Judean Hills Research Articles

Khirbat al-Lawza, a Frankish Farm House in the Judean Hills in Central Palestine

Khirbat al-Lawza, a Frankish Farm House in the Judean Hills in Central Palestine

The Yad Vashem Summer Seminar for Educators from Abroad: Teaching the Holocaust and Antisemitism

112 SHOFAR Here is my quandary. Are we beginning down the slippery slope of banality ? Will we be asking ten years from now, "What happened to the teaching of the Holocaust in the public school curriculum?" Help! The Yad Vashem Summer Seminar for Educators from Abroad: Teaching the Holocaust and Antisemitism Rochelle L. Millen Department of Religion Wittenberg University Three days before the end of nearly a month of intense study, the participants in this summer's Yad Vashem Seminar for Educators from Abroad were given special permission to view an as-yet-unfinished project set among the Judean hills on the grounds of Yad Vashem. Called the Valley of Destroyed Communities, this undertaking is an architectural and aesthetic accomplishment of extraordinary power. Each section of the valley is a tall, three-sided rectangle, set on the short end and open, at the top, to the sky. Connected to the next three-sided rectangle by a shared corner, the total effect is that of an enormous maze. The walls are constructed of large, thick, pink-beige Jerusalem stone; the height of the rectangle, as well as the thickness of the stones, conveys a feeling of massiveness, of being overpowered. The beautiful multi-hued Jerusalem stone is in its natural state, its surface rough but delicate. Yet as one walks within each three-sided configuration, one notices immediately the contrast between the two outer walls-on one's right and left sides-and the wall which one faces. One gazes directly at a tall stone structure, its inner surface sanded to a smooth grain. Its upper limit is etched with the name of a European country, e.g., "Netherlands," and sometimes with the name of a large city within a country, e.g., "Warsaw." Under the heading are listed the Jewish communities of the country, or, as in the case of Poland, where the number is so large, those in the vicinity of certain large centers which were obliterated .by the Nazis. Vanished communities; desolate vital centers: death commemorated ; life memorialized. The structure and'design of the Valley raise complex feelings. The height of the walls, the size and thickness of the stones, the list after engraved list: from them emanates the feeling of monumental, unfathomable loss. It is as if one is walking through a unique cemetery-and there is row after row of tombstones, extending endlessly in all directions. One is overcome with Volume 10, No.2 Winter 1992 113 bereavement, grief, and irretrievable loss. Yet, in somewhat contradictory fashion, the Valley simultaneously evokes a sense of peacefulness and tranquillity . Having located the list headed by Lvov, the city closest to my late parents' town, I then found Sambor, where nearly all their relatives had been shot by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen shortly after Shavuot of 1941. Those old photos of aunts, uncles, and cousins; I had the feeling that they-and the millions who shared their fate-had finally come home. They were here, in Jerusalem, in the Judean hills, among their own people. This is where they belonged. There is a certain serenity which dims the sharp edges of the pain of monumental loss. The Structure of the Seminar The visit to the Valley of Destroyed Communities was one of the concluding ceremonies of an intense and singular adult learning experience, the Yad Vashem Summer Seminar for Educators from Abroad. Subtitled "Teaching the Holocaust and Anti-Semitism," the seminar attracts Jewish and non-Jewish academics, teachers, curriculum specialists, rabbinic and theology students, and those involved in Holocaust resource centers and museums from all over the world. Begun in July 1980 by Itzchak Mais, currently Director of the Yad Vashem Museum, the Seminar originally was held once a year for English speakers; currently, it meets six times a year. In July and December-January are the English-speaking groups. April 1992 will mark the first of two yearly German groups; there are, as well, seminars given in French and in Spanish. As of August 1991, there were approximately five hundred English-speaking graduates, and two hundred French, Spanish, and German graduates. Yaacov Lozowick, current Director of the program, is an outstanding administrator, whose communication skills and extensive knowledge contribute...

