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LANDOF THE

PROMISE

April 2010 Franciscans - Malta2

2 THE LAND OF THE PROMISE - April 2010

EditorialEditorial

CONTENTS

Editorial ............................... 2The Chapel of Adam beneath Calvary ................................. 4The “Funeral” of Christ in the Holy Sepulchre..................... 11Banias and Tel Dan ............... 19

Biblical Culture Reviewby the

Maltese Franciscans

First year: 2010

Layout:John Abela ofm

Setting:Raymond Camilleri ofm

VOL 1 NO 2APRIL 2010

COVER

The Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Noel Muscat ofm

The history of the people of Israel is a sacred history. It is a history of salvation, unfolding according to a plan by which God chose Abraham and made a cove-nant with him to give to him and his descendants a land in which to dwell. “He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit” (Psalm 105:10-12). God remained faithful to His promise by liberating his people from slavery in Egypt and sending Moses to lead the Israelites to the land flowing with milk and honey. “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:4-6).This history of salvation proceeds with the entry of the Israelites in the Holy Land and reaches a climax with the establishment of David’s kingdom in Jerusalem. The Bible presents Jerusalem as the place where God dwells among His people, in order to bless and protect His inheritance. “The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the Holy Land and will again choose Jerusalem” (Zechariah 2:11-13).Yet not all was plain sailing for the people of Israel. Time and again they rebelled against God and were driven into exile. They were deprived of the gift of the Land and had to dwell as foreigners in a land that was not their own. God eventually took pity on his people and made them return to the Promised Land in a new exodus. The sin of unfaithfulness to God’s precepts

ADDING HOUSE TO HOUSE TILL

NO SPACE IS LEFT

Editorial

April 2010 - THE LAND OF THE PROMISE 3

consisted, according to the prophets, in acts of injustice towards the poor. Isaiah mentions such a situation when he refers to those among the Israelites who con-sidered the Land as their personal possession, and not as God’s inheritance: “Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land” (Isaiah 5:8).These words are to be taken as referring to all kinds of injustice in the world, no matter from where they come. Yet one cannot forget that they were uttered to a nation that has regarded itself along its long and even-tful history as God’s own inheritance. These words were addressed to a nation that has experienced suffe-ring, hardship, exile, tragedy, and holocausts, to a nation that rightly demands justice to live in a Land that it can call its own.And yet, in the light of its long history and also of its recent history, these words sound more than ever rele-vant to the people of Israel. Living in the Land means respecting that “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it; the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). Therefore no people can claim to be the sole proprietor of the Land by “adding house to house and joining field to field till no space is left.” This is, unfortunately, the injustice perpetrated nowadays by those who mix politics with religion, or rather believe that the end product of the history of salvation is the creation of a modern State that does not tolerate the rights of other ethnic groups for self-determination and peaceful co-existence. This sin is only too evident in many hotspots on the globe, including the Land rendered Holy by God’s own chosen people.


Bible Studies

Pilgrims to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

normally stop to visit and pray on Calvary and in the Ædicule that enshrines the empty Tomb of Christ. The Basilica, however, offers many other interesting elements that merit attention on the part of those pilgrims who have enough time to wander in this sacred labyrinth and stop to consider every nook and cranny. One such interesting place is the so-called Chapel of Adam situ-ated directly underneath the Greek-Orthodox section of Calvary.

This chapel is the witness of an ancient Judaeo-Christian tradition that placed in the rock of Calvary the place were the forefather Adam was buried. This tradition was handed down by apocryphal writings of the first centuries, but is also witnessed by archaeology, since the apse of the Chapel of Adam contains a section of the original rock of Calvary with the cleft that, according to tradition, was created during the earthquake which accompanied the moment of Christ’s death (Mt 27:51). It was at the moment of Christ’s death that water and blood flowed down from his body into the cleft in the rock and bathed Adam’s skull that was buried underneath. The symbolic connota-tions of this tradition are obvious, and they have also left an indelible mark on iconographical representa-tions of Calvary (Bellarmino Bagatti, “Note sull’Iconografia di «Adamo sotto il Calvario», Studii Biblici Franciscani, Liber Annuus, Jerusalem, XXVII (1977), 5-32 and plates 1-12).

THE CHAPEL OF ADAM IN CHRISTIAN TRADITION

The tradition that holds that Adam was buried beneath Calvary has been influenced by the topo-graphical denomination Kraníon in Greek and Calvarium in Latin. The Gospel accounts form the basis of this tradition:

“They came to a place called Golgotha (Γολγοθᾶ), which means the Place of the Skull (Κρανίου Τόπος)” – “et venerunt in locum qui dicitur Golgotha quod est Calvariae locus” (Mt 27:33).

“They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (Γολγοθᾶν τόπον), which means the place of the Skull (Κρανίου Τόπος)” – “et perducunt illum in Golgotha locum quod est interpretatum Calvariae locus” (Mk 15:22).

“When they came to the place called the Skull (Κρανίον), there they crucified him, along with the crimi-nals” – “et postquam venerunt in locum qui vocatur Calvariae ibi cruci-fixerunt eum” (Lk 23:33).

“Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (Κρανίου Τόπον), which in Hebrew is called Golgotha (Γολγοθα)” – “et baiulans sibi crucem exivit in eum qui dicitur Calvariae locum hebraice Golgotha” (Jn 19:17).

The denomination of place of the Skull is recorded in various apocry-phal writings of the first centuries, such as the Testament of Solomon. According to this document the devil

THE CHAPEL OF ADAMBENEATH CALVARY

Bible Studies


told Solomon that he would be van-quished at the moment when the Angel of the Great Counsel would be hung on a tree “in the place called Kefálaion.” This tradition, like many others linked with this place, which calls Jesus “the Angel of the Great Counsel” is typically Judaeo-Christian.

There is a strong Judaeo-Christian tradition that Adam dwelt in the vicin-ity of the Place of the Skull (Calvarium).

In 246 Origen, in his Commentary on Matthew, writes: “I have discovered a certain tradition, which states that the body of Adam, the first man, was buried in that place and that Christ was also crucified in that same place” (PG 13,1777). The Psedo-Athanasius writes: “Christ did not suffer and was not crucified in any other place than the one known as the place of Calvary (Calvariae locum), where the Jewish masters say that Adam was buried” (PG 28,208). Now, since the ancient Jewish tradition placed Adam’s burial place in Hebron, it is obvious that this

reference to the “Jewish masters” who pinpoint Calvary as the place of Adam’s burial indicates Judaeo-Christians. We have to remember that, until the destruction of Jerusalem by Hadrian in 135, the Christian commu-nity in Jerusalem was made up of Judaeo-Christians.

