Today we are visiting a special that is (surprisingly) rarely seen through non-Israelis. This provides the most productive combination of ancient ruins, breathtaking perspectives (arguably the most productive in the country), close to Jerusalem, and an unheard-of biblical history. ! The 900-year-old building, still very functional, has a confusing history (originally built as a Crusader church, lately houses a mosque and synagogue).
Climbing to the top of the roof of the ancient Church of the Crusaders, there are several stands to see where many exciting Biblical stories took place, plus Gibeon, a powerful Canaanite city-state (and centuries later, home of the Tabernacle). After Joshua defeated the city-states of Jericho and Ai, Gibeon allied with the Israelites. Five Canaanite kings attacked Gibeon, sending a message that making peace with the young men of Israel was not in their interest. When they attacked, Joshua felt bound by his oath and came to their rescue. When the armies of the five kings saw it coming, Gd sent their hearts into panic and they were wounded, and the survivors fled up the “ascent of Beth-horon”, which can also be seen gently from the roof (for information additional) . know more about it). website, click here). As they began to descend from Beth-horon, G-d sent a hailstorm that wiped out most of the remaining troops (Joshua 10). According to Jewish sources, those same hailstones were left behind by the plague of hail in Egypt. When Moses asked G-d to be as sensitive to the plague as possible (see Exodus 9:33), the remaining hail was saved. Several other Biblical sites can be seen here.
Remains from various eras have been discovered here, adding many solid fortifications. This makes perfect sense, given that it is right on the most important road traditionally connecting Jerusalem to the coast (the current Highway 443) and from here the view of approaching enemies can be observed from wonderful distances from all sides.
Several archaeologists have known this site as the biblical Mitzh (although others have said it was the highest position in Gibeon (near the city of Gibeon itself) where King Solomon presented sacrifices to G-d and gained wisdom in 1 Kings 3:4). Others identify how Ramá. La city was in the tribal territory of Benjamin, and it was here that the tribes of Israel gathered to punish after the incident of the concubine that took place in Benjamin’s Gibeah (see Judges 19–21, for more information on this desirable site, click here). After the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Israel (after it was stolen by the Philistines), the prophet Samuel amassed the country on this hill and led the other people to great repentance. When the Philistines learned that other Jews people piled up here, they began to attack. Then Samuel made a sacrifice and cried out to G-d. The Almighty responded with a loud noise that caused panic among His enemies, allowing Israel to defeat them without problems (see 1 Samuel 7).
Perhaps the most important event that took place here was the founding of the Judean monarchy. Here, a draw was made and Saul was publicly selected to be the first king of Israel (he had already been anointed king by Samuel, but this was done privately). Later, when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Bathroughlonians in 422 B. C. C. (some say that in 586 BC), the righteous Guedalías appointed ruler over the rest of the people of Israel who had not yet been exiled. Jews to flee from Israel to Egypt.
When the rest of the Jewish people returned to Israel under Nehemiah, Mitza was re-established (see Nehemiah 3:7). During the Hasmonean revolt against the Hellenists, Judah the Maccabee (about 165 BC). C. ) amassed Jewish troops in Mitza and introduced a successful attack on Syria. Greek forces. Subsequently, a giant Jewish village was built there, whose remains are still very visual and impressive.
Later, the city abandoned and remained empty for most of the Roman era (although a Byzantine monastery was later built there). The most impressive remains that can be seen today date back to the Crusader era. Upon reaching the hill, they were so excited to see Jerusalem that they called it Mount of Joy (Mount of Joy). The troops were waiting here for the siege apparatus necessary to break through the walls of Jerusalem. A month later, Jerusalem belonged to them. (After which the Crusaders cruelly massacred tens of thousands of cruel Jews, forbidding the Jews to live in their eternal capital for nearly a century. )
In 1144, the Crusaders built a castle on this site.
The Crusaders built this church on the most sensitive of what they believed to be the tomb of the prophet Samuel, who frequented this place. Although the Bible says that Samuel was buried in Ramah and not in Mitzpah (in fact, some archaeologists claim that this site is truly Ramah, Mizpah is not yet here nearby), there are reliable medieval sources that claim that the Crusaders got rid of the bones up close. here (they believe that the so-called “Ramle” has its origin in the so-called “Ramah”, where the Bible says that the Prophet was buried). The Crusaders were expelled by the Muslims in 1187 and this building was confiscated and converted into a mosque (which is still active today as a component of construction).
During World War I, a primary war took place between the British and the Turks. The British won victory and temporarily expelled Turkey from the Holy Land, but not before this construction broke (and then restored in 1926). In the 1948 war of independence, the Jordanians bombed Jerusalem from here. An Israeli force attempted to capture the war hill but was repulsed, resulting in the deaths of 40 Jewish fighters. During the Six-Day War in 1967, Jordanians bombed Israeli neighborhoods, but this time Israeli forces controlled the capture of the hill and, although they allowed the mosque to remain, they got rid of the decree banning non-Muslims from entering the building (Jews and Christians had been banned from this holy site for centuries). Today, the basement houses an active synagogue and a thriving Kollel (Academy of Torah Studies) and construction is open to anyone wishing to make a stop there, regardless of religion.
(All photographs used are for free use or proper license of the author)
Printed by: https://www. jewishpress. com/blogs/unique-sites-israel/unique-sites-of-israel-tomb-of-samuel-the-prophet-biblical-mizpah/2023/01/08/