Description of the Find

l. The Sumerian King List, One of Survivingcopies of the Sumerianking list date to The king list says, "After the flood had swept over the History's First Mentions of a c. 2100 ec. What is strikingabout the list of earth and when kingshipwas loweredagain from Great Flood Sumeriankings is that the kings are divided into heaven. . ." Mentionof a flood, hardlynecessary in a The Sumeriansestablished the first two groups-those who ruled before a great flood list of kings,is an argumentfor the biblicalflood civilizationin the biblicalworld. Several and those who ruledafter it. Equallystriking is that describedin Genesis7-8. clay tabletsand prismscontaining the list the lengthsof reigns(and life spans)of these kings of their kings have been found in the drastically decreased after the flood, as did life ruinsof Mesoootamia. spans of peoplerecorded in the Bible.

2. An Ancient Flood Story Tablet11 (right)of the Copiesof the Epic and other e Accountsof a massiveflood are found GilgameshEpic tells of a flood storieshave been found in E in many culturesaround the world. The greatflood broughton the Near East.The popularityof !' GilgameshEpic (thesaga of an ancient earth by the wrath of the flood theme arguesfor its Babylonianking, Gilgamesh)includes gods and includesa historicityand supportsthe flood E an expandedflood story on Tablet1 1, hero who is told to build of Noah'stime. similarto the flood story in Genesis6-9. a ship, to take everykind The best known copy of the Epic was of animalalong, and to Left: Fragment (6 inches high) of a copy of the Babylonian epic of found at Ninevehon a seriesof baked use birdsto check if the Gilgamesh dating from the 7th century BC,found at Nineveh. clay tablets. water had receded. Above: Copied piece from the 15th century Bc,

3. Ur, Hometown of Abraham The famous Royal Tombs Findsshow that Abraham'sancestral home at Ur (c. 2500 BC)reveal Ur is mentionedfour times in the Bible gold and silver objects of had been a powerful city-state before it fell. lf as the hometownof Abraham.lt was Ur's declineand fall came duringAbraham's occupiedfrom the 4th millenniumec. Left and right: Paft of the time, perhapsarchaeology has provided "Standard of Ur," from anotherclue as to why Abraham'sfather Excavationsof Ur (in lraq today) have tho* tombs, made continuedoff and on since the 1800s. before Abraham, show relocatedhis familyto Haran.Genesis 11:3'1 ; Sumeian people. 15:7;Nehemiah 9:7; Acts 7:2-4.

4. Beni Hasan Tomb Painting Datingto around1900 Bc, this tomb painting,with This ancientEgyptian tomb painting, words and pictures on it, shows how Old Testament datingclose to the time of Abraham, peoplefrom the time of Abrahamand Sarahlooked, shows a caravan of people from how they dressed,their hairstyles, and evena Palestinecarrying merchandise for musicalinstrument of the day (lyre).The weaponsthey trade in .They carriedeye paintto used (spear,bow and arrow, ax, sword) depici some sell and armedthemselves with bows of the armamentsavailable to Abraham(Gen. 14). anc sDears. Len. Pil oI uc ifit Wt tqnb patnLng showing Semitic people from Cnaan.

5. The Law Gode of Hammurapi On too of the Code of Some of the laws, and the way they are written, are This black dioritestele (a carvedupright Hammurapi(right), the king remarkablysimilar to those found in Exodus, stone slab)was commissionedaround is shown in front of a Leviticus,and Deuteronomy,indicating that a 1750 ac by Hammurapi(Hammurabi), seateddeity, Marduk. The "common law" exisled in the ancientNear East. king of Babylon.lt containsabout 300 king's laws are written on For example, Iex talionis ("an eye for an eye") is laws.The stelewas found, partially the remainderof the stele found in both the law code of Hammuraoiand in defaced, at Susa (in lran today) where it for publicdisplay. The stele Exodus21:24. Unlike Hammurapi's law, the biblical was taken as loot in the 12th centurvBc. is over seven feet tall. law is betweenGod and His people.

Hittite aftifacts shown at the AlthoughHittites are mentionedoften in the Old Hittite Gapital Museum of Testament,almost nothing was knownabout them until Anatolian moderntimes. One hundred years ago, critics thought ancientHittites' large Civiliations at capitalcity has been Ankaru, Turkey. the Hittiteswere an imaginarypeople made up by the recoverbdabout 90 miles biblicalauthors. Finding the Hittite'sempire forced that uncovered claimto be withdrawnand supportedthe biblicalrecord. east of Ankara, Turkey.The fottified gateways, Hittite'srule extendedto temples, and a Thefind alsohelps explain the language,history and Syriaand Lebanon. large archive. The literatureof peoplewho appearin the Old Testament city fell around andruled in the Right: Wador god from King's Gate. 1200 Bc. 2nd millenniumec.

