Cool discovery changing the views we had of Judiasm in a time of expanding Christianity.
In an unrelated note, if only it could be politically possible to excavate the Temple Mount. What glorious history must be buried there.
There’s plenty of historical artifacts being excavated…by the Muslims, and either destroyed or discarded. Here’s one story of it happening.
Israeli archaeologists have sifted through some such salvaged dirt and found some very nice artifacts, but would be much easier if the Waqf were a little more cooperative.
What I find fascinating is the religious murals. I had always thought Judaism frowned on that sort of representative art (“graven images” and all). The article suggests this is an important aspect of the discovery, giving a glimpse of what at least some Jewish communities saw as acceptable.
I agree. But this was before Islam and the Crusades.
The prohibition of graven images in Judaism does not include 2-dimensional images, only 3-dimensional. A carved relief would be an issue, a wall painting or mosaic would not be.