>Arutz Sheva is reporting that Dr. Eilat Mazar, a professor at Hebrew University, is denouncing the
Israel Antiquities Authority for allowing the destruction of antiquities on the Temple Mount. The following is an excerpt from the news report:

Well-known archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar of Hebrew University told Arutz Sheva Radio that she sees the recent revelation of First Temple artifacts on the Temple Mount as further proof of what she called the Antiquities Authority’s “criminal behavior.” The destruction on the Temple Mount continues, she charged, due to “a direct order from the Prime Minister’s Office” to ignore the Islamic Waqf’s violations of antiquities preservation laws.

Asked why the Prime Minister would issue such a directive, Dr. Mazar said, “I am an archaeologist, not a politician. However, it is clear that the Prime Minister must not avert his eyes from the destruction of antiquities on the Temple Mount. Not even at the cost of tranquility. These are artifacts that have been permanently ruined and we will never be able to restore them.”

Read the full report by clicking here.

The controversy remains unabated. The Israeli government and the Israel Antiquities Authority should take steps to preserve artifacts that may shed light on events related to the ancient history of Israel.

Politics, religion, and the schism between the Palestinians and the Israelis contribute to this situation and make the problem harder to solve. Whatever one’s views on this issue, the preservation of remains of the past should take precedence over political and religious differences.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, Eilat Mazar, Temple Mount.