7. Nuzi Tablets Datingbetween 1500-1401 Bc, many of these Becauseculture changed very slowly in the ancient Excavationsat the ancientcity of Nuzi tablets,with cuneiformwriting on them, reveal Near East, the tablets help explain some of the east of the TigrisRiver turned up over customsand storiesvery similarto those found in common practices and background which are found 20.000baked clav tablets. Genesis15-3.1 , such as marriage,adopting an heir, in earlierbiblical events of the patriarchalperiod surrogatemothers, and inheritance. (2000-1500ac).

8. Haran, Home of the Patriarchs Also found near Haranare villagesthat still bear The cities of Ur and Haranboth had the moon god as A villageof Harran(Haran) exists in the namesof Abraham'sgreat-grandfather and their main deity.Terah, father of Abraham,worshiped Turkeytoday, and has beenfound to grandfather,Serug and Nahor,as mentionedin "other gods" (Joshua24:2) and moved his familyfrom stand atop the ancientone from the OId Genesis11:22-26. Haran was the fatherof Lot Ur, in southernMesopotamia (lraq today), to Haranin Testamentoeriod. (Genesis11:27). the north (Genesis11:27-31).

9. Shechem The most important find is a fortress-templeof Shechemis importantin many biblicalstories. lt Shechemwas strat€ically placedin the Baal from the story of Abimelech (Judges 9:46). was a city of refuge for anyone who unintentionally central hill country. lt controlled all the People could find refuge in the temple from causeddeath (Joshua20), In the 1Othcentury ac, roads in the area, but its location made enernies.Before Abimelech, Abraham and Jacob King I fortified the city and made it the the city vulnerableto attack. Excavations buih ahars to God in the area of Shechem capital of the kingdom of lsrael (1 kings 12:25).The in the city of Shechem reveal a city with (Genesis12, 33) and after the Exodus, the vulnerabilityof Shechem to attack may be one reason walls made of large megalithic stones lsraelites renewed their covenant with God the capital was moved shortly after Jeroboam I died. '1 ExoduslO. Pithom and Raamses, Store Ongoingexcavations at Tellel-Dab'a (Raamses) According to Exodus , the Hebrews were slaves Gities of the Pharaoh have revealeda prosperous ancient city with many in the Egyptiancities of Pithomand Raamses The locationof Raamsesis now monuments,temples, and buildings.Tell el-Retaba beJorethe Exodus.The Egyptiansforced the associatedwith Qantir[rell el-Dab'a). is thoughtto be the most probablelocation of Hebrewsto make bricks,both with and without Pithomwas withinthe Wadi Tumilat,a Pithom,but sufficientexcavation has not been straw (Exodus1 :1 4a : 5:7-19). naturalcorridor in and out of Egypt,but done at the site. its exact location is not yet settled.

Exodusll, Horned Horned altars made of stone have been found The Old Testamentspeaks of horned incense altars I KingsAltars at placeslike Dan and Beersheba.This at least20 times.This find shows how hornedaltars 'loth B Excavatlons reconstructed horned altar (left)dates from the were shaped.The Bibletells how they were used. haveturned centuryBc.and was found at the city of Beersheba. One was in the Tabernacle.The Lonotold Mosesto up some It was most likely a pagan altar. lt was obviously make an acacia-woodhorned altar five cubits long, excellent made of dressed (cut) stone, a practice prohibited five cubits broad,and three cubits high with the examplesof by the Lonoin Exodus20:25. horns of it at the four cornersand overlaidwith brass horpedaltars. (Exodus27:2; 1 Kings 1:50).

I 2. llllerneptah (Merenptahf Stele Althoughthis battle betweenEgypt and lsraelis not (also called The lsrael Stelef mentionedin the Old Testament,ihe stele does show q The hieroglyphictext of the stele made in that the lsraeliteswere in fact livingin the Promised Egyptdescribes the victoriesof Pharaoh Land at that time, and that their entranceinto the Merneotaharound 1230 ec over the land had alreadytaken place by 1230 ec. Libyansand peopleof Palestine.The stele standsmore than sevenfeet hioh.