The Natufian in the Levant

The Natufian entity was first identified and described in the early 1930s by D. Garrod (39) following her excavations at the Shukba Cave in the Samaria (Figure 1). Other assemblages identified as Natufian were subsequently uncovered within the boundaries of what was to become identified as the Natufian core area, encompassing the Galilee, Mt. Carmel, and the Judean Hills and Desert (41, 64, 83). Though the original definition of the Natufian complex was based on the characteristics of its chipped stone industry, both Garrod and Neuville (63, 64), who explored the Judean desert Natufian sites, were impressed by the nonlithic finds. This is the first Levantine prehistoric entity with durable architectural remains bearing evidence of intensive building activities. Some of the sites exceed in size anything known before, heralding the appearance of the villages and compounds of the Neolithic cultures to come. Besides an unprecedented abundance (in quantity and variety) of bone implements, there is a wealth of limestone and basalt artifacts. Also, for the first time there appear numerous art objects and ornaments made of a variety of raw materials, both common and exotic. All these components place the Natufian apart from preceding archaeological cultures. Since the early discoveries, sites identified as Natufian have been reported both from the core area (12, 49, 65, 67, 78, 88) and from regions further away, some within different phytogeographic zones: northern Syria (26, 27, 60), north and south Lebanon (19), the Jordan Rift Valley (9, 33, 38), southern Jordan (46, 55, 56), the Syrian-Arabian Desert (20), and the Negev (43, 58, 61) (Figure 1). The abundant data accumulated over the years

Controls on Albian-Cenomanian Carbonate Platform Sedimentation in Middle Eastern Region: Kesalon Event, a Middle Cretaceous Sea Level Change in Israel and Its Correlation with Global Sea Level Changes: ABSTRACT

After Neocomian regional denudation, Aptian Telemim (= Blanche) carbonates onlapped the Arabian subplate, followed by Yavne-Tammun regression and Albian transgression. Near the Levant coast, the Albian-early Coniacian Judea carbonate platform interfingers with the Talme Yaffe basin to the west. To the south and east, Judea-type carbonates gradually onlap the mainly continental Kurnub (Nubia type) clastics of the peri-Arabian belt. Detailed analysis of the cyclic sedimentation within the 700-m thick Judea Limestone reveals a regressive trend near the top of the Albian Yagur Formation in Galilee, the Hevyon Formation in the Negev, and the ledge of the Kesalon formation in central Israel Judean Hills, which represents the end of the Early Cretaceous sedimentary cycle. The early Cenomanian marly chalk of the En Yorqeam Formation starts the Cenomanian cycle, followed by bedded and massive dolomite and ammonoid-bearing limestone. Platform sedimentation before this Kesalon event is dominated by bank facies with some rudistid bioherms of presumable Albian age. After the Kesalon event, Cenomanian and Turonian platforms have fast-changing paleogeography on basinal chalks, shales, bioherms and backreef lagoons. Facies boundaries, running mainly east-west to southwest-northeast up to the Early Cretaceous, became close to north-south in the Late Cretaceous. Albian-Cenomanian regressive-transgressive cycles in Israel matchmore » fairly well with global sea level changes, in particular the Kesalon event, which corresponds to the Ka-Kb sea level change of Vail et al. Late Turonian-early Senonian thrusting of the peri-Arabian alpine belt and folding in the Syrian arc heavily affect the unraveling of global sea level changes on the Arabian subplate.« less

Ancient and Modern Developments of Water Resources in the Holy Land and the Israeli-Arab Conflict: A Reply

Rowley's critique (1986) of the article by Ron (1985) has failed to deal with relevant facts. Contrary to Rowley's statement, spring flow tunnels in the Holy Land are not identical to qanats, Kharezin of aflaj, and are not a recent Arab development. They are ancient, their development having commenced in the ninth and eighth centuries B.C. During this period geo-hydrological and hydro-technical breakthroughs in the development of water supply and water resources were achieved in the Holy Land as a result of security and defence needs, in order that besieged cities might be supplied with water. The geo-hydrological knowledge accumulated empirically, resulted in (1) the renewing of springs which dried up or were depleted, and (2) the artificial creation of springs to serve urban, and later agricultural needs. These developments commencing during the Iron Age (the First Jewish Commonwealth period), reached another peak in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods (the Second Jewish Commonwealth) and the Byzantine period. Due to their stable structure hundreds of these ancient spring flow tunnels remain well preserved, and are found mainly in the Judean and Samarian Hills, but also in the hills of the Galilee and the Carmel. Since 1967, the new Israeli settlements on the West Bank and particularly in the Jordan Valley have provided for the modern development of deep ground water sources. Contrary to Rowley's belief, the drawing of these waters, never previously utilized by Arab farmers, neither depleted nor dried up springs or wells used for irrigation. In any case, these waters were previously lost to salinization on their subterranean flow to the Dead Sea.

