Iconic Swiss knight daubed graffiti during Jerusalem trip
The von Bubenberg graffiti highlighted on a wall in St David's Tomb in Jerusalem.
Keystone / Abir Sultan
Some 15th Century graffiti, found in King David’s Tomb in Jerusalem, has been attributed to a Swiss knight famed for defending the town of Murten during the Burgundian wars.
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Arqueólogos descobrem “pichação” de cavaleiro suíço feita durante viagem a Jerusalém
The graffiti has been presented as evidence that Adrian von Bubenberg made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1466.
Archeologists found a charcoal inscription of the von Bubenberg coat of arms and an inscription when examining messages left by ancient travellers in King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion.
The Israel Antiquities Association (IAA) employed multispectral photography techniques to bring the faded old graffiti to life for the first time in centuries.
Researchers found around 40 examples of messages daubed on the walls of the historical site by Christian and Muslim pilgrims in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The von Bubenberg inscription was discovered at the entrance to the room that is believed to have been the location of Jesus’s Last Supper. This proves a link between Jerusalem and Switzerland during the medieval period, the IAA said.
Von Bubenberg is revered in Switzerland for defending the then young country’s independence in the face of attacks from Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.
As commander of the town of Murten, near to Bern, von Bubenberg successfully withstood a 12-day Burgundian siege just before the Battle of Murten, which was won by Swiss forces.
The modern Swiss capital, Bern, has a statue of von Bubenberg and several streets are still named after the famous noble.
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