13, The Oldest Picture of Carved about 200 years after the time of Moses and lsraelites ffiil Joshua,this battlescene is far the picture by earliest In Egypt,on a long wall of the great of lsraelitesever discovered.This same event is also KarnakTemole. is a recentlvidentified told of on the MerneptahStele (above).lt shows that scene of the aftermath of a battle the Exodushad taken olace and the lsraeliteswere L1 -t- between the Egyptians and lsraelites The drewing (above) of the arued scene shows possibly the livingin the PromisedLand by 1200 Bc. datingto about 1209 ec. lstaelites vanquished by the armies of Phareoh Merneptah- Scene 4 of the Kamak TemDlerelief. Thebes Luxorl. loshua14. Jericho, Gateway into the There is debate over The biblicalimportance of Jerichois underscoredby 6 Promised Land whetherJoshua's ffiffi the fact that it is referredto more than 50 times in the The earliestruins at Jerichodate to the wall of Jerichohas Old Testament.Perhaps the most significant g StoneAge (Neolithic).A tower (right) beenfound. Massive referencesare those in Joshua6, which tell of the t found in the Jerichoruins dates back erosionhas removed lsraeliteconquest of the city,their first victory in the before Abraham's time. The tcr,^re:'is much of the renrains IT Prcrnised Land. A'chaeohrgy has shown vvherethe made from stones obtained when the of that period, and city once stood, and that it guarded the key spot for surroundingmoat was cut. lt was mud brickscould enteringinto the PromisedLand from the east. connectedto a mudbrickwall. easily erode away over the centuries. ffi 15. The Philistines nd At the Templeof Rameseslll, the Philistinesare Philistinesare mentionedover 200 times in the Old and the Temple of -t both picturedand listedas being one of several Testament.This temple recordshows when the main Rameses lll :{ groupsof "Sea Peoples"invading the coastal wave of Philistinestried to invadeEgypt. From The earliest known record plainsfrom Egyptto Palestine. Samson(Judges 14-16) to David(l Samuel17), the of the Philistineswas lsraelitesbattled constantly against the Philistinesfor carved on the wall of an H controlof much of the PromisedLand. This record Egyptiantemple at Thebes sl depictsthe dress and armorthe Philistinesmight around1175-1150 Bc. q have worn as they interacted with the lsraelites. Right: Temple of Rameses lll at Left: The Sea Peoples' boat (right side of picture) 3 Thebes (Luxo). I being defeated by the Egyptians. b\ Numb. 16. Canaanite Gods and The Old Testamentrepeatedly refers to gods and Thesefinds revealmany details I Kings Goddesses goddesses,like Baal and Ashtaroth(Asherah or about the Canaanitereligion, and 6 remiah HoseaBetween 1929-1 939 excavators found Astarte),which were worshipedby the Canaanites helo us betterunderstand how hundredsof storiesabout Canaanite livingamong the lsraelitesin the PromisedLand. prevalentidol worshipwas in gods and goddesseswritten on clay The prophetsof lsraelstrongly warned God's lsraelitecities and the challenoe tabletsamong the ruinsof the ancient peoplenot to worshipthese falsegods in for the childrenof lsraelto city of Ugarit,in modern Syria. Numbers25, 1 Kings11, Jeremiah 23, and worshiothe one true God. Hosea13. Right: Above: Asheruh Below: Askfte Plaque c. 13th-1Othcentury Canaaniteperiod The city of Dan was ludges 17. Dan (Laish|, lsrael's Accordingto Judges 20:1, lsrael'snorthern boundary I KingsNorthernmost Gity originallya Canaanite was the city of Dan.The book of Judgestells us that stronghold that was Excavationsshow that the large and the children of Dan destroyed a Canaanitecity by conqueredby the well-fortified Canaanitecity was sword and fire and built their own city.They named tribe of Dan (Judges destroyedaround 1150 ec, afterwhich the city Dan and set up gravenimages. 18).Dan has more the city was rebuilt, with lsraeliteartifacts The High Placewhere Jeroboam I erecteda gold calf artifacts of biblical found thereafter. has been found in Dan (1 Kings 12:28-31). significancethan almost any other city Right: The 4ooo-year-old mud-btick Gate of hn frcm the Middle BrcEe AgE shore gate found so far. system construction in tlE patiarcha) period. plain, Solomonmade Megiddoa fortresscity in the 900s Bc : I KirBs f 8. Icgiddo (Arrn{pddonl' irlegkJdob on a hill b€siJe a wide a strategic (1 Kings4:12;9:15). Later, in 609 ec, KingJosiah of 2 Kings City of War il_ rr * -{ loiation for many battles.Afthough Joshua defeated Rev a srrongprosperous 12:21),the lsraelitesfailed to conquerthe city then. the plainbeside Megiddo (2 Kings23:29,2 Chronicles Canaanitecity under Not untilthe timeof Davidor Solomon,did it come 35:22).Revelation 16:16 refers to Megiddo(called ruinsof a heavily underlsraelite control. The gate found at Megiddo Armageddon)as the placewhere the armyof Christ fortifiedlsraelite city was likethose assocrated with Solomon's reign. battlesthe forcesof Satanin the end times. with a strongcity gate. ffi Left: The Canaanite bamah (high place) at Megiddo. 19. Ashkelon, Philistine Seaport Thereis evidencethat The lsraelitesdid not conquerAshkelon (Judges 1 :18- 5 Ongoingexcavations (right) since 1985 Ashkelonwas a major 19).Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it in 604 Bc as 4 I havediscovered the large(about 150 seaport that traded with predictedby Jeremiah.The prophetsAmos, Q acres)and heavilyfortified city of other Mediterranean Jeremiah,Zephaniah, and Zechariahall pronounced Ashkelon.A small bull figurinewas nations. condemnationupon the city of Ashkelon(Amos 1:6-8, Zech. found, illustratingpagan worship. Right: Ashkelon was one of five Jeremiah25:15-20 and 47i5-7, Tephaniah2:4-7, major cities of the Philistines Zechariah9:5). (Joshua 13:3and 1 Samuel 6:17). gift pullingout of loshua2O.;Gezer, Gift to King Solomon Gezerdid not becomean lsraelitecity duringthe The wedding shows that Egyptwas ludges Archaeologistshave excavated the conouestand settlementof the PromisedLand Palestineand consideredSolomon stronger. Solomon I Kings ancientcity of Gezerand found clear (Joshua16:10; Judges 1:29). The Egyptian laterrebuilt Gezer as an lsraelitestronghold. The evidenceof Egyptiandestruction, as well Pharaohdestroyed the city and its Canaanite similarityof Gezer'sgateway to those found at as a bit of Solomon'sdefensive walls and inhabitants,then gave it as a weddinggift when Megiddoand Hazorindicates they were all built by the city gate. Solomonmarried his daughter(1 Kings9:15-17). Solomon. 