Page 6 - Holyland Magazine - 2015 edition
P. 6
Construction "The wall has been
began on Mount breached, and
Zion the very the Upper Town is
same night. engulfed in lames.
The ancient wall We found a hiding
was repaired Theo and Miriam Siebenberg, Founders place, David and
and the towers I, in the walls of
reinforced. Then they built a new western wall, the Hasmonean palace. Its mighty walls are
expanding the city outward: certain to protect us, but if not, we can always
“Also he strengthened himself, and built up lee through the lower aqueduct.
all the wall that was broken, and raised it up
to the towers, and another wall without, and "I sit and write these words, looking at the
repaired Millo in the city of David, and made aqueduct built by King Herod, the one that
darts and shields in abundance” (2 Chronicles carried water to the Temple and lowed
32, 5). abundantly not so long ago. Now it lies in
ruins. The Romans destroyed it in parts, to
Then the King of Assyria came... He besieged cut of our water supply, but they could not
Jerusalem and imprisoned King Hezekiah like prevent us from using the springs. Rumor Stone columns from 2nd Temple Period
a bird in a cage. The people of Jerusalem cried has it the Romans have invaded Antonia
out and prayed to the heavens. The city was Fortress, and are now destroying our Temple.
on the verge of destruction, and all around Smoke, smoke is everywhere, a pungent
were the cries of women, of the masses dying and sufocating smell of ire. Day has turned
of hunger. Above all this, echoed the voice of into night; we cannot even see the sun. I
the prophet Isaiah: “For Zion's sake will I not look down to the City of David and think of
hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I Jeremiah, wandering the desolate streets on
will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go the eve of destruction of the First Temple,
forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof muttering to himself, holding his head in his
as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall hands and crying. I cry with him..."
see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory:
and thou shalt be called by a new name, which “How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of
the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt people! How is she become as a widow! She Lady of the house’s key ring (2nd Temple Period) and
also be a crown of glory in the hand of the that was great among the nations, and princess arrowhead dated 2600 years ago
LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy among the provinces, how is she become
God” (Isaiah 62, 1). tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and
her tears are on her cheeks: among all her
Ninth of Av, 70 CE lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her
Fire!!! Fire in the palace halls! The Upper Town friends have dealt treacherously with her, they
has been under siege these past three weeks. are become her enemies” (Lamentations 1).
No one comes nor goes. Zealots burned down
the grannaries, and men sold out their friends January 2015
for a loaf of bread... “So you have excavated all this by yourselves?”
I ask Miriam Siebenberg.
“It is just a matter of time,” said David Ben
Israel, who came to us from the Galilee after “Yes,” she says, with a smile. “My husband
ighting the armies of Herod Agrippa. His war Theo and I bought the house in 1970, you
stories are making me cringe with fear. "The know, after Jerusalem was uniied in June
siege on Gamla, the downfall of Magdala. 1967.
Now we are gathered here, defenders of
our people after four years of ighting the “We came to Israel after the Holocaust. Theo
Romans. We were so full of hope and truly always said that every Jew yearns to return
believed we could defeat the Roman Empire, to the land of his fathers and renew our days
but now all is lost. as of old. When we bought the house, Theo
Diagram of the Siebenberg House excavation—
architects, Yakov Yaar and Ami Shinar
6
began on Mount breached, and
Zion the very the Upper Town is
same night. engulfed in lames.
The ancient wall We found a hiding
was repaired Theo and Miriam Siebenberg, Founders place, David and
and the towers I, in the walls of
reinforced. Then they built a new western wall, the Hasmonean palace. Its mighty walls are
expanding the city outward: certain to protect us, but if not, we can always
“Also he strengthened himself, and built up lee through the lower aqueduct.
all the wall that was broken, and raised it up
to the towers, and another wall without, and "I sit and write these words, looking at the
repaired Millo in the city of David, and made aqueduct built by King Herod, the one that
darts and shields in abundance” (2 Chronicles carried water to the Temple and lowed
32, 5). abundantly not so long ago. Now it lies in
ruins. The Romans destroyed it in parts, to
Then the King of Assyria came... He besieged cut of our water supply, but they could not
Jerusalem and imprisoned King Hezekiah like prevent us from using the springs. Rumor Stone columns from 2nd Temple Period
a bird in a cage. The people of Jerusalem cried has it the Romans have invaded Antonia
out and prayed to the heavens. The city was Fortress, and are now destroying our Temple.
on the verge of destruction, and all around Smoke, smoke is everywhere, a pungent
were the cries of women, of the masses dying and sufocating smell of ire. Day has turned
of hunger. Above all this, echoed the voice of into night; we cannot even see the sun. I
the prophet Isaiah: “For Zion's sake will I not look down to the City of David and think of
hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I Jeremiah, wandering the desolate streets on
will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go the eve of destruction of the First Temple,
forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof muttering to himself, holding his head in his
as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall hands and crying. I cry with him..."
see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory:
and thou shalt be called by a new name, which “How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of
the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt people! How is she become as a widow! She Lady of the house’s key ring (2nd Temple Period) and
also be a crown of glory in the hand of the that was great among the nations, and princess arrowhead dated 2600 years ago
LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy among the provinces, how is she become
God” (Isaiah 62, 1). tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and
her tears are on her cheeks: among all her
Ninth of Av, 70 CE lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her
Fire!!! Fire in the palace halls! The Upper Town friends have dealt treacherously with her, they
has been under siege these past three weeks. are become her enemies” (Lamentations 1).
No one comes nor goes. Zealots burned down
the grannaries, and men sold out their friends January 2015
for a loaf of bread... “So you have excavated all this by yourselves?”
I ask Miriam Siebenberg.
“It is just a matter of time,” said David Ben
Israel, who came to us from the Galilee after “Yes,” she says, with a smile. “My husband
ighting the armies of Herod Agrippa. His war Theo and I bought the house in 1970, you
stories are making me cringe with fear. "The know, after Jerusalem was uniied in June
siege on Gamla, the downfall of Magdala. 1967.
Now we are gathered here, defenders of
our people after four years of ighting the “We came to Israel after the Holocaust. Theo
Romans. We were so full of hope and truly always said that every Jew yearns to return
believed we could defeat the Roman Empire, to the land of his fathers and renew our days
but now all is lost. as of old. When we bought the house, Theo
Diagram of the Siebenberg House excavation—
architects, Yakov Yaar and Ami Shinar
6
