilee (Presbyterian Research  Centre, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand) Damascus Gate of Jerusalem's Old City    View our other lantern slide collections from Chatham University, the Church of Ireland, the Library of Congress, Oregon State University, and the George Eastman collection.  With special thanks to David Bardin

The Church of Ireland Library's 115-Year-Old Photographic Treasure - photos of Jerusalem

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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Part 2: The Church of Ireland Library's 115-Year-Old Photographic Treasure Posted: 11 Dec 2013  Carriage parking lot outside of Jerusalem's Old City's Jaffa Gate and beneath David's Citadel. The photo pre-dates the opening made adjacent to Jaffa Gate to enable entrance of the German Emperor's carriage in 1898.  View inside Jaffa Gate HERE  Credit: RCB Library, 1897).  We present here Part 2 from the Church of Ireland Library's photographic collection of pictures taken by David Brown in 1897.  View Part 1 HERE The Church of Ireland's Representative Church Body Library's full collection can be viewed HERE. The photos here are presented with the permission of the RCB Library. Click on pictures to enlarge; click on the captions to view the original photo. Subscribe to receive www.israeldailypicture.com in your email by entering your address in the right sidebar. On the road to the Jerusalem train station with Jaffa Gate and David's Citadel in the background. Other 19th Century photographers also used this same perspective for a landscape picture of Jerusalem.  (Credit: RCB Library, 1897)  Rachel's tomb between Jerusalem and Bethlehem (Credit: RCB Library, 1897)  View a previous feature on Rachel's tomb HERE Money changer in Jerusalem (apparently Jewish). A picture of money changers was also a standard photo taken by photographers visiting the Holy Land, perhaps because of the New Testament story of Jesus and the money changers.  View an earlier posting on money changers and their unique tables HERE.  (Credit: RCB Library, 1897) "Plowing with an ox and ass" -- the original caption. This is another standard picture by 19th century photographers,apparently because of the Biblical prohibition "Thou shall not plow with an ox and an ass together" (Deuteronomy XX). View a previous posting on photographing Biblical prohibitions HERE. (Credit: RCB Library, 1897) The Golden Gate of the Old City. The sealed gates, the closest to the location of the Jewish Temples, face the Mt. of Olives.  View a previous posting on the Golden Gate, also known as Sha'ar Harachamim, HERE. (Credit: RCB Library, 1897) Responsible Archivists Preserve Their Photographic Treasures

Century-Old Photos Revealed by Oregon State University, Part 1. The Collection Includes an Interesting Historical Commentary

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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Century-Old Photos Revealed by Oregon State University, Part 1. The Collection Includes an Interesting Historical Commentary Posted: 27 Nov 2013 11:07 PM PST Rachel's Tomb (circa 1910) Note the camels and carriages. (Oregon State University Archives) Oregon State University has an unusual collection of 100+ year old photographs of Palestine --  not necessarily unusual because of the photographs, which are exceptional, but also because of the historic narration provided to most of the pictures.  Tiberias (circa 1910, Oregon State University Archives) The "historic lecture booklet" referenced in many of the captions, explains Trevor Sandgathe, the Public Services Coordinator of OSU's Special Collections & Archives Research Center, "is a 60-page document containing captions for each of the images in this particular set of lantern slides.  The booklet was for internal use and therefore unpublished." We provide here a first set of OSU's pictures and the original captions (in blue). "Tiberias ... is on the western shore of the lake of Galilee about seven miles from its southern end. The lake lies 627 feet below the level of the Mediterranean; the city is on a plain a few feet above the lake. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Tiberias became the seat of many Jewish schools. Here the Mishna was complied [sic] and published about A.D. 220, and the Palestinian Talmud about 420. Here the vowel points were added to the Hebrew Bible about 600 A.D. Of its present population of 4,000 two-thirds are Jews."  The Jews' Wailing Place- Outer Wall of Temple  (circa 1910,  Oregon State University Archives) "Leaving the temple area by the Cotton Gate, a turn to the left will bring one to the wailing place of the Jews which is a portion of the western wall of the temple area.  The figures leaning against the weather-beaten wall, shedding tears, present a touching scene. Some professionals come to mourn for others, whose business detains them, but one old woman was actually bathing the walls and flagstones below with hot tears. On a Friday afternoon or a Saturday morning, great throngs of Jews may be seen here all unconscious of the presence and clicking of cameras.  This is as close to the temple area as the Jews ever go, for none of them wish to commit the enormous sin of treading upon the Holy of Hollies. As nearly as the Middle Ages, probably, the Jews came hither to wail. They are free to do so now, but in ages past they had to pay large sums for this privilege." Jaffa Gate (prior to 1908 when a clock tower was built at the gate, post-1898 when the wall was breached to build this road  (circa 1910,  Oregon State University Archives)  More pictures of Jaffa Gate here "The Jaffa gate is the only gate on the western side of Jerusalem. It is so called because through it passes the road and the traffic to and from Jaffa.  It is one of eight gates in the city wall, of which one, the golden Gate, had long been walled up. the Jaffa gate is called by the Moslem, Bab el-Khalil, that is Gate of the Friend (of God) - Abraham, because from this gate is the road to Hebron where Abraham lived. The scene is liveliest on Sunday, and on Friday --- the holy day of the Mohammedans. Then the Jaffa road appears as the principal promenade of the natives."    Responsible Archivists Preserve Their Photographic Treasures     Abraham's Well, Beer Sheba  (circa 1910, Oregon State University Archives) The wells of Beer Sheba were a strategic location during the battles of World War I. Read more here

