Many of last year’s incredible finds revolutionized our understanding of Israel’s rich past (including the Biblical era).

By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)

In part 1, we saw 5 of the top 10 archeological finds of 2022 (to see part 1, click here). We continue with the next top 5 incredible discoveries on the list:

6) 15 Silver Maccabean coins minted in the years leading up to the (ultimately) successful Maccabean Jewish revolt against the Greek overlords.

Every year for 8 days, Jews around the world celebrate the festival of Chanukah. The holiday commemorates the miraculous recapture and rededication of the Second Temple (circa 167 BCE) which had been desecrated by the occupying Hellenistic Greeks, and the subsequent lighting of the Menorah (with only enough oil to last one day) which remained alight for 8 days! This gave the Jews enough time to reproduce the pure olive oil required for the nightly service. The Jews were led by a small band of pious brothers (all priests) known as the Maccabees (aka the Hasmoneans) who, with G-d’s help, were able to overthrow the Greeks (who tried to outlaw Torah observance) and ultimately expel them from the land. While there is much archeology from that war, for the first time ever, remains from the very beginning of the rebellion have been located in the Judean Desert.

In 2022 archeologists exploring inside a cave within the Nachal Dara gorge found a wooden box, containing 15 coins dating from 176 BCE to 170 BCE, just before the rebellion. How did they get there? Luckily, the Book of the Maccabees fills us in.

The rebellion started in 167 BCE (soon after the coins had been minted) with the priest Mattathias (father of the Maccabean band of brothers) killing the King’s official (who tried to get Jews to offer sacrifices to idols) and destroying the foreign altar in Modiin. He then cried out “Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” Many people fled, including those who went to the Wilderness (the nearby Judean Desert). According to the text, “At that time many who were seeking righteousness and justice went down to the wilderness to live there, they, their sons, their wives, and their livestock, because troubles pressed heavily upon them. And it was reported to the king’s officers and to the troops in Jerusalem the city of David that those who had rejected the king’s command had gone down to the hiding places in the wilderness. Many pursued them and overtook them; they encamped opposite them and prepared for battle against them on the Sabbath day. They said to them, “Enough of this! Come out and do what the king commands, and you will live.” But they said, “We will not come out, nor will we do what the king commands and so profane the Sabbath day.” Then the enemy quickly attacked them. But they did not answer them or hurl a stone at them or block up their hiding places, for they said, “Let us all die in our innocence; heaven and earth testify for us that you are killing us unjustly.” So they attacked them on the Sabbath, and they died, with their wives and children and livestock, to the number of a thousand persons (1 Maccabees 2: 29-38).”

Archeologists believe that the coins belonged to one of the people who had fled to the desert, taking his money with him for safe keeping. Ultimately whoever hid them there was killed in battle, never to return. This is why approximately 2200 years later the coins were still inside the cave, waiting to be found.

7) The Ishmail Papyrus: A 2700 year old papyrus letter with Hebrew writing on it (one of only three known to exist)

One of the most important ancient Israel discoveries made in 2022 was in ….. Montana!? Yes, you read that right, it was indeed discovered in the western United States. The written text (in ancient Hebrew letters) states “To Ishmael, send….”, with the rest being cut off. A smattering of other sentences also cut off were found on it including “Don’t send”, “Cry after him” and “of no help”. It was written during the end of the Judean Monarchy (it is believed that during that time period all official documents were written on Papyrus) just before the destruction of the First Temple.

Who is the “Ishmael” mentioned in this official document? It was quite a common name at that time. The first recorded person to have that name was Abraham’s first son Ishmael (although this text is almost certainly not connected to him). It could very well be referring to “Ishmael the son of Nethaniah” (see Jeremiah 41) who was of royal descent. He assassinated Gedaliah, the very righteous governor appointed by the Babylonian King to lead the remnant of Jews still allowed to live in the land (the Temple had been destroyed and the Jewish elite had been already exiled to Babylonia). After his assassination, the Jewish people remaining in Israel fled to Egypt (against the advice of Jeremiah), and the first exile was complete. The time period when it was dated certainly makes it a possibility that it is the same person mentioned in the Bible (indeed, archeology directly connected to him have been discovered in excavations elsewhere).

