Dear Steve,
http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3591990,00.html
news link about jewish city excavated in russia
Al
MYREPLY
Dear Al,
Thanks for sending this link about the probable discovery of an ancient Khazar city. Since the location of the Khazar capital and other major cities has admittedly been a mystery for some time, I’ll reserve comment about this particular site until more substantive things have been found or identified at this particular archaeological site. This site may prove to be the ruins of the Khazar city of Itil or it could be another major Khazar city. One Khazar fortress city was called “Sar-kel or the White Abode” (according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1943 Ed., Vol. 13, p. 363). Sarkel was a massive stone fortress city built by the Khazars and their allies, the Byzantines. The Khazar Empire was very sizable at one time, so it doubtless had many major cities at its height. There are conflicting accounts about the Khazars, but there is a consensus that they allowed religious freedom (perpetuating a Parthian tradition). Some accounts regard them as a Turkic people while others regard them as Caucasians. The Britannica entry cited above refers to the Khazars as being part of “the white race of the steppe.”
Steve
