Modi'in (ancient city)

[1] The remnants of the Hasmonean mausoleum, once linked to several sites now attributed to the Byzantine era, remain undiscovered, and its precise location still unknown.

[1][4][5] The first reference to Modi'in is found in the text of 1 Maccabees, a book likely written by a court historian during the reign of the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus (134–104 BC).

[1] Maximillian Kon's reconstruction suggests that the tomb was a rectangular structure built with ashlars, serving as a base for a second story consisting of seven towers surrounded by pilasters and crowned with pyramidal or conical tops.

Antiquities Book 13 provides an account of the Hasmonean royal monument that was apparently still extant during his time, although with some alterations and exclusions to the parallel passage in 1 Maccabees:[1] But Simon sent to the city of Basca and brought back the bones of his brother, which he buried in Modein, his birthplace, while all the people made great lamentation over him.

[1] On the Madaba map, commonly dated to the mid-6th century, Modiʽin appears situated on the border between the coastal plain and the Judaean Lowlands, along the route from Lod to Jerusalem, and between the towns of "Adiathim, now [H]aditha" and "Capher-uta (Ke[f]ar Ruta)".

The town, labeled with the inscription "Modiʽim (Μωδεειμ, Mōdeeim), now Moditha (Greek: Μωδιθα), whence came the Maccabees", is indicated with the customary symbol for a village on the map.

[1] Scholars propose that the ancient name Modi'in is preserved on both sides of Wadi Malakeh, situated north of modern Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, with the Arab village of al-Midya to the east and Khirbet Midieh to the west.

[1] In the 14th century, the Jewish traveller and geographer Ishtori Haparchi wrote that Modi'in was situated in a village near Jerusalem called Midʽa, probably the modern al-Midya.

[1] In the early 19th century, Rabbi Joseph Schwarz proposed that Modiʽin was situated at Mount Midan near Tzoba, drawing connections from the similarity of names and the fifteen-mile distance from Jerusalem mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud.

Forner theorized that this site housed the burial grounds of the Hasmonean family, citing phonetic resemblances in place names and the village's close proximity to Lod, reachable within a two-hour walk.

During his visit in 1870, Guérin engaged in conversations with village elders, who shared a local Arab tradition indicating that all remnants southwest of the stream—including Khirbet el-Hammam, Qubur al-Yahud, and Horbat HaGardi—were once part of a city known as El-Midya.

[21] Through recent studies a realization emerged that these sites of Sheikh el-Gharbawi and Qubur al-Yahud were adjacent to the remains of an ancient settlement encompassing an area of 8 hectares.

In 1995, a salvage excavation unveiled a Jewish rock-cut burial complex containing kokhim tombs and ossuaries inscribed with names in the square Hebrew and Greek scripts, dating from the late Second Temple Period to the Bar-Kochba war era.

[1]A salvage excavation led by Dalit Weinblatt and conducted in 1996-1997 at the center of the site, revealed signs of settlement activity tracing back to the Iron Age, with evidence of successive layers of occupation spanning the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and early Arab periods.

They noted that this site meets geographical criteria, preserves the ancient name, and revealed significant findings indicating village existence during both periods.

[1] The archaeological site of Khirbet Umm el-Umdan, situated in the southern outskirts of modern Modi'in, has also been proposed as a possible location for the ancient town.

The excavations unveiled a rural settlement featuring homes, burial sites, a synagogue and a ritual bath, dating from second century BC to the Bar Kochba war in 132 AD.

[23][24][25] However, the name, Arabic for "the mother of columns", is also present in other places within Israel, such as another site situated in the Jerusalem hills and one in the Judean Lowlands.

[26][27] While the hill has a commanding view of the surroundings, excavations have not yielded substantial evidence of a Second Temple Period settlement, and Hellenistic remains are uncommon.

Scholars like Zissu and Perry expressed reluctance in accepting this identification due to the lack of clear archaeological evidence and the absence of the ancient name's preservation.

Guided by a shepherd, they arrived at the Qubur el-Yahud tombs, where they lit Hanukkah candles, marking the start of a tradition of pilgrimage and candle-lighting at the site.

He reported his findings to the French consul and consulted with architect Moss, who affirmed the identification of the site based on its resemblance to historical accounts.

[1] Several modern-day Israeli localities, including the city of Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut, are named after ancient Modi'in, and are situated in the area where it is believed to have once stood.