A solar eclipse that appeared in the sky in 1207 BC
An earthquake that shook Jerusalem 28,000 years ago.
And the mines of an ancient royal discovered in Israel.
These are not only archaeological discoveries made throughout history, but they are also details described in the Bible.
There have been treasure troves of ancient artifacts, landmarks and celestial discoveries that can be found written on the pages of the religious book, suggesting that the stories are true.
A clay seal unearthed in Jerusalem dating to the 8th century BC may bear the signature of the prophet Isaiah, according to author Eilat Mazar
The signature of the prophet Isaiah
A clay seal unearthed in Jerusalem in 2019 dating to the 8th century BC may bear the signature of the prophet Isaiah, according to Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Isaiah was said to have predicted the coming of the Messiah, which is found in the Book of Isaiah chapter 53.
In the Bible, Isaiah is described as a close advisor to Hezekiah, who was the king of Judah, and the clay seal that may read “Prophet Isaiah” was found near one bearing the name Hezekiah in Ophel, an ancient fortified area of Jerusalem.
A clay seal unearthed in Jerusalem dating to the 8th century BC may bear the signature of the prophet Isaiah, according to author Eilat Mazar
‘We found the seal mark from the 8th century BC. C. which may have been made by the prophet Isaiah himself just 10 feet away from where we previously discovered the much publicized bull of King Hezekiah of Judah.
‘If it is true that this bull is that of the prophet Isaiah, then it should not be surprising to discover this bull alongside another named after King Hezekiah, given the symbiotic relationship of the prophet Isaiah and King Hezekiah described in the Bible.’
If confirmed to be Isaiah’s seal, it would be the first evidence of the prophet outside of the Bible.
Earthquake in ancient jerusalem
The books of Amos and Zechariah in the Old Testament describe an earthquake that shook the city of Jerusalem about 2,800 years ago, and archaeologists found evidence of the biblical event in 2021.
Researchers discovered evidence of damage to buildings and pottery that may have been the result of a massive 8th century BC earthquake.
In the book of Amos, the passage reads: ‘The words of Amos, a sheep farmer from Tekoa, who prophesied about Israel during the reigns of kings Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake .
‘And the valley of the hills will be blocked up, for the valley of the hills will only reach as far as Azal; “It will be covered up as it was as a result of the earthquake that occurred in the days of King Uzziah of Judah,” reads another passage from Zechariah, which recalls the event some 200 years later, to suggest the strong collective memory it left behind. .’
The evidence suggests that the wall was built by Uzziah, just as the Bible says.
Since the artifacts were discovered deep within the excavation site, experts say residents must have built on top of the ruins after the earthquake, preserving traces of the event that occurred.
In addition to the earthquake, researchers discovered a section of wall built by Uzziah, grandfather of King Hezekiah, information written in the Scriptures.
Joe Uziel of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said: “For decades, it was assumed that this wall was built by Hezekiah, king of Judah.
‘But it is now becoming clear that it dates back to the days of King Uzziah, as hinted at in the Bible.
‘Until now, many researchers assumed that the wall was built by Hezekiah during his rebellion against Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to defend Jerusalem during the Assyrian siege.
“It is now evident that the wall in its eastern part, in the area of the City of David, was built earlier, shortly after the great Jerusalem earthquake, and as part of the construction of the city.”
Researchers used carbon-14 dating on artifacts such as grape seeds, date pits, and even bat skeletons.
to confirm the age of the wall.
They were all cleaned, converted to graphite, and then placed in a particle accelerator at speeds of 3,000 kilometers per second to separate the carbon-14 from other organic materials.
Carbon measurement then revealed the true age of the wall.
The eclipse that made the ‘sun stand still’
When Joshua, the leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses, led his people to victory, he witnessed “the sun stand still and the moon stand still” in the sky.
In Joshua 10:18, 12-14 we read: ‘Joshua spoke to Jehovah on the day that Jehovah handed over the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said before the eyes of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon.”
Was the Book of Joshua incident an eclipse?
Researchers believe the “standing still” sun was a real event, a solar eclipse three millennia ago, and have been able to accurately date it to October 30, 1207 BC.
Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, from the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge, said: “If these words describe a real observation, then an important astronomical event was taking place; the question we need to resolve is what the text”.
“Going back to the original Hebrew text, we determined that an alternative meaning could be that the sun and moon simply stopped doing what they normally do: they stopped shining.”
An Egyptian text, the Merneptah Stele, offers evidence confirming that the Israelites were in Canaan between 1500 and 1050 BC, the researchers said.
The siege of Jerusalem
The siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 was an event of the First Jewish-Roman War.
The Romans invaded the city and destroyed much of it, and the battle is described in the second Book of Kings.
In 2 Kings 25:2-4 it reads: ‘And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
‘On the ninth day of the fourth month, famine struck the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
Researchers found a unique mix of artifacts in 2019, suggesting the city’s fire siege actually occurred, featuring Scythian-type iron and bronze arrowheads, pottery, lamps, burnt wood and ashes.
“Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls.”
Researchers found a unique mix of artifacts in 2019, suggesting the city’s fire siege actually occurred, featuring Scythian-type iron and bronze arrowheads, pottery, lamps, burnt wood and ashes.
Researchers believe this is evidence of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 587/586 BC.
UNC Charlotte history professor Shimon Gibson said, ‘We know where the old fortification line ran, so we know we are inside the city.
«For archaeologists, an ashen layer can mean many different things. However, in this case, the combination of a layer of ash filled with artifacts, mixed with arrowheads, and a very special ornament indicates some type of devastation and destruction. No one abandons gold jewelry and no one has arrowheads in their household waste.
King Solomon’s Mines
Solomon is known for being the king of Israel and for his significant wealth that was believed to be hidden in underground mines.
In 2 Chronicles 1:11, Scripture describes: ‘But since you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to guide my people, over whom I have made you king, I will give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also give you more goods, riches and honors than any king who lived before you, or anyone who lives after you.’
Solomon is known for being the king of Israel who built the first temple in Jerusalem along with his significant wealth that was believed to be hidden in underground mines, which were found in an area under the king’s rule.
In 2017, archaeologists from Tel Aviv University discovered 3,000-year-old organic matter in the Timna Valley in Israel’s Arava Desert.
Scholarly work and materials found in the area suggest that the mines were operated by the Edomites, a semi-nomadic tribal confederacy who, according to the Bible, were constantly at war with Israel. “The mines are definitely from the time of King Solomon,” Dr. Ben-Yosef said.
“They can help us understand local society, which otherwise would have been invisible to us.”
Ben-Yosef believes that the copper mines at Timna may have been controlled by biblical nomads in the Iron Age.