'l tells lsraelmoving the ark from Shiloh loshua21. Shiloh, First Home of the Ark Accordingto the Old Testament,Shiloh was an Samuel4 of I Samuelof the Covenant importantearly sanctuary in the PromisedLand. to a battlefield,hoping it would protectthem from the 2 Samuel Archaeologyat Shilohhas found an The Tentof Meeting(part of the Tabernacle)and Philistines.The Philistinescaptured the ark in battle. lsraelitecity from Joshua'stime and the Ark of the Covenantresided at Shilohafter Archaeologicalevidence indicates that sometimelater evidenceof subsequentdestruction Joshua'sconquest (Joshua 18 and 1 Samuel1-4). the Philistinesdesiroyed Shiloh. by fire. the Ark of the 22. Ashdod, Where Dagon Fell I Archaeologistshave found In 1 Samuel5 the Philistinesbrought in I SamuelAshdodwas one of the five major I that the Philistineculture had Covenantto Ashdod afterthey capturedit battle. 2 Samuel Philistinecities mentioned in Joshua13:3 I begunto fade away in the After placingthe Ark in the temple of Dagon(the chief Amos god), Dagonfell and broke into and 1 Samuel6:17. Archaeological work I cityduring the 700sBc as Philistine the statueof hasyielded much Amos prophesied. piecesand the peopleof the city becameinfested between1962-1969 I new informationabout Ashdod. No I with tumors.They eventuallysent the Ark back to temple of Dagonhas beenfound, but an lsrael.Some three centurieslater the prophetAmos I t n''o.n, in u rish-Robe was otten wherethere had once been a receivedthis word from the Lono,"l will cut off the open area I identifiedas the Philistinegod Dagon. temole has sudaced. q gth century Bc, found in Assyriain the inhabitantsfrom Ashdod . . . and the remnantof the I taoos. tne tue appearanceof Dagon Philistinesshall perish . . ." (Amos1:8). A is uncertain. Accordingto the Old Testament(1 Kings 14 and I 23. Shishak's lnvasion Record P 2C 2Chronicles 12I PharaohShishak of Egypt invaded A record of PharaohShishak's raid of 14O 3 places,including the kingdomof Judah Judah duringthe fifth year of King Rehoboam'sreign. ; "...Shishak,king of Egypt,came up against has beenfound in Egyptcarved on a wall €d in the KarnakTemple of Amun,god of Jerusalem,because they had transgressedagainst Thebes(Luxor today). The ShishakRelief the LoRD,with twelve hundredchariots, and (Sheshonk threescorethousand horsemen; and the peoplewere l) commemorateshis victory Egyptian goddess Mut holds over Rehoboamwhen Solomon'stemple a club and bov and leads without numberthat came with him out of Egypt..." was robbedof its riches(probably 925 five rows of captives. (2 Chronicles 12:'2-3).Other verses that refer to Thebes(the city of No) in Egypt are Jeremiah46:25 Bc).The reliefshows that Egyptraided Right: Shishakgrasps a group of lsrael,not just Judah. captives by the hair and strikes and Ezekiel30:14-16. them with hb club. .1 F e 1 Samuel24. Beth Shemesh ;:rtg:i-j Accordingto Samuel6:12-15, the Philistines s 2 Chrcn. Excavationsnow underwayat the returnedthe capturedArk of the Covenantto the - ancientfortified city of Beth Shemesh lsraelitesat Beth Shemesh.Later, about 940 Bc, (right)have alreadyyielded both PharaohShishak of Egypt invadedand destroyed Philistineand lsraeliteartifacts, as well severalcities in the foothillsregion (2 Chron.12:2-4). as evidenceof its destructionas Also, discoveriesof massivefortifications and a water '12. describedin 2 Chronicles supplyshow Solomon'sbuilding activity in the city. great 2 Samuel25. Pool at Gibeon The Pool of Gibeongoes down some 80 feet. The 2 Samuel2:13 and Jeremiah41 :'12 speak of a leremiahThis remarkablepool, datingto before originaldiggers removed 3000 tons of limestone.A water oool at Gibeon.The find verifiesthe locationof 1000 Bc,was found largelyintact in tunnelfor the pool runs underthe city to an the Pool at Gibeonas mentionedin the Bibleand Gibeon,six miles north of Jerusalemin outsidespring. This internalwater supply was shows the great effod taken to have a secure source excavationsaround in 1956. importantin case of siege. of water. the principaltown of the tribe of Benjamin ludges 26. Gibeah, King Saul's Gapital Excavationshave shown that the site of Gibeah Gibeahwas 1 SamuelArchaeologistshave identifiedGibeah was inhabitedabout 1100 Bc,the time of King Saul. (Judges19:11-14). lt was alsoSaul's home. He with the ancientruins on a hill known Saul'sfortress-palace was found here.lt was small eventuallymade it hiscapital (1 Sam.10:26; 11:4; and today as Telel-Ful, about three miles and modestcompared with the laterpalaces of 15:34).Finding Gibeah so closeto JebusiteJerusalem nodh of Jerusalem. Davidand Solomon. indicatesthat Saul neverfullv controlledthe land. The Philistineshung the bodiesof q loshua 27. Beth Shean from the 5 ludges Archaeologyshows that Canaanites,and M!:":'iii. King Saul and his sons I SamuelpossiblyPhilistines, occupied Beth Shean walls of Beth Shean(1 Sam. 3.1:10). E 2 from the time of the Judges until after ffinrff;i:,]:::See the largetell (hill)at left. Some Saul.Beth Sheanwas a city withinthe believethat finding Philistinecoffins tribal allotmentof Manasseh(Joshua shows that the Philistinesoccupied 17:11).However, the lsraelitesdid not ffiff['"x%.the city at or beforethe time of Saul. conquerBeth Shean(Judges 1i27), and 1rtE butone)died Left: Beth Shffin is the large tell in the background. -'i the Philistineseventually took it. - In Ine Dallle. Right: Philistine coffin lid from nearby cemetery Po9 6lcLo ii s) 5:# #til Hd4iH*FHf#l o > = .o gs Ei€#ggg+ q 6'- L- vlQ{+ \f- Tz @: 5: t:;$iiF5 gfieH or {E =+ .xss v- _-- a€ti$eee€[ -sg €! x 6- oc d 4EEqrsE -$gi J- ,h@ !+< 6 Fr"ifE3i =;FiilF ;E d. *El $s -,^ fd i-aeIEESEE=g$€ $$EE$$ Fs -lx -- 90 He;aqe; u- n #a FSgiF fr;+ 3g;s€ < Y16atg C^: AH \rI- .e:6 x\ qsF+u' ;q3Bi;+4t[== x< A- Y'i t 3 t$* l< n AD ggeBgEE=i e*:;* i.g' l z= F' F n o> 3 o: to -o rfi =+ o+ Eo e*q:F g@ d :; 5; I$g;gt $F**$iEr*q +o 6Q W :o l, -O @- 6A 6o- ei =;la;.q il ;e gF Fq da !q +a x f tu o $6;dt5

