Has “King David’s Palace” been uncovered in the Judean Shephelah

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

Archaeological digs in Israel are winding down and the maximalists are having a great time. Today’s report comes from the excavation of Khirbet Qeiyafa which is conducted jointly by Professor Yossi Garfinkel of the Hebrew University and Saar Ganor of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Here is today’s Press Release from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

King David’s Palace was Uncovered in the Judean Shephelah

Royal storerooms were also revealed in the joint archaeological excavation of the Hebrew University and the Israel Antiquities Authority at Khirbet Qeiyafa ***
These are the two largest buildings known to have existed in the
tenth century BCE in the Kingdom of Judah 

Two royal public buildings, the likes of which have not previously been found in the Kingdom of Judah of the tenth century BCE, were uncovered this past year by researchers of the Hebrew University and the Israel Antiquities Authority at Khirbet Qeiyafa –…

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Ninth century B.C. chalices uncovered at Gath

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

A few chalices dating to the time of the destruction of the Philistine city of Gath by Hazael, king of Aram (Syria), have been announced during the current excavation at Tel es-Safi/Gath. The most recent, larger than usual, chalice was announced by Prof. Aren Maeir on Monday and Tuesday. Follow the excavation reports here.

Prof. Maeir displays the large chalice after the stand was excavated. (I like the T-shirt. Maybe there is another step down — a human stooped over with a mobile phone.)

Vessels of this type were sometimes used for burning incense.

Gath was one of five cities of the Philistine Pentapolis (1 Samuel 6:17). The city was destroyed by the Aramean King Hazael shortly after the middle of the 9th century B.C.

At that time Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath and took it. But when Hazael set his face to go…

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Tenth century B.C. inscription found in Jerusalem

Notice the commentary following

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

Hebrew University announces another significant archaeological discovery today. The entire press release is below.

 —• —

Jerusalem, July 10, 2013 — Working near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar has unearthed the earliest alphabetical written text ever uncovered in the city.

The inscription is engraved on a large pithos, a neckless ceramic jar found with six others at the Ophel excavation site. According to Dr. Mazar, the inscription, in the Canaanite language, is the only one of its kind discovered in Jerusalem and an important addition to the city’s history.

Dated to the tenth century BCE, the artifact predates by two hundred and fifty years the earliest known Hebrew inscription from Jerusalem, which is from the period of King Hezekiah at the end of the eighth century BCE.

A third-generation archaeologist working at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology, Dr. Mazar…

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Egyptian sphinx fragment found at Hazor

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced today the discovery at Hazor of a sphinx fragment of Pharaoh Mycerinus. Mycerinus is the builder of the smallest of the three great pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The photo below was made facing east toward the Nile Valley. The pyramid of Mycerinus is on the right. The pyramid, built about 2500 B.C., is 204 feet high.

The press release from Jerusalem says,

At a site in Tel Hazor National Park, north of the Sea of Galilee, archeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have unearthed part of a unique Sphinx belonging to one of the ancient pyramid-building pharaohs.

The Hazor Excavations are headed by Prof. Amnon Ben-Tor, the Yigael Yadin Professor in the Archaeology of Eretz Israel at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology, and Dr. Sharon Zuckerman, a lecturer at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology.

Working with a…

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Do we have archaeological evidence the tabernacle was at Shiloh?

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During the midst of the allocation of the land to the various tribes of Israel, all of them gathered at Shiloh (Shilo) and set up the tent of meeting or tabernacle (Hebrew mishkan) (Joshua 18:1), which is also called the house of God in Joshua 18:31. Here they made the final division of the land (Joshua 18:8-10).

Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them. (Joshua 18:1 ESV)

Several Israeli newspapers are reporting  a brief notice that archaeologists have discovered holes in the ground at Shiloh which could have held the beams of the Tabernacle. The account in Israel Hayom (Tuesday July 2) is found here.

The findings, which will be presented at a conference of the Shiloh Association scheduled to take place this week in ancient Shiloh, include the discovery…

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Facebook site for Tell el-Amarna

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

Some archaeological projects have Facebook pages. Check out this one on the Egyptian site of Tell el-Amarna here.

This letter dates to the reign of Amenophis III (1391-1353 B.C.).

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Samaria neglected and vandalized

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Back in April I noted here the difficulty of getting to the biblical site of Samaria in Sebastia.

The hill Samaria was bought by Omri, king of Israel, to serve as the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 16:23-24). After a visit to Samaria in December, 2009, I posted a photo of the hill of Samaria suitable for use in teaching. I thought I would share this with you today. Samaria was built on a hill surrounded by a deep valley and then mountains.

Samaria was destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. By New Testament times Samaria had been rebuilt by Herod the Great, and was visited by Peter and John (Acts 8).

A few days ago Todd Bolen (Bible Places Blog) called attention to an Associated Press article reporting that the archaeological site of Samaria is neglected, and is being vandalized. You can…

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More about Ephraim

Check out the other articles!

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

In the previous post we pointed out that Ephraim, where Jesus went a short time before His death (John 11:54), is identified with Taybeh on the edge of the wilderness.

Ephraim is included on the Madaba Map dating to about 560-565 A.D. Below is a photo of a portion of the Madaba Map. The large town with palm trees around it represents Jericho. Below Jericho the land color changes to black. The entry closest to Jericho, but a little to the right, is Ephraim.

According to the website dealing with The Madaba Map, provided by the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum – Jerusalem, the two lines of white lettering read,

Ephron also Ephraia, where went the Lord

Here is a larger cropped portion of the map identifying Ephron. If your Byzantine Greek is up to date, you can make out all of the words.

The inscription is located close to the wilderness, but…

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Free Ebook for Kindle

Free eBook – today only!

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

How the Bible Came to Be is an Ebook short (about 60 pages) from The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook. It is available free today only (May 25). The link I am including is only good for the United States.

Here is a list of the subjects covered.

  • Inspiration
  • Production and Shaping of the Old Testament Canon
  • Writing, Copying, and Transmitting the New Testament Text
  • The Canon of the New Testament
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls
  • The Septuagint
  • Bible Translation and the English Bible
  • Translations for the World

Use this link.

HT: Brooks Cochran

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Excavation of the Ophel continues

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

April 27 I was looking at the Ophel Excavations that are under the direction of Dr. Eilat Mazar. When I saw the tarp, I decided I would make a photo in hopes of learning something new in the future. The future is now.

According to The Key to David’s City, a web site devoted to the work of Herbert W. Armstrong College in Jerusalem, Dr. Mazar officially reopened the excavations on April 22.

In this continuation of the second phase Dr. Mazar will continue uncovering what she believes is a royal complex belonging to King Solomon, dated to the 10th century B.C.E., located at the foot of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. As she works to expose more of this massive structure, the excavation will continue “to follow the remains of the First Temple Period along the line of the City Wall,” she told us.

The Key to David’s City

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