Origen mentions a “tradition” that one can find in another apocryphal writing known as the Combat of Adam

(migne, Dictionnaire des Apocryphes, I, Paris 1896, 289-391). The legendary account states that Adam died on the anniversary of the day on which he had been created, exactly during the hour that corresponded to his expulsion from Paradise. His body was laid in the Cavern of the Treasures, where the bodies of the other Patriarchs were also laid to rest. When the Flood came, Noah and his sons, obeying divine command, exhumed the body of Adam from the cavern, together with the gold, frankincense and myrrh, and they carried it in an Ark that was

Chapel of Adam under Calvary


Bible Studiessealed by God so that his remains would remain intact until the day of resurrection. Many years later, after Noah’s death, Shem and Melchizedek brought out the remains from the Ark, and after having been commanded by God, they were guided by angels to come and bury Adam’s remains on Golgotha.

When Origen was writing from Caesarea, the rock of Calvary had dis-appeared from public view, as had Christ’s sepulchre, since emperor Hadrian in 135 had built on the site the

forum of Ælia Capitolina, with the temple of Venus on Golgotha.

Another apocryphal writing refer-ring to the tradition of the burial place of Adam under Calvary is the so-called Cavern of the Treasures. This is a Syrian document dated between the 4th and the 6th-7th centuries. It is defi-nitely Christian in its inspiration, but

draws many tradi-tions from other Jewish apocrypha, including the Book of Jubilees (2nd century BC), known also as the Little Genesis, Apocalpyse of Moses, Testament of Moses, or Life of Adam, that describes history as revealed to Moses on Sinai in jubilee peri-ods of 49 years. Other sources could be the Assumption of Moses, composed between AD 6-30, and which includes the Testament of Moses and the Assumption of Moses, quoted by Origen, Clement of Alexandria and even the acts of the Council of Nicea. The Cavern of the Treasures presents a continuous account of the creation of Adam and Eve and their offspring until Melchizedek, and on down to the death of Christ.

It is this apocry-phal document that links in a particu-lar way the passion and death of Christ with the death of Adam. Among the Church Fathers it seems that Irenaeus is the only one who refers to it

Stairway to Calvary

Bible Studies


(Adversus Haereses, 23,2). The Cavern of the Treasures, ch. 48, vv. 12 and 21 states: “Adam was created form the dust of the earth during the early hours of Friday. It was also during the early hours of Friday that the Messiah received the insults and spitting of the sons of Adam. It was on a Friday that Adam and Eve sinned, and it was also on a Friday that their sin was forgiven. It was on a Friday that Adam and Eve died, and on that same day they were called back to life.”

In 333 emperor Constantine ordered the rediscovery of Calvary and the building of a sumptuous basilica over the Holy Sepulchre (Vita Constantini [265-340], PG 20,1085; Donato BalDi, Enchiridion Locorum Sanctorum, Jerusalem 1935, n. 944, 786-790). The new structure altered considerably the original topographical layout of the site, since Constantine’s architects cut the rock in order to build the Anástasis, leaving intact, however, the block enclosing Christ’s Sepulchre, and the naked rock of Calvary. Since the archi-tects came from other regions of the Empire, they did not know very well the local Judaeo-Christian traditions that were thus relegated to near-oblivion, including the tradition regarding the burial place of Adam under Calvary.

After the Persian invasion of 614 and the Islamic occupation of Palestine in 638, followed by the iconoclastic crisis, there was a return to the ancient traditions linked with Calvary. The Breviarius de Hierosolyma [530] states that Calvary is the place ubi plasmatus est Adam, “where Adam was created” (BalDi, n. 951,4). The monk Epiphanius, writing in the 8th-9th centuries, states that there was a cenotaph dedicated to Adam at the base of Calvary (BalDi, n. 960: prope sepulcrum locus est Calvariae, eo loci cruci affixus est Christus: cujus altitudo est graduum triginta sex. Infra fixionis crucis locum

est ecclesia Adami et tumulus). He says that close the Sepulchre there is the Place of the Skull (ó tópos tou Kraníou - Calvary) where Jesus was nailed to the cross, and that one climbs to it by 36 steps; underneath the place where Christ was crucified there is the Chapel where Adam was buried (ó táphos). It seems that the Chapel of Adam is more recent than the original edifice of Constantine. Archaeologists and restorers are of the opinion that the apse of the Chapel of Adam, built with bricks, was in fact the work of the builders sent by Emperor Constantine Monómacus, who restored the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in the 11th century, after the savage destruction of the fanatic Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim in 1009. The interesting thing to note, however, is that the builders took care to leave an empty space at the back of the apse, through which one can still see the naked rock of Calvary and the cleft in the same rock, which impressed pil-grims who visited this Chapel in the Middle Ages.

Among the mediaeval pilgrims who visited the Chapel of Adam under Calvary, we mention Sewulf, who came to Jerusalem in 1102, at the beginning of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. He writes: “Underneath Golgotha there is the place where Adam is said to have been raised to life by the blood of the Lord that flowed abun-dantly upon him… however, in the writings of Saint Augustine we read that he was buried in Hebron…” (Subtus est locus qui Golgotha vocatur, ubi Adam a torrente Domini cruoris super eum delapso dicitur esse a mortuis resuscitatus… sed in sententiis beati Augustini legitur eum sepultum fuisse in Hebron…) (BalDi, 965,5).

The Russian abbot Daniel, who came to the Holy Land as a pilgrim in 1106, describes Calvary and mentions the hole in the rock where pilgrims revered


Bible Studiesas the spot in which Christ was raised up on the cross. “Under this rock the skull of the first man was buried… the rock opened a cleft upon Adam’s skull and the blood and water that flowed from the wound on the side of Christ trickled down this crevice upon the skull and thus washed away the sins of the human race” (BalDi, 966,6).

The iconographic representations of this ancient tradition are numerous. They are normally grouped into three kinds: (a) the skull of Adam under Calvary; (b) the skull of Adam bathed with the divine blood; (c) Adam in the tomb awaiting the day of redemption, or praying, or gathering the divine blood flowing down upon him.