a! la Description of the Find

28. King Davidns Jerusalem Archaeologistshave uncovered remains of lhat Accordingto the Old Testamentbooks of 2 Samuel The City of David ArchaeologicalProject city, includingevidence of David'sconquest and a and 1 Chronicles,King Davidconquered Jerusalem uncoveredmuch of the buriedremains palacethat may have belongedto King David and made it the capitalof lsrael.Vinually nothing of David'scity of Jerusalembetween himself.The most importantfind has beenthat the apart from the Bible was known about the city of that .1978-.1985. Siloam spring was guarded by towers. time until excavationswere done between1978-85.

29. The House of David This stoneinscribed in Aramaicwith the exoression This Tel Dan inscription P

lnscription (Dan Inscriptionf "the houseof David"(lower left), refers to King is a very importantfind ? In 1993 and 1994an archaeologist David'sdescendants. Originally part of a victory becauseit is the first workingat the Old Testamentsite of the pillarof a neighboringking of Damascus(possibly referenceto King David city of Dan found three piecesof an Hazael),the stone has been dated to two or three found outsideof inscribedstone referrinoto David. centuriesafter David'stime. lt mentionsa "kino of the Bible. lsrael,"possrbly Joram son ol Anab,and a Klngol the "Houseof David,"possibly Ahaziah of Judah. Right: House of David inscription on b/ack bas/t stone (detail shown at left). ludges 3O. Beersheba, The Southern Beershebawas found Beershebaeventually became lsrael's key fortress Kings Boundary of the Promised Land to have a large well, city in the south during the period of King Solomon Excavationsbetween 1969-1 976 long storehouses,and (1 Kings4:25). Finding the strongwalls and gate uncovereolne israemea:IryoT EeersneDa privaie with its strong defensivewalls and a which date to the 1st time ot David. massivecity gate, built after David'stime. millenniumec.

