Recent Archaeological Finds

[Shammu]

Legend places biblical Eve in Saudi Arabia graveyard

By DONNA ABU-NASR
The Associated Press

September 13, 2008 at 7:13 a.m.

Saudi Arabia - On a sweltering August morning, a small group of Iranians crowded outside the green metal door of a cemetery. They wanted to go in to look at the remains of one particular tomb: the tomb of biblical Eve.

Like hundreds of Muslims who visit Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage in nearby Mecca, the Iranians had heard the legend that Eve was buried in that spot. The two blue signs inscribed with "The Graveyard of our mother Eve" flanking the cemetery entrance appeared to add credibility to a story passed on by generations of Saudis but never scientifically proven.

"We hear this is the tomb of Eve," said Minoo Ghadimkhani, 45. "That is why we want to go in."

There is no archaeological evidence old enough to authenticate the story of Eve's burial in Jiddah, according to many Bible experts. But that hasn't kept the legend from persisting.

Some say that the city's name, when pronounced as "Jaddah" - an Arabic word that means grandmother - is a reference to Eve. No one really knows how the story originated, and many in this Red Sea port city dismiss it as a myth.

"It's a legend, but it is one mentioned by many scholars," said Sami Nawar, general director for culture and tourism. Nawar, an expert on the history of old Jiddah, likes to lace a bit of the legend into his presentations on the city to visiting foreign dignitaries and journalists.

"Jiddah is the most feminine city in the whole world because it has Eve," Nawar says.

The Quran, Islam's holy book, talks about Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise after eating from the fruit of the forbidden tree. It does not say where they appeared on earth.

But Arab tradition puts Adam in the holy city of Mecca, which is 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of Jiddah, where God ordered him to build the Kaaba, the sacred stone structure that Muslims face during their five daily prayers, according to Nawar.

God then told Adam to go to a hill in Mecca to repent for his sins, said Nawar. After he repented, God sent him Eve, and the hill became known as Mount Arafat, from the Arabic word that means to know, he added. That story places Eve, Hawwa in Arabic, in the vicinity of Jiddah, which is the entry point for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. It could explain how the legend of her burial began.

Arab and Western historians and travelers have described a tomb outside the walls of old Jiddah that they referred to as Eve's Graveyard.

Historian Hatoon al-Fassi said 9th century Mecca historian al-Fakihi reported that two of Prophet Muhammad's companions, Ibn Abbas and Ibn Massoud, mentioned Eve's tomb. The prophet died in 623.

Writing about Jiddah in his "Travels," Ibn Jubayr, a 12th century geographer, traveler and poet, born in Valencia, then the seat of an Arab emirate, says that "in it is a place having an ancient and lofty dome, which is said to have been the lodging place of Eve, the mother of mankind, God's blessing upon her when on her way to (Mecca)." The passage was quoted by the Arab News, a Saudi paper.

The tomb no longer exists. And it's not clear how it was destroyed. Those who have been inside the cemetery say that in its place is a row of unmarked tombs, and there's nothing to indicate the tomb had been there. (The Wahhabi strain of Islam bans the marking of tombs, and women in the Saudi kingdom are barred from entering cemeteries.)

William Dever, a professor emeritus of Near Eastern studies at the University of Arizona and a prominent U.S. archaeologist, said there just isn't any archaeological evidence going back far enough to back up the claims.

"The problem is that these are all legends, these are all myths and we can't date them," said Dever, who specializes in the history of Israel and Near East in biblical times. "My guess is the story could go back two or three thousand years, but we don't have any archaeological proof."

"There are lots of traditional tombs of saints of various kinds in the Middle East," he added. "But they are never excavated or investigated scientifically."

Asked if he had heard of any other final resting place for Eve, Dever said, "No. There are tombs of Abraham all over the place, but I don't honestly know in Israel or the West Bank or Jordan of any Eve tomb in these places."

Legend places biblical Eve in Saudi Arabia graveyard

[Soldier4Christ]

This is just another lie. It is nothing more than muslims attempting to prove that their allah is the true God. It is just like the story they have of Abraham being in Mecca. There is no archaeological proof of either and both of these stories are proved wrong by the Bible.

[Soldier4Christ]

Scholars hunt missing pages of ancient Bible


 A quest is under way on four continents to find the missing pages of one of the world's most important holy texts, the 1,000-year-old Hebrew Bible known as the Crown of Aleppo.

Crusaders held it for ransom, fire almost destroyed it and it was reputedly smuggled across Mideast borders hidden in a washing machine. But in 1958, when it finally reached Israel, 196 pages were missing — about 40 percent of the total — and for some Old Testament scholars they have become a kind of holy grail.

Researchers representing the manuscript's custodian in Jerusalem now say they have leads on some of the missing pages and are nearer their goal of making the manuscript whole again.

