Archaeologists excavating the biblical City of David have discovered evidence that confirms the burning of the city of Jerusalem as described in the Bible. The researchers were working in the Jerusalem Walls National Park when they discovered a large number burnt artifacts that they were able to date to approximately 2,600 years ago, confirming a reference in the Bible that describes the burning of Jerusalem by the Babylonians around that time. Traditionally, historians have placed the fall of Jerusalem to ancient Babylonian invaders to around 587 BC.
The artifacts discovered include burnt pottery, wood, grape seeds, and bones - all covered in layers of ash. A large number of artifices, as well as their location and the type of material, indicate that the burning was extremely widespread. These artifacts confirm the passage from the Book a Jeremiah that states that the Babylonians "burned all the houses of Jerusalem."
The archaeologists, who work for the Israel Antiquities Authority, were primarily working in the eastern section of the Biblical City of David when they discovered the artifacts under several layers of rock. Scattered among the artifacts were also dozens of jars used for everyday purposes, like the storage of grain and fluids, indicating that the fire impacted all of the citizens of the city, not just the upper classes. Many of these items bore stamped handles and rosette seals, which researchers explained were in common use circa 2,600 years ago.
The artifacts discovered include burnt pottery, wood, grape seeds, and bones - all covered in layers of ash. A large number of artifices, as well as their location and the type of material, indicate that the burning was extremely widespread. These artifacts confirm the passage from the Book a Jeremiah that states that the Babylonians "burned all the houses of Jerusalem."
The archaeologists, who work for the Israel Antiquities Authority, were primarily working in the eastern section of the Biblical City of David when they discovered the artifacts under several layers of rock. Scattered among the artifacts were also dozens of jars used for everyday purposes, like the storage of grain and fluids, indicating that the fire impacted all of the citizens of the city, not just the upper classes. Many of these items bore stamped handles and rosette seals, which researchers explained were in common use circa 2,600 years ago.
"These seals are characteristic of the end of the First Temple Period, "Dr Joe Uziel, who led the excavation, explains in an official video from the Israel Antiquities Authority, found above in this article. "[They] were used for the administrative system that developed towards the end of the Judean dynasty." The fact that the fire damage can be accurately dated to around 2,600 years ago through modern scientific methods corroborates Bible legends of the Babylonians burning the city. The first reference to this event, in the Book of Jeremiah, states: "Now, on the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire." The findings from this dig indicate that significant sections of the city were destroyed rapidly by an intense blaze, the Times of Israel reports. In an interesting development that is not noted in the Biblical telling of the burning of Jerusalem, it also showed signs that other areas were abandoned after the initial blaze, despite not being destroyed by it. This suggests that the burning may not have been as total as many people inferred from the Biblical passage. “It seems like not all of the buildings were destroyed in a single event, "Dr Uziel explains. "It seems that some were destroyed and others were abandoned.” However, discoveries made at this dig add to existing evidence, which includes the discovery of Babylonian arrowheads dating from the same time period, that the burning of Jerusalem is a true historical event as described in Biblical texts. –Disclose TV
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