Controversial archaeology

An effort by the Israeli government to mitigate the concerns of Muslims around the world might also spark the interest of web-surfing archaeology buffs.

Muslims from Gaza to Kashmir are protesting excavations to repair an entry way at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, or Noble Sanctuary, because of concern about damage to Islamic Archaeological remains and fears that Israeli excavators are trying to weaken the structural foundation of Islam’s third holiest site. In response, Israel’s Antiquities Authority set up a live web video stream from the dig site to allay fears about the nature of the dig. You can watch the excavation for yourself here.

Having been to the area as recently as December, I can assuredly say that any construction work is an extremely delicate endeavor. Thousands of years of Jewish, Islamic and Christian history are, quite literally, sitting on top of each other. The entry way in question, which leads to the area containing the Dome of the Rock (where the prophet Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven), is adjacent to and above the Western Wall (the area Jews consider the holiest on the planet). Certainly, any work in this area has the potential to arouse tensions, but Israel is hoping that their webcams have the opposite effect. The odds, however, don’t look good: three webcams versus worldwide outrage.