Eretz Yisrael Time

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Tuesday, May 08, 2007
I woke up this morning to find a flurry of activity in my backyard.

At first I assumed it was because they finally decided if the fence was going to go to the right or left around my house – or more likely right through it.

None of the workers would talk to me, claiming secrecy, so I turned on the news to quickly learn that the Hebrew University team turning over my vegetable garden was in fact looking for King Herod.

And as turns out Herod’s tomb was found… in my backyard.

JoeSettler on top of Herodium (in the center - with the gun)



JoeSettler inside the mountain (apparently, and unknowingly, right near the tomb)

This of course presents a difficulty.

You see, Herod, a controversial, often rightfully vilified Jewish king (unless you’re a Palestinian, and then he was apparently a Palestinian king as I actually heard an Arab tour guide explain to his gullible group of tourists on top of Herodium, seen standing behind me to the right in the picture) who built quite a lot of Jewish buildings in Israel is also going to find himself on the wrong side of the fence.

While, the area he is buried in is has been demarcated as a nature reserve (or Area B – it is hard to really see on the map) and the exact route is still under discussion, it is pretty clear that, just like other important Jewish religious and historic landmarks, Herod will find his grave under the proper supervision and protection of the Palestinians (think Joseph’s Tomb).



(Links to Maps: Here and Here)

Of course, maybe, like the Jews of Gush Katif, the Israeli government will dig Herod up and march his body through Jerusalem, and like Faisel Husseini, they’ll rebury him on the Temple Mount, right next to the Wailing Wall Herod built to hold the expanded Jewish Temple he built on top of it.

On the other hand, maybe this means my house will end up inside the fence after all (not that the fence should be built at all).

5 comments:

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

Hey Joe! It was me that called you up to tell you the news!!!

You settler ingrate!

JoeSettler said...

Well, someone needs to know what's going on in mt backyard!

Anonymous said...

Joe, I'm surprised at your photos. I mean, somehow I expected you to look more like, well, Snoopy. :}

-- MAOZ

Anonymous said...

I took off the sunglasses, maybe that confused you.

Lurker said...

If Herod's body is going to be disinterred, then it would be most appropriate to rebury him in a place where he'll be close to his ideological heir, in Havat HaShikmim.

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