How did such a rare treasure end up in the mid-western United States? An American woman visiting the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem in 1965 (when it was under Jordanian control) was gifted the item by the curator of the museum. Upon returning home, she framed and put it on her wall, and the item was long forgotten about. In 2018 after the death of a top archeologist, his successor was going through his items and discovered a picture of the letter. With some serious detective work, including involving government agencies, they located the scroll (which was on her son’s wall). In order to persuade the man (who chose to remain anonymous) to return it to Israel, they explained that the item could best be studied and then displayed in a temperature-controlled environment. In memory of his mother and because of his pro-Israel, Christian values, he donated it to Israel where it remains today.

8) One of a kind inscription from the time of the righteous King Hezekiah, praising his deeds and paralleling a specific verse from the Bible

During digs of Jerusalem’s City of David in 2007, a limestone slab with ancient Hebrew writing was found. After years of research, the text was finally deciphered in late 2022 and found to not only have the name of righteous Judean King Hezekiah, but also parallels a Biblical verse.

This is not the first time that contemporary inscriptions referencing King Hezekiah, one of the most prominent and famous Kings of the Davidic monarchy, have been located. The Bible relates that during his reign, the ever expanding Assyrian army laid siege to Jerusalem, and Hezekiah prayed to G-d to intervene. G-d responded by destroying the mighty Assyrian army (for more on that monumental event, click here). When the Assyrian King wrote his annals explaining his loss, he mentioned Hezekiah (for more on that, click here). Additionally, clay seals have been found that refer to the righteous king, and in Iraq a prism mentioning his son was unearthed. Many ruins from his time have also been found at Biblical sites throughout Israel (he was known to be a formidable builder). A contemporary monumental Stele (an inscription where the King was praised for his work) however, had never been found in Israel until now! This is unlike the Kings of Assyria, Babylon and Egypt who were known to be very boastful about their achievements, writing monumental inscriptions praising themselves.

Although the slab contains two broken lines of text, the two most prominent words written are “Hezekiah” and “Pool” (the inscription was found by the remains of a pool close to the one he built near the Gihon Spring. For more on that site, click here). The professors and archeologists involved in its deciphering concluded that the full text was “Hezekiah made the pool in Jerusalem”. This is parallel to the Biblical verse “And the rest of the events of Hezekiah and all his mighty deeds, and how he made the conduit and the pool, and he brought the water into the city, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. (2 Kings 20: 20).”

9) Four lead ingots from the times of the Biblical Judges. Trading of them is referenced in the Bible.

One of the best places to discover archeology is underwater, especially at the site of an ancient port. Since such sites would have been host to many shipwrecks (and because the ships carried many precious goods and cargo, the findings go a long way in helping us to understand the past). In Israel, underwater searches at the ancient ruins of Caeserea (the largest man-made port of the ancient world) regularly turn up a treasure trove of finds from all different time periods. In 2022, the 3200-year-old lead ingots found there were analyzed and found to have been mined in Sardinia, an Italian island in the Western Mediterranean Sea, about 1748 miles from Israel. The raw material was then processed on the Island of Cyprus (as illustrated by the stamp from that Island). Cyprus itself was very rich in copper, important in the production of bronze. These metals were subsequently sold all over the Mediterranean including along the coast of Israel, illustrating the vast trading network that existed at the time of the Judges.

“Academics” seem to be surprised by this (together with an even older shipwreck discovered off the coast of Haifa, found to contain tin metal imported from faraway England). To readers of Tanach (Hebrew Bible) however, this long-distance trading of metals comes as no surprise! In Judges 5:19, the verse says “Dan, why does he gather into the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the seas, and by his breaches.” The Hebrew word used for “ships” usually means those designed as long distance vessels (England, Cyprus and Sardinia certainly qualify), while the word for “breaches” can also be translated as “harbors (possibly as an example, Haifa, Caeserea, etc). In Deuteronomy 33:25, Moses blessed the (soon to be) coastal tribe of Asher (who had important harbors) saying “Your locks are iron and copper”. In other words, Asher who dwelt in the harbors (as referenced in Judges) traded in metals like copper (such as those mined in Cyprus) which when combined with tin (such as that which was imported to Israel from England thousands of years ago) turned into bronze, a very important metal in Biblical times.

