On Monday, March 3 at 8:00 PM, we will host, at the premises of Beit Tarbout Tsavta*, in collaboration with La Paix Maintenant, Marius Schattner and Frédérique Schillo, who are publishing “Sous tes pierres, Jérusalem” (Beneath Your Stones, Jerusalem) with Plon Editions.
Since its inception 150 years ago, archaeology in the Holy Land has always been closely linked—directly or indirectly—to ideology. Initially, excavations were not only inspired by the Bible but also intended to prove its historical accuracy, at a time when scientific discoveries were beginning to challenge it. Not to mention the involvement of major powers that used religion as a tool of influence.
To this day, archaeology is still too often used to glorify a mythologized past, to assert supposed historical precedence over a disputed land while erasing the Other’s past. And yet, the various archaeological schools that have succeeded one another in the Holy Land—French, British, American, Israeli—have achieved remarkable results. This makes it impossible to reduce archaeology in Jerusalem and the Holy Land to a mere political or religious tool.
The relationship between faith and science, myth and history, imagination and reason is far more complex. It is precisely this tangled web that is unraveled here, through a historical lens, by recounting the major explorations and extraordinary quests that Jerusalem has inspired: scientific discoveries, spectacular forgeries, heated debates, and enduring mysteries hidden beneath its stones.
Marius Schattner and Frédérique Schillo will present the findings of their research on the ways biblical archaeology has been used as a battleground for identity competition—among the three monotheistic religions and the two nationalist movements vying for this land that is, perhaps, too holy.
About the speakers:
- Marius Schattner is a journalist specializing in Israeli politics. He has been the AFP correspondent in Jerusalem for over 20 years, after beginning his career at Libération (1979–1981). He has authored several books, including “Israël, l’autre conflit : Laïcs contre religieux” (Israel, the Other Conflict: Secular vs. Religious) published by André Versaille in 2008.
- Frédérique Schillo is a historian and expert on Israel. Her doctoral thesis, “French Policy Toward Israel, 1946–1959”, was defended at Sciences Po and awarded the Jean-Baptiste Duroselle Prize for best dissertation in international relations in 2009. It was published by André Versaille in 2012. She is currently a research associate at the French Research Center in Jerusalem (CNRS-MAEE).
Together, they previously published “La guerre du Kippour n’aura pas lieu” (The Yom Kippur War Will Not Take Place), originally released by André Versaille and reissued by Archipoche in 2023.
To attend the meeting, please register on the French website by clicking HERE.
*Location: 10 rue Saint-Claude, 75003 Paris (Metro: Saint-Sébastien-Froissart).
