Ancient Arabic inscription found in Jerusalem
エルサレムから1100年以上昔のアラビア語の銘が入った塊が見つかったというニュースです。エルサレムを支配していたムスリム時代の頃で、カリフal-Muqtadirに領土保証の感謝の意を示したものだとか。
なんか興味深いですね。そういやあ～10世紀前後のバグダッドってまさに世界の中心みたいな状況で、東西の貿易路に連なり、世界中の人々が行き交い、人口も物凄かったようですね。
まさにバクダッドの栄光の日々だったわけですが、それが今のあの状況とは・・・。別に米軍だけが全ての責任を負うべきとは思いませんが、心ある人達には、いたたまれないものがあるでしょうね。
口先でしか語れない私などが言うべきではないかもしれませんが、なんか納得いきません・・・。
宗教が異なっても、平和に生きていくことは可能だと思うし、歴史上、何度もそれが実現したことはあったのですけどね・・・。
まあ、永続することは難しいのでしょうが、小康状態であっても平和になって欲しいものです。本当に。
ただ、個人的には、こういうニュースを読むと、その銘に何か隠された秘密とかないのかなあ～と思ってしまう浅ましい好奇心が湧いてしまいます♪
【msnbcより以下転載】
JERUSALEM - A home renovation in Jerusalem's Old City has yielded a rare Arabic inscription offering insight into the city's history under Muslim rule, Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday.
The fragment of a 1,100-year-old plaque is thought to have been made by an army veteran to express his thanks for a land grant from the Caliph al-Muqtadir, whom the inscription calls "Emir of the Faithful."
Dating from a time when Jerusalem was ruled from Baghdad by the Abbasid empire, the plaque shows how rulers rewarded their troops and ensured their loyalty, archaeologists said.
The Abbasids conquered Jerusalem after numerous wars with the Fatimid empire in Egypt. The Abbasid caliphs valued Jerusalem as an Islamic holy site.
"The caliph probably granted estates as part of his effort to strengthen his hold over the territories within his control, including Jerusalem, just as other rulers did in different periods," said excavation director Annette Nagar.
The white marble plaque measures four inches by four inches and was found approximately 5 feet beneath the floor of a home in the Old City's Jewish Quarter.
The house's owner planned a renovation and ― as required by law ― brought archaeologists to carry out a salvage dig meant to prevent harm to valuable antiquities. The plaque has been removed from the site and is now in the hands of Israel's Antiquities Authority.
The writing was deciphered by Hebrew University professor Moshe Sharon, who traced it to 910, during the early part of al-Muqtadir's 24-year rule.
The finding will help scholars better understand 10th-century Jerusalem, populated by Muslims, Christians and Jews, and the methods used by Muslim rulers to solidify their control.