10) First Roman military amphitheater (for gladiator fights) ever found in the Levant (i.e. Southern Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus and Syria).

From the 3rd century CE and onwards, watching Gladiator fights was a popular pastime in the Roman empire. In Israel even with centuries of digging throughout the land, only 4 Amphitheaters have ever been found, including Beit Shean (for more on that site, click here), Caeserea, Beit Guvrin (for more on that site and for pictures of its amphitheater, click here) and Samaria. However, they were all for civilian use. Ones built solely for the usage of military personnel had not only never been found in Israel, but never in the entire Eastern half of the gigantic Roman empire. Even in the western regions of the empire where some were located in Germany, France, and Spain, they are still rare. This is why the 2022 identification of a military amphitheater outside the ruins of the Biblical city of Megiddo (which the Romans called “Legio”) is so significant. It was probably built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian who ruled from 284 to 306 CE. The Emperor (one of the most capable rulers in Roman history) was a great builder, and many of his projects in Israel can still be seen today (indeed a still shiny gold coin with his face, minted in 294 CE, was found here).

The amphitheater was used for both the training and entertaining of the troops of the 6th legion who were stationed in Legio.

By Nosson Shulman – Licensed Tour Guide and Trip Organizer in Israel who specializes in History, Tanach (Bible) and Adventure Tours. For more itineraries click here. Check out our new Virtual tours including free sneak preview videos.

© 2023 All Rights Reserved – Unauthorized Duplication is prohibited

Many of last year’s incredible finds revolutionized our understanding of Israel’s rich past (including the Biblical era).

By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)

Israel is one huge archeological site! Since almost any location in the country could literally be on top of buried ancient treasure, there is a strictly enforced law. Prior to developers building anything (or before the government can add new infrastructure, such as widening a highway) archeologists must first excavate the site to see what lies beneath the ground. Additionally, because of the sheer volume of archeological sites in Israel (including several not yet discovered) it’s not unusual for major archeological finds to be discovered by individual hikers, and even children during family outings. In addition to these finds at previously unknown locations, many sites are already known to be rich with archeology. When funding for digs (which are very expensive) are secured, sites are dug with the expectation that major finds will be unearthed.

The year 2022 was another fruitful year for archeological discovery (for the top 10 list of 2021, click here). Hundreds of finds were discovered, many quite revolutionary in our understanding of past Biblical and historic events. While all of these findings deserve their own articles, I have narrowed down the list to what I believe were the top 10 finds:

1) Ancient Egyptian Burial Cave from the time of Pharoah Ramses the 2nd

In what some archeologists have described as a “Once in a lifetime” find, an extremely rare Egyptian burial cave from the time of Pharoah Ramses 2nd (who many believe is the Pharoah from Exodus) was located. Inside the cave were fully intact weapons, vessels (including bowls, chalices, cooking pots, oil lamps and jugs) some of which were painted red, and some had bones in them. The Egyptians believed that in the journey to the afterlife these items would be needed, so they were buried with them.

This burial cave was discovered accidently in the Palmahim Beach National Park in central Israel when the drill of a mechanical digger (who was doing construction work) hit the roof of the structure. The burial cave, believed to be about 3300 years old, had been completely sealed until it was discovered last year. Because the archeologists were the first people to gain access in more than three millennia (unlike most Egyptian sites, this one was not looted in ancient times), entering the cave was like entering a time capsule. This will allow researchers to understand ancient funerary customs like never before. One of the archeologists compared these findings to a set on Indiana Jones.

The lesser-known story of the Egyptians controlling the land of Israel began with Pharoah Thutmose III, who invaded in the 15th century BCE. For the next 350 years approximately (including the time when the Jews were slaves in Egypt) they controlled the land and allowed the local Canaanite city-state Kings to stay in power as long as they didn’t rebel. Their rule remained until the Biblical Exodus when the army of Pharoah (probably Ramses 2nd) was drowned in the Sea of Reeds, and the Egyptians lost all of their overseas empire practically overnight.