I Kings31. Samaria, Gapital of the For most of the historyof the Althoughmuch of the ruinsof the Old Testament ? I Kings Northern Kingdom of lsrael kingdom of lsrael-after the periodwere destroyedwhen King Herod built over = Chrcn. Hosea Few cities are mentionedmore times in kingdomwas split in two following and throughearlier levels, enough has beenfound to Amos the Old Testamentthan Samaria. Solomon'srule-Samaria was the show that Samariawas extravagantand strong,as Micah Excavationshave uncoveredmuch of the third, and last,capital of the describedin the Old Testament.See 1 Kings 16:24, city and havefound it to have been NorthernKingdom. The Bible 2 Kings6-22,2 Chronicles18, and the prophets extravagant,prosperous, and strong. speaksof this well-fortifiedcity Hosea,Amos, and Micah.Amos refersto housesand built by King Omri and King . beds of ivory(Amos 3:15; 6:4). Right: Samarian ivory furniture inlay, 8th @nt. Bc fi Joshua32. Hazol Key to lsraelite Victory The rebuildingand fortificationby Solomon Findingthat Hazorwas about200 acres,far largerthan Archaeologyhas found evidenceof fiery parallelswhat he did at Megiddoand Hazor.The a normalcity in that day,provides reason for the Bible destructionol Hazor,the major city of the distinctivegates were found to be nearlyidentical callingit "the head."The city's king, Jabin, rallied the north duringthe Conquest,possibly by to gates of these cities. kingdomsin the northagainst the lsraelites.Yet the the forces of Joshua(Joshua 11). forcesof Joshuaprevailed (Joshua 1 1).

1 Kings 33. lvory Ornaments and Obiects At left is an ivory pomegranate, Accordingto 1 Kings10:18 and 2 Chronicles9:17, Chrcn. Decorativeivory has beenfound in found in a dealer'sshop, possibly King Solomonhad a throne made of ivory covered severalsites in Palestine,including an ornament(thought to have with gold. "The king made a greatthrone of ivory and Meoiddoand Samaria. been atop a scepter) from overlaidit with the bestgold" ('l Kings10:18). Solomon'stemple. The inscription says: "Belongingto . . . Holy to the Priest."

The Foundat Gezer,one of King Solomon'sfortress The text gives insightinto when certaintasks were Exodu 34, Gezer Galendar This small oalm-sizedlimestone tablet cities,this tablet containsa school memorization done duringthe agriculturalyear. lt shows literacyin bearsone of the first examolesof drill-a shorl ooem about the aqriculturalseasons the 1Oth centurv Bc. Hebrewwriting known (971-913 ac). in biblicalPalestine.

(writing piece pottery) 6 35. House of Yahweh Ostracon This ostracon on a of is 4 This extremelyimpodant find is 3 Chron This find appearsto be a receiptfor a incheswide and 3'/z inchestall. lt is not known the oldest mentionof Solomon's donationof three shekelsof silverto the where it was found. Some scholarsdate it Temolethat has beenfound Houseof Yahweh(Solomon's Temple). between835 and 796 Bc,some 130 yearsafter the outsidethe Bible. I Temolewas built. Left: House of YHWH ostracon

I Kings 36. Seals from the Royal Gourts Datingfrom about 900 Bc to about 600 ec, these Sealswere found for I Kings of lsrael and Judah stones were used to press images into pieces of Uzziah(around 760 Bc), Chron. 6 clav that sealecltrn kinos'imoortant clocumenls- Hoshpa farnr rnd-730 nel lsraeland antiquityshops haveturned up One of the most famousseals, found at Megiddo, and Hezekiah(around carvedsemi-precious stones belonging depictsa lionwith the words,"belonging to Shema, 700 ec).The.seal at the to membersof the royalcourts of kings servantof Jeroboam."Seals with the namesof right says "SHLOMO" in the Old Testament. other kingswere found also (See1 and 2 Kings). (Solomon)in Hebrew. 37. The Hoabite Stone The ancient Moabiteswere relatives The Moabitestone is one of the earliestfinds that In 1868,a Germanmissionary found a of the lsraelitesaccording to mentionbiblical people. The stone says that King stone slab over three feet tall near Dibon, Genesis19:37. On this stone King Omriand his son Ahab "humbled"Moab for many east of the Dead Sea. Inscribedon the Meshabrags of havingdriven the years.After Ahab'sdeath, King Meshasaid he had stone were the accomolishmentsof lsraelitesout of his land.2 Kings3 "triumphed"over Ahab'sfamily and that lsraelhad Mesha,king of Moab around850 Bc. tellsthat the kingof Moab rebelled "perishedforever." Some scholarssay that the stone This stone is sometimescalled the againstthe king of lsrael after the also containsa referenceto the "houseof David." MeshaStele. deathof KingAhab of lsrae,.

