David P. Livingston
[2000 was the Associates for Biblical Research’s 19th dig season at Khirbet Nisya, under the direction of ABR founder Dr. David Livingston. In this article, Dr. Livingston summarizes the result of his 2000 excavation. With his research at Kh. Nisya winding down, this dig included only a small team working on specific projects.]
This subterranean one-room structure was originally discovered in 1995 while the roadway in the picture was being cut out. A hole in the bedrock surface of the road opened into the room. The actual carved entrance into the structure is off the photo, behind the man at the left. At a level a little below where the young man in the hole is standing, the entrance was cut into the vertical face of the rock
Our 2000 excavation at Khirbet Nisya involved rest probes in a number of specific areas on the site. Digging in July and August was very hot, one day reaching 106° F! News reports indicated this was the honest day recorded in Jerusalem over the past 112 years. This year, with just a small team, we excavated two new areas checking possible evidence of socket stones. Unfortunately, we found nothing of significance.
The Underground Structure
Baruch Brandl, of the Israeli Antiquitics Authority (IAA), visited the site and looked at the underground structure we had previously discovered and excavated. He suggested the area outside the entrance should be excavated completely to bedrock. Whether a dwelling or tomb (or both—during different periods), we spent three days clearing in front (south) of the door carved into the vertical face of bedrock. The bedrock outside the doorway had also been carved, with two steps leading down to the actual doorway.
BSpade 14:1 (Winter 2001) p. 5
The entrance to this room was carved into the bedrock’s vertical face. Steps cut into the bedrock led down to the entrance, where a blocking stone had “cemented” to the bedrock and could not be moved. Two pairs of holes in the bedrock left (east) of the doorway may have held some type of plaque identifying the dwelling—for the living or the dead.
Carved into bedrock, the interior of this one-room (15 x 23 ft) structure was completely plastered. The author suggests it was probably used as both a dwelling and a tomb during different periods.
BSpade 14:1 (Winter 2001) p. 6
Twelve restorable cooking pots were found at Khirbet Nisya. Dating to the Late Hellenistic period (second-first century BC), they all had the characteristic two-rim handles and a rounded base. The horizontal lines around their outside was somewhat decorative and may have also provided a type of “no-slip” grip.
While one large blocking stone was naturally cemented to the bedrock and could not be moved out of the doorway, once cleared it was about 2.4 ft (75 cm) wide and 5.75 ft (1.75 m) high. On the northwest side of the doorway, upper and lower socket holes indicated a door swung from that position.
Outside the entrance, on the northwest side of the door, were two pairs of holes cut into the bedrock. ] think they were cut there to cement in place some kind of plaque identifying the dwelling—for the living or the dead!
A Herodian Coin
Discovered in the fill of the doorway was a coin from King Herod (37–4 BC). On the obverse is a cornucopea with a circular border of dots. On the left, the Greek letters BACIL (with the B indistinguishable) can be seen. On the right should be HPWD, but it was indistinguishable. With very little pottery, this Herodian coin helps date the fill placed in the entrance.
Taken together, all the evidence within and without the structure suggests to me it was originally carved as a family tomb, probably originally from the Hasmonean Period. It also appears that the Byzantines later blocked up the tomb’s khokim (burial niches inside tombs) with cemented stones and then plastered over the whole thing.
Hellenistic Cook Pots
Besides this work in the field, we also restored many of the 12 Hellenistic cooking pots found in 1998 and 1999. These vessels came from Trench 102, where they all were found sitting perfectly level at different depths, between 8 ft (2.40 m) and 11.5 ft (3.50 m). Sitting in fill, we still have no idea of their purpose or why they had been left deliberately in this fashion.
As to the future of Khirbet Nisya and our access to the site, we are uncertain. No dig is planned in 2001, so only time will tell. Because Khirbet Nisya is now associated with the adjacent Jewish settlement of Psagot, if the settlement stays in Jewish hands, the site should be safe and our future access secure. Since our excavation permit has come from the IAA, if the settlement is turned over to the Palestinian Authority, it will no doubt be complicated to gain access to the site in the future.
BSpade 14:1 (Winter 2001) p. 7