Mount Scopus

The Hebrew University campus and tower on Mount Scopus from the south

Mount Scopus (Hebrew הַר הַצּוֹפִים (Har HaTsofim), Arabic جبل المشارف Ǧabal al-Mašārif, lit. "Mount Lookout"), جبل المشهد Ǧabal al-Mašhad, جبل الصوانة) is a mountain (elevation: 2710 feet or 826 meters above sea level) in northeast Jerusalem. In the wake of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Mount Scopus became a UN protected Jewish exclave within Jordanian-occupied territory until the Six-Day War in 1967. Today, Mount Scopus lies within the municipal boundaries of the city of Jerusalem.

History

Antiquity

Overlooking Jerusalem, Mount Scopus has been strategically important as a base from which to attack the city since antiquity. A Roman Legion camped there in 66 AD.^[1] Again in 70 AD Mount Scopus was used as a base to carry out a siege of the city by the 12th, 15th and 5th Legions (the 10th legion's position being on the Mount of Olives).^[2] The Crusaders used it as a base in 1099.^{[citation needed]}

Modern era

The National Headquarters of the Israel Police in Kiryat Menachem Begin, adjacent to Mount Scopus

In 1948, as the British began letting go of their security responsibilities, the Jewish enclave on Mount Scopus became increasingly cut off from the main sections of Jewish Jerusalem. Access to hospital and university campus was through a narrow road, a mile and a half long, passing through the Arab neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.^[3] Arab sniper fire on vehicles moving along the access route became a regular occurrence, and road mines were laid. When food and supplies at the hospital begun to dwindle, a large convoy carrying doctors and supplies set out for the besieged hospital, leading to an attack that became known as the Hadassah medical convoy massacre.^[3] After the ceasefire agreement of November 30, 1948, which established the division of East and West Jerusalem, Israel controlled the western part of the city while Jordan controlled the east. Several demilitarized "no man's land" zones were established along the border, one of them Mount Scopus.^[4] Fortnightly convoys carrying supplies to the university and hospital located in the Israeli part of the demilitarized zone on Mount Scopus were periodically held up by Jordanian troops.^[5]

Article VIII of the 1949 Armistice Agreements signed by Israel and Jordan in April 1949^[6] called for a resumption of "the normal functioning of the cultural and humanitarian institutions on Mount Scopus and free access thereto; free access to the Holy Places and cultural institutions and use of the cemetery on the Mount of Olives; resumption of operation of the Latrun pumping station; provision of electricity for the Old City; and resumption of operation of the railroad to Jerusalem."^[6] In January 1958, Francis Urrutia, a representative of the UN Secretary-General, tried to persuade Jordan to abide by Article VIII, but without success.^[5] In May 1958, Jordanian soldiers fired on Israeli patrols, killing a UN officer and four Israeli policemen. Ralph Bunche, assistant to UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld visited Jerusalem and Amman to find a solution, followed by Hammarskjöld himself, again unsuccessfully.^[5] The Mount Scopus Agreement signed on July 7, 1948 regulated the demilitarised zone around Mount Scopus and authorized the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization to settle disputes between the Israelis and Jordanians.

Two Jewish-owned plots in al-Issawiya, known as Gan Shlomit or Salomons Garden, were purchased by Mrs. V.F. Salomons in 1934 and sold to the Gan Shlomit Company, Ltd. in 1937.^[7] This land was surrounded by a fence, but clashes erupted when Arabs living on the other side of the fence sought to cultivate land, pick olives and carry out repairs on homes close to the fence. The Arabs were requested not to work closer than fifty metres from the fence unless prior permission was granted by the Israeli police.^[7] There were two versions of the demilitarization agreement: one was initialed by Franklyn M. Begley, a UN official; the local Jordanian commander; and the Israeli local commander; while the other was not initialed by the Israeli local commander. Having two versions of the map was the cause of many incidents within the Mount Scopus area.^[7]

Landmarks

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Hebrew University inauguration ceremony, 1917

Hadassah nursing school under construction, c. 1934

Construction of the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University began in 1918 on land purchased from the Gray Hill estate. The dedication ceremony was held in 1925 in the presence of many dignitaries.^[8] A design for the university campus by Sir Patrick Geddes positioned the university buildings on the slopes of the mount, below a domed, hexagonal Great Hall recalling the Star of David, as a counterpoint to the octagonal Dome of the Rock in the Old City.^[9] This plan was never implemented, but Geddes designed the university Library, today the Hebrew University Faculty of Law on Mount Scopus.^[9]

By 1947, the university was a solid research and teaching institution with humanities, science, medicine, education and agriculture departments (in Rehovot), a national library, a university press and an adult education center. The university had a student population of over 1,000 and 200 faculty members.^[8]

Botanical Garden

The Hebrew University Botanical Garden on Mount Scopus was founded by botanist Alexander Eig in 1931. This garden contains one of the largest collections of Israeli uncultivated plants. This was the first home of Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo.^[10] A cave in the garden has been identified as the Tomb of Nicanor of Alexandria, who donated one of the gates of Herod's Temple.^[11]

Nicanor Cave

Nicanor Cave Is a ancient burial cave located down the western side of Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, which was discovered ossuary refers to "Nicanor Doors maker". The cave is included now in the Hebrew University campus. Initiates the upload was Menachem Ussishkin, who wanted to establish as a national pantheon cave.