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE TAU CUM CAPITE IN ST. FRANCIS’ BLESS-

ING TO BROTHER LEO

One of the most interesting repre-sentations of Adam’s skull under the cross is that present on the parchment that Saint Francis gave to brother Leo on Mount La Verna in September 1224, some time after he received the stig-mata. The account is given by Thomas of Celano in The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul (1246-47): “While the saint was secluded in a cell on Mount La Verna, one of his companions was yearning with great desire to have something encouraging from the words of our Lord, commented on briefly by Saint Francis and written with his own hand. He believed that by this means he would be set free from, or at least would bear more easily, a serious temptation which oppressed him, not in the flesh but in the spirit. Though growing weary with this desire, he feared to express it to the most holy father. But what man did not tell him, the Spirit revealed. One day Saint Francis called this brother and said: ‘Bring me paper and ink, because I

want to write down the words of the Lord and his praises upon which I have meditated in my heart.’ What he had asked for was quickly brought to him. He then wrote down with his own hand the Praises of God and the words he wanted and, at the end, a blessing for that brother, saying: ‘Take this paper for yourself and keep it carefully to your dying day.’ The whole temptation disappeared immediately. The letter was preserved, and later it worked wonders” (2C 49, Francis of Assisi. Early Documents, Vol. 2, 280).

The parchment or chartula given to brother Leo is nowadays preserved as a precious relic in the lower basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi. On one side it contains the Praises of God and on the other side that is shown to pilgrims in a precious reliquary, it contains the Blessing given to brother Leo. It is just one of two rare examples of auto-graphs by Saint Francis (Duane lapsanski, “The Autographs on the «Chartula» of Saint Francis of Assisi, Archivum Franciscanum Historicum 67 (1974) 18-37).

The interesting note about the parchment, are the rubrics written by brother Leo. On the part presenting the Blessing, brother Leo wrote: “The blessed Francis wrote this blessing for me with his own hand.” Underneath the words of the blessing, taken from Numbers 6:24-27 (blessing of Aaron), brother Leo added the words: Simili modo fecit istud signum thau cum capite, manu sua (“In a similar way he made with his own hand this sign TAU together with the skull”).

In the parchment the sign TAU is clearly evident in the name LeTo. We know from other sources that Francis nurtured a particular devotion to the Hebrew letter TAU, since it reminded him of Christ’s cross. “He favoured the sign of the TAU over all others. With it alone he signed letters he sent, and painted it on the walls of cells every-

Bible Studies


where” (Celano, Treatise on the Miracles of Saint Francis 3,2, Francis of Assisi. Early Documents, Vol. 2, 402). The TAU is a letter of the Hebrew and Greek alphabet. Its origin in the Bible is in Ezekiel 9:4, and this text was also used by Pope Innocent III in the opening address to the IV Lateran Council on 11th November 1215. For further information regarding the impor-tance of the TAU in the life of Saint Francis, cfr. Damien Vorrrux, A Franciscan Symbol: The Tau, Chicago 1977; octaVian schmucki, “The Passion of Christ in the Life of St. Francis of Assisi: A Comparative Study on the Sources in the Light of Devotion to the Passion Practiced in His Time”, Greyfriars Review 4 (1900) Supplement, 13-21.

The TAU on the parchment contains also a turbaned skull at its base, on a kind of rough rock. It is clear that this is a representation of Calvary with the Skull of Adam under the cross (Tau cum capite). From where did Francis get this idea? Although contemporary scholars of Franciscan history doubt whether Francis ever did make it to the Holy Sepulchre, the link with the ancient tradition in the Holy Land is evident. As has been noted, it was precisely during the Crusader era that the pil-

grims to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre stopped to gaze at the cleft in the rock under Calvary, and there contemplated the ancient tradition of the blood of Christ flowing down upon

the skull of Adam in order to redeem him and all the human race. Bellarmino Bagatti, in his study on the iconogra-phy of “Adam under Calvary,” lists numerous examples of the representa-tion of the Skull under Calvary, many of which are mediaeval. So one can state that Francis was well aware of such a tradition and popular devotion, and he expressed it also in art, depict-ing the Tau cum capite in the Blessing given to brother Leo.

Thau cum capite on Blessing to Brother Leo


Bible StudiesThe link between the Holy Land and

the spirituality of Saint Francis is therefore evident in this unique exem-plar of Calvary represented on a parch-ment by the saint, in a very important moment during his life, namely the period that he spent on Mount La Verna in September 1224, after having received the unique gift of the stig-mata on his own body after the vision of the crucified Seraph, which occurred probably on the early hours of the morning of 14th September, feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.

Thus we can state that there is a continuous tradition coming from the very first centuries of Christianity down to the Middle Ages and beyond, that is evident in the apocryphal writ-ings of the first centuries, in the pious devotions of the pilgrims to Calvary, in the architectural layout of the same area of Calvary, and in various icono-graphical representations, among

which the Chartula given to brother Leo is a unique example.

Maybe few pilgrims are aware of the importance of the Chapel of Adam beneath Calvary. Besides having been the place where the Crusader kings of Jerusalem were buried (Godfrey of Bouillon [1100], Baldwin I [1118], Baldwin II [1131], Fulk of Anjou [1143], Baldwin III [1163], Amalric [1174], Baldwin IV [1185], Baldwin V [1186]), before their tombs were desecrated by the Greek architects who restored the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre after the fire of 1808, this Chapel is a witness of the value of Judaeo-Christian traditions in the Holy Land, that have been kept alive by the local Christian community and also by the Franciscans in their devotional and liturgical celebrations in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, many of which are based upon the old Jerusalem liturgies going back at least to the end of the 4th century.

AA Novice of the Holy Land Custody praying at the Sanctuary of Et Tabgha

Bible Lands


The Holy Week celebrations in Jerusalem are centred in the

Basilica of the Resurrection or, as it is popularly known, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The celebrations are conducted by the various Christian communities which have the right of officiating the Basilica, particularly the Greek Orthodox, the Franciscans (Latins) who represent the Catholic Church, and the Armenian Orthodox, plus other minor communities who are allowed to celebrate in particular times and places, including the Coptic and Syrian Orthodox.

Although the most important cele-brations are those of the Holy Week, many other celebrations take place all during the preparatory period of Easter during Lent. On the Saturdays of Lent in the afternoon, the Franciscan friars of the Holy Land Custody conduct a solemn procession that stops at 14 “stationes” in the Basilica, particularly on Calvary and in the Aedicula of the Holy Sepulchre. During the night between Saturdays and Sundays of Lent, the same Franciscans conduct the Vigil Office and a procession around the Anastásis, or dome of the Resurrection. On Sunday mornings in Lent a solemn Mass is celebrated on the altar of the Apparition of Christ to St. Mary Magdalen. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem also participates in these celebrations, and he is accompanied to the Basilica by the Franciscan friars who are the official custodians of the Holy Sepulchre in the name of the Catholic Church.

