Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov: "The Ministry of Tourism's efforts in this field have been strengthened by the establishment of the Rashbi Heritage Company which will bring about an investment of over 27 million NIS in the coming year."

The Ministry of Tourism has allocated over 19 million NIS toward maintenance and conservation of Jewish holy sites and the ceremonies held in these locations through the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites. The Ministry of Tourism's investment, which will continue next year as well at a similar investment, is part of an initiative to conserve and maintain Israel's traditions and improve the tourism product for Israelis and tourists.

The National Center for the Development of Holy Sites, managed by Rabbi Yosef Schweinger, plays an important role in aiding the Ministry of Tourism's activities to maintain and develop the various religious sites in Israel such as Mt. Zion, the City of David, Rampart's Walk, Zedekiah’s Cave, the Western Wall and more at an investment of millions of shekel each year.

Throughout 2011, maintenance and conservation activities were performed around Jerusalem at Rachel's Grave and King David's Grave which included development of infrastructures, placing railings and more. Similar work was performed in northern Israel at the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai' (Rashbi) on Mount Meron which also included the establishment of a national body to take care of security and aesthetics as well as management. This body will be able to accept donations in amounts that were not permitted to date. Additional sites that were refurbished this year include graves of revered rabbis in Biriya Forest, Haifa and Amuka.

In 2012, according to the refurbishment and rehabilitation plan of the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites, the Ministry of Tourism is planning various new projects, including, among others, the Grave of Samuel the Prophet in Jerusalem and the Grave of Rabbi Akiva in Tiberias. Upgrade and rehabilitation activities of the various Holy Sites in Jerusalem will also continue.

In 2011, 800,000 Jewish visitors came to Israel, (24% of the total 3.4 million visitors).

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov: "Israeli and international Jewish tourists visiting the Jewish holy sites are important anchors in the Ministry of Tourism's activities both in Israel and abroad. These activities will continue in the coming years in both the development and reconstruction of the holy sites as well as increasing marketing activities on a national and international level."

(Courtesy of the Foreign Press Adviser to the Ministry of Tourism)
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December 25, 2011

Exposed - A Rare Find Indicative of the Activity in the Temple

A first of its kind find, indicative of activity in the Temple, was recently discovered:

a tiny item that probably "certified" the ritual purity of an object or food in the Temple Mount compound and in the Second Temple

The discovery was presented at a press conference at which Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat and Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar participated

Layers of soil covering the foundations of the Western Wall, c. 15 meters north of the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount, were excavated beneath Robinson’s Arch in archaeological excavations of the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Jerusalem Archaeological Park. On top of these layers, dating to the first century CE (the late Second Temple period), was paved the Herodian street which was the main road of Jerusalem at that time. From the very start of the excavations in this area the archaeologists decided that all of the soil removed from there would be meticulously sifted (including wet-sifting and thorough sorting of the material remnants left in the sieve). This scientific measure is being done in cooperation with thousands of pupils in the Tzurim Valley National Park, and is underwritten by the Ir David Foundation. It was during the sieving process that a tiny object of fired clay, the size of a button (c. 2 centimeter in diameter) was discovered. The item is stamped with an Aramaic inscription consisting of two lines – in the upper line "דכא" and below it "ליה". "דכא" or "דכי" in Aramaic means pure. Following the preposition "ל" in the word "ליה" is the shortened form (two of the four letters) for the name of the G-d of Israel.

According to the excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, archaeologists Eli Shukron of the IAA and Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa, “The meaning of the inscription is “Pure for G-d”. It seems that the inscribed object was used to mark products or objects that were brought to the Temple, and it was imperative they be ritually pure. This stamped impression is probably the kind referred to in the Mishnah (Tractate Shekalim 5: 1-5) as a "חותם" (seal). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such an object or anything similar to it was discovered in an archaeological excavation and it constitutes direct archaeological evidence of the activity on the Temple Mount and the workings of the Temple during the Second Temple period”.

Tractate Shekalim tells of the administration procedures on the Temple Mount in which our object was used, “Whoever required libations would go to Yohanan who was in charge of the stamps give him [the appropriate amount of] money and would receive a stamp from him in return. He would then go to Ahiyah who was in charge over the libations, give him the stamp and receive the libations from him”. There can be no doubt that this is a very exciting find.

The Mishnah also mentions in Tractate Shekalim, “There were four tokens in the Temple and on them were inscribed; calf, ram, kid and sinner [which were issued as a receipt to those who deposited the appropriate funds]. Ben Azzai says: There were five; and they were inscribed in Aramaic.” Our object does not belong to this group. It shows that not all of the details concerning the administration procedures of the Temple Mount have come to us by way of the rabbinic literature. Here an artifact from an archaeological excavation supplements our knowledge with a previously unknown detail.

It is in this context and the spirit of Hanukkah that the Jerusalem District Archaeologist, Dr. Yuval Baruch, mentioned, “It is written in the Gemara (Talmud Bavli, Tractate Shabbat Chapter 2: Page 21) that the only cruse of oil that was discovered in the Temple after the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks, “lay with the seal of the High Priest” – that is: the seal indicated that the oil is pure and can be used in the Temple. Remember, this cruse of oil was the basis for the miracle of Hanukkah that managed to keep the menorah lit for eight days”.

In addition to this item, other artifacts dating to the Second Temple period were discovered. Some are even earlier and date to the time of the Hasmoneans, such as oil lamps, ceramic cooking pots and a fusiform juglet that may have contained oils and perfume, as well as coins of the Hasmonean kings, such as Alexander Jannaeus and John Hyrcanus.

(Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority)

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December 15, 2011

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS APPROVED TODAY THE NEW NATIONAL TOURISM PREFERENCE MAP

COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE APPROVED THE EXPANSION OF THE MAP, WHICH WILL NOW INCLUDE EILAT, THE LOWER GALILEE, GREATER NAZARETH AND THE BEIT SHE'AN VALLEY, AND HAVE ASKED TO INCLUDE THE CARMEL RANGE

The Knesset Finance Committee has today (Wednesday), 12.14.11, approved Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov's, proposal to grant aid for the construction of hotels throughout Israel as specified in the proposal. The national tourism preference map will be expanded to include Eilat, the Lower Galilee, the greater Nazareth region, and the Beit She'an Valley. These areas are in addition to the regions already on the map, including the Negev, the Western and Upper Galilee, the Golan, Jerusalem, Netanya and Haifa. Further discussions will be held soon in order to examine the addition of other areas to the map.

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov, emphasized that: "Expanding the map, which has been done together with the Ministry of Finance, is an expression of the Government of Israel's confidence in the tourism industry, placing it in the appropriate position in national priorities. These changes will bring about a tremendous contribution from the tourism industry to the Israeli economy including increased revenues, employment in additional regions of the country and improving Israel's image abroad as an attractive destination for tourists and investors."

Minister Misezhnikov added that, "The rise in incoming tourism has increased the demand for hotel rooms in the areas that have now been added to the preference map. Adding these areas will bring about the addition of new towns, especially in the periphery of Eilat, to compete with other tourism destinations bordering the Red Sea."

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)