2021 archeological summer finds so far this summer have been quite exciting! After 2020 left the whole world at a stand still and that included the archeological research in Israel. During the time of year that archeological digs happen, which is summer and early fall, not only was no one allowed in the country from outside, but also there was limited time to do digs as lockdowns and restrictions took place all year to try and mitigate the spread of covid-19. There were amazing finds in 2021 summer archeological finds in many ways seems like two seasons in one with the wealth of new finds!
Proof of the Judges
Before King Saul and King David, Israel was ruled by judges instead of kings. These stories are highlighted in the book of Judges. One of these judges was Gideon ben Yoash, sometimes known as “Jerubbaal”. You may remember Gideon from his well-known story of forming an army of only 300 men by weeding them out with methods such as how they drank from the waters now known as Gideon’s Spring. These times have been a very important to the history of the Jewish people, but there is very little found from this long ago. So when a piece of pottery was found that had the pre-Hebrew writing on it, it was an exciting find. When they translated it, it was found to say “Jerubbaal”. While they can not say it was in fact a jug belonging to the Judge Gideon, it was from the right area of Israel and the right time. Either way, it’s fascinating to think about!
Ancient Shark Teeth
Modern man definitely finds interest in the ancient, but maybe that is something designed into us from the start. A desire to connect to God’s creation and man through the ages. In Jerusalem, a land locked city, 3000 year old relics lay along with… Cretaceous period shark teeth? It appears the person who lived here had an interest in old things just like we do now. Not just one shark tooth was found, but 29 and all of them were fossilized and from different sharks. A mystery to say the least!
Razed 1st Temple Period Wall
The City of David, as always, continues to provide a treasure trove of archaeological finds and 2021 is proving to be no different. A wall from the First Temple was recently found during ongoing digs.
According to 2 Kings 25:10, “The entire Chaldean [Babylonian] force that was with the chief of the guard tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side”
However, this wall was found in tact. So, does this contradict the Bible? Not necessarily. The wall was one section of the wall but just because they were torn down on every side, it doesn’t mean they tore down every foot of the wall. The walls were definitely part of the First Temple fortifications though and that is exciting!
The Earthquake During King Uzziah
In the book of Amos, a large earthquake in Israel that is spoken of several times in the Old Testament. This would have happened around 2800 years ago during the time of King Uzziah. As always, the City of David is providing more evidence for the Biblical account of the history of Israel. They recently found a layer of destruction during digs that did not line up with any military action, but what it does line up with is the destructive earthquake. Evidence of this earthquake has been found around Israel.
