Current Events Articles: October 2016

Battle Site from the Fall of Jerusalem Found posted by Bryan Windle

The Israel Antiquities Authority has announced the discovery of the site of an epic battle between the Roman forces under Titus and the Jewish forces defending the city. It has been dated to the first century AD on the basis of pottery shards discovered there. A large section of a 1.9m wall has been excavated, which archaeologists have identified as the remains of the Third Wall, which was breached during the fall of Jerusalem. More than 70 boulders and stones that were fired at the wall from Roman catapults litter the ground at the base of the wall. The discovery is said to confirm the description of the breaching of the wall written by Josephus. In 70 AD, the Roman army, under Titus, invaded the city of Jerusalem after a five-month siege, and then destroyed the temple. Jesus himself prophesied that this would happen (Mt 24:1-2).
 
Off-site Links:
- http://www.antiquities.org.il/article_eng.aspx?sec_id=25&subj_id=240
- http://www.timesofisrael.com/archaeologists-find-battle-site-where-romans-breached-jerusalem-walls/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqT9lFbFT4M

New Dead Sea Scroll Fragments Published posted by Bryan Windle

Two new books have been released that detail more than 25 new, previously unpublished Dead Sea Scroll fragments. 13 scroll fragments were donated to the Museum of the Bible by Steve Green, the owner of the Hobby Lobby craft store chain. They were analyzed by a team of scholars and published in Dead Sea Scroll Fragments in the Museum Collection (Brill, 2016). Included is a fragment of the book of Nehemiah, which, if authenticated, would be the first copy discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The other batch of scrolls comes from the collection of Martin Schøyen, and are published in Gleanings from the Caves: Dead Sea Scrolls and Artefacts from The Schøyen Collection (Bloomsbury, 2016). Altogether, the various fragments record parts of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Nehemiah, Psalms, Proverbs, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Jonah and Micah. Some scholars are questioning whether some of the fragments are forgeries, as little is known of the provenance. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) recently expressed concern that scrolls are being found by looters in caves around the Judean desert and finding their way to the antiquities market. Scientists are conducting tests on the fragments that were donated to the Museum of the Bible to determine their authenticity.
 
Off-site Links:
- http://www.livescience.com/56428-25-new-dead-sea-scrolls-revealed.html
- http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dozens-of-dead-sea-scroll-fragments-may-have-been-discovered/
- http://www.history.com/news/secrets-of-new-dead-sea-scrolls-come-to-light

Ancient "Logos" Inscription Found at Smyrna posted by Bryan Windle

An ancient inscription which contains the word "logos" has been discovered on the walls of a basilica at the agora of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey). The words in the inscription go both top-to-bottom and left-to-right in five columns, resembling a crossword puzzle, with the word "logos" in the center. Because of the significance of the word "Logos" to early Christians (Jn 1:1), excavators believe it may be evidence of Christian graffiti on the walls, although its exact meaning has not been determined yet. The city of Smyrna is known among archaeologists for its ancient wall writings and drawings, which include Greek words, drawings of dogs, ships, and gladiators, as well as love poems. In the Bible, Smyrna was one of the churches which the Apostle John was commanded to write to in the book of Revelation (Rv 1:11; 2:8-17).

Off-site Link:
- http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ancient-crossword-puzzle-found-in-smyrna--.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104716&NewsCatID=375

Desecrated Gate-Shrine Discovered at Tel Lachish posted by Bryan Windle

Archaeologists excavating a six-chambered gate at the biblical city of Lachish have made three discoveries that they claim confirm details described in the Old Testament:

1) Benches were unearthed at the city gate, confirming what is known from history, that the city gates were a place the elders, judges, governors, and kings sat to do business. "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land" (Prv 31:23). 
2) Within one of the rooms in the city gate, excavators found two four-horned altars with the horns intentionally broken off. This is believed to be evidence of the reforms of King Hezekiah, who "removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles" as part of his reforms (2 Kgs 18:4).
3) Finally, a stone chair with a hole in the middle, which archaeologists have identified as a toilet, was found in the corner of the room. This suggests an intentional desecration of the gate-shrine, and is reminiscent of the Bible's description of Jehu turning the temple of Baal in Samaria into a latrine (2 Kgs 10:27).

The gate-shrine of Tel Lachish has been dated to the eighth century BC using artifacts that were found in the rooms, including jars, grain scoops, and jar handles stamped with a lmlk ("belonging to the king") seal. The city gate structure is the largest discovered to date from the First Temple period, measuring 80' by 80'. It has six chambers, three on each side, with the main street passing between them, and has been preserved to a height of 16'.
 
Off-site Links:
- http://www.timesofisrael.com/iron-age-toilet-is-evidence-judean-king-dumped-on-the-gods/
- https://kehilanews.com/2016/09/30/archaeologist-in-tel-lachish-confirm-biblical-account-of-king-hezekiah/
- http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Gate-shrine-from-First-Temple-period-unearthed-at-Tel-Lachish-National-Park-468904

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