The celebrations during Holy Week are patterned upon the model of the Roman Rite, but with particular char-acteristics relating to the so-called Jerusalem liturgical tradition, that has been jealously guarded by the Franciscans along many centuries, and which goes back to the 4th century, according to the description of this rite in the Diary of the pilgrim Egeria.

THE “FUNERAL” OF CHRIST AND HOLY LAND TRADITIONS IN MALTA

Among the celebrations of the Holy Week one is particularly interesting, since it is unique. It is conducted by the Father Custos of the Holy Land. It is not, properly speaking, a liturgical celebration, but rather a paraliturgical re-enactment of the passion. It is popularly called the “Funerary Procession of Christ”, or simply the “Funeral of Christ”.

The celebration of the Funerary Procession of Christ is very devotional with many of the local Catholics in Jerusalem. Its origins are lost in time, but it is highly probable that the Franciscans introduced it on the par-ticular style of their own spirituality. Scholars of the liturgy call this cele-bration a “mímesis” (μίμησις), or re-enactment of the passion, death and burial of Christ, presented on the exact time of these events, namely on the evening of Good Friday.

During the Middle Ages Christians celebrated what were known as “mys-

THE “FUNERAL” OF CHRIST IN THE HOLY SEPULCHRE


Bible Lands

teria”, or living representations of episodes from the lives of Christ or the Virgin Mary. Such celebrations were a substitute for the inability of the com-mon people to follow the complicated Latin celebrations of the liturgy. In our culture in Malta we have various exam-ples of such sacred representations, within the context of similar represen-tations in the Mediterranean basin (Spain, southern Italy, Sicily). We refer in a particular way to the Good Friday processions, that originated in a medi-aeval context, but which developed particularly from the 17th century. It is interesting to note that the first docu-mented Good Friday procession in

Malta, that of Valletta, was introduced by the Franciscan friars of the church of Santa Maria di Gesù. This procession was introduced in 1646, although it could be that older elements could have existed independently, such as one or the other of the “vari” or stat-ues representing the “stationes” of Christ’s passion. The same can be true in the case of the other procession organised by the Franciscans of the church of Santa Maria di Gesù in Rabat. Although the tradition has spread to many other parishes and has been enhanced by new additions, the origi-nal structure consisted in the main “stationes” of the passion, represent-

Ecce Homo, Valletta, by frate Umile da Petralia, 17th century

Bible Lands


ed by the “vari” or statues that are carried shoulder high: (1) Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani; (2) Jesus scourged at the pillar; (3) Jesus crowned with thorns; (4) Jesus carry-ing the cross; (5) Jesus on the cross with Mary, John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalen; (6) the sorrowful Virgin Mary under the cross; (7) the dead Christ.

Many Franciscan friars from Malta were missionaries in the Holy Land, and many other missionaries, particu-larly Italians, would pass from Malta on their way to the Holy Land, and they would reside in the Holy Land Commissariat in Valletta, that was founded in 1636 as an “hospitium” for missionaries to the Holy Land. It was these missionaries who brought over form the Holy Land many of the local traditions of Holy Week and Lent, including the weekly processions of the “stationes” of the passion in Valletta, and the Good Friday proces-

sion with all the “stationes” together. Another local tradition brought over from the Holy Land is that of the gild-ed capsule on the altar of repose of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, that in Malta is popularly known as “Sepulkru” or Sepulchre, from the tradition of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Aedicula of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Thursday in Jerusalem.

Saint Francis is also known for his initiatives in creating similar devo-tional representations, the most famous of which is the Christmas cel-ebration of Greccio in 1223, which is considered to be the first Christmas crib. In fact, it was not properly speak-ing a crib, but a living re-enactment of the Nativity scene within the context of the liturgical celebration of the Mass. Such representations in the Middle Ages were common, as in the case of the mystery plays, and they nurtured the simple faith of the com-mon people and helped them to under-

Our Lady of Sorrows, Valletta, Malta


Bible Landsstand better the liturgical celebra-tions.

The Funerary Procession of Christ in Jerusalem is a synthesis of all these traditional elements we have just mentioned. Although outwardly appearing as a liturgical celebration, in fact it is rather a paraliturgical cer-emony, that is, a representation that draws its inspiration from the liturgy. The celebration is presided by the Father Custos, flanked by other priests and deacons all vested in black and gold embroidered copes and dalmat-ics. These vestments recall the pre-Vatican II liturgy that used black vest-ments on Good Friday. The deacons who assist the Custos represent the personages who came to anoint the dead body of Christ and to prepare him for burial, particularly Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (cfr. Jn 19:38-42).

The centre of attention during the procession is the Crucifix that is car-ried by the Father Secretary of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, who also wears a black stole. This par-ticular crucifix has flexible arms, so that the arms of Christ can be detached from the cross and gently brought down to represent the scene of Christ’s deposition from the cross. In Malta elderly people still remember the function of the three hours sermon on Good Friday afternoon, at the end of which the priests would re-enact the scene of the deposition of Christ from the cross. This paraliturgical celebra-tion was also brought over to Malta by Franciscan missionaries from the Holy Land.

As in the case of similar celebra-tions, the faithful took part in such representations by singing hymns and prayers, while beholding the sacred actions that reproduced the actual events of the passion, death and burial of Jesus. In the case of the Funerary

Procession of Jesus this “mímesis” is a faithful imitation of all the actions that took place at the same hour of the evening of Good Friday, when Jesus was taken down from the cross, anointed and wrapped in a linen shroud to be taken to the new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.

THE CELEBRATION OF THE “FUNERAL OF CHRIST”

The Funerary Procession starts in the entrance to the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in the Latin section of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, in front of the bronze door that sepa-rates the chapel from the transept of the Apparition of the Risen Christ to Mary Magdalen. The Custos, wearing the black vestments and white mitre, stands flanked by the presbiters and deacons who assist him, while the Secretary carries the Crucifix. The “schola” intones the antiphon “Offérimus ergo tibi Pater” (“We offer to you, therefore, o Father, your most beloved Son, who is our high Priest and Pontifex, as well as our best and most faithful Shepherd, who offered himself for our sake as a holocaust and fra-grant sacrifice.” The theme of fra-grance reminds us of the substances used to anoint the dead of Christ, which form the central theme of the procession.

At this point, one of the Franciscan priests, wearing a black stole, reads a section of the Gospel of the Passion in Italian (Matthew 26:1-5.20-25), which speaks about the plot to capture Jesus and the announcing of Judas’ betrayal during the Last Supper.