The Crown, known in English as the Aleppo Codex, may not be as famous as the Dead Sea Scrolls. But to many scholars it is even more important, because it is considered the definitive edition of the Bible for Jewry worldwide.

The key to finding the pages is thought to lie with the insular diaspora of Jews originating in Aleppo, Syria, where the manuscript resided in a synagogue's iron chest for centuries.

A turning point in its history came three days after the U.N. passed the 1947 resolution to grant Israel statehood, provoking a Syrian mob to burn down the synagogue. Aleppo's Jews rescued the Codex, but in the ensuing years the 10,000-strong community was uprooted and scattered around the world.

Scholars believe that Aleppo Jews still hold many of the missing pages, while others have fallen into the hands of antiquities dealers. Two fragments have already surfaced: a full page in 1982, and a smaller piece last year that had been carried for decades by a Brooklyn man, Sam Sabbagh, as a good-luck charm. Persistent rumors tell of more waiting to be found.

When the Codex reached Israel 50 years ago it was presented to Izhak Ben-Zvi, the country's president and a scholar of Jewish communities in the Islamic world. Although the manuscript is housed at the Israel Museum with the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Ben-Zvi Institute founded by the late president remains its legal custodian and is behind the new search.

Past efforts, including some by Israeli diplomats and Mossad secret service agents, came up against a wall of silence in the Aleppo community. The new search has recruited a small group of Aleppo Jews, better able to win the community's trust, and has yielded information on the whereabouts of specific pieces and on the people who are holding them, said Zvi Zameret, the Ben-Zvi Institute's director.

"Only someone who believes that this manuscript is one of the foundation stones of the people of Israel, someone whose goal is not to get rich — only such a person can make progress," he said.

He divulged few details lest he compromise the effort. He would say only that the search is being carried out in North, South and Central America, Israel and England, and that success appeared within reach.

"If there is a possibility, as the rumors say, that there are not only small fragments but also entire sections, that is extremely exciting," said Adolfo Roitman, the Israel Museum curator in charge of the manuscript. "We're missing entire books — most of the five Books of Moses, except for a few pages, and we have no Book of Esther, no Book of Daniel."

He, like most other scholars involved, has met people who know of people who supposedly have pages. But the leads invariably end with people who refuse to talk.

Each page is priceless, but money wouldn't be an issue for most Aleppo Jews because anyone trafficking in such holy relics could be banished by the community, Roitman said. Some of the Crown's pages bear an inscription warning that it "may not be sold."

Some people might be superstitious about the fragments they hold, or believe they are rightfully the property of Aleppo Jews, not of scholars. Others might simply have no idea of the value of what they own.

The Codex, on 491 parchment pages about 12 inches by 10 inches, was transcribed sometime around 930 A.D. by Shlomo Ben Boya'a, a scribe in Tiberias on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. It was edited by a renowned scholar of the time, Aaron Ben-Asher. Its completion marked the end of a centuries-long process that created the final text of the Hebrew Bible.

It belonged to a Jewish community in Jerusalem until it was seized by the Crusaders who captured and sacked the city in 1099. Ransomed, it made its way to Cairo, where it was used by the 12th-century Jewish philosopher Maimonides, who declared it the most accurate copy of the Old Testament.

The manuscript doesn't contain passages missing from other versions. Instead, its accuracy is a matter of details like vowel signs and single letters that would only slightly alter pronunciation. But Judaism sanctifies each tiny calligraphic flourish in the Bible as a way of ensuring that communities around the world use precisely the same version of the divine book. That's why the Codex is considered by some to be the most important Jewish text in existence, and why the missing pieces are so coveted.

"The bottom line is that the whole process of putting together the text of the Bible ended with the Codex," said Rafael Zer of the Hebrew University Bible Project in Jerusalem, which is using the Codex to create what is meant to be the authoritative text of the Old Testament but can't properly complete it without the missing pages.

Not enough has been done to find them, laments Hayim Tawil of New York's Yeshiva University, the author of a forthcoming book on the Crown. "For Jews and for Western civilization this manuscript is equivalent to the Magna Carta," he said.

How the Codex reached Aleppo in northern Syria is unclear. Some scholars believe it was brought by a descendant of Maimonides in the late 1300s.

There it was guarded as the Jews' most prized possession and talisman. But on Dec. 2, 1947, the mob burned the synagogue. In the ensuing years, Aleppo Jews would describe rushing to snatch pages from the flames. The missing ones have not been seen since, with two exceptions.

One page from the Book of Chronicles survived in the New York apartment of an Aleppo woman and was handed over by her relatives in 1982. Another fragment recounting the Exodus story of the 10 plagues survived in the wallet of Sabbagh, another Aleppo exile in New York, who laminated it and kept it as a good luck charm. Last year, following Sabbagh's death, his family brought the fragment to join the rest of the manuscript in Jerusalem.