2) The world’s oldest lice comb ever found, inscribed with the only full sentence ever discovered in the ancient Canaanite language.

During a dig at the extraordinary Biblical site of Lachish (for more on that site, click here), a 3700-year-old ivory lice comb was found (dating to around the times of Biblical Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). This makes the comb the oldest such product ever found anywhere. The comb had 14 teeth for lice and eggs. Between two of them, the remains of an ancient louse were discovered.

What makes this comb extra valuable to researchers is the inscription in the ancient Canaanite language which says “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard”. This is the oldest complete sentence ever found in the ancient language (it is believed that the Canaanites only developed their own written language a mere hundred years earlier). Since it was made with ivory, it is believed to have been imported from Egypt and thus owned by a wealthy person.

3) Extremely rare collections of decorated ivory plaques (possibly the same ones mentioned explicitly in the Bible) were discovered in Jerusalem for the first time

Archaeologists digging under the (former) Givati parking lot in the City of David in Jerusalem, were stunned to uncover a large collection of ivory plagues (more than 1500 fragments) dating to the Biblical First Temple period. It was discovered inside what was once an extremely luxurious palace (circa 9th and 8th century BCE), destroyed by the invading Babylonians (circa 422 BCE) by fire. This is the first time that they have been found in Jerusalem, and few have been located elsewhere in the world.

Ivory was perhaps the most valuable raw material in the ancient world (even more than gold). What made them so valuable was that they were from elephants in Africa and needed to be imported from a great distance. Based on other places where they have been located, it is believed that they were probably set inlaid into wooden couch thrones.

Based on the location and time period, it is possible that they belonged to King Solomon, whom the Bible records as having received a shipment of ivory from abroad (see 1 Kings 10:22), using it to build a throne (see 1 Kings 10:18). If it did indeed belong to the righteous king, it would appear that his descendants continued to use it for generations until the destruction of the First Temple. Similar findings have only been found in a few other capital cities of great Kingdoms from that time period, including Sennacherib’s palace in Nineveh (capital of Assyria) and in Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel (Jerusalem was in the southern kingdom of Judea). The ivory in Samaria may have belonged to King Ahab (see 1 Kings 22:39).

Other valuable items found in the ancient Jerusalem palace include jars used to hold vanilla-spiced wine, a seal made of agate (a semi-precious stone), and a seal impression inscribed with the words “Natan-Melech servant of the King”).

4) A 3200-year-old curse text bearing the oldest Hebrew text ever found. The name of G-d in Hebrew is written on it

While still in the wilderness (see Deuteronomy 11 and 27), the Children of Israel were commanded that when they would enter the Holy Land, 6 tribes would utter their famous curses on Mount Ebal (for more on that great site, click here). In Joshua 8, this commandment was carried out. Joshua then built an altar on the mount (which is still visible).

In 2019, excavations of the dirt by the altar unearthed a tiny amulet (2 by 2 cms), dated to the time of Joshua. In 2022, the inscription was finally deciphered and says “Cursed, cursed, cursed – cursed by (G-d’s name) .You will die cursed. Cursed you will surely die. Cursed by (G-d’s name) – Cursed, Cursed, Cursed.” The archeologist who discovered it said it may have been used in a ceremony (especially as it was discovered by the altar).

Although all words of the Torah are truth and do not require archeology to back up its validity, for academics who subscribe to the Biblical minimalist camp, this is a major blow. Several said that Moses could not have written down words of Torah because they think that Hebrew as a written language came much later. In fact, many of them claimed (despite thousands of years of Jewish religious texts which say to the contrary) that the ancient Israelites at this time were illiterate and only able to pass down information orally until they became literate.

The implications in academia are huge. According to Dr Scott Stripling, the archeologist who discovered the amulet “One can no longer argue with a straight face that the Biblical text was not written until the Persian period or the Hellenistic period as many higher critics have done, when here we do clearly have the ability to write the entire text at a much, much earlier date.”