After the reading of the Gospel account the procession begins to move under the “Arches of the Virgin”, towards the “Prison of Christ” and on along the semicircular corridor behind

Bible Lands


the apse of the Greek “Kathólikon” to the chapel of the Dividing of the Vestments of Christ. In the meantime the Franciscan friars sing the antiphon “Parce Domine” with the Psalm 50 (“Miserere mei Deus”). All carry light-ed candles, while the Secretary carries the Crucifix and the deacons the phials containing the sweet smelling oint-ments and incense that the Custos uses to anoint the dead body of Jesus on the stone of unction.

When the procession stops in the

chapel of the Dividing of the Vestments, another priest proclaims in Polish the Gospel of Mark 14:53-72, including the episodes of the trial of Jesus before the high priest Caiphas and Peter’s tri-ple denial.

The third “station” of the proces-sion is the chapel of the Column of the Improperia, where a priest reads in German the account of Luke 22:66-71; 23:1-12, regarding the trial of Jesus before the high priests, king Herod, and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.

Scene of deposition on Calvary (custodia.org)


Bible Lands

From this point the procession starts climbing the stairs of Calvary and arrives at the Latin chapel of the Crucifixion of Christ on Calvary. There the Secretary places the Crucifix on a mat on the floor, while the Custos and his assistants surround it together with the friars present. A priest reads in English the Gospel text of John 19:1-16, regarding the scourging of Jesus, the mockery of the Roman soldiers who crown Jesus with thorns, the con-demnation of the Jews and Pilate’s decision to hand over Jesus to be cru-cified.

At this point the Secretary carries the Crucifix to the altar in the Greek Orthodox section of Calvary, on the rock of Golgotha where Christ was raised up on the cross and were he died. The altar is covered with a large linen cloth that is then used as a shroud for the representation of the dead Christ. This is the only celebra-tion in which the Franciscans are allowed to make use of the altar of the

Greek Orthodox monks, since they only have the right of incensing the rock of Calvary beneath the altar dur-ing their daily procession.

When the Secretary climbs behind the altar holding the Crucifix, a priest reads in French the Gospel account of John 19:17-37, regarding the death of Jesus on the cross. Afterwards one of the deacons begin to sing verses 38-42 of the same chapter of John’s Gospel, describing the deposition of Jesus from the cross, the anointing of the body and the burial. After the Gospel proc-lamation the choir sings the antiphon “Velum templum scissum est” (“The veil of the temple was torn down the middle, the earth quaked: the thief cried out from the cross saying: ‘Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom.’ The rocks were split and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of saints who were dead arose” [cfr. Mt 27:51-52; Lk 23,42]).

Then two deacons, representing Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus,

Scene of the Procession from Calvary (custodia.org)

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take off their dalmatics and remain with their albs and stoles. Together with the Secretary who holds the Crucifix they begin to re-enact the scene of the deposition of Christ from the cross. They place a linen cloth around the arms of the cross, passing it under the armpits of the Crucified Christ. One of the deacons then takes off the crown of thorns from the head of the Crucifix, shows it to the people, kisses it reverently and places it on a silver plate. They he takes into his hands a hammer and pincers. He hits on the back of the arm of the cross and then with the pincers he takes off the nail from Christ’s hand. He shows the nail to the people, kisses it reverently and places it on the silver plate. The other deacon repeats the same act on the other side of the cross. The nail fastened to the feet of the Crucifix is then drawn out in the same manner. The deacons then gently lower the hands of the Crucifix and begin to pull it down in the linen cloth, placing it upon the shroud that envelops the altar. The priests who read the Gospel accounts then come forward and carry the dead body of Christ in the linen shroud, while the Secretary carries the empty cross with the linen shroud used to lower Jesus from the cross. The pro-cession then leaves Calvary and goes down back to the entrance of the Basilica, to the Stone of Unction.

The Stone of Unction is a slab of marble at the entrance to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, which is vener-ated by pilgrims as soon as they enter this holy place. All pilgrims kneel down to kiss this marble slab, commemorat-ing the place where Christ’s body was anointed and prepared for burial. Until 1808 the marble slab used to show the Franciscan coat of arms, but after the fire that destroyed the Basilica in that year the Greek Orthodox acquired rights to restore the holy place and changed the marble slab into the rose-

coloured slab that is visible to this present day. The slab is normally anointed with fragrant rose water by devout pilgrims to kneel down to kiss it.

When the procession arrives at the Stone of Unction the dead body of Christ is placed on the marble slab. The Custos takes his place at the cen-tre, and then takes off the cope and mitre and is girded with a linen towel. He receives the ointments from the deacons and begins to spread the fra-grant ointments on the dead body of Christ, together with the myrrh and frankincense. He then incenses the body of Christ and, after receiving his cope and mitre, sits on the presiden-tial chair, while the parish priest of the Franciscan parish of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem delivers a short homily in Arabic.

After the homily the procession goes to the last “station”, namely the Aedicula of the Holy Sepulchre. The priests carry the dead body of Christ in the shroud, while the choir sings the antiphon “Sepulto Domino” (“After they had buried the Lord, they rolled a stone in front of the entrance to the sepulchre. They also placed guards to watch over the sepulchre. The high priests went to Pilate and made this request to him, and placed guards to watch over the sepulchre” [cfr. Mt 27:66]). The priests carry the dead body of Christ in the Aedicule and place it on the marble slab covering the Holy Sepulchre. The Custos enters to incense the dead body and to pray in the holy place.

In the meantime a priest reads in Spanish the last Gospel account from John 19:38-42, regarding Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who carry the dead body of Jesus to lay it in the empty tomb. The choir then sings the antiphon “Christus factus est pro nobis oboediens” (Phil 2:8), and the Custos then comes out to recite the final


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prayer. The Custos and all the other priests and deacons then return to the sacristy.

With the words of the antiphon taken from the Christological hymn of Paul, the whole mystery of Christ obe-dient unto death on the cross is offi-cially proclaimed, together with the exaltation of the name of Jesus in the resurrection. With this reference to the joy of Easter the Franciscans begin to prepare for the celebration of the Paschal Vigil, that the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem conducts early on Saturday morning. On account of “sta-tus quo” rules the Easter Vigil in the Holy Sepulchre takes place on the

early hours of Saturday, since it still has to follow the timeframe estab-lished by the Roman Liturgy before the reform of the Easter Triduum celebra-tions by Pope Pius XII in 1955.

In the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre the Easter mystery is always present, and every day brings with it the joy of resurrection in a never-ending cycle of celebrations, just as the processions conducted by the Christian communi-ties officiating the Basilica go round and round the Aedicula of the Sepulchre in an anti-clockwise rotation to signify the never ending joy of the resurrec-tion of Christ, yesterday, today, and for ever.