One of the men who rescued pages from the synagogue was Mourad Faham, who sneaked into the building disguised as a Bedouin and found the bulk of the manuscript on the floor, according to his grandson, Jack Dweck.

A decade later he strapped the manuscript under his robe and crossed the border into Turkey, Dweck said. From there it was wrapped in towels and, according to most versions of the story, bundled into a washing machine to be shipped to Israel.

Dweck, a businessman who lives in New York, home to one of the biggest communities of Aleppo Jews, says he has heard the rumors among his fellow Jews and believes the missing parts exist.

"My guess is that there's a bigger piece somewhere else, waiting to be found," he said.

[Shammu]

Clay seal connects to Bible
Jay Bushinksy THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Wednesday, October 1, 2008

JERUSALEM

It is the most remarkable find since excavations in the heart of this 3,000-year-old capital of ancient Israel began 140 years ago: a tiny clay seal impression also known as a bulla or stamp, discovered near the ruins of what has been identified as King David's palace and bearing the name of an influential courtier mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.

"It is not very often that archaeologists have surprises that bring them so close to the reality of the biblical text," said Eilat Mazar, whose pinpoint dig in a relatively small site this summer led her to a clay bulla whose ancient Hebrew script identifies its owner as Gedalyahu ben Pashhur.

Speaking to an enthusiastic audience of 1,500 Israelis who converged on the Palestinian-Arab Silwan quarter, known as Kfar Hashiloah, or Siloam in the Bible, Mrs. Mazar said, "One could not have asked anything more than this."

Ben Pashhur's name is cited in the Book of Jeremiah 38:1 together with that of Yehuchal ben Shelemayahu, whose bulla was discovered at the same site two years ago.

The two were ministers in the court of King Zedekiah, the last king from the Davidic dynasty to reign in Jerusalem. His reign, from 597 to 586 B.C., ended with the Babylonians' destruction of the First Temple on nearby Mount Moriah.

Because both bullae were perfectly intact and their inscriptions easily legible by anyone familiar with the ancient Hebrew script, Gabriel Barkay, one of Mrs. Mazar's veteran colleagues, surmised they were attached to documents that were burned, possibly during the Babylonian siege, but that they survived because they were made of clay.

"They were baked and thereby preserved in mud and silt, which could be dissolved in water," he said. The two bullae resemble each other except for the names they bear.

Mrs. Mazar said the two courtiers opposed the prophet Jeremiah's pleas to Zedekiah that Judea surrender to the Babylonians.

"They wanted him executed," she said, "but the king refused." Jeremiah was imprisoned twice and confined to a pit. Ultimately, they asked him to pray for the kingdom.

It is the first time in the annals of Israeli archaeology that two 2,600-year-old clay bullae with two biblical names that appear in the same biblical verse have been unearthed in the same location, she said.

The first one was discovered two years ago above the ruins of King David's palace, which Mrs. Mazar uncovered during an earlier phase of her work at the City of David.

Mrs. Mazar's latest find occurred in what are thought to be the remains of a tower that was part of the city wall dating back to the 50th century B.C. days of Nehemiah, the governor of Judea appointed by the Persians after they defeated the Babylonians in 538 B.C., when they allowed the Jewish exiles to return from Babylon.

Excavations at the City of David, a hillside site just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem's Dung Gate, were resumed in 1978 under the direction of Yigal Shiloh, a pioneer archaeologist who found 50 similar seal impressions at the site.

"In Jerusalem, you don't look for anything you may want," said Mr. Barkay. "You just find whatever you find."

He said that the entire city, whose "structures include an abundance of mosques, churches and synagogues actually covers countless items that I would like to find." Indeed, Israel's unique antiquity law precludes construction of buildings without the permission of the government's Antiquities Authority, "but a lot of structures are illicitly built," he said, implying that as a result, it is impossible to investigate what may lie beneath them.

Mr. Barkay has been sifting through the rubble collected at a dump outside the city where it was discarded by Palestinian contractors authorized by the Muslim religious commission, known in Arabic as the "Waqf," to build the subterranean Marwan Mosque near the area known as Solomon's stables.

His project has been under way for four years and has employed 40,000 volunteers. Most are Israelis, but others have come from the U.S. and abroad. It entails sophisticated techniques developed by Mr. Barkay that enabled his team to find ancient coins, potsherds and other historically significant objects. However, he concedes that many priceless items pertaining to the First Temple period probably have been lost forever.

Mrs. Mazar's dig is sponsored by the Ir David Foundation in conjunction with the Israel Antiquities Authority, Hebrew University and Shalem Center.

Clay seal connects to Bible

[Soldier4Christ]

Sarcophagus fragment found near Jerusalem

Israeli archaeologists on Monday announced the discovery of a stone sarcophagus fragment with Hebrew script that was apparently taken from the original burial grounds and used for a Muslim building near Jerusalem.

The discovery was made along the West Bank separation barrier north of Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement.