Kin9538. The Black Obelisk The Black Obeliskwas discoveredin I the palaceat of Shalmaneser Nimrudin 1846and showsthe biblicalJehu, (ing This 6'/, foot tall black of lsrael,kneeling down and bringingtribute to the basaltobelisk (four-sided Assyrianking, Shalmaneser.Dating from 841 ec, this pillar)reports in pictures importantfind is the only picturewe haveso far of an lsraeliteking. This is first and words the conouests the mentionof tribute paid to Assyriaby lsrael.King Jehu'sreign of AssyrianKing is mentionedin 2 Kingsg-'10, even though the Shalmaneserlll, enemy tribute is not. of the lsraelites. '' n"'' "nIn:n: :::H:i l:'i ;trf:i, Chrcn. 39. King Uz:iah's Burial Plaque King Uzziahruled Judah 792-740Bc, at the time Accordingto 2 Chronicles26, Uzziahsinned against A stone plaque.found on the groundsof that Amos, Hosea and lsaiah were prophesying. the Lonoand was strickenwith a leprousdisease the Russianchurch on the Mt. of Olives. He was 16 years old when he became king and toward the end of his life, -Here- and upon his death was reads: the bones of Uuziah.King he reigned in Jerusalem for 52 years. As long as buried in a "field of burialthat belongedto the kings." of Judah. were brought. Do not open.- he sought the LoRo.God gave him success.

K>- aO. Th. Slorn fLrrl lnrcfittqr Tte iscrilticr coflE fnorn tre days ot lftg The inscription G=r Tro bole dscorrred fas dEa€rrt Flez€tadl O01 rc) wtp ordered the trnd to be celebrates the Ffeuew iEcrFtin ca\r€d h sto.E m* so EE rdsfiom Jsus#nb Gfto.r Spftg cornpbtftrn of this abrE fte v{ 6 a tuYrd arstfr€ry wge codd be b.or4ltt irto fEcityto a rnilHn* rcrnarkable funnel u/adiog tfrcugh the soulhem end d the rcserrri f|e Pool d S.lsn. Tlis irnd p.ot ided as mentioned in tunnel's uraters in '1880. watsto Je.L*n Ouirg tne aniApateA si€gp of 2 Kings 20:20 and King Sennacfiedb of Assyria- 2 Chronicles32:30. Mve: SilamTumd lMiptiMtoud in tte*iahbTunrel- I Kings 41. The Lachish Reliefs TheseNineveh palace carvings of the Lachishdefeat ahion. Amongthe ruinsof the Ninevehpaiace of ampiifyihe bi'oiicairecord concerning ihe siegeof AssyrianKing Sennacheribwere found the kingdomof Judahin the daysof KingHezekiah. '18:13 62Joot-longreliefs that picturethe fall of In 2 Kings it says. "Now in the fourteenthyear the Judean fortress of Lachish in 701 sc. of King Hezekiahdid Sennacherib.king of Assyria, over 100 years before the attack on and corre up against all the fenced cilies of Judah, and fall of Juclah- took thern.- However.before the Assyrians could

af::As,-a:mes.b--ra@g capture Jerusa.lem.they were destroyed by "God's r?s:rcsr€mrc-_€s s€gE!ffi angel" and Sennacheribwithdrew (2 Kings 20:35; *& il€ Jc -d.'cs :c ba:ig re dty wd 2 Chronicles32).

I Kings{2 Semaclrert Prlsn tCng Senndterib ot Assyia b nrentirned in The Bible sa)rs that God spared Jerusalem. The Chrcn. A 1s-inch tall, six-sk1ed baked day prisrn 2 Kings 18-19. lsabh ptoptpc;ieO that would prism, leiah God together with the Lachish reliefs and from ancient Assyria contains the story of p.otect Jerusalem againsf attack by Sennacherib excavations,adds detail to the biblical account. King the invasion of the by (ls. 3S37, 2 Chron. 32). While the prism does say Hezekiahprayed to the Lono. lsaiah brought him Sennacheribin 701 ec. The prism was that the Assyrians trapped Hezekiah in Jerusalem God's message.That nightthe Lonosmote 185,000 found at Nineveh. "like a bird in a cage," like the biblical record, it Assyrians,and Sennacheribwent back to Nineveh says nothing of them conquering the city. and laterwas killed by his sons (lsaiah37:35-38).

43. The Tomb of the Priestly The namesof three generationsof priestlyHezir A list of the Leviticalpriests during King David'stime Hezir Family familymembers also appearin the inscription, foundin 1 Chronicles24 includesthe nameof Hezir. In an elaboratetomb comolexcut into verifyingthe existenceof this priestlyfamily Later,in Nehemiah10, anotherpriest named Hezir the wall of Jerusalem'sKidron Valley is mentionedin 1 Chronicles24'.15 and (possiblya descendantof the former Hezir)is listed a Hebrewinscription identifying the Nehemiah10:20. as one of the priestswho signeda covenantto keep burialcave as belongingto the God's Law in the restoredTemole around 450 ec. descendantsof Hezir.

2 Chron. 44. Garchemish, Where History Carchemishwas importantin biblicalhistory for In 586 Bc,the Babyloniansstormed Jerusalem and leremiahGhanged Gourse one key battle.In 605 ec, the Babylonians destroyedthe Temple.Jeremiah 46 and 2 Chronicles This city is mentionedonly three times in defeatedthe Assyrianand Egyptianarmies there. 35-36 speak of the propheciesand circumstances the Bible,but archaeologyreveals that it This destroyed the Assyrians and paved the way leadingup to the Battleof Carchemish,and the was in a strategiclocation, desired by for the Babyloniansto conquermuch of the devastatingchain of eventsthat followed. ihe Hittites,Assyrians, and Babylonians. biblicalworld, including the kingdomof Judah.

