Biblical Testimonies, Earliest Images of Jesus, and Other Amazing Artifacts Found in 2019

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

The outgoing year turned out to be quite interesting in terms of archeology. A number of finds have been made that have revealed the veil of mystery over how people lived thousands of years ago. Also, scientists were able to find amazing evidence of the veracity of some of the events taking place in the Bible.

1. Evidence from biblical events under the grave of Jonah

In four tunnels that ISIS dug beneath Jonah's grave, archaeologists have found seven 2,700-year-old inscriptions describing the laws of the Assyrian king mentioned in the Bible.

Although ISIS is responsible for the destruction and sale of countless priceless artifacts during the occupation of Iraq, their looting led to an important discovery in the ancient biblical city of Nineveh. After the Iraqi army liberated the area from ISIS in early 2017, archaeologists uncovered tunnels that ISIS had dug in order to collect and sell artifacts on the black market. Last year, archaeologists announced that while exploring the tunnels, they unexpectedly discovered the site of an Assyrian palace located under Jonah's tomb.

The inscriptions describe the reign of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (681 - 669 BC), who is mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Kings (19:37), Isaiah (37:38) and Ezra "(4: 2). An approximate translation reads: "The palace of Esarhaddon, a powerful king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the kings of lower Egypt, upper Egypt and Kush."

Esarhaddon was the son of Sinacherib, who, according to the Bible, was killed by his sons in 681 BC after he failed to capture Jerusalem. Then Esarhaddon returned to Nineveh, declared himself king and expelled his brothers. It is believed that in the same year he began work to rebuild Babylon. The inscriptions under the tomb of Jonah also say that Esarhaddon rebuilt the temple of the god Ashur (the main god of the Assyrians), rebuilt the ancient cities of Babylon and Esagil, and "renewed the statues of the great gods."

2. Did Noah's Ark actually dock in the biblical mountains of Ararat

A team of archaeologists decided to search the Turkish mountain of Al-Judi to find the remains of Noah's Ark. Although no new evidence of the legendary ship was found during research, scientists have found an ancient Assyrian relief carved into the rock.

The figure shows an elderly bearded man standing with his right hand high and holding a staff in his left. Scientists believe that this is an image of Shamshi-ilu. The researchers explain that since the figure does not have any headdress (which would be expected from an Assyrian king), it is more likely that this is a depiction of the powerful governor Shamshi-ilu, who ruled most of northern Syria from about 780 to 745 AD. BC.

For a long time it was believed that the remains of Noah's Ark are located on one of three mountains: Ararat, Al-Judi or Nisir. Most assume that they still rest on Ararat, as described in the book of Genesis. However, Mount Ararat got its name only in the II century, during the Christianization of Syria.

3. Six of the oldest images of Jesus

Since neither the Bible nor the New Testament describes what Jesus Christ looked like, artists and mosaic creators often used the artistic canons of their time to create a visual image of the "Son of God."This means that some of the earliest depictions of Jesus can provide clues as to what the iconographic style looked like during early Christianity.

Here is a list of six of the oldest images of Jesus known to historians:

This "graffiti" depicting a man looking at a crucified man with a donkey's head was carved into the stucco of a house in Rome in the 1st century. This is indeed a mockery of Christ, since Christianity was not an official religion at that time, and most of the citizens of Rome viewed Christians with suspicion and skepticism.

Although the Gospels do not have a physical description of Jesus, they do contain many figurative descriptions. Perhaps most striking is the "Good Shepherd" metaphor. In John 10:11 and 10:14, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd … the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” It is therefore not surprising that many early Christian artists chose the image of a shepherd to depict Christ.

Another image of Christ presented in the New Testament is the adoration of the Magi, described in the Gospel of Matthew (2: 1-12). As a result, it became one of the most popular representations of the life of Christ in the early years of Christianity. This painting, depicting the Magi bringing gifts to a baby, was created to decorate a sarcophagus dating from the 3rd century, which is now kept in the Vatican Museum in Rome.

