“... An End to the Occupation That Began in 1967”
In early January President George Bush visited the Middle East. During one of his press conferences while in Israel, President Bush made a statement that for peace to come to the Middle East, that there was a need for "an end to the occupation that began in 1967."
Clarity on that statement has never been forthcoming from the White House press representatives.
What an impact that would have on archaeology in the Golan Heights.
A portion of the 1967 border between Israel and Syria was the ancient stone fence that surrounded the Orthodox side of Capernaum. It included the area of Bethsaida where eighteen excavation seasons have uncovered a magnitude of information from Iron Age II to the Byzantine period. It covers the area of Kursi (the first Gentile conversion), Susita (Hippos), Gamla, also known as the Masada of the north, and the all-important site of Caesarea Philippi, the location of great controversy between the Roman Catholics and Protestants where Jesus made the statement concerning Peter as the "rock.”
Mount Hermon is in the Golan Heights.
Before the 1967 war, Syrian had plans to divert the water from Banias (Caesarea Philippi) thus depriving Israel of water sources feeding the Jordan River. Because the elevations in the Golan Heights were a strategic advantage to Syria, during the 1960’s Syria used that elevation advantage to randomly shell Israeli settlements in the upper Galilee.
Syrian had not performed any archaeological excavations into the Christian areas of Bethsaida, Kursi, Capernaum, or the Jewish sites in the area. I feel it would be a negative impact to archaeological research to give the Golan Heights back to Syria. Returning the Golan Heights will not preclude Syria in returning to the concept of diverting the water from the Jordan, nor will it insure that the sites of Christian and Jewish tradition will continue to be maintained and that pilgrims would be allowed to travel there.
I am speaking of areas that have been excavated because the ruins of these former locations were above ground level and the locations could be identified. Yet, for centuries, Syria saw no need to excavate the areas. Why?
...Because they were Christian and Jewish sites.
The Palestinian state isn't interested in Jewish or Christian sites being preserved or that water sources be available for everyone, and by the lack of action in the past on the part of Syrian, neither are they.
If, indeed, the borders are returned to the 1967 borders, the Golan will return to Syria and part of Jerusalem will return to Jordan. What a set back that will be for archaeology.
Clarity on that statement has never been forthcoming from the White House press representatives.
What an impact that would have on archaeology in the Golan Heights.
A portion of the 1967 border between Israel and Syria was the ancient stone fence that surrounded the Orthodox side of Capernaum. It included the area of Bethsaida where eighteen excavation seasons have uncovered a magnitude of information from Iron Age II to the Byzantine period. It covers the area of Kursi (the first Gentile conversion), Susita (Hippos), Gamla, also known as the Masada of the north, and the all-important site of Caesarea Philippi, the location of great controversy between the Roman Catholics and Protestants where Jesus made the statement concerning Peter as the "rock.”
Mount Hermon is in the Golan Heights.
Before the 1967 war, Syrian had plans to divert the water from Banias (Caesarea Philippi) thus depriving Israel of water sources feeding the Jordan River. Because the elevations in the Golan Heights were a strategic advantage to Syria, during the 1960’s Syria used that elevation advantage to randomly shell Israeli settlements in the upper Galilee.
Syrian had not performed any archaeological excavations into the Christian areas of Bethsaida, Kursi, Capernaum, or the Jewish sites in the area. I feel it would be a negative impact to archaeological research to give the Golan Heights back to Syria. Returning the Golan Heights will not preclude Syria in returning to the concept of diverting the water from the Jordan, nor will it insure that the sites of Christian and Jewish tradition will continue to be maintained and that pilgrims would be allowed to travel there.
I am speaking of areas that have been excavated because the ruins of these former locations were above ground level and the locations could be identified. Yet, for centuries, Syria saw no need to excavate the areas. Why?
...Because they were Christian and Jewish sites.
The Palestinian state isn't interested in Jewish or Christian sites being preserved or that water sources be available for everyone, and by the lack of action in the past on the part of Syrian, neither are they.
If, indeed, the borders are returned to the 1967 borders, the Golan will return to Syria and part of Jerusalem will return to Jordan. What a set back that will be for archaeology.
posted by ~serapha~ at 5:32 PM
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