5) 1200-year-old rural estate and mansion discovered in the Negev Desert with a unique deep, subterranean system

Archeologists excavating in the Bedouin city of Rahat in Israel’s south, uncovered a 1200-year-old rural luxurious mansion, located between two unearthed old mosques. The complex, discovered deep underground, had a large courtyard surrounded by 4 wings with several rooms (many of the walls had high-end frescos covering them). Inside the house, large ovens for cooking were found. The house was likely owned by a wealthy landlord who oversaw farmsteads in the area.

The most impressive part of the complex was a subterranean, (well-constructed) system of stone vaults found 5.5 meters below the courtyard. It is believed that this was part of a cooling system which allowed the owners to store food and cold water (a massive cistern was found here) away from the hot desert sun. It is also believed that during the scorching summer months, these rooms were also used for entertainment. The system also allowed residents to go from one side of the building to the other without having to be exposed to the sun.

This find is significant for understanding that time period. According to the lead archeologist “Their high status and wealth allowed them to build a luxurious mansion that served as a residence and for entertaining; we can study the construction methods and architectural styles, as well as learn about daily life in the Negev at the beginning of Islamic rule.”

To be continued-

By Nosson Shulman – Licensed Tour Guide and Trip Organizer in Israel who specializes in History, Tanach (Bible) and Adventure Tours. For more itineraries click here. Check out our new Virtual tours including free sneak preview videos.

© 2023 All Rights Reserved – Unauthorized Duplication is prohibited

The Stele, discovered in 1868 near the Dead Sea, now sits in the Louvre in Paris

By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)

In may have taken 155 years, but researchers (using cutting edge digital imaging techniques) have concluded that an archeological stele (an ancient stone slab bearing a commemorative inscription) specifically references King David. The slab, also known as the Moabite Stone, references “The House of David” on its 31st line and “Altar of David” on the 12th line.

The Mesha Stele was discovered in 1868 in Jordan (about 15 miles east of the Dead Sea). In 1869 one of the local Bedouin tribes smashed the stone slab into many pieces, to protest against the ruling Ottoman empire who were forcing them to sell it to Europeans. Prior to it being broken, a rough paper-mache impression had been made of it, and most of the fragments were able to be put back together (although the damage made it very difficult to decipher parts of it.) Since 1873, the stone has been in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The slab was written in the ancient (Semitic) Moabite language, spoken by the ancient nation mentioned many times in the Bible. This nation was at war with the Israelites for centuries (Ruth, of Biblical fame was a Moabite princess who converted to Judaism and was the great grandmother of King David, who Messiah will descend from). It was written by Moabite King Mesha, and describes his war with Israel. This war is mentioned in depth in the Bible (see 2 Kings 3) and specifically elaborates on Israel’s withdrawal from Moab which is mentioned in verse 27 which states “And he took his first-born who would resign after him, and brought him up for a burnt-offering on the wall. And there was great wrath upon Israel, and they withdrew from him and returned to the land.”

Much damage had been done to some of the letters on the stone where David is mentioned. For decades archeologists in the Biblical minimalist camp tried to claim that the text doesn’t mention him, but rather someone else whose name is also spelled with the same letters but pronounced differently. Although farfetched and clearly fitting confirmation bias, their claims can now be completely discarded due to advances in technologies. Using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (where numerous high end digital images are taken of an artifact from various angles and then combined) on both the stone and on the paper-mache, the researchers are finally able to put the debate to rest. It is now hoped that with improvements to imaging and technology, other ancient texts can now be deciphered.

The Tel Dan Stele, currently displayed at the Israel Museum, famously also mentions “The House of David (and corresponds with the Biblical events mentioned in 2 Kings 8: 28-29).   

Nosson Shulman is a journalist and Licensed Tour Guide in Israel specializing in Biblical tours. To allow tourists to experience Israel during the Corona era, he created the new hit Israel tour video series which brings Israel to the home of viewers by simulating actual tours. To check out his free sneak preview tour videos, click here. To view sample tour itineraries or to inquire about private tour opportunities with a personalized itinerary on your next trip to Israel, click here.

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