The sarcophagus is believed to be that of a Jewish priest from about 2,000 years ago. The fragment of the limestone lid bears the carved inscription "Ben HaCohen HaGadol" which can be loosely translated as "the high priest."

"It seems that the fragment was plundered from its original location approximately one thousand years ago and was used in the construction of a later Muslim building that was erected atop the ruins of the houses from the Second Temple period," the statement said.

The 60 centimetre by 48 centimetre (two foot by one-and-a-half foot) fragment likely comes from the sarcophagus of a priest who officiated at the Jewish Second Temple in Jerusalem some time between 30 and 70 of the first century, it said.

[Shammu]

King Solomon's Mines Possibly Found in Jordan

Tuesday , October 28, 2008

WASHINGTON  —
The fictional King Solomon's Mines held a treasure of gold and diamonds, but archaeologists say the real mines may have supplied the ancient king with copper.

Researchers led by Thomas Levy of the University of California, San Diego, and Mohammad Najjar of Jordan's Friends of Archaeology, discovered a copper-production center in southern Jordan that dates to the 10th century B.C., the time of Solomon's reign.

The discovery occurred at Khirbat en-Nahas, which means "ruins of copper" in Arabic.

Located south of the Dead Sea, the region was known in the Old Testament as Edom.

Research at the site in the 1970s and 1980s indicated that metalworking began there in the 7th century B.C., long after Solomon.

But Levy and Najjar dug deeper and were able to date materials such as seeds and sticks to the 10th century B.C.

"We can't believe everything ancient writings tell us," Levy said in a statement. "But this research represents a confluence between the archaeological and scientific data and the Bible."

Their findings are reported in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

King Solomon's Mines Possibly Found in Jordan

[Soldier4Christ]

Return of the kings

Contested evidence from an ancient site may reunite archaeology with Biblical accounts of Kings David and Solomon

New finds among the remnants of a settlement in southern Jordan show that a copper-producing society existed there 3,000 years ago, about 300 years earlier than many archaeologists had assumed, according to an international research team. The site’s revised age raises the controversial possibility that, in line with Old Testament accounts, Israel’s King David and his son Solomon controlled copper production in southern Jordan, says archaeologist and team leader Thomas Levy of the University of California, San Diego.

A long-disputed claim that King Solomon’s copper mines were located near the Jordanian site must now be taken seriously, the investigators report in the Oct. 28 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“We have conclusively shown that industrial-scale copper production occurred at this site in the 10th and ninth centuries B.C., which resonates with Old Testament descriptions of vibrant, complex societies in the same area at that time,” Levy says.

Since 2002, Levy and his colleagues have excavated an ancient copper-producing site called Khirbat en-Nahas, which means “ruins of copper” in Arabic. The site lies in a lowland, arid region south of the Dead Sea. Biblical writings identify this area as Edom, home to a kingdom that barred Moses during the Exodus and warred with King David.

In 2006, the researchers excavated down to virgin soil, slicing through more than six meters of industrial smelting debris, or slag. A special software program used 20 new radiocarbon dates and other evidence from the excavation to generate a chronology of the site.

“In calling for a new dialogue between scientific dating techniques and historical sources, especially the Bible, these new results support the possibility that Solomon’s mines in the region near the Dead Sea may be dated to the 10th or ninth centuries B.C.,” says archaeologist Eric Meyers of Duke University in Durham, N.C.

Archaeologist Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University disagrees. “I see no connection between Nahas and the biblical material on Solomon,” he says.

Scholars have long argued about whether Edom was organized as a kingdom early enough to have threatened the Israelites. During the 1930s, archaeologist Nelson Glueck surveyed southern Jordan and said that he had discovered King Solomon’s mines in the northern part of biblical Edom. His claim, and the Bible’s assertion that the kingdom of David and Solomon existed 3,000 years ago, came under attack in the 1980s. British excavations of Edom’s highlands in the 1970s and 1980s suggested that Iron Age copper production did not begin there until around 2,700 years ago, fueling skepticism.

Finkelstein and others now hold that much of the Old Testament was passed on orally until put in writing between the eighth and fifth centuries B.C., with earlier events being either invented or distorted for political purposes by the document’s writers.

Since 2001, many researchers have acknowledged that nomadic groups inhabited the Khirbat en-Nahas area and probably made copper around 3,000 years ago, remarks archaeologist Piotr Bienkowski of the University of  Manchester, England. “I still see no evidence for settlement or buildings there prior to the very end of the 10th century B.C. or beginning of the ninth century B.C.,” he says.

Both Bienkowski and Finkelstein assert that the site was reused seasonally many times, leaving behind a complex mix of industrial debris and other material that is difficult to separate into distinct layers that form a timeline.

Levy regards Khirbat en-Nahas as a key component of a 3,000-year-old society. Remains of approximately 100 ancient buildings at Khirbat en-Nahas, including a fortress, lie within a large area covered by around 50,000 tons of black slag. Mines and mining trails dot the site. Industrial-scale copper production must have occurred there, Levy argues.

