Biblical Archeology: Investigator Of The United States Calls The Palestinians

Due to its millenary history, the West Bank is rich in historical monuments and antiquities, but the Palestinian Authority considers archaeological work in the area a crime.

The American archaeologist Scott Stipling has rebuked the Palestinians' complaints that he and his peers are "stealing" the locals by conducting excavations in Judea and Samaria in search of biblical artifacts.

Dr. Stripling, who is the rector of a Christian seminary in Texas, has been selected by two NGOs, which accuse Israel of using archaeological sites as a pretext to seize Palestinian land.

He currently directs excavation work in Shiloh, an ancient city located in the west-central West Bank mentioned in the Bible.

He believes that Shiloh could be the site of the Tabernacle, also known as the Tent of the Congregation, the portable sanctuary tent of Yahweh mentioned in the Book of Exodus.

The Palestinian National Authority, which currently administers parts of the West Bank, warned archaeologists last week against participating in excavations in the area, arguing that such work "would expose them to legal responsibility."

The Palestinian Authority also called on museums and international institutions to examine all artifacts that originate in Israel and refuse to accept any article "stolen from lands occupied by Palestinians."

"They say we are destroying the artifacts and robbing the Palestinian people," said Dr. Stripling. "That is the position of the PA and the UN."

Last week, the Supreme Court of Israel rejected an appeal filed by the NGOs Yesh Din and Emek Shaveh, ruling that the identities of archaeologists working in the West Bank should be hidden.

The decision came after the human rights group Yesh Din and the archaeological organization Emek Shaveh filed a petition with the High Court of Israel under the Freedom of Information Act, demanding that the names of the investigators, as well as the location of his findings, are made public.

"They wanted to get the names of the board members and even the names of the donors to press them," Dr. Stipling told Breaking Israel News. "It's not going to affect us in any way; we do not care because what we're doing is too important."

They previously claimed that Israel, which administers the archaeological sites in the West Bank, was including the private lands of Palestinian residents in the areas of the archaeological sites, effectively preventing Palestinian landowners from entering their own settlements.

"We do not care who is in charge," said Dr. Stipling. "Philosophically we are more closely aligned with Israel, but with respect to archeology, we are apolitical, we cooperate with whoever is in charge, we are simply recovering the artifacts, if there is a change in government, everything is stored here for them and we would cooperate with them ".

By: Preeti Narula

Content: https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201905271075388224-scott-stiplinh-west-bank-archaeology/