The statue of Christ “buried” in the Holy Sepulchre (custodia.org)

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The archaeological sites of Banias and Tel Dan are situated in the

extreme north of Israel, close to the border with Lebanon and Syria, marked by the Hermon massif. This place is famous for the abundance of water springs, particularly for Nahal Hermon that is one of the main sourc-es of the river Jordan. Apart from being a natural reserve, however, the sites are known for their archaeologi-cal and biblical importance.

BANIAS AND NAHAL HERMON

Banias, which is the Arabic corrup-tion of the name Panias, is first of all linked with the Jordan springs called Nahal Hermon. These springs receive water from the southern flanks of Mount Hermon and from other hills in the northern Golan. Mount Hermon is known in Arabic as Jabal el-Shaiykh, and is the highest peak in the moun-tainous chain of Anti-Lebanon. It rises to 2814 metres above sea level. The summit marks the border between Lebanon and Syria, whereas the south-ern flank, where the springs of the Jordan are to be found, is under the control of Israel, which occupied the Golan heights from Syria in 1967.

Nahal Hermon is a catchment basin from an area of about 150 square kilo-metres, and gets its waters particu-larly from Sa’ar springs (Wadi Hasba) and from Nahal Zion (Wadi Asal). Each year Nahal Hermon produces close to 120 million cubic metres of water, and this amounts to about a quarter of the water flowing down the river Jordan. The greatest quantity of the water

issues at Banias, under the cave of this archaeological site, and has an aver-age cool temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. For the initial section of about 3 kilometres, Nahal Hermon flows rap-idly down a canyon, where one finds waterfalls, among which the most famous is the Banias waterfall. Afterwards Nahal Hermon enters into the Hula Valley, where after 9 kilome-tres it joins Nahal Dan in order to form the river Jordan, which continues to flow southwards towards the Lake of Galilee. The river enters the Lake close to Bethsaida and again goes out of the Lake on the other side at Yardenit in order to flow on south towards the Dead Sea.

The archaeological site of Banias is, first and foremost, a tourist attrac-tion, particularly during the spring months, when the snows on Mount Hermon melt and thus visitors can enjoy the abundance of fresh and crys-tal clear waters. However Banias is also a very important site from the archaeological and biblical perspec-tives.

When Alexander the Great occupied the Holy Land in 332 BC, Greek culture was imported in the Holy Land. Close to the Hermon spring at Banias, a “Paneon”, or temple to the god Pan was built. Pan was the god who was believed to dwell in nature. The name Paneas, and its Arabic equivalent Banias, comes from the cult of the god Pan. The historian Xenon of Rhodes wrote that, in the year 200 BC, a bat-tle between the Seleucids and the Ptolemians for the control of Palestine took place in this area.

At the end of the 1st century BC the Romans occupied Banias and annexed

BANIAS AND TEL DAN


Bible Landsit to the kingdom of Herod the Great. The Jewish historian of the period, Josephus Flavius, records that Herod built at Banias a temple close to the Hermon springs, and dedicated it to his patron, the Roman Emperor Augustus. After Herod’s death his king-dom was divided among his three sons. The northern section of Palestine and the Golan fell under the power of Philip, who declared Banias capital of

his kingdom in the year 2 BC. He named the city Caesarea Philippi, although the name Paneas was retained. It remained the capital of the kingdom also under the rule of King Agrippa II, during the second half of the 1st century. Josephus Flavius states that Agrippa II embellished the city by building a splendid palace in it, together with many temples and stat-ues.

For Christian tradition, Banias remained linked with two Gospel

accounts that took place in the city, and which indicate that Jesus passed also in this area of Palestine, under Mount Hermon. The first episode is that linked with the profession of faith of Peter, in the Gospel of Matthew 16:13-20 (parallel texts in Mark 8:27-30 and Luke 9:18-21):

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say

the Son of Man is?’ And they said: ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of

The waterfall at Banias

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the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’ Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.”

The second Gospel account that the Fathers of the Church (but not the text itself) state that it occurred in Banias is the miraculous cure of the woman who was suffering from a haemor-rhage. The event is narrated by Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34 and Luke 8:43-48. From the Gospels it is clear that the miracle occurred in Capernaum, since it is linked with the other miracle of the curing of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue offi-cial. Maybe this woman really lived in Banias, and she went down to Capernaum in order to be healed. According to an ancient tradition, this same woman had placed a statue of Jesus on the doorway of her house in order to recall the miracle of her heal-ing. The historian Sozomen writes that when Emperor Julian the Apostate heard that there was a statue of Christ at Caesarea Philippi that had been erected by a woman who had been healed from haemorrhage, he ordered that the statue be destroyed and a statue of himself be erected in its place. However a thunderbolt came down from heaven and broke the statue of the emperor, in such a way that the head and neck finished rolling down on the ground and bearing the marks of the lightning that had struck the statue.

During the Byzantine period that marks the centuries in which Palestine was entirely Christian, Banias changed its appearance of a pagan town. The cult of the god Pan stopped and the pagan temples were abandoned. However the town continued to be

inhabited, and even grew in size, whereas the palace of King Agrippa II became the place where the inhabit-ants used to come to bathe in the crystal clear waters of the spring.

When the Muslim armies occupied Palestine in 638, Banias lost its impor-tance and became an insignificant vil-lage. It was during this period that the Arabic name Banias replaced the origi-nal name of Paneas. Until the 10th century Banias continued to be inhab-ited by Muslim immigrants, but there was in it also the presence of a Jewish community.

With the arrival of the Crusaders in the year 1099 Banias acquired once more the importance of a frontier town between the Latin Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the other lands occupied by the Muslims, par-ticularly the administrative centre in the town of Damascus on the other side of Mount Hermon. Because of its strategic importance on the crossroads between Sidon and Tyre in Lebanon, and Damascus in Syria, Banias acquired fame and was fortified. On the heights above the town itself the Muslims built the strong Nimrod Fortress. However, in 1129 both Nimrod and Banias were taken by the Crusader armies, until they fell again under the Muslims in 1132.

After Saladin vanquished the Crusaders during the battle of Qarne Hattin on 4th July 1187 and drove them out of Galilee, Banias lost its former importance. The Mamluks again forti-fied the town, but they gradually abandoned the Nimrod Fortress. Banias thus became a small and forgotten mountain village until fairly recently, when in 1967 the Israeli military occu-pied the Golan heights and the Nahal Hermon, and Banias again became a thriving site of archaeological and touristic importance.

