The Jerusalem Post recently carried a story about the discovery of a very early mosque in the Upper Negev by Israeli archaeologists.
The ruins of a 1200 year old rural mosque, one of the earliest mosques in the world, were uncovered in an archaeological dig in the predominately Bedouin city of Rahat north of Beersheba.
“A local rural mosque from this early period is a rare find in the Middle East and in the world in general and especially in the area north of Beersheba in which a similar building has not been found until now,” said Shahar Zur and Dr. Jon Seligman, the directors of the excavation on behalf of the Antiquities Authority.
“From this period, there are large known mosques in Jerusalem and in Mecca, but here is evidence of an ancient house of worship, that seems to have been used by farmers living in the area,” they added. “We found the ruins of the open-air mosque, a rectangular building with a “Mihrab” (a prayer niche) facing south, to the direction of Mecca. These features are evidence for the purpose for which this building was used, many hundred years ago.”
A farm from the end of the Byzantine period (500-600 C.E.) was also uncovered in the excavations, as well as a small settlement from the beginning of the Islamic period (600-700 C.E.) with remains of buildings that were split into living spaces, open courtyards, storage space and places used for food preparation, including “tabbuns” (open-air fireplaces used for baking).
“These sites were part of the agricultural system that existed in the northern Negev in early times,” explained Zur and Seligman. “The soil was suitable for growing grains and the ground water in perennial streams attracted settlers here who wanted to cultivate the land.”
“This is one of the earliest mosques known of from the time of the first arrival of Islam in Israel, after the Arab conquest in 636 C.E.,” said Professor Gideon Avni, an expert in the period at the Antiquities Authority. “The discovery of the mosque next to an agricultural town between Beersheba and Ashkelon indicates the processes of cultural and religious change which the
“The uncovering of the town and the mosque next to it, significantly contribute to studies on the history of the land in this stormy period,” he added. “According to historical Islamic sources, the new Muslim government distributed plots of land to its senior officials, including Omar ibn al-Etz, an Arab military commander who took over the land of Israel and Syria. The continuation of excavations on the site will perhaps provide answers to the questions regarding the foundation of the settlement and the nearby mosque and its connection to the Arab conquerors of the land of Israel.”
The dig was headed by the Israel Antiquities Authority alongside Bedouin residents and youth from towns in the area as a new neighborhood was established in the city. An initiative by the antiquities authority engages organized groups of youth during the summer vacation in archaeological digs, allowing them to earn a fair wage, engage with the past and also collect experiences for their whole lives.
What strikes one first is the evident delight of these Israeli archaeologists in uncovering part of the Arab and Muslim past. They were pleased to be able to excavate not just the mosque, but two sites nearby. One was a farm, from the very end of the Byzantine period (circa 600 C.E.), and another, a small settlement from the early Islamic period (600-700 C.E.) near the mosque. They look forward to continuing the excavations, particularly of the Muslim settlement nearby, to try to figure out more about the ownership of the site, which they believe may have been given to to a Muslim military commander, Omar ibn al-Etz, for his services. They treated the Muslim site as they would have any Jewish site, with the same satisfaction in increasing our knowledge of the past.
Second, there is the touching concern for the Bedouin and Arab young men whom the Israeli archaeologists employed as diggers on the site, giving them the opportunity “to earn a fair wage” — that is, the same wages as would be paid to an Israeli at the same level — and hoping, too, to stimulate their interest beyond wage-earning, to “engage with the past” and “to collect experiences for their whole lives.” These Israelis are not exactly the monsters that BDS, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Linda Sarsour, and Roger Waters have been malevolently presenting to the world.
Third, the treatment of Jewish sites by Arabs and Muslims has been quite different from the way Israelis have treated Muslim sites. When Jordan held East Jerusalem and the Old City from 1949 to 1967, it demolished or destroyed all 58 synagogues in the Old City. The Western Wall was transformed into an exclusively Muslim holy site associated with al-Buraq, the fabulous winged steed that Muhammad was said to have ridden up to Heaven. No Jews were allowed to pray at the Western Wall. In the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, 38,000 graves were systematically destroyed, and Jews were not allowed to be buried there. Some of the tombstones were used to line the floors of Jordanian army latrines. Thousands of them were ground into gravel, for use at building sites. Since 1967, when Israel came into possession of the Old City, no Muslim sites have been damaged in any way. And in order to prevent conflict, Israel has forbidden not Muslims, but Jews, from saying prayers anywhere on the Temple Mount.
