Jewelry Find at Megiddo

Hot off the presses…..or screen since this is a digital world…..pieces of gold and silver jewelry have been found at Tel Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel.   The find actually occurred back in March, but it has taken this long for folks in the know to take a closer look.

They’ve determined the jewelry dates back to 1100 B.C.E.   It was found wrapped in fabric and hidden in ceramic vessels in what is described as a private home dating from the Iron Age.   Researchers believe the jewelry belonged to a Canaanite woman.

Did the owner die?   Was she forced to flee suddenly?   Why did they hide it?

One of the most exciting pieces is a gold earring decorated with molded ibexes, or wild goats.   

Usually, in a find like this researchers already have something similar they can compare objects with to place them in the proper cultural and chronological settings.   In the case of the “goat” earrings there is NO comparison item.

The most amazing thing is the container where the jewelry was found has been in the hands of archaeologists since 2010 and has been sitting around waiting for a molecular analysis of its content.

It is believed some of the collection could have originated in Egypt due to beads made from the carnelian stone.  The style of the jewelry is consistent with Egyptian designs from the same period.   Another hint regarding an Egyptian origin has to do with the large number of gold items.  If the items didn’t originate in Egypt then the designer was at least influenced by Egyptian styles of the time.  There were instances of trade between the Egyptians and Megiddo during the Bronze and Iron Age.

Tel Megiddo was an important Canaanite city-state until the early 10^th century B.C.E. 

During the Northern Kingdom of Israel around the 9^th and 8^th centuries B.C.E. Tel Megiddo continued to be an important center.   

It was easy for the researchers to date the jewelry since layers of archaeological matter exist at the site and are very easily dated. 

  

The jewelry in question was found in a layer that researchers have identified as 11^th century about the time of an Egyptian withdrawal or when the people who owned the jewelry would have been influenced by Egyptian culture.

Visit the Tel Megiddo expedition website here.

13 Events in the Bible That Are Confirmed Elsewhere...

It often amazes me when people try to tell me the Bible is just a fairy tale. There are numerous events that can be found documented in other places.

Check these events out by following the links to other sources.

1. 1 Kings 14:25-26 advises in the fifth year of King Rehobaom, Shishak king of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. He seized the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything. He took all the gold shields that Solomon had made. This campaign of Pharoh Shishak is also recorded on the walls of the Temple of Amun in Thebes, Egypt seen in the picture to the left.

2. During the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign a king of Assyria named Sennacherib attacked cities of Judah and captured them. When the King Hezekiah said, “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me. Whatever you demand from me, I will pay” the Assyrian king demanded 11 tons of silver and one ton of gold. King Hezekiah had no choice but to strip the gold from the doors of the Lord’s sanctuary (see 2 Kings 18: 13-16). This entire episode is recorded on the Taylor Prism.

3. The Moab Revolt against Israel is found in 2 Kings 1:1 and 2 Kings 3:4-27. It is also recorded on the Mesha Stele.

4. The Fall of Samaria to Sargon II, King of Assyria is recorded on his palace walls, but it can also be found in 2 Kings 17: 3-6 and 2 Kings 18: 9-11.

5. Also on Sargon’s walls is the account of his defeat of Ashdod. It’s also found in Isaiah 20:1….In the year that the commander-in-chief, sent by Sargon, king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it.

6. The Lachish Reliefs. records the Siege of Lachish by Sennacherib just as 2 Kings 18: 14, 17……See number 2 above.

7. One day, while he was worshipping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. Then his son Esar-haddon become king in his place…..states 2 Kings 19: 37. This account refers to the assassination of Sennacherib and is also recorded in the court records of his son Esarhaddon.

8. The prophets Nahum and Zephaniah (Zephaniah 2:13-15) predicted the Fall of Ninevah. The prediction was also recorded on the Tablet of Nabopolasar.

9. 2 Kings 24: 10-14 tells of the Fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Bablyon. Of course it is also listed in the Babylonian Chronicles.

10. Ever hear of the Bablyonian Ration Records? They confirm the captivity of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in Babylon. It is also mentioned in 2 Kings 24; 15-16.

11. The Fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians was mentioned in Daniel 5: 30-31...That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of 62...the Babylonian Chronicles also provides the account.

12. Ezra 1:1-4 and Ezra 6:3-4 recounts how the captives in Babylon were freed by Cyrus the Great. Once again the Cyrus Cylinder provides an accounting as well.

13. The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give us the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The writings of Josephus, Seutonius,Thallus, Pliny the Younger, the Talmud, and Lucian mention Jesus as well.

This post first appeared here at “Got Bible?” in November, 2007.

If you are wondering why I’m re-posting past articles read the explanation HERE .

Current Events...Canaanite Wall Found in Jerusalem

This article was in Saturday’s news telling about a 3,700 year old wall found inside the City of David….near the old city of East Jerusalem on a slope of the Silwan Valley. The article states the wall is believed to have been built by the Canaanites, an ancient pagan people who the Bible says inhabited Jerusalem and other parts of the Middle East before the advent of monotheism.