The visit to the archaeological site of Banias begins at the Nahal Hermon,


Bible Landsthat flows out of the rocks underneath the cave dedicated to the god Pan. The temple to Pan was built originally under the 40 metre high cliff above the cave, and it included this cave

that was originally much bigger, and of which there still remain the inner sec-tion. The pagan temples occupied the natural amphitheatre of rocks in front of this cavern. The back of the cave was the holy place dedicated to the god Pan. Nowadays the spring of Hermon does not flow in the cave as it did in ancient times, but some dis-tance further down. The quantity of water that flows in the spring has also decreased considerably, because of climate change, particularly during years when rainfall and snows on Mount Hermon are scarce.

The temple of Pan was built on an 80-metre platform which dominated the town of Banias. This place was a “témenos” (τέμενος), or a sacred space

surrounding a temple or altar. The sacred space was dedicated to the god Pan. The cult of Pan depended on the natural features of the site, including the lush vegetation, the waters of the

spring and the cave. From ancient times this place was popular as an area of cult by shepherds, who would sacri-fice goats in front of the cave. The sacred space included the temple, courtyards, the cave itself, and some niches in the rocks that are still visible in the cliff, and in which there could have been statues. There are still some remains of the temple of Pan that are visible.

In front of the entrance to the sacred cave, Herod the Great, in the year 19 BC had built a temple in hon-our of Caesar Augustus. This temple is described by the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius who says that the temple was 20 metres long. From the temple one passed into the cave of the

The Temple of Pan

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god Pan, which was also considered a temple, as we have seen. In the cave goats were slaughtered and offered as a sacrifice to the god. The goats were thrown down into the depths of the underground spring. If blood would be visible in the water gushing out further down that would mean that the god Pan did not accept the sacrifice.

During the 1st century another pagan sanctuary was built, dedicated to Pan and the Nymphs, to the north of the temple of Augustus. This place was called the Courtyard of Pan and the Nymphs. The temple consisted in a rectangular building of 15 by 10 metres that had no roof but was open to the sky. In the cliff face behind it a big niche was dug, together with smaller niches where statues might have stood. There is a Greek inscription that indi-cates that these niches were hewn out in the year 148: “The priest Victor, son of Lysimachus, dedicated this goddess to the god Pan, the beloved of Echo.”

Close by are also the remains of the temple of Zeus, and of the Courtyard of the Nemesis. Around the year 100, when Trajan Caesar was Emperor, this temple dedicated to Zeus was built at Banias. The temple had two rooms, an internal hall decorated with marble and a wide portico in front. The façade of the temple was decorated with four columns with Corinthian capitals. Near the temple there was a small court-yard, 4 metres wide, with a stairway on its southern flank. In this courtyard the Nemesis, goddess of vengeance and justice, was venerated.

Finally, in the eastern extremity of this sacred precinct, during the 3rd century another cultic place was built, which served as a burial place for the bones of the sacred goats which were sacrificed to the god Pan. The archae-ologists found several remains of bones in the niches, as well as coins repre-senting the sacred goats of the town of Banias.

When one looks above the cave of the god Pan, towards the western sec-tion of the cliff, one sees a small white dome. This dome marks the burial place of Nebi Khader, an Arabic name meaning “the evergreen”, who is con-sidered a holy man by the Muslims and Druse.

THE NIMROD FORTRESS

The Nimrod Fortress, known in Arabic as “Qala’at al-Subeiba” (the castle of the cliff) stands on high ground to the east, above Banias, under the massif of Mount Hermon, at 800 metres above sea level. The name Nimrod refers to the famous hunter who is mentioned in the Book of Genesis 10:8-9: “Cush became the father of Nimrod who was the first potentate on earth. He was a mighty hunter in the eyes of the Lord, hence the saying, ‘Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter in the eyes of the Lord.’” According to a local tradition Nimrod used to dwell on this peak. The for-tress was built by the Crusades, who wanted to defend the town of Banias in the valley beneath it. The Muslim leaders of Damascus then rebuilt the fortress in order to defend their bor-ders against the Crusades. The fortress we see today was built by al-Aziz Uthman, nephew of Saladin, in 1229-1230. In 1260 the Mamluk sultan Baybars al-Bunduqdari fortified the castle with defence towers and a keep. During the 12th and 13th centu-ries the fortress underwent many bat-tles and fell in diverse hands, but it was mainly occupied by Muslim forces, as is witnessed by many Arabic inscrip-tions to be found in the ruins.

The fortress covers a very large area, about 420 metres long and 150 metres wide. On its eastern flank, in an elevated spur there are the remains of a very strong keep, 65 by 45 metres,


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with large rectangular towers. These were the quarters of the commander of the fortress, but the keep also served as a prison, and in fact it was detached from the surrounding land by a deep ditch, particularly on its west-ern side, and could withstand long periods of siege.

The tower at the entrance to the Nimrod Fortress has an inscription that says that the fortress was built by the Ayyubid commander al-Aziz Uthman in 1230. Another Arabic inscription states that the Mamluk Sultan Baybars restored this tower at the entrance to the fortress in 1275.

A large cistern and a narrow stair-way linking the various towers of defence was also discovered, as well as a secret escape passageway leading out of the fortress, in order to enable the defenders to pass through it and launch surprise attacks on their assail-ants.

At the end of the 13th century, when the Muslims occupied the port of Acre and drove out the Crusaders from the Holy Land in 1291, the Nimrod Fortress lost its importance and began to fall

into ruin as it appears to this very day.As an archaeological site the for-

tress is nowadays an interesting exam-ple of mediaeval military engineering in the Holy Land, and visitors can tour it at ease. From the high ground on which it is built one can enjoy a stun-ning panorama of the Hermon massif, as well as of the plain of Qiryat Shemona and the Hula Valley, with the hills on the west that mark the inter-national boundary between Israel and Lebanon, and on the east the Golan heights.

TEL DAN

Close to Banias is the natural reserve of Tel Dan, where one of the largest springs feeding the river Jordan is born. The river Dan produces 238 mil-lion cubic metres of water a year. The waters gush out from underground springs underneath the Hermon mas-sif.

Until the 1967 war the river Dan was the only source of the Jordan River under Israeli sovereignty. Because of lack of rain Israel was drawing large quantities of water from this spring. In

Nimrod Fortress

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1969, two years after Israel occupied all the other springs gushing from Mount Hermon, the waters at Tel Dan, like those at Banias, were declared a natural reserve.

Tel Dan, however, is not only a nat-ural reserve in which thousands of tourists flock to enjoy the freshness of the abundant waters and the cool air in the lush vegetation in the area. Tel Dan is, above all, an archaeological site of great importance. The archaeo-logical digs were carried out in 1966. The name Tel Dan indicates an artifi-cial mound (Tel) that in the Holy Land is always associated with human habi-tation in cities, built and rebuilt sev-eral times and still evident in the dif-ferent layers. It also indicates the name of one of the tribes of Israel, that is the tribe of Dan.

