12th August 1999
To: Prof. Yair Parag
The Society for Preservation of Sites & Scenery in Modi'in
205 Maccabim
Dear Professor Parag,
I want to thank you and Mrs Ofra Orbach of your society for bringing to my attention the plans to construct a highway (no.45)
which would pass through the Gardi ruins that are adjacent to the 'graves of the Maccabees' and the city of Modi'in.
Some years ago I researched a little into the area, looking for sites connected to the Hasmonean family and found for the first time
this important site.
From our tour it became clear to me that the Gardi ruins are not confined only to the adjoining area of the grave of sheikh Arbawi,
but that it is a larger site studded with ancient walls, the building stones, some of which are extremely large of varied
stonecutting, etc.
I got the impression from a short tour that here are buried remains in an area the size of a village.
It is quite possible that the ossuary graves that were recently discovered with the widening of the Modi'in road belong to this site.
Two archaeological questions can be asked about this site. Briefly: Whether the excavations of 1873/4 done by Victor Girenne on
one hand & Charles Clermont-Ganneau on the other near the Sheikh's grave indicated that here are the graves of the Maccabees
(The graves are mentioned in historic sources, not those by the road that I noted above in quotation
marks) It would be necessary to clarify the type in an archaeological dig.
A more important type of question in my opinion is that of identification of Modi'in, the birthplace of the Maccabees, which has
not yet been solved.
It is very possible that this village (Modi'in was no more than a village) was situated here. It would be very stupid indeed of the
state authorities to give the go-ahead for the road to pass through a site where there is every chance that it may be Modi'im
village in which the first buds of an independent Jewish State sprouted long before our present State of Israel.
The shame will be on us if it becomes apparent during development work that an ancient village dating back to 2nd Temple
period has been damaged. This site must be excavated & investigated. In any case no road should run through an
archaeological site. I will support your struggle to prevent this evil decree of a road.
I will be happy to assist with archaeological advice also in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Ronny Reich,
Archaeologist