When in 2015 the “Palestinians” in Nablus set ablaze Joseph’s Tomb, one of Judaism’s holiest sites, they were just doing what came naturally, following the Jordanian example, and that of many other Muslims, such as the Afghans who destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas, and the Islamic State militants who in March 2015 demolished the ancient archaeological site of Hatra and Nimrud. None of these pre-Islamic or non-Islamic sites have a right, in the view of devout Muslims, to exist. It was Muslim Turks, not Napoleon’s soldiers (as many in the West have mistakenly believed), who managed to shoot off the nose of the Sphinx. The Sphinx was pre-Islamic; it had no right to exist. Muslims demand respect for their sites, but offer only contempt for, and destruction of, the pre-Islamic and non-Islamic sites of others. If the most fanatical Muslims had their way, even the pyramids would be destroyed, but here they would face the fury of mainstream Egyptians who recognize what a colossal, even fatal, blow that would be to Egypt’s tourist industry.
Fourth, when have you ever heard of Arab archaeologists uncovering a single Jewish site? Jews lived all over the Middle East for several thousand years. Some 19th century scholars (Al-Bustani, Wüstenfeld) have suggested that Jews may even have established a state in the Hejaz. There must be considerable evidence of their presence. But whatever newly-discovered physical evidence exists of Jewish life in the Middle East outside of Israel, it is not being excavated.
A well-travelled Kuwaiti once told me that he knew of several Jewish sites that had been discovered in western Saudi Arabia, but that the information about them was a state secret. If he was telling the truth, I suspect that such sites would by now have been quietly destroyed. The less physical evidence of an ancient Jewish presence in Arabia, as far as Arabs and Muslims are concerned, the better.
Meanwhile, the scrupulous, scholarly, kind-hearted Israeli archaeologists, working together with young Arabs who are treated with dignity, paid a “fair wage,” and given work that the Israelis clearly hope might kindle their interest in archeology, have uncovered one of the oldest mosques in the world and would no doubt be glad to find other evidence of early Islam. One more way — there are so many — to distinguish the Israelis from those who wish them ill.
James says
Muslims typically destroy sites that are not Muslim. I remember a book with a picture of an ancient Buddhist shrine that archaeologists uncovered. About the same day a local tribe of Muslims smashed all the Buddha images on the shrine. Portrayals of persons are against Islamic doctrines, and this applies to non-Muslims too. So much for Muslim respect for classical antiquity.
Leo says
Amazingly Muslims also destroy old Korans. They have also leveled Mecca for huge works. No archaelogical remains were found. Were there none? Did they wipe out what they found because it didn’t fit the islamic legend? Making up history has been a favourite pastime of theirs, starting with announcing the end of the world, then composing hadiths and leading up to Ilhan Omar rewriting the story of Jewish settlement in Palestine.
ninetyninepct says
So much for Muslim respect for intelligence and humans.
Kay says
Good article. Thanks.
Angemon says
+1
Ren says
Muslims have no respect whatsoever of alien culture. They destroy all culture that does not fit sharia.
Catherine F Maestas says
Animals… Lock them up for life…
RonaldB says
I’d be interested in knowing if specifically the mosque, or prayer room (article wasn’t exactly clear on if it meant one or both) was facing more towards Mecca or towards Petra. Some Christian missionaries claim Islam was a made-up religion designed to consolidate the empire of the Arab warlord Malik. The proponents of this theory claim that the first mosques face Petra rather than Mecca. So, finding an old mosque that was not used since it was built would definitely add information to the debate.
As to the claim that Muslims do not preserve antiquities, that is mostly true, but not 100% true. Under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi antiquities were well-preserved and cared for. Under the US occupation, the security apparatus was dismantled by the clueless US governor, and the antiquities stolen by criminals or destroyed by fundamentalist Muslims. Another benefit to the US invasion of Iraq fueled by cooked-up evidence.
CRUSADER says
Interesting what Jay Smith has to say on such a topic as this…..
Certainly the best you can say about Islam is that it was a faith that was formed for the Arab Bedouin to believe in monotheism — akin to the Jews, in having a faith of their own. So be it.
At worst the religion of Islam is a projection from earlier Baal worship — diametrically contrary to JudeoChristian theology. Avoid at all cost!
So … why the rest of the world has to be converted or compelled into Islam when it is so specific to Arab culture and not based on anything valid or useful or divine — but only a compilation of borrowed scriptures and poorly understood and falsely interpreted Gospel and blended with Arabist customs and prejudices mixed with despicable egoism and desert fables and excuses for booty….
?.?.?
RonaldB says
” excuses for booty”
GreekEmpress says
Crusader,
Are you in Israel right now? Or did you just get back? I thought I read one of your posts that you were going to go.
Hopefully, you had or will have a safe trip?
CRUSADER says
Hi sweet GreekEmpress,
I actually already have been to Israel this year to date but plan to go again to the Holy Land, not the one in Orlando FL but the actual … ✌️
So I visited the Illinois Holocaust Museum this week and was impressed by this third largest such museum. They hadn’t known of the FOZ museum yet we’re glad to hear of it. These places are so important for education purposes.
Shalom!
CRUSADER says
Israel is where IT is literally happening!
http://www.StandWithIsrael.org
“Stand With Us!
