Photos from excavations conducted at an ancient tomb in Israel that is purported to be the resting place of a midwife present at the birth of Jesus have been revealed, providing a fascinating glimpse into what is considered one of the most impressive burial caves in the country.
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) released the images following archaeological work that has yielded new insights into the 2,000-year-old-cave, said to be the burial place of Salome, who according to some Christian traditions assisted in the birth of Jesus.
The mysterious figure of Salome appears in the Gospel of James, in which she is described as an associate of the unnamed midwife present at the Nativity of Jesus. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity Salome is often depicted alongside the unnamed midwife, but she rarely appears in the iconography of Western Christianity.
The Gospel of James—written in the second-century—tells the story of the Virgin Mary's miraculous conception and the events leading up to the birth of Jesus, as well as the immediate aftermath.
Also known as the Protoevangelium of James, the second-century work is one of several early Christian writings known as the apocryphal gospels, which do not appear in the Bible and is one of the "infancy gospels"—writings that provide details about the early life of Jesus.
In the Gospel of James, Salome—said to be from Bethlehem—is asked to help deliver the baby of a virgin, but she does not believe this is possible.
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In the gospel story, Salome arrives too late to help Mary—the child has already been born. She indicates that she will not believe Mary gave birth as a virgin until she examines her herself. But when she attempts to do so, stretching out her arm, she is stricken and her hand bursts into flame, withering away, according to one version.
"Woe unto mine iniquity and mine unbelief, because I have tempted the living God, and lo, my hand falleth away from me in fire," a translation of a passage from the gospel reads.
An angel advises Salome to approach the child and she is miraculously cured, proclaiming him to be a "great king."
"Salome came near [Jesus] and took him up, saying: I will do him worship, for a great king is born unto Israel. And behold immediately Salome was healed," the gospel reads.
The purported tomb of Salome, which is located around 22 miles southwest of Bethlehem in the Tel Lachish national park, was first discovered by grave robbers in 1982 and subsequently excavated later in the 1980s.
The cave was first identified as the burial site of Salome by local Christians in the Byzantine era and eventually became a site of pilgrimage. It contains dozens of inscriptions written in Greek, Syriac and Arabic, some of which are dedicated to Salome. The cave is now being prepared for public access.
Archaeological work conducted ahead of this public opening has uncovered an elaborate 350-square-meter (roughly 3,750 square feet) forecourt at the cave, complete with intricate stone carvings and mosaic floors, the IAA said in a statement. The findings indicate that the cave, which contains several chambers, belonged to a wealthy Jewish family.
Archaeologists also found several inscriptions—some of which are in Arabic—as well as a row of shop stalls in the courtyard alongside hundreds of decorated oil lamps dating from the 8th–9th centuries. The lamps, many of which are broken, may have been used in religious ceremonies at the cave, the IAA said.
"We found dozens of these lamps covered with carvings of pomegranates and intricate geometric designs," IAA archaeologist Zvi Firer told the Times of Israel.
"We believe that pilgrims would come here, rent an oil lamp, perform their prayers inside, and go on their way," he said.
After serving as a burial site for the wealthy Jewish family, the cave was adapted as a Christian holy site in the Byzantine era and was still attracting worshippers in the early Islamic period.
The latest findings provide more evidence that the cave was an important pilgrimage site for Christians all the way through to the ninth century, despite the Muslim conquest of the region.
Newsweek has contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority for comment.
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