Tanakh Hill: Jerusalem’s biblical border

The typical Israeli winter brings with it a flowering wonderland, from the blooming carpets of bright red anemones and shy clusters of cyclamens in the rocky Judean hills, to the beautiful pink and white almond trees dotting the hilly landscapes.

These seasonal beauties get many of us outdoors to wander one of the many hills and valleys of Israel’s north, center or south. That’s what took me on a trek to capture some of these on camera this week, and my wanderings took us – surprisingly – to an urban Jerusalem landscape.

Just behind Jerusalem’s Khan theater, you may have stumbled across this special hilltop. Dog owners haven’t shared the secret of this open view, smack in a bustling urban center, but don’t hesitate to climb the sketchy stairs cut into the rock, to first take in the scenery. Looking east, across what was the Tyropean Valley is the outline of Jerusalem’s old city, impressive day or night. To the south, the Judean desert lies in its glory.

What’s in a name? David Ben-Gurion wanted to establish a bible museum here. He recognized the intrinsic historic value of the site. On this innocent looking hill in the midst of a bustling modern city, this often overlooked land is the dramatic location for a number of biblical tales. As the border between the lands belonging to the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, one can imagine the scenes coming to life.

Wikipedia

Our little hill seems just the place described in Joshua 15:8, overlooking the Hinnom Valley, near Emek Refaim of today –

And the border went up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem). The border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley of Rephaim northward.

From the difficult story of the concubine at the Giv’a in the Book of Judges, to the more optimistic blessing given by Moshe in Deuteronomy, this is the only tribal border delineated in such detail. The obvious swath of squill (chatzav) with its winter shoots may be descendants of the ancient biblical border that is referenced as Joshua’s plantings to divide the tribal plots!

Yet the beauty of this hill is seen best from up close. Lacking any given name, or identification based on archaeological digs or other historical sources, it’s been known simply as ‘the hill of the Tanach’, or ‘Bible Hill’. Archaeologist Gabi Barkai applied the geological term to this significant site, calling it the ‘Hinnom shoulder’.

It is his excavation that provides the only ancient archaeological remnants just to the north of our open hilltop. Walking a few hundred meters along semi-hewn rock face, you’ll find a usually-opened gate behind the Menachem Begin Heritage Center (well worth its own visit).

Clamber through to find yourself in the midst of what was once a series of First Temple Period burial chambers. Catch the find depicted on the wall, our earliest known example of ancient hebrew biblical text, the priestly blessing, rolled up in amulet and probably worn by an ancient Judahite walking this very hill:

The best part is it was discovered when Barka’i sent a particularly rowdy kid to dig in a faraway area, to keep him busy – and this is what he came up with ! (Yes, those of you who know me, I am certainly jealous.)

Who knows what a morning’s wander through an urban setting can uncover? I encourage you to wander the streets of Jerusalem and the hills of Judea in search of winter flowers, and our heritage, camera and bible in hand.