Jerusalem British War Cemetery

ariel view of the Jerusalem British War Cemetery on mount scopus

British cemetery in Jerusalem (Jerusalem War Cemetery) is a military cemetery for fallen soldiers of British Empire in the first World War in Israel. The cemetery is located on Mt.

2515 were buried in the cemetery falllen soldiers, of 2449 war dead, including 2218 British casualties. Total, 100 fallen soldiers were not identified.

Another was placed in the cemetery a memorial to unknown soldiers 3300 burial place in Israel were killed and Egypt. All in all, immortalized in the military cemetery in Jerusalem, 5815 Spatial memory of the First World War. No casualties were killed in the cemetery after the war.

Hadassah Hospital

In 1939, the Hadassah Women's Organization opened a teaching hospital on Mount Scopus^[12] in a building designed by architect Erich Mendelsohn. In 1948, when the Jordanians occupied East Jerusalem and blockaded the road to Mount Scopus, the hospital could no longer function.^[12] In 1960, after running clinics in various locations, the organization opened a medical center on the other side of the city, in Jerusalem's Ein Karem neighborhood.^[12] On April 13, 1948, a civilian convoy bringing medical supplies and personnel to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus was attacked by Arab forces. 78 Jews, mainly doctors and nurses, were killed in the ambush.^[13]

Kiryat Menachem Begin

Kiryat Menachem Begin, named after former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and also known as Kiryat HaMemshala, is a complex of government buildings in East Jerusalem located between Sheikh Jarrah in the north, adjacent to Mount Scopus in the east and Ammunition Hill in the west. It serves as home to several government offices, along with the main government complex in Givat Ram. It also includes the National Headquarters of the Israel Police.

Brigham Young University

The construction of the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center, owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Mount Scopus initially sparked controversy due to concerns that the Mormons would engage in missionary activities. After the Mormons pledged not to proselytize in Israel, work on the building was allowed to proceed. The Mormon University, as it is commonly known, commands a panoramic view of Jerusalem and has won awards for its stunning architecture.^[14]

Planned monument to the 6,000,000

Less than four months after Germany surrendered, in September 1945, Eliahu Dobkin of the Jewish Agency, announced a monument would be built on the summit of Mount Scopus, "... to commemorate the Jews who died. It would bear the names of all 6,000,000, including the soldiers, partisans, and ghetto fighters."^[15]

See also

• Nicanor Cave
• Augusta Victoria Hospital
• Kiryat Menachem Begin
• Jerusalem British War Cemetery

References

1. ^ Rome and Jerusalem; The Clash of Ancient Civilizations. Martin Goodman p.13
2. ^ "The Jewish Wars" Josephus v 81 and 82
3. ^ ^{a b} Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, O Jerusalem!, 1972, pp.284-285, Simon & Schuster, New York ISBN 0-671-66241-4.
4. ^ Mideastweb.org
5. ^ ^{a b c} Encyclopedia Judaica, "Jerusalem," vol. 9, pp. 1497, Keter, Jerusalem, 1978
6. ^ ^{a b} UN Doc S/1302/Rev.1 of April 3, 1949 Hashemite Jordanian Kingdom Israel Armistice Agreement
7. ^ ^{a b c} Unispal.un.orgUnispal.un.org Report of the Firing Incident of May 26, 1958 on Mount Scopus UN Doc S/4030 17 June 1958
8. ^ ^{a b} The Hebrew University of Jerusalem - History
9. ^ ^{a b} Hadassah Magazine
10. ^ More than just Mount Scopus - Israel Travel, Ynetnews
11. ^ Haaretz Man bites history By Tom Segev
12. ^ ^{a b c} NY Times
13. ^ Hadassah Convoy Massacre
14. ^ Jerusalem - Beyond the Old City Walls
15. ^ The Evening Post (New Zealand) - September 6, 1945, page 1: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2642795?searchTerm=%22six%20million%20Jews%22&searchLimits=l-textSearchScope=*ignore*%7C*ignore*%7C%7C%7Cl-word=*ignore*%7C*ignore*

External links

• Mount Scopus - The Hebrew University
• Mount Scopus - The Brigham Young University
• Jerusalem Photos Portal - Mount Scopus

Coordinates: 31°47′33″N 35°14′39″E / 31.7925°N 35.24417°E / 31.7925; 35.24417