Tel Yavne

Tel Yavne, a large archeological site overlooking a broad expanse, contains the stratified remains of 4000 years of continuous human settlement. Just west of the city of Yavne, some 25 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, the site has hardly ever been excavated and stands neglected and desolate. According to historical tradition, Yavne became a religious and spiritual center in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E. and the subsequent relocation of the moderate Jewish leadership.

Each night, a single floodlight illuminates the ruins of a minaret built by the Mamelukes in 1333 next to the large Crusader church that was converted into a mosque. The mosque was destroyed by the Israeli army in 1950, leaving only the minaret standing.

The two images of the ruins from summer 2012 are separated by one minute: the first captures the last minute of night, before the floodlight is switched off, while the second image shows the minute of morning that comes after. The second diptych was taken in the winter of the same year, when a fresh layer of weeds covers the ruins.