The Cretaceous carbonate platform in Israel

A huge carbonate platform extended between the open Tethys Sea in the north-west and the Arabo Nubian Massif in the south-east during the Cretaceous. The edge of the platform was situated close to and parallel to the present day coastline of Israel and Sinai. Deposition on the platform was controlled by two main factors: (1) rudist barrier-reefs which to a certain extent isolated the platform from the open sea and (2) local shelf basins which developed within the platform. Because the effects of these factors on the depositional regime changed both in time and degree on a local scale, different lithostratigraphic sequences evolved in geographically close regions. Volcanic activity occurring contemporaneously with sedimentation over part of the platform was another factor contributing to local differences in the sedimentary sequences. Dolomites were by far the dominant deposit which accumulated on the platform, indicating above-normal salinities. In the slightly deeper shelf basins, close to normal salinities prevailed resulting in accumulation of limestones, chalks and marls with some pelagic elements. The Carmel lithostratigraphic sequence is characteristic of the platform edge environment whereas the Judean Hills and Galilee sequences are typical of the platform-environment proper.

The taxonomy, distribution and faunal succession of Buliminus (Pulmonata: Enidae) in Israel

The taxonomy, intraspecific variation and distribution of each of the eight Israeli species of the rock-dwelling landsnail Buliminus is described, with a new subspecies labrosus jiftliki. The general biology of the genus is briefly described, and a key to all species and subspecies is given. Intraspecific and interspecific variation is partly associated with different environmental conditions. In the more hot regions of their distribution areas, the snails have a narrow shell, a smaller aperture, a more smooth shell surface and thick lips. The possible adaptive significance of these characteristics in hot regions is discussed. The distribution limits of many species closely coincide with both isohyets and types of substratum, suggesting that rainfall and substratum are the most important physical factors determining distribution. Vegetation in the Mediterranean region could perhaps influence such aspects of the distribution as the choice of northern or southern slopes. It is suggested that in Israel, in each climatic zone and within the limits determined by these physical factors, a faunal succession is today in operation. In the mediterranean, steppe, steppe periphery and arid regions, species which evolved or arrived recently are displacing more ancient elements. As compared with the ancient fauna, the new species have less rigid ecological requirements and are more capable of adjusting themselves to severe environmental conditions by altering their shell proportions. The last relics of the ancient fauna survive in the Judean Hills and along the isohyet 70 mm, on the brim of the extreme desert. In I. labrosus the presence of a reverse cline, in both shell and genitalia, near the borderline with l. spirectinus, and, in addition, the presence along the borderline of a few intermediate individuals, suggests that l. labrosus is “rolling back”l. spirectinus by keeping up a narrow belt of hybridization.

The metazoan fauna of a sewage‐carrying wadi, Nahal Soreq (Judean Hills, Israel)