Excavations in 2006 yielded the remains of a four-room structure built on top of more than three meters of copper slag. The team found two ancient Egyptian artifacts in the structure, a scarab and an amulet. Levy says that these finds come from an excavation layer associated with a disruption of copper production near the end of the 10th century B.C. At that time, he notes, Egyptian Pharaoh Sheshonq I conducted a military campaign in the area, perhaps partly to control copper output at Khirbat en-Nahas.

Levy’s team has also dated a small outpost with the remains of a watchtower, located just south of Khirbat en-Nahas, to about 3,000 years ago. The two sites shared similar types of pottery and fabrics at that time, the researchers say.

They are now examining pottery and jewelry at the copper-production site for stylistic signs of interactions with early Hebrew kings.

Until researchers have a chance to examine newly excavated pottery and other finds from Khirbat en-Nahas, “we are still at a stage where the authors are throwing around radiocarbon dates without providing a clear picture of their context and of their associated material,” Bienkowski contends.

An analysis of pottery by Levy’s group is set to appear in the November Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.

[HisDaughter]

Archaeologists report finding oldest Hebrew text     

Archaeologists in Israel said Thursday they had unearthed the oldest Hebrew text ever found, while excavating a fortress city overlooking a valley where the Bible says David slew Goliath.

Experts have not yet been able to decipher fully the five lines of text written in black ink on a shard of pottery dug up at a five-acre (two-hectare) archaeological site called Elah Fortress, or Khirbet Qeiyafa.

The Bible says David, later to become the famed Jewish king, killed Goliath, a Philistine warrior, in a battle in the Valley of Elah, now the site of wineries and an Israeli satellite station.

Archaeologists at Hebrew University said carbon dating of artefacts found at the fortress site, about 20 km (12 miles) southwest of Jerusalem, indicate the Hebrew inscription was written some 3,000 years ago, predating the Dead Sea Scrolls by 1,000 years.

They have been able to make out some of its words, including "judge," "slave" and "king."

Yosef Garfinkel, the lead archaeologist at the site, said the findings could shed significant light on the period of King David's rule over the Israelites.

"The chronology and geography of Khirbet Qeiyafa create a unique meeting point between the mythology, history, historiography and archaeology of King David," Garfinkel said.

[nChrist]

King Solomon's Mines Possibly Found in Jordan

Tuesday , October 28, 2008

WASHINGTON  —
The fictional King Solomon's Mines held a treasure of gold and diamonds, but archaeologists say the real mines may have supplied the ancient king with copper.

Researchers led by Thomas Levy of the University of California, San Diego, and Mohammad Najjar of Jordan's Friends of Archaeology, discovered a copper-production center in southern Jordan that dates to the 10th century B.C., the time of Solomon's reign.

The discovery occurred at Khirbat en-Nahas, which means "ruins of copper" in Arabic.

Located south of the Dead Sea, the region was known in the Old Testament as Edom.

Research at the site in the 1970s and 1980s indicated that metalworking began there in the 7th century B.C., long after Solomon.

But Levy and Najjar dug deeper and were able to date materials such as seeds and sticks to the 10th century B.C.

"We can't believe everything ancient writings tell us," Levy said in a statement. "But this research represents a confluence between the archaeological and scientific data and the Bible."

Their findings are reported in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

King Solomon's Mines Possibly Found in Jordan

YES - we can believe everything in the Holy Bible. It's GOD'S WORD AND 100% CORRECT!

[Shammu]

King Solomon’s Mines and the Empire of King David
November 4, 2008
theTrumpet

As certain Israeli politicians seek to sign away chunks of Israeli territory, the stones cry out about Israel’s link to the land and testify of the Bible’s authenticity.

 Those who relegate King David and his son Solomon to the realm of petty tribal chieftains, or even myth, are having a lot of explaining to do lately. Archaeology is yielding up proof after proof that not only is the Bible an extremely accurate historical document, but that the nation of Israel’s tie to the land is unassailable.

In the most recent stunning discovery, archaeologists believe they have uncovered one of the lost mines of King Solomon. It is not a little mine either—it is a massive structure, and, moreover, the find fits perfectly with what the Bible says about events surrounding the time of Israel’s richest king.

The Bible says King Solomon held sway over an area stretching from Egypt to modern-day Iraq. His father David was the famous leader who united the tribes and led them in a series of conquests that put Israelite soldiers on the banks of the Euphrates River, the site of the most powerful cities in the ancient world, including Babylon and Ur.

But it was King Solomon who was responsible for solidifying David’s empire and turning the military victories into vassal regions that sent tribute of all kinds to Israel’s capital city, Jerusalem. The Bible records that massive caravans of wealth flowed into Israel from as far away as Ethiopia, and from such renowned personalities as the Queen of Sheba.