Rachel's Tomb -- 3,600 Years Ago

Rachel's Tomb --
We Present a Special Album of Pictures to Commemorate the Death of the Matriarch Rachel about 3,600 Years Ago

Expanded version of a November 2011 posting. Updated with newly found pictures.

At least 100,000 Jews -- mostly women -- are expected to visit Rachel's Tomb later this week. The burial site, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, has been venerated by Jews for centuries. 

"And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Efrat, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day."  Genesis 35:19-20 

 

"30 men ('3 minyans') from a Jerusalem old age home praying for
the well-being of friends and donors and other brethren from the
House of Israel in the Diaspora next to the gravestone of Mother
Rachel of blessed memory." (Stephanie Comfort -- Jewish
Postcard Collection)

Saturday, the 11th of Cheshvan in the Hebrew calendar, is traditionally observed as Rachel's yahrzeit -- anniversary of her death some 3,600 years ago.  Rachel's husband Jacob buried her on the side of the road, and according to the prophet Jeremiah, Rachel later wept as "her children" were exiled from the land of Israel.  Rachel is considered a special figure for prayers and entreaties.

In 1622 the Ottoman governor of Jerusalem permitted Jews to build walls and a dome over the grave.  [For historical background on Rachel's grave see Nadav Shragai.]


Rachel's Tomb (circa 1890-1900) (Credit: Library of Congress,
Detroit Publishing Co. photochrom color)





All photos are from the American Colony collection in the Library of Congress unless otherwise credited.

Visitors to Rachel's Tomb (circa 1910). Note the carriages in
the background and  Jewish pilgrims under the tree (see
enlargement below). (Oregon State University collection)

For several hundred years a local Bedouin tribe, the Ta'amra, and local Arabs demanded protection money from Jews going to Rachel's grave.  In the 18th and 19th century the Arabs built a cemetery around three sides of the shrine in the belief that the proximity of the deceased to the grave of a holy person -- even a Jew -- would bestow blessings on the deceased in the world to come.  Muslims even prepared bodies for burial at Rachel's grave.

In the 1830s, Jews received a firman [decree] from Ottoman authorities recognizing the Jewish character of the site and ordering a stop to the abuse of Jews there.  In 1841, Sir Moses Montefiore secured permission from the Ottoman authority to build an anteroom for Jewish worshippers.  During the 1929 Muslim attacks on the Jews of Palestine, the Muslim religious council, the Waqf, demanded the site.

Jewish pilgrim
in picture above

For 19 years of Jordanian rule on the West Bank (1948-1967), Rachel's Tomb was off limits to Jews.  After the 1967 war, Israel reclaimed control of the site.  In 1996 and during the Palestinian intifada in 2000-2001 Rachel's Tomb was the target of numerous attacks.  The Israeli army built walls to protect worshippers and their access to the site.

Rachel's Tomb 1895



Rachel's Tomb 1898

Rachel's tomb (circa late 19th century) by Adrien Bonfils,
son of pioneer photographer Félix Bonfils (Credit:
 George Eastman House collection)  See also here

Rachel's Tomb (1891) (credit: New
Boston Fine and Rare Books)

  

Students from Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem praying inside
Rachel's Tomb (Circa early 20th Century)
(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

   

Rachel's Tomb (1908) (Credit: Omaha
 Public Library)



Students from the Gymnasia visiting Rachel's Tomb. Presumably, the school is
the Gymnasia HaIvrit Herzliya, the first Hebrew high school in Palestine, founded
in 1905. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons, circa early 20th Century)

Aerial photograph of Rachel's Tomb (1931)

 British (Scot) soldiers stopping Arab in
weapons search, Rachel's Tomb 1936 



In October 2010, UNESCO declared that the holy site was also the Bilal bin Rabah mosque and objected to Israeli "unilateral actions" at the shrine.  Bilal bin Rabah was Mohammed's Ethiopian slave and muzzein who died and was buried in Damascus.  The claim that the site was a mosque was first made in 1996.

 

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