Samuel Koltov

10/05/2024

A new article has been published on my substack, this one about the arch entrances to the Dome of the Rock plateau on the Haram al-Sharif, also known as al-Mawazin. These entrances are a crucial but also very over-looked part of the internal architectural arrangement of the Haram al-Sharif.

Read here a little more about this interesting architectural element of the Haram al-Sharif:

A closer look at al-Mawasin

06/05/2024

I have been talking a little about it previously but am now making it - a little - more official. I am working on a project where I will delve into the history of Palestine. Both in order to learn more about this amazing land myself and share the history, but also to challenge popular narratives and myths.

I hope that you all will follow along and participate in a continued dialogue.

An attempt at an explanation

21/04/2024

Entrance to the Metro in Tel Aviv on a random April's day.

05/04/2024

Studying Byzantine Palestine it is curious to consider how much influence the rabbis of the time actually had among the local Jews (which also goes for Jews outside Palestine). After all, the formative rabbinical texts, the two versions of the Talmud (Bavli and Yerushalmi) and other rabbinical literature didn't exist at this point.

Of course, there's the Mishnah and Tosefta, but were they universally accepted and acknowledged by late antiquity Jewry? We take almost for granted that this would be the case today, since those are central for the dominant denomination of Judaism today.

However, if we look at the synagogues of the time, at least those who survived, we often see that they didn't follow the restrictions and directions of the rabbis. Whether they were built facing the wrong direction, used prohibited iconography, allowed or didn't allow for certain rituals, either prohibited or required by the rabbis.

It's a really interesting period, not only because of the beforementioned, but also to see how the relationship between Jews and Christians evolved after Christianity came to power, and how that affected both contemporary Jewry and Judaism, as well as the development of Rabbinic Judaism.

14/03/2024

If you really love the land (of Israel/Palestine), then you love everything about it, all aspects. You accept the land in its fullness and totality. If you only love some parts and aspects of it, then you don't really love the land but an idea of a land you want to be.

05/03/2024

Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra)

If we are to accept UNESCO’s description of this iconic structure, then the Dome of the Rock is Jerusalem’s most recognizable landmark. There is reason to think so, particularly considering how predominantly the building is being displayed on everything from books on the history of Jerusalem or Islamic architecture to days about recent incidents in Jerusalem. Many people might even confuse the Dome of the Rock with the Aqsa Mosque, believing the former to be the origin of the Haram al-Sharif, which also is known as the Aqsa Compound.

The Dome of the Rock was built in the years 691-692 CE on the orders of Abd al-Malik, even if later Abbasid rulers were trying to take the credit for it (yes, I’m looking at you al-Ma’mun). The design is clearly inspired by Byzantine architecture and might have been based on the now destroyed Church of the Seat of Mary, found between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The Dome of the Rock was not meant to be a mosque, which can be seen from the lack of a qibla (prayer direction), but was built as a monument, though for what exactly is still discussed.

Contrary to the Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock stands more or less as it was built in the end of the seventh century, refusing to be destroyed by earthquakes, wars, or other otherwise destructive incidents. That said, the outer looks of the building have been changed a few times, most noteworthy of them being the change of the exterior decoration by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman I in the 16th century CE. Most recently the dome was refurbished based on a donation by King Hussein of Jordan, who donated the gold required for the refurbishment.

04/03/2024

Jâmi´ Al-Aqsa (also known as al-Musallâ al-Qiblî):

The Aqsa Mosque is one of two iconic structures constructed in the Haram al-Sharif. The mosque is also known as the Qibla mosque, referring to its placement at the southern end of the compound, acting as a qibla (prayer direction) for the whole compound.

While it is believed that the caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab built a smaller prayer house at the place or near to, where the mosque stands today, the present al-Aqsa mosque was built by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik or his son Al-Walid. However, the mosque went through a lot of changes through history, caused by repeated damages, most often by earthquakes, being built on an elevated platform that does not offer much stable support.

07/02/2024

A devout Christian praying at the Stone of Anointing in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.

06/02/2024

The Northern Church of Sobata.

These are the remains of the apse of the church, which was built in the fourth century CE. Originally it had a single apse but was later expanded to a triapsial design.

The church is one out of three churches in Sobata, this one being the largest of them, measuring 20*13 meters.

02/02/2024

Sobata (Hebrew: Shivta, Arabic: Subeita)

A Byzantine city found in the Negev.

In the photo we see the remnants of the open spaced mosque and the southern church in the background.

The city has been declared a UNESCO heritage site since 2005.

The earliest buildings point to an origin in the Roman era, but the city reached its largest during the Byzantine era. As is evident from the mosque, the city stayed inhabited during the first centuries of the Islamic era.

01/02/2024

Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism, but a lot of what we see presented as "anti-Zionism" today is antisemitism. How to differ? When people use "anti-Zionism" as an excuse to attack Jews or people they disagree with, rather than arguing against actual Zionism, then they're likely antisemites and not anti-Zionist. Also, if you try semantics, call it anti-Jewish racism instead, if the term "antisemitism" confuses you.

01/02/2024

Hot take, I know, but you can actually be anti-Zionist and not being opposed to Israel's existence. Obviously you would be against the political principles that led to the creation of the state of Israel, but in this context you could be focused on changing Israel to become a democratic secular state.