The mining site now being investigated is part of a complex that incorporated 100 structures including a mine, a smelter, and a large fortress to protect it. The area, located 30 miles south of the Dead Sea and 30 miles north of the famed ruins of Petra in modern-day Jordan, is said to be the largest Iron Age copper factory in the Middle East. The site was so rich in copper that mining took place there for hundreds of years.

For Bible scholars, the discovery of the mine is important because it reveals a possible source for the stockpiles of brass King Solomon is said to have used in the construction of the first temple (1 Kings 7). More famous for the gold, silver and gems that flowed into the kingdom, the Bible says Solomon acquired such quantities of brass that it became a common material, not worthy of being numerated: “The [brass] vessels were unnumbered … because they were exceedingly numerous, and it would have been an endless thing to keep the account of them; neither was the weight of the brass, when it was delivered to the workmen, searched or enquired into; so honest were the workmen, and such great plenty of brass they had, that there was no danger of wanting” (Matthew Henry Commentary).

Although the Bible doesn’t specifically mention where the copper, which was used to make brass, came from, 1 Kings 7:46 relates that the molding of the copper into temple vessels was done “n the plain of Jordan … in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.” Logistically it makes sense that the copper would be sourced from the closest available mines. Is it possible this is the very mine that supplied the copper used for the temple vessels, the ornaments and the two massive pillars, named Boaz and Jachin, that stood on the porch of the temple?

Some scientists are now beginning to think so.

Back when the mine was first discovered in the 1930s, archaeologists dated it to the early 10th century b.c., the time of King David and Solomon. In the 1970s, new researchers redated the site to at least 300 years after the reign of Solomon, assigning a new date that fit neatly with the prevailing belief that there were no complex societies in Israel or Jordan (biblical Edom) capable of building fortresses and monuments or other technologically advanced construction, such as a large Iron Age mining operation, during the time of David and Solomon.

It’s hard to argue with stones, however. New technology and further digging is proving that not only was the mine fully operational during the time of Solomon but was most likely also functioning during the time of David.

“This is the most hotly debated period in biblical archaeology today,” said archaeologist Thomas E. Levy of the University of California–San Diego, who reported the new radiocarbon dates for the copper smelting operation in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Los Angeles Times, October 28).

“We’re not answering the question” of whether King Solomon actually existed, he said, “but we’ve brought empirical data that shows we have to reevaluate those questions.”

According to archaeologist William Schniedewind of the University of California–Los Angeles, so far, “The scientific evidence seems to be going in [Levy’s] favor” (ibid.).

And although all of the most recent results have not yet been released, much of what has been made public is quite compelling.

Among the evidence unearthed is charcoal, a product of the wood burned to produce heat for the smelting of copper. Two years ago, after dating the charcoal, Levy reported radiocarbon dates that indicated that mining was taking place in the 10th century b.c.—the time of kings David and Solomon. His findings ignited criticism from several Bible skeptics, including Tel Aviv University archaeologist Israel Finkelstein, who said it was impossible for these early dates to be correct because no nearby habitations dated to that time period had been found.

So Levy set out to collect more data. Since then, his team has excavated through a 20-foot layer of slag near the center of the site, carefully documenting the locations of each bit of charcoal and other artifacts that were found. The charcoal was then dated by an Oxford University physicist. The results are very intriguing.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “the bottom stratum of the site revealed a period of extensive mining that lasted for about 40 years around 940 b.c. and produced 9 feet of slag. There was then a major disruption in mining about 910 b.c., followed by resumption in the 9th century b.c.” (emphasis mine, ibid.).

Here is where it gets really interesting for Bible critics.

In the layers associated with the disruption, Levy’s team found artifacts including an Egyptian scarab from the Eastern Nile region and an amulet linked to the Egyptian goddess Mut.

And guess which general time period the layers and finds associated with the mining disruption correlate with? The period, as recorded in 1 Kings 14:25, in which the Bible says Israel and Judah were invaded by Shishak, the Egyptian pharaoh, who began raiding and conquering much of Palestine beginning around 925 b.c., after Solomon’s death. And secular records in Egypt also seem to confirm this, documenting that Shishak’s troops occupied the city of Hazevah, which is about 8 miles from the mining complex.

So now skeptics are left with an advanced mining center, complete with charcoal-layered mining slag piles and artifacts that confirm the biblically recorded invasion of Israel by Egypt—and all dated to a time period that conventional theory says shouldn’t have existed.

Actually, when you start counting, it is pretty astounding the number of Bible-confirming archaeological discoveries that have emerged over the past couple of years.

Back in 2005, in an earth-shattering announcement, archaeologist Eilat Mazar revealed the discovery of King David’s palace. And in case you are wondering, David’s palace too was found located just as the Bible described it. Excavations are still ongoing, but the many exciting discoveries include bullae belonging to biblical personages and, most recently, the secret tunnel that David’s army commander Joab most likely used in conquering Jerusalem.