Summary(1) An analysis of the metazoan fauna of Nahal Soreq was made at several sampling stations from October 1970 to August 1971. Relative abundance of each species or group of species was estimated by semi‐quantitative sampling, and population structures are given here in the form of percentage tables. (2) A succession of three zones, indicating three degrees of pollution, were recognized: a ‘Nematode zone’ in the most polluted waters, a ‘Chironomus zone’, where purification has progressed a little, and a ‘Proasellus (and ostracod) zone’, where purification is nearing completion. (3) These zones of indicator organisms roughly correspond to three zones classified in a ‘Saprobien System’ manner: a polysaprobic zone (Nematode zone), a mesosaprobic zone (Chironomus zone), and an oligosaprobic zone (Proasellus zone). A state of complete purification or recovery is not reached, and the purification process is stopped in the oligosaprobic condition by the disappearance of the stream underground. The other invertebrates characterizing these three zones are given. (4) A comparison is made of the saprobic zones and their corresponding fauna with findings reported elsewhere‐‐‐Europe, North America and South Africa. The successional changes are generally similar to European findings with some notable absentees, and there are also some similarities with polluted South African streams. (5) Seasonal changes in species composition and the position of these species along the stream are discussed. There are small changes which appear to be a result of life cycle habits in some air‐breathing dipterans and a slight change in the position of chironomids downstream, which is correlated with the winter rain floods. (6) The faunal types and numbers occurring downstream are compared with the increase in algal species diversity, dissolved oxygen and coli bacterial counts. It is suggested that the degree of pollution is the primary factor in the establishment and population build‐up of any particular species, but that presence of suitable substrates, availability of food and presence of predators play a larger part where the water is cleaner.

The Ratio of Absorption to Backscatter of Solar Radiation by Aerosols during Khamsin Conditions and Effects on the Radiation Balance

Representative average values of the absorption to backscatter ratio of the aerosols in two typical synoptic conditions, namely cloudless khamsinic days and normal cloudless days, have been deduced from four years of data at two sites in Israel, one in the coastal plain and one in the Judean hills. These values (15 for cloudless days and 11 for khamsinic days) have been compared to those, available in, or deducible from, published studies of the aerosol effects in various parts of the world. It was found that the presence in the atmosphere of most of the aerosols induces a net heating effect, as far as the solar radiation balance is affected, over the regions in which they were measured. We have further evaluated the complex part of the refractive index, averaged over the solar spectrum between 0.3 and 2.5 μm (0.03 ± 0.02 for khamsinic days and 0.08 ± 0.02 for normal days). This result is important because of the little data available for this parameter so far.

Dinosaur Footprints in the Judean Hills

Dinosaur Footprints in the Judean Hills

Tick-borne relapsing fever in the Judean Hills, including a case with massive haematuria

A young man was admitted to hospital twice for tick-borne relapsing fever. During his first attack he suffered from mild nephritis and pain in his loins; during the second there were massive haematuria and raised blood urea. Spirochaetes were found during the second attack only. The authors record for the first time cases of tick-transmitted relapsing fever contracted on the perimeter of the city of Jerusalem.

Mycorrhizal Association in Dwarf Shrub Species Growing in Soft Cretaceous Rocks

In the course of some ecological studies on dwarf shrub communities in the Judean hills of Israel it was noticed that areas in which strongly calcareous rendzina overlies soft chalk or marl strata are characterized by a highly specific vegetation. This forms a sparse cover of dwarf shrubs consisting of Thymus capitatus as dominant together with Cistus villosus, Fumana thymifolia, and-among others-Poterium spinosum, which tends to occur here in the more favourable habitats, while it is dominant on adjacent areas of terra rossa (Litav & Orshan 1963). Annual plants are extremely rare. The unique nature of the vegetation, which is especially marked where the soil cover is shallow (20 cm or less), reflects probably to a large degree the low level of nutrients in the soil, which consists of 50-80 Y of calcium carbonate. However, it should be emphasized that the underlying rock, which is friable, porous and varve-like, is often densely permeated with roots concentrated mainly between the adjoining surfaces of adjacent layers (Litav & Orshan 1963). Thus, individual plants may have a considerable portion of their root systems developing within the rock itself. Although soil and rock largely resemble each other in this type of habitat (exposed rock surfaces are sometimes ploughed and converted into arable land), deterioration of vegetation, as reflected both in composition and in percentage cover, is evident wherever soil cover is missing. It may now be enquired whether lack of nutrients in the rock is sufficient to account for its being an unfavourable medium for plant growth, or whether, perhaps, other factors such as mechanical impedance to root growth, insufficient aeration or effect of soil micro-organisms should be considered too. In the following experiment an attempt was made to find out to what extent the low nutrient content of the rock and mechanical impedance retard the development of plants of Thymus capitatus and Poterium spinosum. Blocks of soft rock were inserted into plastic containers having a diameter of 115 cm. The blocks were cut to be held firmly in place in the containers but not to fill up all the available space. A vertical crack, conforming to the natural splitting planes of the stone, was produced in the middle of each block by hitting it with a hammer and chisel. Other containers were filled with a light-grey rendzina (Litav & Orshan 1963) which overlies the soft rock, while a third batch was filled with crushed rock material. Thymus capitatus and Poterium spinosum were sown separately in early winter 1962 within the cracks of the stone blocks and in the other two substrates. At c. 20 days intervals one half of the containers received 60 ml of half-strength Hoagland solution containing 10 ppm of iron. The other half served as controls. Each treatment was replicated five times. Ordinary tap water was used for irrigation of those pots containing soil, and distilled water for the pots containing stones which were not provided with drainage holes. Thorough moistening of the stone blocks was achieved each time by letting water (or a nutrient solution) soak into them for 2 days. Following this the blocks were left dry for 2-5 days-depending upon the ambient temperature and humidity.

