"Castle of the Slave" -- Mystery Solved [ Jordan ]

Biblical Archaeology Review ^ | May/Jun 2012 | Stephen Rosenberg

[SunkenCiv]

One of the most dramatic archaeological monuments in Jordan -- an admittedly Jewish one -- has been repeatedly misidentified. French historian Ernest Will called it the "Finest Hellenistic monument in the Near East" and considered it a chateau. The structure is known locally as Qasr al-Abd, or "Castle of the Slave (or Servant)." It is part of a 75-acre estate called Airaq al-Amir (also spelled 'Iraq el-Emir), lying 12 miles southwest of the Jordanian capital, Amman.

The site was entered via a monumental gateway, much of which remains in a ruined state and hidden by undergrowth. The glory of the site, however, is Qasr al-Abd, a monumental ruin destroyed by several earthquakes and partially restored by a French team between 1976 and 1986. The structure is 124 feet long and 62 feet wide (72 by 36 royal or Egyptian cubits), making it exactly twice as long as it is wide, an "ideal" plan that has led researchers to regard it as a building of some special importance.

[SunkenCiv]

[Erich Lessing]

---

The Castle of the Slave is perched on a small hill in the Wadi as-Seer valley in Jordan. This second-century B.C.E. Hellenistic-style monument was the centerpiece of a large estate owned by the Tobiad family of Judea. The elegantly designed and elaborately decorated building known today as Qasr al-Abd was commissioned by Hyrcanus, the last of the Tobiads, who, according to Josephus, fled to the family estate after killing two of his brothers during a quarrel. But why did Hyrcanus build the monument? Was it really his palace? Was it meant to be an alternative to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem? Or was it something else? [Erich Lessing]

[SunkenCiv]

Possibly of interest.

[SunkenCiv]

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[TheConservativeParty]

Yes, very interesting!

Thanks for posting.

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure. The French did a nice restoration job.

[Spunky]

"Or was it something else?"

I hate it when a Freeper puts up an article that really peeks our interest and then when you go to the link you find you have to subscribe to find out the rest of the story.

Can you please tell us what the mystery is?

[Honorary Serb]

Thanks to the paywall, I can’t read most of this article, especially the part that claims that this is a “Jewish site”.

However, here’s some more info, from freely available sites:

http://www.select.jo/Amman-iraq-il-amir.shtm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasr_al_Abd

This was the palace and temple of the Tobiah family, descended from the Ammonite Tobiah who had opposed the building of the Second Temple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobiah_(Ammonite)

I wouldn’t call it a “Jewish site”.

[Spunky]

"I wouldn't call it a Jewish Site."

Quote from article: "One of the most dramatic archaeological monuments in Jordan -- an admittedly Jewish one -- has been repeatedly misidentified.

Since we are not able (which I hate) to read the rest of the article how do we know that those sites you posted aren't the misidentified claims?

[edwinland]

the only mystery here is why you posted an article saying “mystery solved” when the solution requires a pay subscription. Are you trying to raise money for that website? or you are totally unaffiliated with that website but you think we just wanted to know that the supposed “mystery” was solved?

[UCANSEE2]

I think that’s a picture of a J-Mart.

[SunkenCiv]

I think I subscribe (it comes only once every two months), but I’ve never logged on to the electronic version, so I don’t know what the mystery is. But thanks for the vanity reply.

[SunkenCiv]

I really only posted it to get under your too-thin skin.

[SunkenCiv]

• Was Qasr al-Abd Modeled After the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus?
  Exploring the estate of the Tobiads at 'Iraq al Amir in Jordan
  Biblical Archaeology Society Staff
  4/20/2012

  "Archaeologist and architect Stephen Rosenberg believes the ruin was built to be the burial monument of the Tobiads..."

[SunkenCiv]

Gotta have something like that when ya live in a desert. ;’)

[Spunky]

Thank you for posting more information. I had Googled to try to find more information but didn’t come up with anything.

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure.

[SunkenCiv]

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d6e2119a45b7900018f915c/1593270825298-PMAT7CBA2JMO2YMB2JRI/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kMqbvQy7mZjF_bKudt-zWmdZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpytZdQ_cQdkQ71VjnomkqsBISDeBR7nHZLwBbau4gqGwrP6eRNpvhGoOpnVqP5h_KM/palace-of-the-servant.jpg

[SunkenCiv]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasr_al-Abd

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Qasr_Al-Abd%2C_Hellenistic_palace_dating_from_approximately_200_BC%2C_Jordan_%2825414131268%29.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Iraq_al-Amir_%28Castle_Interior%29.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasr_al-Abd#/media/File:Claude_Conder_-_Arak_el_Emir_%E2%80%93_Cave_no._13_-1.jpg

Was Qasr al-Abd Modeled After the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus?
Exploring the estate of the Tobiads at ‘Iraq al Amir in Jordan
Biblical Archaeology Society Staff
April 20, 2012
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/was-qasr-al-abd-modeled-after-the-mausoleum-at-halicarnassus/?mqsc=E3113900