In 2007, Nehemiah’s wall was found. This discovery likewise set off a firestorm of activity among Bible skeptics who had continually pointed to the lack of archaeological evidence supporting the book of Nehemiah’s claim that the returning exiled Jews rebuilt Jerusalem’s city wall and restored the gates of the temple.

Even just yesterday, theTrumpet.com reported that another ongoing dig at a site now dated to King David’s time, near the modern Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, is yielding up additional proof that Israel really did become a regional power under King David and Solomon. The excavation of the massive fortified stronghold offered up what may be the oldest known Hebrew writings—also dated to the time of King David—giving further evidence of a language and culture much more highly developed than Bible minimalists admit.

The archaeological proof keeps coming and coming: preserved beehives, the tomb of Herod the Great, Jezebel’s royal seal.

So it really is sad to see so many Israeli politicians considering turning over ownership of the land that is not only rightfully Israel’s in a modern sense, but in a historical and religious sense too. And in exchange for nothing but paper promises of peace with a people that for the most part isn’t interested in peace.

As Dr. Eilat Mazar once said, “In the end, the stones will speak for themselves.”

The stones are speaking for themselves! They are crying out in anguish—in testimony—against a people that seem to so lightly value the land God gave them and their forefathers. But today, few are listening. And that too is written in Scripture.

The detailed accuracy of the Bible is continually being proven correct—word by word, stone by stone, day by day.

King Solomon’s Mines and the Empire of King David

[nChrist]

The archaeological proof keeps coming and coming: preserved beehives, the tomb of Herod the Great, Jezebel’s royal seal.

So it really is sad to see so many Israeli politicians considering turning over ownership of the land that is not only rightfully Israel’s in a modern sense, but in a historical and religious sense too. And in exchange for nothing but paper promises of peace with a people that for the most part isn’t interested in peace.

As Dr. Eilat Mazar once said, “In the end, the stones will speak for themselves.”

The stones are speaking for themselves! They are crying out in anguish—in testimony—against a people that seem to so lightly value the land God gave them and their forefathers. But today, few are listening. And that too is written in Scripture.

The detailed accuracy of the Bible is continually being proven correct—word by word, stone by stone, day by day.

AMEN!

The absolute accuracy of the Holy Bible isn't just AMAZING - RATHER SUPERNATURAL! Mountains of proof show that the Holy Bible is GOD'S WORD. The world is off on other tracks, but we are living in a time to see and understand some of GOD'S WORKS! LORD come quickly - your servants await!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Matthew 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

[Soldier4Christ]

A Rare Hebrew Seal from the First Temple Period was Discovered in Archaeological Excavations in the Western Wall Plaza


In archaeological excavations the Israel Antiquities Authority is carrying out at the behest of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, in the northwestern part of the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem, a rare and impressive Hebrew seal was discovered that dates to the latter part of the First Temple period. The seal was found in a building that is currently being uncovered, which dates to the seventh century BCE – to the time when the kings Manasseh and Josiah reigned.
 
The seal will be shown today (Thursday, October 30, 2008) during a study day dealing with “Innovations in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Surroundings”, organized by the Jerusalem Region of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
 
According to the excavation director, archaeologist Shlomit Wexler-Bdolah of the IAA, “The seal, which apparently belonged to a private individual, is made of black stone, is elliptical in shape and measures 1.2 x 1.4 cm. It is adorned with an engraved decoration of an archer shooting a bow and arrow. The name of the archer is engraved in ancient Hebrew script next to him and reads LHGB (meaning: for Hagab). The name Hagab is mentioned in the Bible in Ezra 2:46, as well as in the Lachish Letters, which also date to the time of the First Temple”.

The seal was sent for expert evaluation to Professor Benjamin Sass of the Tel Aviv University and Dr. Tali Ornan of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. According to them the image of the archer was influenced by Assyrian wall reliefs in which archers are portrayed shooting bows and arrows – such as those that are known from the Lachish relief. The image of the archer appears in profile: he is standing in a firing position with his right foot in front of his left. His face is portrayed schematically but his body, his dress and especially the muscles of his arms and legs stand out prominently. He is barefoot. His attire includes a headband and a skirt that is wrapped around his hips. A quiver hangs from his back and its straps are drawn tightly across his exposed chest. He is holding a bow and arrow in his hands. His right hand is extended forward holding the bow while his left is pulled back grasping the arrow. The seal is quite unique since this is the first time that a private seal has been discovered that bears a Hebrew name and is decorated in the Assyrian style. The seal attests to the strong Assyrian influence that existed in Jerusalem in the seventh century BCE. It is usually assumed that the owner of private seals were individuals who held government positions. We can suggest that the owner of the seal – Hagab, who chose to portray himself as a Hebrew archer depicted in the Assyrian style – served in a senior military role in Judah.
 
