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The Israel Antiquities Authority’s Michael Chernin and Shai Halevi recently discovered graffiti dating back to the 15th Century on a wall in the “King David Tomb Complex” on Mount Zion, Jerusalem.
Shai Halevi and Michael Cherchin of IAA review Swiss graffiti
The graffiti is the name and family emblem of the Swiss Knight Adrian von Bubenberg, who came on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1466.
The IAA’s research results were presented on Wednesday at a joint conference of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University on “New Archaeological Studies in Jerusalem and the Vicinity.”
This discovery came as part of IAA’s unique project in the “King David Tomb Complex” on Mount Zion, which focuses on documenting graffiti and ancient inscriptions left on the walls by Christian and Moslem pilgrims. They have revealed more than 40 inscriptions in different languages, as well as the family emblems of medieval knights.
The decipherment of the hidden graffiti was made possible by advanced technological methods developed by the IAA for the research of the Judean Desert scrolls. These technologies, using multispectral photography and different wavelengths invisible to the human eye, bring to light inscriptions that have faded and have been erased over the years.
“In the Mamluk period, between 1332–1551, the building complex adjacent to the traditional Tomb of King David, was owned by the Monks of the Franciscan Catholic Order,” said Michael Chernin and Shai Halevi of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who lead the project. “The building served as a monastery and a hostel for the western pilgrims, who left their mark on the walls. Technological methods developed today enable reading the faded inscriptions.”
Adrian von Bubenberg was a Swiss military man and politician from the 15th century, admired to this day as a Swiss National hero. Von Bubenberg was born to a noble family in 1424, and after a long service as Mayor of Bern, he gained his fame in 1476 when he led the Swiss Confederate army in the Battle of Murten, and defeated the army of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who threatened the independence of Switzerland. Following this glorious victory over one of the strongest armies in Europe, the Swiss soldiers gained prestige as fierce fighters who did not fear more powerful enemies. This reputation enabled Switzerland to maintain its independence amongst larger and more aggressive neighbouring states until modern times.
After his death in 1479, and in gratitude for his protection of Bern and Switzerland, von Bubenberg was buried in a place of honour in the Cathedral of Bern. A statue of Adrian von Bubenberg adorns one of the central squares of Bern, and many streets in Swiss cities are named after him. Since his son, Adrian (II) von Bubenberg (1458–1501) also visited Jerusalem, it is not possible to determine whether father or son wrote his name, but the discovery of the Israel Antiquities Authority researchers provides direct evidence for the connection between medieval Switzerland and Jerusalem.
According to Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The research carried out in Jerusalem embraces religions and cultures worldwide. Believers, pilgrims, and visitors seeking to make contact with sanctified Jerusalem, left traces that the Israel Antiquities Authority researchers reveal and record on a daily basis. All these remains contribute to the fascinating picture, a taste of which we present in today’s conference.”
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