JEWISH WORLD

20 JEWISH WORLD • APRIL 12-18, 2024 Bar Kochba continued from page 13 among other things, he explains. At the Huqoq complex, the archaeolo- gists also found a pretty ring and a knife that smack of that period. But if the evidence seems to smack of anything, it’s planning. And terror. T he complex originated in a mikveh and public bath dating to the Second Temple period, say Shivtiel and his co-director at the exaction, Uri Berger of the Israel Antiquities Authority. It did? Apparently so. There had been a perfectly nice mikveh with stairs leading down, and bell- shaped water cisterns typical of the period. It was the community water facility in the Second Temple peri- od, says Shivtiel. But ahead of the war, likely an- ticipating a violent Roman reac- tion, it seems the Jews of Huqoq preferred survival to ritual purifica- tion. They and/or supporters of Bar Kochba converted the mikveh and cisterns into a giant hiding place, carving out tunnels and chambers in the bedrock, Berger describes. The complex is about 16 feet be- low the surface. The concealed en- trance was via the ex-mikveh. “They destroyed the public water system,” Berger says. “But the cham- bers were equipped to enable the peo- ple to stay there for long periods of time. They brought down lamps, cook pots and other things.” The archaeolo- gists found no less than hundreds of broken dishes from clay and glass. Furthermore, at least the tunnels were dug with 90-degree angles along their length, which would have been horribly inconvenient for the heavily armed Roman soldiers, the team adds. Does all this finally prove the Jewish-Roman battle did spill into the Galilee from Judea? It does not, Shivtiel stresses for the sake of con- servatism and caution. It may indi- cate that the Jews of Huqoq thought there was a chance the legions could arrive at their doorstep and tried to prepare for that evil day by carving out the caverns, and equipping it with essentials. But from his research into hiding places in Roman Judea and the Gali- lee, he suspects that the war may have spread. The evidence is accruing. “As Uri Berger said, they decid- ed to forgo the water storage and mikveh. They were so stressed that they preferred mamadim – shel- ters,” Shivtiel says. So what have we? Not proof that the Galilee became embroiled in the howl- ing hostilities between Judea’s Jews and the Romans, but evidence that they certainly did prepare for that eventuali- ty. Huqoq is but one of at least 16 hid- ing complexes in the Galilee; most or all seem to have been used intensively during the Great Revolt of 64, Shivtiel and others have shown. They would apparently become necessary again, during this last great rebellion against Rome. Earlier this month archaeologists found a rare coin from the time of the Bar Kochba revolt, which had appar- ently rolled out of a cave in the Ju- dean Desert where other rebels had been hiding. The coin was rare main- ly for bearing the name “Eleazer the Priest” and the date: 132 C.E. and the optimistic inscription “Year 1 of the redemption of Israel.” But the rebellion did not go well, whether the Jewish Galileans active- ly fought against Rome or not. The Bar Kochba revolt would be cruelly crushed and that would be the end of Jewish resistance to Rome. Berger expressed his apprecia- tion for the hundreds of volunteers sharing in the excavation effort, in- cluding local children and families, soldiers and students. Debbie Schuster is the science editor at ‘Haaretz.’ Prof. Yinon Shivtiel at the entrance of a cave in the Huqoq complex, which extends some 16 feet below ground. A bronze ring discovered at the site. Archaeologists can count more than 80 caves – 16 associated with the Bar Kochba revolt - where Jews hid from the Roman legions. Instead of working with Blakeman to alleviate concerns people may have, DeRiggi-Whiton engages in baseless fear mongering. Not surprisingly, her raising objectives to Blakeman’s pro- posal by invoking Nazi bullies who committed their atrocities 90 years initiative in Nassau County is not only almost comically absurd but an insult to the memory of those who suffered under Nazi tyranny. Blakeman’s proposal to supple- ment law enforcement and volun- teer efforts during emergencies is not intended to create a militia pop- ulated by brutes but by ordinary citizens who will undergo rigor- ous training and scrutiny to ensure that they are genuinely helpful and mindful of the needs of people im- pacted by disasters. In Blakeman’s plan, they would be held account- able by the authorities and subject to the same standards of conduct as law enforcement officers. Given that Blakeman is a Repub- lican, it’s the job of the Democrats to fight his proposals, regardless of how common-sense they may be. brownshirts?” Blakeman went on to describe some of the 80 people who have already signed up, including for- mer marines and NYPD officers. This is just the latest example of how quickly Democrats are willing to trivialize the Holocaust for political gain. We see it on a daily basis as Is- rael conducts its war against Hamas, with claims that the Jewish state is acting like Nazis even as they actively attempt to minimize civilian deaths. It’s despicable, and it must end. Good for Executive Blakeman for calling out this venom in Nassau County. Moshe Hill is a political analyst. His work can be found at www. aHillwithaView.com and on X @ HillWithView ago only served to inflame tensions and hinder constructive dialogue about effective emergency prepared- ness measures. Instead of resorting to hyperbole, critics of Blakeman’s proposal should engage in meaning- ful discussions about the practical implications of his idea. I n response to these baseless at- tacks, Bruce Blakeman, who is Jewish, went to the Holocaust Mu- seum in Glen Cove, which is in DeRiggi-Whiton’s district, and de- manded her resignation. “She has no right to be a public officer and a public servant in this county,” he said. Blakeman was accompanied by local rabbinic leaders and elect- ed Jewish representatives such as Presiding Officer Howard Koppel, Nassau legislator Mazi Pilip and Assemblyman Ari Brown. “Equating these men and women who would be willing to donate their time to protect our county,” Blakeman said at the press conference, “[with] Brownshirts guard Adolf Hitler. Brownshirts continued from page 4 Blakeman called on Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton to resign because of her offensive words.