Researchers revisit underground network that was used by Jews resisting the Romans
You'll need a headlamp, a tight waistline and no fear of the dark in order to enjoy one of the most extreme, yet lesser known, archaeological wonders of the Holy Land.
© Baz Ratner / ReutersA tourist walks inside a columbarium at the Hirbet Madras archaeological site in the foothills of Jerusalem, around the ancient city of Beit Guvrin.
Even with the proper equipment and intestinal fortitude, it is easy to lose your cool when crawling through the expansive ancient tunnel systems dug by Jewish rebels to fight the Roman Empire.
The hundreds of hideouts, ranging from just a few meters deep to seemingly unending labyrinths, are popular among Israeli archaeologists and adventurers. But the subterranean mazes, which date back as early as the first century B.C., are virtually unknown to foreigners.
Even if you go looking for them, as designed, they are easy to miss.
The systems were often reached through trap doors in Jewish villages, some of which are now archaeological sites. Other cave entrances may be no more than an indistinct, shoulder-width opening in the ground or hillside.
You may have to crawl, even slither, for a few minutes through a pitch-black burrow - too cramped for a fully armed Roman legionary. Turns can be so tight that you have to back up to a spot where you can flip from head to feet first in order to continue.
Your headlamp will illuminate niches where oil lamps once lay, and other carvings in the rocks. You may emerge suddenly into an expansive columbarium, with hundreds of holes in the wall once used to raise pigeons, or perhaps a decorated storage room.
From there, the system may tunnel off in different directions, giving the sense of how the Jewish rebels lived and fought during two revolts against the Romans - the first around the time the great temple was destroyed in Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and one decades later under legendary leader Bar Kochba.
© Baz Ratner / ReutersResearchers Boaz Zussu and Boaz Langford investigate an ancient rebel hideout at the Hurvat Burgin archaeological site, in the foothills of Jerusalem around the ancient city of Beit Guvrin.
"Crawling inside a hiding complex is a thrill. We always expect the unexpected," said Amos Frumkin, a professor at the Geography Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who heads the school's Cave Research Unit.
For decades he and his team have explored and mapped newly discovered systems, passing many days each year underground. They have found ancient weapons, trap doors and olive presses during their surveys. Their findings are published in an obscure journal called Niqrot Zurim
, or Caverns in the Rocks
The foothills of Jerusalem around the ancient city of Beit Guvrin are like an ant farm and best tell the story of the guerrilla tactics used in the Bar Kochba rebellion. The rebel strategy worked for a while, but the Romans eventually defeated them.
Earlier caves have been found farther north in the Galilee, where team members were called to explore a tunnel system found just a few months ago. Archaeologists had uncovered what they thought was a standard, 8-meter-deep (26-foot-deep) water cistern, but later noticed it had narrow crawlspaces shooting off its base.
The team rappelled to the lower level and became the first people in 2,000 years to tread there. With a metal detector and laser measurer, they spent hours mapping just a fraction of the tunnels.
Researchers have also mapped many of the nearby cavern hideouts that dot the cliff side of Mount Arbel overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Roman historian Josephus described in his writings how King Herod lowered his men in chests from the cliff to the cave openings and, using fire, overtook the rebels.
It is easy to lose your way in these underground mazes. Only a handful are well-marked and maintained, and it is best to hire a guide to take you around. With proper climbing equipment, the extremely brave and experienced can rappel even deeper if they come upon massive subterranean cisterns and chambers.
"These tunnels are an amazing secret that tourists unfortunately don't know about," said veteran guide Asael Lavi. "It's possible to spend an entire day or two crawling in the different systems and experience the fear, grief and even excitement that the rebels must have felt."
