19th Century Paintings of Jerusalem Found in the Ottoman Imperial Archives

19th Century Paintings of Jerusalem Found in the Ottoman Imperial Archives Posted: 05 Sep 2016 10:42 PM PDT We pay tribute again to archivists and librarians who digitize their historical treasures. Pictures of these two paintings were found in the Ottoman Archives. The first painting is by German artist Johann Martin Bernatz (1802-1878) who traveled in the Holy Land in 1836. Jews Praying at the Wailing Wall by Johann Martin Bernatz. The Ottoman Archives provided a date of 1868. (Author's digital photograph collection) The second painting is by another German artist, Gustav Bauernfeind (1848-1904).  Jews Praying at the Wailing Wall by Gustav Bauernfeind. The Ottoman Archives provides a date of 1888. (Author's digital photograph collection) Bauernfeind moved to Jerusalem in 1898. He is buried in the German Templar Cemetery in Jerusalem. In 2007, his oil painting of the Wailing Wall sold for 4.5 million Euros at Sotheby. Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta) Jordan River Water Was Shipped to the U.S. in 1906 and May Have Flushed an Anti-Semitic U.S. Diplomat Out of His Job Posted: 06 Sep 2016 01:06 PM PDT The International River Jordan Water Company was launched by Col. Clifford E. Naudaud of Covington, Kentucky, in 1906.  He secured "the sole right of shipping the water of the Jordan River from the banks of the stream in Palestine to all parts of the world for baptismal and other purposes," according to a Kentucky newspaper, The Bee, published in Earlington, KY.  The water was "shipped in casks bearing the seals of the Turkish Government and the American Consul," according toThe Bee. "The water will be bottled in the United States in bonded warehouses." The American Consul granting his seal for the commercial venture may have cost the veteran diplomat his job. His departure was a blessing for the Jews of Palestine. The Consul-General was undoubtedly the nastiest anti-Semite to ever hold that post. Details on the U.S. diplomat and his legacy in the American foreign service are discussed in the forthcoming book, American Interests in the Holy Land Revealed in Early Photographs.  Order it here now. Who Was the 19th Century American Preacher Mendenhall John Dennis? Actually, He Was a Jerusalem Watchmaker Named Mendel Deniss, Jerusalem's First Photographer Posted: 02 Sep 2016 07:18 AM PDT Mendenhall John Dennis in the center surrounded by his family in 1885. After 1860 he lived in Ohio, Massachusetts and Washington. Before 1860 he was Mendel Diness of Jerusalem  (With permission of Special Collections, Fine Arts Library, Harvard University) In 1988, John Barnier visited a garage sale in St. Paul, Minnesota.  There he found and purchased eight boxes of old photographic glass plates.  Fortunately, Barnier is an expert in the history of photographic printing. He had little idea that he had uncovered a historic treasure. Later, he viewed the plates and saw that they included old pictures of Jerusalem.  He contacted the Harvard Semitic Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, known for its large collection of old photographs from the Middle East. On some of the plates they found the initials MJD. Until then the name Mendel Diness was barely known by scholars.  It was assumed that with the exception of one or two photos his collection .... Thank you for your interest in Mendel Diness. The full article is available in the forthcoming book.  Order it now here. Sift Through the Storied History of Ancient Israel Discover Israel’s most fascinating sites with our FREE eBook Israel. The very name means different things to different people. It is a geographic place: the ancient land of the Israelites as well as a modern Mediterranean nation. It is a people: practitioners of Judaism who see themselves as descended from Biblical Jacob. It is a hot-button political topic, a homeland, a vacation destination and—perhaps most significantly—it is the place where three of the world’s major religions converge, creating a palimpsest of history that is one of the richest and most complex in the world. Our FREE eBook Israel: An Archaeological Journey examines key archaeological sites from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament eras in Israel. Archaeological discoveries shed light on places of sorrow and joy, from Roman prisons to seaside entertainment districts. Explore the religion and history of ancient Israel from the Babylonian destruction through the New Testament era in this collection of articles from Biblical Archaeology Review. Israel: An Archaeological Journeyprovides a close look at life and religion at the heart of the Holy Land. We are delighted to offer you this journey into archaeology, Israel and the Biblical world. Download Israel: An Archaeological Journey today » E6C902