In 2009, archaeologists in Tiberias discovered a large basalt door with a seven-branched menorah carved into it. Although the style of the door and the carving were typical of Jewish tombs built between the 2nd and 4th centuries CE, the carving became part of a staircase in a complex built much later by Crusaders. Now the archaeologists have a theory of how it got there, writes Amanda Borschel-Dan:

Following the Muslim conquest in 635 CE, [Tiberias] became a seat for the early caliphate. It was during this period, said the excavation’s leader Katya Tzitrin Silverman, that the menorah door was reused as the base of a mosque, which was built on an earlier mosque. . . . [I]t is clear that the use of this door by the Muslims in building a mosque was highly intentional. The mosque, she said, also contained reused pagan and Christian pillars, which were put on display as corner pieces.

These materials taken for intentional secondary use are called “spolia.” . . . They are trophies, a way of clearly stating, “We’re building our structure on the backs of those who came before us,” [Silverman] said. “There is an expression of victory and inheritance” in their use, she said.

Interestingly . . . there was a church located next to the mosque which used the spolia. According to an inscription found at the church’s nave, it was still in use until at least the 10th century.

The mosque that was built upon the menorah was destroyed in an earthquake in 1068. Subsequently, its building materials were reused by the Crusaders and so the menorah became the decoration for a staircase in a room in a sugar factory.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.