TheTemple Mount Sifting Project (TMSP; formerly known as theTemple Mount Salvage Operation) is anarchaeological project begun in 2004 whose aim is the recovery and study ofarchaeological artifacts contained within debris which were removed from theTemple Mount inJerusalem without proper archaeological care.
The project sifting facility was located until 2017 inEmek Tzurim National Park. In June 2019 it moved to the Masu’ot Lookout at Mt. Scopus.
Despite its historical importance, no archaeologist has ever been able to carry out a systematic excavation on the Temple Mount. This was the state of affairs, when in November 1999 approximately 9,000 tons of archaeologically rich soil were removed from theTemple Mount by theWaqf, usingheavy earth moving equipment and without a precedingsalvage excavation or proper archaeological care, following works in and around the newly constructed undergroundel-Marwani Mosque.[1]
The debris was moved to several locations, with the lion's share (an estimated 350 truckloads) dumped in theKidron Valley, near the north-eastern corner of the old city. These soil heaps were inspected and sampled byIsrael Antiquities Authority officials, but no full-scale excavation ensued.[2]
In 2004, an excavation permit was issued to Israeli archaeologistsGabriel Barkay andZachi Dvira (Zweig), under the auspices ofBar-Ilan University, who, with funding from private backers through theIsrael Exploration Society, proceeded to retrieve most of the heaps of soil and move them to a secure location provided by theIsrael Nature and Parks Authority in theEmek Tzurim National Park.
In 2005, after experiencing financial difficulties, the project collaborated with the Ir-David foundation, who took responsibility on the administration of the sifting site, while the scientific oversight retained by Barkay and Dvira. Over the years, in addition to its scientific mission, the project took on an educational and touristic character as well, drawing hundreds of thousands of volunteers and tourists who briefly joined the sifting activity, supervised by staff members.
in April 2017, the Sifting Project withdrew its partnership with the Ir David Foundation and discontinued active sifting, focusing instead on laboratory research of artifacts already recovered.[3] The Sifting Project has held severalCrowdfunding campaigns, and as of December 2018, has enough funds to keep afloat, but not enough to complete all research[4] nor to resume the sifting, which has continued sporadically,[5] and a public commitment by the former Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu to provide government backing for the Project,[6] has yet to bear fruit.[7] The Ir David Foundation retains the former sifting site of the project inEmek Tzurim and runs there an "Archaeological Experience", where visitors sift soil from various excavations in Jerusalem. Active sifting of Temple Mount soil resumed in June 2019, in a new site atopMount Scopus.[8][9]
Unable to apply traditional excavation techniques to the disturbed soil, the project founders opted to sift the entirety of the soil retrieved from the dumping grounds. At the sifting site, the soil was dry-sifted and transferred into buckets, where it was left to soak. The remaining soil was then washed off over a wire mesh, andarchaeological artifacts hand-picked from among remaining stones and modern refuse. This process was mostly undertaken by volunteers and tourists, under supervision of experienced staff. Objects retrieved from the wet-sifting process are then sorted and cataloged by on-site archaeologists, and transferred to an archaeological laboratory, to be further studied by specialists who prepare the finds for publication. Much like anarchaeological survey, the types of finds are categorized, counted and compared to different types both within the site and in nearby sites.[10]
Prior to the onset of the TMSP, the wet-sifting technique, in which significant portions of the site's soil (as opposed to selectedloci) are water-screened, was used by local archaeologists only in someprehistoric sites. This led to a problem in comparing finds from the Temple Mount to other sites. For example, while comparison to otherIron AgeJudahite sites showed a similardistribution of different types offigurines (human, animal, etc.),[11] the percentage of fragments was incomparable – more leg fragments were recovered by the TMSP than all other sites combined, and horn\ear fragments were reported solely by the TMSP.[12] This is not to say that such fragments did not exist at other sites, but rather, that their small size caused them to remain unnoticed by archaeologists excavating via traditional methods.
To overcome thissampling bias, samples were taken from various excavation sites in Jerusalem and subjected to wet-sifting to act as acontrol group.[13] In the ensuing years, multiple excavation projects in Jerusalem and its environs have adopted the wet-sifting technique,[14] some of them outsourcing the sifting work to the TMSP.[15] The rising popularity of the wet-sifting technique has correlated to a notable rise in the number ofseals andseal impressions discovered in excavations carried out in Jerusalem.[16]
In January 2013, the project announced the development of a statistical method usingcluster analysis to partially reconstruct the original context of some of the finds.[17] Later that year, it was announced that enough artifacts had been collected to serve as arepresentative sample, and common finds collected from that point forward will not be included in the final publication.[18]
Most of the artifacts discovered are quite small, no larger than a few centimeters. Their origins span several millennia – from theStone Age up to the 20th century.