Ecological Studies on the Olive Scale, Parlatoria oleae, In Israel1

The phenology of the olive scale, Parlatoria oleae (Colvee), has been investigated in deciduous fruit orchards and olive groves in several regions of Israel. Two generations are raised annually in the Judean Hills, and at least 3 in the hot interior Beit-She’an Valley. The supposition of existing sibling species under the connotation of P. oleae , based on the varying number of generations reported from various countries, has been analyzed in the light of data collected in this investigation and found to be unwarranted. Four predators— Chilocorus bipustulatus (L.), Pharoscymnus pharoides Marseul (Coccinellidae), Cybocephalus sp. (Nitidulidae) and Lestodiplosis sp. (Cecidomyidae)’ were found to attack the olive scale. Four species of Aphytis (Aphelinidae) ’ A. maculicornis (Masi), A. diaspidis (Howard), A. hispanicus (Mercel), and A . near mytilaspidis (LeBaron) ’were reared from the scale. A. maculicornis was the most prevalent parasite. The role of parasitic Hymenoptera in controlling the olive scale in Israel is negligible, a fact which is to some extent attributed to a heavy spray programme in deciduous orchards, and to detrimental climatic conditions in the interior valleys.

FLOWER DIMORPHISM AND SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY INNARCISSUS TAZETTAL.

Natural populations of Narcissus tazetta L. series bicolores Baker have been found in Israel to consist of plants having two floral types: short-styled and long-styled. In short-styled plants the stigma level is below the lower tier of anthers; in the long-styled plants it is usually at the height of the upper anthers, but may also be situated at any height between the two tiers of anthers or even above the upper one. While each of the two floral types displays variability in style length, there is an apparent discontinuity between them (fig. 1). The height of the anthers also fluctuates widely; however, there is no difference in anther level between the two types. Breeding experiments were carried out during 1957-1961 on plants sampled from natural populations growing in the coastal plain and the Judean hills of Israel. Self-pollination.-Upon selfing the plants proved to be completely sterile or almost so. Cross-pollination.-Crosses between the two floral types were found to be fertile. But significantly, and contrary to other dimorphic plants, crosses between plants of the same floral type were also fertile. Crosses were carried out with 52 shortstyled plants (434 flowers pollinated) and with 90 long-styled ones (507 flowers pollinated). The majority of crosses were compatible and several dozens of seeds per capsule were produced. Inheritance of the flower dimorphism.F1 seeds obtained from various cross-pollinations were sown in October, 1959. A few plants flowered in winter 1961-1962, others not until winter 1962-1963, and the following segregation has been obtained from the 1,035 plants checked:

The use of the Piche evaporimeter in the calculation of evaporation

AbstractWater loss measured by the Piche evaporimeter, E, was found to be highly correlated with the calculated aerodynamic term, Ea, in Penman's evaporation formula. The error introduced by using the more convenient Piche evaporimeter measurements was less than that caused by the use of a single daily observation of vapour pressure in the calculation of the aerodynamic term.No significant difference was found between the relationship in the Judean hills and the arid Negev region of Israel which wasA test of a simplified form of Penman's formula, based on local Piche evaporimeter readings for the aerodynamic term and a regional value for the energy term, gave close agreement with the evaporation values calculated using the full formula.