Wait……wasn’t Jerusalem a Hebrew city….always inhabited by the Jews?

No, no it wasn’t.

Archeological evidence indicates the oldest part of Jerusalem dates back to the Copper Age, and evidence for permanent settlement dates back to between 3,000 to 2,800 BC.

The earliest inhabitants of the area are not just mentioned in the Bible but are mentioned in the Execration texts…..these are also referred to as the Proscription Lists. These are ancient Egyptian texts that basically served as a list of enemies or troublesome folks in the area. Scholars believe that the city referred to as Roshlamem or Rosh-ramen is Jerusalem.

The Amarna Letters, a record of correspondence between Egyptian leaders and representatives of Canaan and Amurru, also mention the city.

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary states, in the Pentateuch, the city of Jerusalem is not directly mentioned. Moriah…. Genesis 22:2; associated with the site of Solomon’s temple in 2 Chronicles 3:1…and Salem…. Genesis 14:18; associated with Zion in Psalm Psalm 76:2….apparently refer to the same site and establish a link between the city and the patriarch Abraham.

Jewish tradition holds that city was originally founded by Shem and Eber…..ancestors of Abraham. In fact, Genesis 10 mentions the Jebusites through the lines of Ham and Canaan. A Jewish encyclopedia though contends many scholars are uncertain if Melchizedek was actually a Jebusite himself, but could have been a member of another group in charge of the city. The argument stems from the fact that the town is referred to as Salem rather than Jebus in the passages mentioning Melchizedek.

Judges 19:10-11 refers to the city as Jebus and was captured in Joshua’s time…. Judges 1:8…but the Jebusites were not driven out … Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21

You can find out more regarding the archeology of Jerusalem here.

Is This the First Christian Church? 13 Statements About It

1. On Wednesday, I related information regarding the 70 disciples Jesus sent out as related at Luke 10: 1-24.

2. Last week archeologists in Rihab, Jordan announced they may have found the location where the first Christians…..perhaps even the 70 gathered.

3. The place is hidden beneath another early church known as St. George which dates back to 230 A.D. (however, this date is disputed).

4. Evidence regarding early Christian rituals have been found in the cave underneath the church and archaeologists are attempting to link the cave to the 70 disciples Jesus sent out in Luke. The picture below shows someone leaving the cave that has been found.

5. If this is true the cave might possibly be the oldest Christian site in the world and is being initially dated from 33 A.D. to 70 A.D.

6. Found within the cave is a circular worship area and a separate living area. Early Christians could have hidden in the cave to fend off persecution.

7. Found within the ruins of the St. George church above the cave is a mosaic that mentions the 70 disciples who founded the worship there.

8. A mosaic inscription on the floor of the later church of St. George above refers to 'the 70 beloved by God and the divine' who laid the foundations for the Christian church. The remains of St. George are seen below.

9. The archaeologist also said mosaics are difficult to date unless there is a precise date in the text of the inscriptions themselves.

10. Typically, mosaic inscriptions like those found at St. George containing Christian themes are usually from the 5th to 6th century.

11. Many archeologists even those who have worked the site however are advising caution regarding the find. It’s just too earlier to substantiate any of the claims.

12. One of the archaeologists stated, "It's quite possible that there was a cave with earlier occupation which was later converted to Christian use. But to make the jump that this was actually used by Christians fleeing Jerusalem in the 1st century A.D. seems like a stretch to me.”

13. We may never really know for sure if the cave was the location where the 70 disciples met, but in the whole scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. My historian self wants to trudge on in an attempt to prove the validity of the cave one way or another, yet my Christian self knows that the most important truth involves the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Everything else is just the “stuff” of being human, and with time it will all fall away.

Many others participate in Thursday Thirteen….you can locate them here.

Wordless: Verse 38

These are a recreation of Herod’s Three Towers that were built along Jerusalem’s western wall. Each tower was given a specific name, but today they no longer exist. Find out more information including each tower's name here.

We learn about Herod’s Palace through the writings of Josephus, Strabo, Dio Cassius, and through Jewish literature.

An article regarding the archeology of the site is here

You can find other wordless images here.

13 Events in the Bible That Are Confirmed Elsewhere

1. 1 Kings 14:25-26 advises in the fifth year of King Rehobaom, Shishak king of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. He seized the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything. He took all the gold shields that Solomon had made. This campaign of Pharoh Shishak is also recorded on the walls of the Temple of Amun in Thebes, Egypt seen in the picture to the left.

2. During the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign a king of Assyria named Sennacherib attacked cities of Judah and captured them. When the King Hezekiah said, “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me. Whatever you demand from me, I will pay” the Assyrian king demanded 11 tons of silver and one ton of gold. King Hezekiah had no choice but to strip the gold from the doors of the Lord’s sanctuary (see 2 Kings 18: 13-16). This entire episode is recorded on the Taylor Prism.