FYI says
I wonder if islamic scholars can tell us about koran 17.1:
what mosque did muhammed visit when he visited Jerusalem on his flying winged horse,buraq?
what mosque existed in Jerusalem in muhammed’s time?
And he flew there from mecca on a FLYING HORSE?Seriously?
“up,up and away,my beautiful,my beautiful buraqqqq!”
Ade Fegan says
An early mosque with the kibla facing Mecca … Something doesn’t add up here
gravenimage says
Israeli Archeologists Discover One of the World’s Oldest Mosques
…………………….
Yes–compare this to Muslims, who regularly destroy Jewish and other non-Muslim sites.
Shy Guy says
Perhaps not too far away from this archeological site are the ruins of Susya. Susya appears to have been a town made up mostly of Kohanim – Priestly families who served in the Temple. It appears to have been established after the destruction of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem. It’s location is very off the beaten path, most likely to avoid main Roman roads and as many desert bandits as possible.
There’s an amazing remain of the town’s main synagogue there. You can, however, see that the outer entrance of it was modified at some point by invading Muslims who converted that part of the synagogue into a mosque. It is assumed that the Jewish inhabitants had all fled at this time or soon thereafter. Or perhaps they were taken prisoner as slaves for their new Islamic overlords.
Richard says
it’s interesting it is claimed that the prayer niche is pointing south towards Mecca, According to Dan Gibson the earliest mosques pointed towards Petra, including the dome of the rock mosque. And that Petra was actually Mecca
CRUSADER says
Tom Holland questions Islamic doctrine also in his docufilm.
Richard says
“The early Israeli Mosque isn’t Early – BBC gets it wrong!”
Jay Smith pulls this story apart. British Islamic Brainwashing Corporation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7_rMDQ9i60
A Gnostic Agnostic says
This article would have been a perfect opportunity to mention the work of Dan Gibson in his uncovering of all mosques having been built until ~730CE as facing Petra, not Mecca. This, in conjunction with the Qur’an being evolved from Syriac Christian strophic hymns fits the Petra reality.
And so the two most principle claims of Islam:
i. The Qur’an is the perfect, unaltered and final word of god, and
ii. Muhammad is the greatest example/idol for all of humanity,
are false from the beginning. Muslims are “believing” in a history that doesn’t actually exist except as a projection on their own minds. The Torah alone has 5 authors: J, E, P, D and R which undermines it, along with the Bible, and the Qur’an is evolved from Christian strophic hymns as shown by the work of Luling, Luxenberg etc. Now we have a “belief”-based fascist idol-worshiping death cult that persecutes “unbelievers” for not “believing” what is manifestly NOT TRUE. Hundreds of millions are dead over these two false “beliefs”.
The shahada is a false testimony contrary to the ten commandments, however. One can not even get into this cult without expressly denying the god of Abraham by breaking one (or more) of the most fundamental “laws” in Abrahamism. Muhammad is the archetypal male patriarchal dictator warlord who had the power of an entire ‘state’ running through him and using it to commit genocide on Jews. This would be repeated by Adolph Hitler who was a puppet.
Fundamentally Islam is idol worship: spilling blood over criticisms of a (dead) man is what reveals IDOL WORSHIP. If Muhammadans did *not* worship Muhammad, they would not spill blood over him. Indicating that he was a sexually degenerated pedophile warlord triggers Muhammadans’ idol worship of him. They take offense: there is the proof they worship the man. Allah is essentially Muhammad’s lower organ, rendering Islam phallic worship (worship of Patriarchy – male domination over women). Phallic worshiping idolatrous death cult, Islam is.
fredoniahead says
If this mosque is that early, it likely points toward PETRA, not Mecca in SA.
ALL very early mosques point to Petra because it was the original Mecca.
Until 725 AD, ALL qibla pointed to Petra, so this one likely would too.
But from 725 to 822, 50% pointed to Mecca, so maybe. I certainly wasn’t there, but I do keep up on the research coming out on the TRUE origins of Islam and it is NOTHING like we’re traditionally told.
If you’re interested, look up Dan Gibson’s books and research. Watch his film, Sacred City, on YouTube
gravenimage says
His work is pretty iffy.
Spiro says
That’s s good mosque
It’s reduced to rubble
Eric Jones says
We must learn the lessons of history so that we do not make the same past mistakes. Although not directly related to this article I oppose the destruction of Confederate monuments in the USA. We must learn from this bad history so it does not happen again. Those who destroy Confederate monuments are doing the work of the Democratic party. The Democrats don’t want anyone to know that they were the party of the Confederacy, that they were the party of slavery, that they were the party of the KKK, that they were the party of Jim Crow. Let history speak for itself.
Eric
Richard says
Jay Smith pulls this story apart. How shoddy is the BBC reporting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7_rMDQ9i60