Recent archaeological findings in the Holy Land

Laindon Bible Class ‒ 12th August 2009

Our study plan

• Why study archaeology?• What do we mean by recent?• Current archaeological practice• Archaeological findings relating to:– People– Places– Events– Life in Biblical times

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Current archaeological practice

• Academic policy: “the Bible should be assumed false until proven true”

• The Old Testament thought to have been written in the early 6th century BC

• Question whether there was a distinct Jewish state before the 8th century BC

• Dating of findings frequently the subject of argument and uncertainty

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Archaeological dating

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Findings relating to people

• The Baruch seal (bulla)

• The ossuary of Caiaphas

• Reference to the House of David

• The home of Goliath

• The seal of Jezebel

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The Baruch seal

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Came to light in 1975, original source unknown

The Baruch seal

• Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe (Jeremiah 36)• The use of clay seals• How they have survived• The inscription: “belonging to Berechiah

son of Neriah the scribe”• Has a fingerprint on its edge• Part of a collection that also includes a

seal of Seraiah son of Neriah

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The ossuary of Caiaphas

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Joseph Caiaphas

Discovered inJerusalem 1990

The ossuary of Caiaphas

• Caiaphas (Matthew 26:3, Luke, John & Acts)

• What is an ossuary?• Inscription reads “Joseph son of

Caiaphas”• Contained bones of two infants, a child,

a boy, a woman and a man about 60

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House of David inscription

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Discovered at Tel Dan in 1994

House of David inscription

• Thought to refer to the exploits of Jehoash, grandson of Jehu (2 Kings 13:23)

• Found in Dan at the foot of Mt Hermon (1979)

• Inscription reads: “killed Ahaziahu son of Jehoram king of the House of David”

• One of only two references to King David outside the Bible

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Goliath of Gath

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Excavation of the Philistine city of Gath & pottery fragment with ‘Goliath like’ names discovered 2009

City of Gath

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Goliath of Gath

• Excavations in Gath (1 Samuel 17:4,23)• Large quantities of Philistine style

pottery fragments found at Tell es-Safi dating back to 1000BC (2001 onwards)

• Inscription found 2005 using names “Alwat and Wlt” thought to be early Semitic spellings of Goliath or something very similar

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Ancient seal of Jezebel

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Came to light 1964, precise original source unknown

Ancient seal of Jezebel

• Jezebel, wife of King Ahab (1 Kings 16:31)• Seal discovered in 1964 by Nahman

Avigad and dated to 9th century BC• Work of Dr Korpel confirms it to be almost

certainly the seal of Queen Jezebel• Queen Jezebel uses Ahab’s seal (1 Kings

21:8) but also appears to have had one of her own, perhaps later

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Findings relating to places

• King David’s Palace

• The significance of the Kingdom of Edom (13th to the 8th century BC)

• The Philistine city of Ekron

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King David’s Palace

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Discovered in East Jerusalem by Dr Eilat Mazar 2005

King David’s Palace?

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King David’s Palace• King David’s ‘house’ (2 Samuel 5:11

2 Kings 11:2, 1 Chronicles 17:1)• The work of Eilat Mazar, uncovering

what is thought to be David’s palace from around 1000BC (2005)

• Faced considerable opposition from archaeologists who deny the authenticity of David & Solomon

• Outside wall above the fortress (2 Samuel 5:17)

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Excavations at Khirbat en-Nahas

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Evidence of the powerful Kingdom of the Edomites uncovered in 2006

Kingdom of Edom

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The Kingdom of the Edomites• Significant Kingdom (south of Dead Sea)

in existence at time of David (2 Samuel 8:14)

• A fortress, 100 buildings and copper mines discovered in the Biblical land of Edom dating back to 10th century BC (2006-8)

• The Edomites mentioned in scripture 99 times but academics had questioned its significance before 7th century BC

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Philistine city of Ekron

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Inscription & excavations at Ekron 1998

Philistine city of Ekron

• David fled to Achish ‘king of Gath’ (1 Samuel 21:10)

• Discoveries identified the city of Ekron, 22 miles SW of Jerusalem (1982 – 2005)

• Inscription names Achish and also Padi, who is identified in the royal Assyrian annals as a contemporary of Hezekiah when he was besieged by Sennacherib

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Findings relating to events

• The altar on Mount Ebal

• Herod’s tomb

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Altar on Mount Ebal

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Excavated during the period 1982 – 1984

Altar on Mount Ebal• Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal

(Joshua 8:30)• Remains of an altar discovered during

excavations in 1982 – 1987 (dated c1200BC, which is too recent)

• However, design is remarkably consistent with later altars as specified by God

• Animal remains sheep, goats & cattle (no pigs, donkeys or dogs)

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Herod’s Tomb

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Herod’s tomb discovered in 2007at Herodium (his winter palace) 3 miles SE of Bethlehem

Herod’s Tomb

• Herod the Great died a few years after the birth of Christ (Matthew 2:19-21)

• In 2007 his tomb was found on the NE slope of Herodium

• The sarcophagus was broken into 100s of pieces (no doubt smashed during the Jewish revolt against Romans 66 – 72AD)

• Josephus describes the grand funeral

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Findings relating to life in Biblical times

• Evidence of early form of Hebrew in the 10th century BC

• Reference to the name of Yahweh in the 7th century BC

• Remains of a boat in the Sea of Galilee dating from around 120BC – AD40

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Hebrew alphabet from 10th century BC

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The earliest alphabet known

• Discovered in Tell Zayit SW of Jerusalem embedded in a wall and dated back to 10th century BC

• Written in an early form of Hebrew• Confirms the level of literacy of the

Jewish people• Possibly the mother of all modern

languages

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Silver amulet - 7th century BC

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Rolled silver amulet discovered in a tomb in Jerusalem 1979 and unrolled 1983

The name of Yahweh

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Ancient Hebrew script

The name of Yahweh

• A silver amulet was found on the SW slope of the Valley of Hinnom

• Found in a tomb in 1979 and dated back to the 7th century BC

• Took about 3 years to discover how to unroll and yet to be fully translated

• Contains a prayer like inscription which includes YHWH the name of God

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Galilee boat

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Discovered in the mud at edge of Sea of Galilee during drought of 1986

Reconstruction of the boat

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Remains of Galilee boat

• Discovered in the mud during a severe drought in 1985 – 6

• Dated to period 120BC – AD40• 30 feet long and 8 feet wide (10 x 2.5m)• Contained a complete lamp and cooking

pot plus other fragments• Would have been similar to the boats

Jesus and his disciples used

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What can we conclude?• With the Bible we are dealing in facts,

for it is God’s word• These discoveries bring things to life for

us, from out of the dust• They contradict the false theories of

modern archaeologists who reject the Biblical record

• They can help interested friends build their confidence in the truth of the Bible

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