Recently Dr. Eilat Mazar discovered a small clay seal near a tower which was about to collapse at the ancient site of Jerusalem. This seal refers to Gedaliah son of Pashur, one of Jeremiah’s accusers. To read the full story, visit Royal Seal of Prophet Jeremiah’s Accuser Found.
Biblical Archaeology Review announces the finding of a cave in Jordan which appears to have been used as a church between AD 30 and 70. Details at Oldest Church Found?
Israeli archaeologists say they believe they have found the wall Nehemiah built when he came as governor over the exiles who had returned from Persia in the 6th century BC. If confirmed, this would be another striking verification of Biblical history. Those who want to invalidate the find are many—among them non-believers, who want to falsify the Bible, and some Arabs who wish to deny Israel’s past inhabitation of Palestine. Read more about Nehemiah’s wall in the Jerusalem Post.
In September, 2007, Jewish archaeological authorities found the quarry from which the massive stones of the temple mount were taken. This is especially significant because Muslims (and some western secularists) try to deny the Jewish historical connection with Israel. Workers discovered the quarry while making an archaeological inspection before preparing land to construct a school. To read more about the find visit Giant Rocks.
In December 2006, the Vatican announced discovery of a sarcophagus long thought to contain the Apostle Paul’s remains. Paul was executed in Rome around 65 AD and early Christians preserved his remains. In 320, the emperor Constantine housed these bones in a small basilica which Theodosius enlarged in 390. The Vatican has not ascertained whether the bones of Paul actually occupy the stone coffin. To read more about this find, visit the National Geographic web page at Paul’s Remains.
Although scholars bicker over interpretive archaeology, such as when Israel left Egypt or which mountain is to be identified as Sinai, or when Jericho fell, and may claim Bible accounts cannot be verified, the finds of objective archaeology have tended to support scripture. In the 19th century, the spade uncovered Babylonian and Assyrian ruins, inscriptions, and writings–directly and indirectly confirming specific Biblical statements. Inscriptions from Israel mention the House of David and King Hezekiah. 2007 brought another inscription confirming scripture–the mention of the name Goliath. There may have been many Goliaths just as there are many men named “David” or “Paul.” While the inscription is not necessarily about the Goliath of scripture, it is from the same time period and shows that, at the very least, the Bible story fits its context. To read more, visit this BBC page: Goliath find.
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