Judea

College of Judea and Samaria, Ariel, Israel A. YAHALOM... 

In Ancient Egypt mummies were wrapped in cloth dipped in a solution of bitumen in oil of lavender which was known variously as Syrian Asphalt or Bitumen of Judea. On exposure to light the product hardened and became insoluble. It would appear that this process involved the action of chemical cross-linking, which in modem times became of great importance in the vulcanisation of rubber and the production of thermosetting plastics. It was also the study of this process that led Niepce to produce the first permanent photograph and to the development of lithography (see Chapter 14). 

The appearance indeed of the spot in which this miraculous destruction took place indicates sufficient evidence to authorize the same persuasion, as may be collected from the accounts of almost every traveller who has visited those parts of Judea. 

That these monuments of antiquity were commemorative of parts of the history of Pharaoh-nechoh, the son of Psammetichus, there cannot be a shadow of doubt. That many of the representations also have a direct reference to the particular expedition which Pharaoh-nechoh made against the Assyrians or Babylonians, is equally certain. In the prosecution of this enterprise he was led up to Judea, and was encountered by Josiah—prosecuted his war against the Assyrians, and recovered Car-chemish. On his return, he deposed Je-hoahaz, or Shallum, the son of Josiah, and carried him bound as a captive into Egypt. 

The captivity of the Jews, during seventy years, enabled the land of Judea to enjoy her sabbaths which, for four hundred and ninety years, had been neglected. The renewal of a right spirit in the people in their affliction disposed many, who were distinguished for their example among them, to manifest the power and the influence of that wisdom and of those principles which they derived from their religion and which were calculated to raise the minds of all, to whom they were imparted, to an apprehension of reverence for the true God. 

Cyrus, when he visited Syria, had contemplated, probably, the desolation of the fertile plains of Judea. But we cannot suppose him to have been led by the feelings merely of policy or compassion, to send back its native inhabitants, with their sacred vessels, to rebuild a temple for whose God he had not the reverence which he professed. Daniel, by his station and influence, must have immediately introduced him to the notice of the conqueror. 

Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel department of Biological Chemistry, The College of Judea and Samaria, Ariel, Israel... 

Based on the results of analysis in this present study, it was found that while the Tyrian coins all show relatively constant high silver levels during the years before and after the period 44-13 B.C.E., during this period the silver content is erratic and drops significantly. The end of this period corresponds closely with the appearance of the KP (or KAP) control mark on Tyrian silver coins, and which lasted until the end of this coinage. The results have been interpreted in the context of social and economic conditions in Tyre and surrounding Judea and Syria at that time period. In particular, it appears that interactions between Herod and Augustus, and between Herod and the Temple in Jerusalem are reflected in the variation of the silver content of the coins. 

In regard to the technical feasibility of having obtained hyacinthine purple from Trunculariopsis trunculus in antiquity, Doumet (16) recently demonstrated that he could dye wool with the crushed shells, following the procedure of Tyre as described by Pliny the Elder, who visited Judea in person. Only techniques and materials available to ancient artisans were used in this experiment. 

The big armored personnel can ier came slowly over the top of a rise. Ahead the road sloped down into the valley, then rose again to another crest. All around lay the bare rocky hills of Judea, where shepherds had once watched their flocks by night. Now those hillsides were deserted by man and beast, or so they seemed. It was raining drearily. The clouds hung low over Palestine, as though in omen of a wrath to come. 

Anxious to escape from the heat and the oppressive atmosphere of hundreds of feet below sea level, Sandy stepped on the gas. We roared across the salt-crusted lowlands of the Dead Sea and began to climb into the hills of Judea. Jericho, a colorless hot little town which might have been Mexican or New Mexican, was quickly left behind. 

PHOTOGRAPHY/ PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY ON GLASS, ZINC, PEWTER SUBSTRATES 1 (1826) BITUMEN OF JUDEA (1839) AMMONIUM DICHROMATE ON PAPER (1936) PRINTED CIRCUH BOARD... 

The role of bitumen of Judea in the invention of photohthography and photography is described in Chapter 2, for it was the resist that was used to the capture the first permanent image from nature. 

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