Only a tiny fraction of the finds date to these periods, the earliest among them dated to theEpipalaeolithic or theNeolithic Period.[19] TheChalcolithic andBronze Ages are mostly represented by sherds oflocal pottery, but some examples ofMycenaean pottery have been found as well.[20] Other finds from these periods include 3 Bronze Agescarabs[21] and an amulet bearing the name ofThutmose III.[22] A broken finger of a statue probably dates to theLate Bronze Age.[23]
Approximately 15% of the pottery finds in the TMSP date to theIron Age, mostly to the Iron Age IIb-III (800–586 BCE).[24]
Among the finds from the Iron Age IIa (10th–9th century BCE) are a rareimpression seal[25] and anarrowhead.[26]
The later Iron Age is well represented in the finds: About 130 typical Judahite figurine fragments have been recovered from the Temple Mount soil, and another 30 from an ancient garbage dump on the eastern slopes of the Temple Mount.[27] Other finds include Judean stone weights, weaponry – including a rare arrowhead of theScytho-Iranian type – introduced to Jerusalem by the forces ofNebuchadnezzar II, and inscription bearing artifacts. These include aLMLK seal, dozens ofostraca and several seals and sealing (bullae), the most prominent among them being theImmer Bulla, a broken sealing,paleographically dated to the 7th–6th century BCE and bearing the incompletegiven name...lyahu and thepatronymImmer, the name of a well known Biblicalpriestly family, of whichone member is recorded as a major office holder in the Temple.[28] The sealing, which bears on its back fiber impressions, was affixed to a cloth sack, pouch, or lid, possibly relating to the Temple treasury.[29]
Within the Temple Mount's history, no other period saw as much activity as theSecond Temple period – both in terms of construction projects carried out, chiefly that ofHerod's temple, and in volume of people going about their day-to-day activity. This is well attested in the pottery finds of the TMSP, over 40% of which date to this period (two-thirds of that dating betweenHerod's reign (37 BCE) and theDestruction of the temple (70 CE)).
A number of architectural remains are ascribed to this period, the largest among them being a 75 cm wideDoriccapital, which may have topped an 18-foot tall column withinSolomon's Porch.[30] Another noted architectural discovery consisted of dozens of multi-coloredOpus sectile tiles of various shapes, which enabled a reconstruction of thetiling patterns employed in the courtyards of Herod's Temple.[31]
More than 500 of the coins discovered in the sifting date to this period, spanning from the 6th century BCEYehud coinage till theFirst Jewish Revolt coinage of the year 70 CE.
Other finds of the period include hundreds of fragments ofstone vessels typical of the late Second Temple Period, over a thousandfresco fragments, weaponry and epigraphic finds.[32]
A full third of all the coins found date to this period, along with large amounts of pottery. A relatively surprising phenomena was the discovery of a large number of luxurious architectural artifacts from the period – includingOpus sectile tiles, roof tiles,Corinthian capitals,chancel screens and a multitude ofmosaictesserae – which led researchers to question the historical sources that depict the Temple Mount as abandoned at the time. Additional finds includecruciform pendants, clay oil lamps emblazoned with crosses and bronze weights.
Approximately one in four pottery fragments recovered by the TMSP date to this period, mostly consisting ofUmayyadtableware and storage vessels, andAbbasid tableware, storage and cooking vessels.
Other finds include many architectural elements connected to the construction of theDome of the Rock and theAl-Aqsa Mosque, the most prominent being thousands of colored and gilded mosaic tesserae belonging to wall mosaics, most likely the mosaics akin to those adorning the inner walls of the dome of the rock, which adorned the outer walls till their replacement by glazed tiles in the 16th century.[33]
During this period, the use of thesub-floor structure of the Temple Mount as a stable by theKnights Templar gaveSolomon's Stables its current name. This is reflected in finds such as hundreds ofarmor scales,horseshoe nails, and arrowheads. Over a hundred silver Crusader coins make up the biggest and most varied collection of such coins from Jerusalem.[34]Opus Sectile tiles from this era match up exactly to patterns seen under the Dome of the Rock's carpeting,[35] as well as the church of theHoly Sepulchre.[36]
TheMamluk period is represented mainly by pottery, coins, gaming pieces, jewelry and some architectural elements.
A large variety of finds date to theOttoman Period, including finds related to renovation projects undergone during this era, such asglazed tiles which have coated the outer walls of the Dome of the Rock since the 16th century, and fragments of colorfulStained Glass Windows.
Over a dozen personal seals dating to this period were found, including one bearing the name ofSheikhAbd al-Fattah al-Tamimi,[37] who would go on to serve as deputy to theGrand Mufti of Jerusalem, andQadi inRamla,Gaza andNablus in the early 18th century.
Hundreds of claypipes, and various types of weaponry, includinggunflints, and lead and iron bullets andshells.
A large amount of glassbracelet andanklets span both the Mamluk and Ottoman Periods.
Many modern artifacts were found, including mainly pottery such asporcelain andMarseilles tiles, modern coinage,prayer rugs and clothing accessories includingmilitary insignia and weaponry of various military forces.
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