The Book of Judges, chapter 18, narrates the story of the tribe of Dan: “In those days there was no king in

Israel. Now in those days the tribe of Dan was in search of a territory to live in, because up till then no territory had fallen to them among the tribes of Israel. From their clan the Danites sent five brave men from Zorah and Eshtaol to reconnoitre the country and explore it. They said to them, ‘Go and explore the country.’ […] So the five men set out, and came to Laish. They saw that the people there lived in security like the Sidonians, peaceful and trusting, that nothing lacked there of all that the earth yields, and that they were far from the Sidonians and had no rela-tions with the Arameans. Then they went back to their kinsfolk at Zorah and Eshtaol, and when these asked them, ‘What can you tell us?’ they answered, ‘We went and passed through the country as far as Laish […] Set out for Laish without delay and take possession of the country. When you reach it, you will find a defence-

City Gate and Canopy, Dan


Bible Landsless people. The country is wide; God has put in your power a place where there is nothing lacking of all that man can want on earth.’ So men of the tribe of Dan set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, six hundred of them, armed for war […] The Danites marched against Laish, against a peaceful and trusting people. They slaughtered all the inhabitants and set the town on fire. There was no one to help the town because it was a long way from Sidon and had no relations with the Arameans. It lay in the valley running towards Beth-rohob. They rebuilt the town and settled in it, and called it Dan after Dan their father who had been born to Israel, although the town was originally called Laish” (Judges 18:1-2.7-9.11.27-29).

The tribe of Dan, therefore, emi-grated from the limited portion of land that had been allotted to it, between Shoresh and Esta’ol, near Nahal Sorek, to the west of Jerusalem, and went to live in the extreme north of the land of Israel. The town of Laish or Leshem was a Canaanites town, and was inhab-ited between 2700 and 2400 BC. When one visits this archaeological site, one can still admire the ancient Canaanite gate that is still miraculously standing after more than 4 millennia, with the arched entrance that is unique in the world. This Canaanite gate, built of mud bricks, is nowadays protected from the elements, and has remained preserved for so long because until the archaeological digs in 1966 it was cov-ered in layers of earth.

According to a biblical tradition, this gate could also indicate an epi-sode that occurred during the time of the patriarchs, close to 1750 BC, since in Genesis 14:14 we read that “when Abram heard that his kinsman (Lot) had been taken captive, he mustered his supporters, the members of his household from birth, numbering three

hundred and eighteen, and led them in pursuit as far as Dan.”

On the side of the road that leads to the archaeological site visitors imme-diately see the protective walls of the Israelite town. The wall is impressive in its dimensions and is a proof that the town was very strongly defended. The same can be said regarding the main gate of the Israelite town that provides an excellent example of a city gate according to biblical descrip-tions. It was here, close to the city gate, that archaeologists found a frag-ment of what could have been a com-memorative stone pillar. The pillar, of volcanic basalt, had an Aramaic inscrip-tion that refers to one of the Aramean kings of Damascus. Many scholars believe that it could refer to king Hazael (840 BC) or Ben Hadad (802 BC). During the 9th century BC the Israelites engaged in many battles against the kings of Aram-Damascus, who were occupying Dan (1Kings 15:20; 2Kings 8:7-15; 9:24-29; 2Chron 22:5). Archaeologists interpret in the words of the fragment the expression “beth David”, the house of David. If this is true then this is the oldest reference to the name of king David.

In front of the entrance to the town there is a square of about 400 square metres. When one passes from the city gate one begins to climb along a pro-cessional road leading to the upper part of the town. The city gate is the most clear example of a biblical Israeli city gate in a well-preserved state. One can see the bench on which the elders of the town would sit, as we know from various biblical references (Gen 19:1; Psalm 69:13; Ruth 4:1-2). There are also remains of short col-umns that could have held a canopy that could indicate the spot where the magistrates would sit at the entrance to the town. An example of this usage is to be found in 2Sam 19:9: “So the king rose and took his seat at the gate.

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All the troops soon heard the news: ‘The king’ they say ‘has taken his seat at the gate.’ And the whole army assembled in front of the king.

After going through the ruins of various buildings along the proces-sional way, one arrives at the highest point of the town, known as “Bamah”, that marked the centre of the religious cult of the Israelite town of Dan. The Book of Judges 18:30 states that “the Danites erected the carved image for their own use.” When, during the 10th century BC, the Davidic kingdom was split in two after the death of king Solomon, with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south led by king Rehoboam and the other ten tribes in the north governed by king Jeroboam, Dan became the northernmost sanctu-ary of the kingdom of Israel. The story is told by 1Kings 12:26-33:

“Jeroboam though to himself, ‘As things are, the kingdom will revert to the House of David. If this people con-tinues to go up to the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, the people’s heart will turn back again to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will put me to death.’ So the king thought this over and then made two golden calves; he said to the peo-ple, ‘You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your

gods, Israel; these brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ He set up one in Bethel and the people went in proces-sion all the way to Dan in front of the other. He set up the temple of the high places and appointed priests from ordinary families, who were not of the sons of Levi. Jeroboam also instituted a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth of the month, like the feast that was kept in Judah, and he went up to the altar. That was how he behaved in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made; and at Bethel he put the priests of the high places he had established. On the fifteenth of the eighth month, the month he had deliberately chosen, he went up to the altar he had made; he instituted a feast for the Israelites, and went up to the altar to offer incense.”

The sanctuary consisted in a sacred area of 60 by 45 metres, close by a wall and surrounded by buildings. This sacred area was restored during the 9th century by King Ahab, who built a “Bamah” or high platform (20 by 18 metres). During the reign of Jeroboam II, in the 8th century BC, a monumental stairway was added on the southern flank of the “Bamah”. This altar could be a reminder of how the altar of sac-rifices could have looked like in the Temple in Jerusalem. The “Bamah” in Dan was destroyed by Tiglath Pileser, king of Assyria, who destroyed Dan in 732 BC. An inscription found in this place states “to the god who is Dan”. This is a proof that the site of Dan is the biblical site referred to above.

From this high place one can then walk back to the lush vegetation in the natural park where the River Dan flows abundantly and enjoy the cool fresh-ness of the crystal clear waters that have made this place famous in history and which make it one of the most beautiful touristic attractions in mod-ern day Israel.

River Dan

LANDOF THE

PROMISE

“ Jesus suffered outside the gateto sanctify the people

with his blood”(Hebrews 13:12)

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