2 Kings 45, The Lachish Letters The Lachishmessages were The lettersshow Judah was tryingto obtain help from JeremiahIn 1935 an archaeologistunearthed desperatepleas by the Judean Egypt,relying on man ratherthan God. One ostracon severalletters, written about 588 Bc, defendersof the city for military mentionsthat no fire signalsfrom anotherdefensive on 21 pottery pieces (ostraca)from assistance.Apparently the city was city,Azekah, could be seen.Jeremiah 34:2-7 amongthe burnedruins of the ancient conqueredby Nebuchadnezzar prophesiedthe conquestof Judah,destruction of citv of Lachishof Judah. beforethe letterscould be sent. Jerusalem,and exileto Babylon.See 2 Kings24-25.

Numb.46. Silver Amulets When unrolled,each of the scrollswas found Datingto about 600 Bc,these amuletscontain the 2 Chron. In 1979,while excavating6th centuryec to havethe prayerfrom Numbers6:24-26 oldest examplesof a Scripturepassage yet found. B.

two small amulets(under two inches thee;TheLoRo make nis taJeiiine-il;il;: long)that looked like necklacesmade and be graciousunto thee:The Lonolift up his of silversheets rolled uo like miniature countenanceupon thee, and give thee peace." scrolls.They date to about Jehoakim's This is the first time God's divinename has been reignin Judah (2 Chronicles36). found on an artifactfrom Jerusalem. Genesis47. Babylon !.q*feew Babylon'sruins includeone of The palaceof King Nebuchadnezzar,who destroyed lsaiahThe ruinsof ancientBabylon, capital many ziggurats(stepped towers) Jerusalemin 586 Bc and sent leremiah the Jews into exile, Danielof the BabylonianKingdom, cover from the area.Later finds include was the site of Belshazzar'sfeast in Daniel5. 2000-3000acres in lraq,56 miles ruinsof the palaceof King Jeremiahwrote that the Lonowould make Babylon southof Baghdad. Nebuchadnezzar(Daniel 4:29). desolateforever (Jeremiah 25:12;51). The present Right: Ruinsof Babylon ruinsalso echo the prophecyof lsaiah13:19-20.

48. The Gyrus Gylinder King Cyrusof Persia(lran area today) also made a Cyrussent the Jews back to their homelandafter A 9-inch long clay cylinderfound at similardecree that the many yearsof exilein Babylonas lsaiahprophesied ancientBabylon, dating to 539 ec, tells Jews, carried away (2 Chron.36'.23; Ezra 1; ls. 44:28).This "return-home,, of King Cyrusof Persia'sconquest of captiveto Babylon, decreewas one of many issuedby Cyrus.Though Babylonand of his decreeto let captives could returnto not mentioningJudah, it confirmsthat this was held by Babylonreturn to their landsand Jerusalem. Cyrus'spolicy and gives credibilityto the biblical restoretheir temples. Right: Cyrus Cylinder recoro.

Estherher 49. Susa, Royal Gity Susa ("Shushan"in Hebrew)was one of QueenEsther (c. 478 ec) Danielof Queen Esther three royalcities duringthe reignof King was marriedto King Locatedin modern lran,Susa's ruins Cyrusof Persia.Xerxes and Artaxerxes Ahasuerus(Xerxes I) and have been excavatedby several carriedon the buildingof the palace savedthe Jews. Artaxerxes teams duringthe last century.The most complex.A largenumber of beautiful sent Ezraand Nehemiahto artifactsand elaborate impressivefind has beenthe remains stone columns rebuildJerusalem (Ez. 7 :1 4- were found at Susa.Daniel saw a vision of the elegantroyal palace built mainly 21;Neh.13:5-8). in Susa(Daniel 8:2, c. 551 ec). by Darius(522-486 Bc). The book of Right: lnscnbed silver bowl of Left: Frieze of life-size Pesian royal guard from Estheris set in Susa later. the Anueftes I .c.464-424 BC). palace of Daius the Great (father of Xeryes , at Susa. san of Kng Xeftes. 5O. The Dead Sea Scrolls Some of the scrollswere found in ffi This is one of the most importantfinds in history The DeadSea Scrollsare actually jars (right).About one-thirdof the rr becauseit shows that the Old Testamentwas cbpied hundredsof scrollsand scrapsthat date scrolls contain copies of portionsof very accuratelyover the centuries.When the scrolls between300 ec and no 70. The first of Old Testamentbooks (everybook were compared with the oldest Masoretic text, on them was found in 1947 in caves in the but Esther).These copies are over which most moderntranslations are based,only Qumranarea nearthe Dead Sea about 1000 years older than most of the insignificantdifferences were found. Thereforewe can sevenmiles south of Jericho. :-'J availablefor study and translation. to the original.