In the building where Hagab’s seal was discovered, archaeologist Wexler-Bdolah has previously found a number of Hebrew seals of individuals that held public positions, as well as ten handles of storage jars for oil and wine that are stamped with royal impressions. According to her, “This building was erected at the foot of the Upper City, at a distance of about one hundred meters from the Western Wall and it looks out over the Temple Mount. The walls of the structure were preserved to an amazing height of approximately five meters. The high quality of its construction and the artifacts that were discovered inside it indicate that the building and especially its inhabitants had a very important status in Jerusalem at the end of the First Temple period.”

[nChrist]

In the building where Hagab’s seal was discovered, archaeologist Wexler-Bdolah has previously found a number of Hebrew seals of individuals that held public positions, as well as ten handles of storage jars for oil and wine that are stamped with royal impressions. According to her, “This building was erected at the foot of the Upper City, at a distance of about one hundred meters from the Western Wall and it looks out over the Temple Mount. The walls of the structure were preserved to an amazing height of approximately five meters. The high quality of its construction and the artifacts that were discovered inside it indicate that the building and especially its inhabitants had a very important status in Jerusalem at the end of the First Temple period.”

Hello Pastor Roger - THANKS!

Brother, I never cease to be amazed about the increasing frequency and significance of recent discoveries that all provide PROOF for GOD'S WORD. We also see an increasing significance for Jerusalem, just as GOD'S WORD foretells. This is a fascinating time that we live in, especially considering it might not be long before HEARING THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MESSIAH!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Matthew 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

[Soldier4Christ]

Southern Wall Of Jerusalem That Dates To Time Of Hasmonean Dynasty Discovered On Mount Zion

An exciting discovery in Jerusalem constituting extraordinary remains of the wall of the city from the time of the Second Temple (second century BCE-70 CE) that was built by the Hasmonean kings and was destroyed during the Great Revolt, and also the remains of a city wall from the Byzantine period (324-640 CE) which was built on top of it, were uncovered in an extensive excavation that is currently underway on Mount Zion.

The lines of these fortifications delineated Jerusalem from the south in periods when the ancient city had reached its largest size.

The excavation has been in progress for the past year and a half, under the direction of archaeologist Yehiel Zelinger of the Israel Antiquities Authority, in cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority and with financial support provided by the Ir David Foundation.

The project is being implemented as part of the master plan for the Jerusalem City Wall National Park, the purpose of which is to preserve the region around the Old City of Jerusalem as an open area for tourism. In the future the remains of the ancient city walls will be incorporated in a promenade that will encircle the southern side of Mount Zion and will continue along the northern bank of Gai Ben Hinnom and terminate in the City of David.

The lines of the wall that delineate Mount Zion from the west and the south were first discovered and excavated at the end of the nineteenth century (1894-1897) by the Palestine Exploration Fund, under the direction of the archaeologist Frederick Jones Bliss and his architect assistant, Archibald Dickie. The work methods they employed involved the excavation of shafts that were linked by subterranean tunnels which ran along the outer face of the city walls.

Over the years their shafts and tunnels have filled up with soil and a year and a half ago when archaeologists were asked to determine the location of the areas that were excavated one hundred years ago they were unsuccessful in doing so. By cross-referencing the plans of the old excavation with updated maps of the area from today archaeologist Yehiel Zelinger was able to locate the tunnel which the British expedition had dug. There remained in it “souvenirs” that were left behind by the early excavators in the form of one of the laborer’s shoes, the top of a gas light which was used to illuminate the tunnels, as well as fragments of beer and wine bottles from 120 years ago.

According to Yehiel Zelinger, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “Having located the two city walls on Mount Zion corroborates our theory regarding the expansion of the city toward the south during these two periods, when Jerusalem reached its largest size. In the Second Temple period the city, with the temple at its center, was a focal point for Jewish pilgrimage from all over the ancient world and in the Byzantine period it attracted Christian pilgrims who came in the footsteps of the story of the life and death of their messiah. The exposure of the Hasmonean city wall and the line of fortifications from the Byzantine period, which is dated 400 years later and is right on top of the former, prove that this is the most advantageous topographic location for the defense of the city. The artifacts indicate that in spite of the fact that the builders of the Byzantine wall were unaware of the existence of the wall from the time of the Second Temple they constructed their wall precisely along the same route”. Zelinger adds, “The fact that after 2,100 years the remains of the first city wall were preserved to a height of three meters is amazing. This is one of the most beautiful and complete sections of construction in the Hasmonean building style to be found in Jerusalem”.

[nChrist]

AMEN!

This is MUCH more in the growing mountain of Evidence for those "with eyes to see". As Christians, we should know that everyone doesn't have "eyes to see" even if it's under their noses. I would love to see these magnificent discoveries shown on television and hear narration from someone with "eyes to see". However, the people who really need this evidence explained would still be blind.