Watafiti wachunguza tena mtandao wa chini ya ardhi uliotumiwa na Wayahudi waliopinga Warumi Unahitaji taa ya mbele, waistline nyembamba na usiogope giza ili kufurahia moja ya maajabu ya kihistoria ya ardhi takatifu. "Baz Ratner, mwanasafiri wa Marekani, anatembea ndani ya ""columbarium"" katika eneo la kiakiolojia la Hirbet Madras, karibu na mji wa kale wa Beit Guvrin, Jerusalem." Hata ukiwa na vifaa vinavyofaa na ujasiri wa akili, ni rahisi kupoteza utulivu wako unapopanda kupitia mifumo mikubwa ya mifereji ya kale iliyochimbwa na waasi Wayahudi ili kupigana na Milki ya Roma. Maelfu ya mahali pa kujificha, kuanzia mita chache tu za kina hadi machafuko yanayoonekana kuwa yasiyo na mwisho, ni maarufu miongoni mwa wataalamu wa vitu vya kale na wavumbuzi wa Israeli. Lakini maze ya chini ya ardhi, ambayo yalitokea mapema katika karne ya kwanza K.K., hayajulikani na wageni. Hata ukitafuta, kama ilivyoundwa, ni rahisi kukosa. Mara nyingi mifumo hiyo iliweza kufikiwa kupitia milango ya mtego katika vijiji vya Wayahudi, ambavyo vingine sasa ni maeneo ya kiakiolojia. Milango mingine ya mapango huenda ikawa ni ufunguo usioeleweka sana katika ardhi au kwenye mteremko wa kilima. Huenda ukalazimika kutambaa, hata kuteleza, kwa dakika chache kupitia shimo jeusi - lenye watu wachache sana kwa askari-jeshi Mroma mwenye silaha kamili. Mageuzi yanaweza kuwa magumu sana hivi kwamba lazima urudi nyuma hadi mahali ambapo unaweza kugeuka kutoka kichwa hadi miguu kwanza ili kuendelea. Taa yako ya mbele itaangaza sehemu ambazo zamani zilikuwa na taa za mafuta, na michongo mingine iliyochongwa kwenye miamba. Unaweza kuonekana ghafula katika chumba kikubwa cha kuhifadhia vitu, chenye mamia ya mashimo kwenye ukuta ambao wakati mmoja ulitumiwa kufuga njiwa, au labda katika chumba cha kuhifadhia vitu kilichopambwa vizuri. "Kutoka hapo, mfumo wa ""tunnel"" unaweza kwenda katika mwelekeo tofauti, ukitoa hisia ya jinsi waasi wa Kiyahudi waliishi na kupigana wakati wa mapinduzi mawili dhidi ya Warumi - ya kwanza karibu na wakati hekalu kubwa lilipoharibiwa huko Yerusalemu mnamo 70 KK, na miongo moja baadaye chini ya kiongozi maarufu Bar Kochba." Watafiti Boaz Zussou na Boaz Langford wanachunguza mahali pa kale pa waasi katika eneo la kiakiolojia la Hurvat Burgin, katika milima ya Yerusalemu karibu na mji wa kale wa Beit Guvrin. "Kujikokota ndani ya makao ya siri ni jambo lenye kusisimua. "Kila mtu anaweza kugundua kitu ambacho hakutarajiwa,"" alisema Amos Frumkin, profesa katika Idara ya Jiografia katika Chuo Kikuu cha Kiebrania cha Yerusalemu, ambaye anaongoza kitengo cha utafiti wa mapango cha shule hiyo." Kwa miongo kadhaa yeye na timu yake wamekuwa wakichunguza na kuchora ramani za mifumo mipya iliyofunuliwa, wakitumia siku nyingi kila mwaka chini ya ardhi. Wamepata silaha za kale, milango ya mtego, na viwanda vya kusagia mizeituni wakati wa uchunguzi wao. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya ""Niqruth Zurim"" (Mipango ya Miamba) ya mwaka wa 2000: ""Makumbusho ya Yerusalemu ya Beit Guvran ni kama shamba la chungu na inaelezea hadithi ya mbinu za wapiganaji wa kuvizia zilizotumiwa katika uasi wa Bar Kochba." Mbinu ya waasi ilifanikiwa kwa muda fulani, lakini hatimaye Waroma waliwashinda. Mapango ya zamani yamepatikana kaskazini zaidi huko Galilaya, ambapo washiriki wa timu waliitwa kuchunguza mfumo wa handaki uliopatikana miezi michache tu iliyopita. Wataalamu wa vitu vya kale walipata kisima cha kawaida cha maji kinachozidi mita nane, lakini baadaye waligundua kwamba kilikuwa na vifusi vidogo vilivyoinuka kutoka kwenye msingi wake. Timu hiyo ilishuka hadi kwenye ngazi ya chini na kuwa watu wa kwanza katika miaka 2,000 kutembea huko. Wakiwa na kifaa cha kugundua chuma na kipima-lasi, walitumia saa nyingi kuchora sehemu ndogo tu ya mifereji hiyo. Watafiti pia wamechora ramani ya mapango mengi ya mapango yaliyo karibu yaliyo kwenye mteremko wa Mlima Arbel unaoelekea Bahari ya Galilaya. Mwanahistoria Mroma Josephus aliandika jinsi Mfalme Herode alivyowaangusha watu wake wakiwa wamebeba masanduku kutoka kwenye mwamba hadi kwenye mapango ya pango na kutumia moto kuwaangamiza waasi hao. Ni rahisi kupotea katika maporomoko hayo ya chini ya ardhi. Ni chache tu zilizo na alama nzuri na zinatunzwa vizuri, na ni afadhali kuajiri mwongozo ili akuangalie. Kwa kuwa wana vifaa vya kupanda vilivyofaa, watu wenye ujasiri na uzoefu wanaweza kupanda chini zaidi ya ardhi wanapogundua mabwawa makubwa ya maji na vyumba vya chini ya ardhi. "Mifereji hii ni siri ya ajabu ambayo kwa kusikitisha watalii hawajui", akasema kiongozi mzee Asael Lavi. "Inawezekana kutumia siku nzima au mbili kuvinjari katika mifumo tofauti na uzoefu hofu, huzuni na hata msisimko kwamba waasi lazima kuwa alihisi. """