One of Jesus' miracles described in the Gospels (Matthew (9: 1–8), Mark (2: 1–12) and Luke (5: 17–26)) is how he healed a paralyzed man in Capernaum. The episode has since become a feature of Christian iconography. This third century depiction of a paralytic healed in the baptistery of a long-abandoned church in Syria is one of the earliest depictions of Christ known to historians.

In the next depiction of Christ, dating from the 4th century, he is shown between the apostles Peter and Paul. The fresco was painted in the catacombs of Marcellinus and Peter near Via Labicana in Rome, next to a villa that used to belong to Emperor Constantine. Below the main figures of the painting (Jesus, Peter and Paul), you can see Gorgonia, Peter, Marcellinus and Tiburtius, four martyrs who were buried in these catacombs.

The Greek word "Pantocrator" literally means "omnipotent." This is how the two names of God from the Old Testament were translated into Greek: "God of the Host" (Hosts) and "Almighty" (El-Shaddai). To reflect his power, Byzantine icon painters used such nuances as the right hand with an open palm - a symbol of strength and authority. This image is the oldest known example of "Christos Pantokrator" in the world. It was written on a wooden board in the 6th or 7th century and is currently kept in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai in Egypt, one of the oldest monasteries in the world.

4. The place where Sodom once stood

Archaeologist Stephen Collins believes he found the remains of Sodom. He made this discovery based on clues from biblical geography, as well as archaeological evidence recently found in Tell el-Hammam.

The Bible says Sodom was a city full of wickedness and sin. For this, the Lord "shed a rain of fire and brimstone" in order to wipe the city and its sins from the face of the earth. In Tell el-Hammam, archaeologists have uncovered ample evidence of a massive fire that left the city of the Middle Bronze Age in ruins. Moreover, the remains of the pottery melted, which indicates that they were briefly exposed to temperatures well above 1100 degrees Celsius (the approximate temperature of volcanic magma). It is possible that the city was destroyed by an asteroid or volcanic eruption as a result of an earthquake.

5. What happened to the real cross of Christ

The relic, which has been hidden many times and then found again, has been shattered into pieces and scattered throughout the land.

After the death of Jesus, the Jews, who feared that his disciples would want to extract the relics, literally made every item associated with the crucifix disappear. At Calvary, the cross of Jesus was thrown into a hole in the ground along with others, on which two thieves were crucified. Arriving in the Holy Land 300 years later, Empress Helen eventually found three crosses, but which one belonged to the Lord. To find out, an "investigative experiment" was carried out - a real cross healed the woman.

Second disappearance

Later, the cross disappeared in the hands of the Persians. The relic would be their "trump card" in any negotiations with the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantines). But in 630 Heraclius, emperor of the Byzantine Empire, won a convincing victory over the Persians and triumphantly returned part of the cross to Jerusalem (the other part was left in Constantinople).

Third disappearance

However, a few years later, the Arab conquest began, and Jerusalem fell under the rule of Muslims. When Christians were persecuted, the Cross was hidden again. Ninety years later (in 1099) it was discovered thanks to the crusades launched by the Church to liberate the Holy Land. He became a symbol of the Kingdom of Jerusalem of the Crusaders.

Fourth disappearance

In 1187, the True Cross disappeared again, and this time finally, on the battlefield of Hattin. The Crusaders took him with them to "secure" the victory over Sultan Saladin. However, they lost the battle, and Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Sultan. The cross disappeared without a trace. Legend has it that Pope Urban III, upon hearing this news, fell dead.

All pieces of wood distributed or sold as relics around the globe for centuries (especially since the Middle Ages) are kept in a number of churches. According to various analyzes, the alleged "true" fragments of the cross of Jesus make up only a tenth of the cross (the origin of the rest has been deemed dubious). The largest fragment is preserved in Greece in the monastery of Athos; other fragments are in Rome, Brussels, Venice, Ghent and Paris.