10 recent archaeological finds linked to biblical history

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Ten thousand years ago, the first settlements arose in the Holy Land. Archaeological work is constantly being carried out here and discoveries are made thanks to new finds. The past year was also rich in new events.

Mysterious caves

In 2018, archaeological expeditions discovered two caves near Qumran in the West Bank, which may contain the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Previously found artifacts consist of the remains of 900 manuscripts. They were discovered in 12 nearby caves. Scholars believe that the Essenes who lived in Qumran left many written documents before leaving the caves. This happened during a revolt against the Romans around 70 AD. NS. The first eleven caves were discovered between 46-56 years of the last century. Most of the Scrolls were found in them. Cave 12 was discovered in 2017 with one blank scroll.

Inside the new caves, archaeologists also found the remains of items used to store scrolls, twine for tying up the scrolls, ceramic and bronze dishes, textile ropes, and an oil lamp. All of this indicates that the scrolls may have been here, before these caves were looted. The bronze vessel found in the cave was made between 100-15 BC.

The oldest image of Christ in the Holy Land

Emma Maayan-Phanar of the University of Haifa studies early Christian motifs in the stonework at the North Church of Shivta. She sheltered for a few minutes from the scorching sun of the Negev desert under the roof of a building for Christian baptisms, and there she accidentally saw eyes that were looking at her from the ceiling. The apse, or curved roof, of the baptistery is one of the few original parts of the Northern Church that remains intact. It was researched earlier, but no one noticed the ancient portrait of Jesus painted on the ceiling. It is assumed that the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River is depicted here, as described in the Christian Gospels. The image of John the Baptist is also present here more clearly and in detail.

The image is very blurry. Its details can only be seen under the right light or with modern photographic equipment. The portrait depicts Jesus as a young man with short curly hair. This is how he was painted in Byzantium. It is believed to be the earliest portrait of Christ found in Israel. The ruins of an ancient desert city date back to between the fourth and sixth centuries AD.

Ancient inscription "Jerusalem"

Before the construction of the new highway began in Jerusalem, near the International Convention Center, surveys were carried out and a fragment of a column was found there last winter.

Jerusalem is known by many names in ancient texts. Even in the modern world, the Hebrew name sounds like Yerushalayim, and in Arabic it sounds like Al-Quds. In early October 2018, archaeologists reported that they had found the very first time the word "Jerusalem" "Yerushalayim" was written in full, and not like in previous finds: "Yerushalem" or "Shalem". The carved inscription in Aramaic speaks of Dodal's son Hanania from Jerusalem. It dates from the first century AD. NS. The inscription was made on a column that stood in an ancient pottery workshop. It was brought here from an older structure dating back to the era when Herod the Great ruled (37-4 BC).

Biblical scouts

A mosaic panel has been unearthed in a 1,600-year-old synagogue in northern Israel. In the image, two people are carrying a bunch of grapes on a pole. This is probably an episode from the Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Old Testament. In this passage, Moses, at the behest of God, sends a dozen scouts to Canaan, including Joshua (Joshua), to find out if people live there, how fertile the earth is.

This mosaic is one of a dozen discovered by archaeologists in the synagogue of the ancient Jewish village of Hukok in Israel's Galilee. The detail and breadth of these discoveries indicate that life here flourished in the first half of the 5th century, when the region was under Christian Roman rule.

Since 2012, the finds have included synagogue mosaics depicting biblical scenes such as Noah's Ark, the separation of the Red Sea, Samson and the fox, the Tower of Babel, as well as mosaics of elephants, cupids and even Alexander the Great.

Biblical king's head

In the north of Israel, in the prehistoric site of Abel Bet Maak, a tiny, but intricately executed, sculptural image of the biblical king was discovered. Only the head has survived; it was made for more than 2800 years.

Mario Tobia, a Jerusalem student, discovered a small sculpture last summer in a large building at the highest point of the ancient city mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The sculptural image is presented in the form of a man's head with a black beard and the same hair, intercepted by a yellow and black hoop. He has expressive almond-shaped eyes and a serious, even sad face.

The head made in the technique of glazed ceramics measures 5, 1 by 5, 6 cm and is part of the figurine. Radiocarbon analysis suggests that the building where the artifact was found dates back to 900-800. BC NS. The borders of three states: Israel, Tire and Aram Damascus were located near Abel Bet Maak. There are three most likely prototypes of the figurine, they are the king of Israel Ahab, Hazael of Aram Damascus and Etwal of Tire, but there are other assumptions.