3. The Moab Revolt against Israel is found in 2 Kings 1:1 and 2 Kings 3:4-27. It is also recorded on the Mesha Stele.

4. The Fall of Samaria to Sargon II, King of Assyria is recorded on his palace walls, but it can also be found in 2 Kings 17: 3-6 and 2 Kings 18: 9-11.

5. Also on Sargon’s walls is the account of his defeat of Ashdod. It’s also found in Isaiah 20:1….In the year that the commander-in-chief, sent by Sargon, king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it.

6. The Lachish Reliefs records the Siege of Lachish by Sennacherib just as 2 Kings 18: 14, 17……See number 2 above.

7. One day, while he was worshipping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. Then his son Esar-haddon become king in his place…..states 2 Kings 19: 37. This account refers to the assassination of Sennacherib and is also recorded in the court records of his son Esarhaddon.

8. The prophets Nahum and Zephaniah (Zephaniah 2:13-15) predicted the Fall of Ninevah. The prediction was also recorded on the Tablet of Nabopolasar.

9. 2 Kings 24: 10-14 tells of the Fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Bablyon. Of course it is also listed in the Babylonian Chronicles.

10. Ever hear of the Bablyonian Ration Records? They confirm the captivity of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in Babylon. It is also mentioned in 2 Kings 24; 15-16.

11. The Fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians was mentioned in Daniel 5: 30-31 (That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of 62). the Cyrus Cylinder also provides the account.

12. Ezra 1:1-4 and Ezra 6:3-4 recounts how the captives in Babylon were freed by Cyrus the Great. Once again the Cyrus Cylinder provides an accounting as well.

13. The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give us the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The writings of Josephus, Seutonius, Thallus, Pliny the Younger, the Talmud, and Lucian mention Jesus as well.

And as a Thursday bonus……

During the reign of Claudius during A.D. 41-54 the Jews were forced to leave Rome. Acts 18:2 states …where he found a Jewish man named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Suetonius also provides a second source for the removal of Jews.

Discover more 13’s here.

Land of Milk and Honey: The Honey Rings True

An Associated Press article which published a few days ago on the web stated:

Archaeologists digging in northern Israel have discovered evidence of a 3,000-year-old beekeeping industry, including remnants of ancient honeycombs, beeswax and what they believe are the oldest intact beehives ever found.
The findings in the ruins of the city of Rehov this summer include 30 intact hives dating to around 900 B.C., archaeologist Amihai Mazar of Jerusalem's Hebrew University told The Associated Press. He said it offers unique evidence that an advanced honey industry existed in the Holy Land at the time of the Bible.

Beekeeping was widely practiced in the ancient world, where honey used for medicinal and religious purposes as well as for food, and beeswax was used to make molds for metal and to create surfaces to write on. While bees and beekeeping are depicted in ancient artwork, nothing similar to the Rehov hives has ever been found before, Mazar said.

The beehives, made of straw and unbaked clay, have a hole at one end to allow the bees in and out and a lid on the other end to allow beekeepers access to the honeycombs inside. They were found in orderly rows, three high, in a room that could have accommodated around 100 hives, Mazar said.

The rest of the article can be found here.

More information from the Free Republic can be found here.

And an article from from the Jewish Post is here.

(Photo Credit: MSNBC)

Archaeo-Porn: Playing Fast and Loose With the Facts

In a recent article at TVWeek.com James Hibbard asks, “Is Discovery burying “Lost Tomb”?

The article is very interesting considering I didn’t even get to see the March 4th airing of the much touted and much blogged about James Cameron. I even blogged about it…see the links at the end of this post.

I guess I was so concerned about it that it slipped my mind. Later when we realized we had not watched the show we tried to tune in later in the evening since they generally rerun their lineup after midnight. So, at bedtime we turned to the Discover Channel and we looked at the online tv guide. It indicated the show would be replayed. When we hit our tv remote button to identify the show it gave the title, but what we were watching was far from the James Cameron show. Hmmmmmm……..Now I know why.

Hibbard’s article states:

Last week, Discovery abruptly scheduled a panel debate to air after the documentary, moderated by Discovery newsman Ted Koppel. Discovery's announcement of the panel emphasized that Mr. Koppel "has no connection to the production of 'The Lost Tomb of Jesus'" and that "the panel will explore the filmmakers' profound assertions and challenge their assumptions and suggested conclusions." When the panel discussion aired, guests criticized the documentary as "archaeo-porn" that played fast and loose with the facts.The day after the March 4 airing, Discovery yanked a planned repeat of "Tomb" from its more hard-news-branded Discovery Times Channel.

Since I don’t get the Spanish version and don’t subscribe to HD Theater I guess I’ll just have to miss the latest Cameron epic.

Durn…..and I was really looking forward to some good “archaeo-porn” too.

Other posts by Elisheva on this issue:
James Cameron Makes Titantic Claim: Jesus DNA Exists
A Sane Voice Regarding the James Cameron Show