BHC Archaeology News May 25, 2016

Rare Artifacts From Jesus' Time Found at Orphanage in Jerusalem

Archaeologists in Israel are "astonished and surprised" after finding artifacts dating back to Jesus' time at a local orphanage and military complex in Jerusalem. Near the bathhouse a pit was found - maybe a ritual bath from the Second Temple Period - full of ceramic and glass vessels. Everything is evidence that nearly 2000 years ago the Romans arrived in Jerusalem and after the destruction of the city in 70 CE, the soldiers occupied this house. See pictures and read article at - http://www.christianpost.com/news/archaeology-discovery-rare-artifacts-jesus-orphanage-jerusalem-158919/

Vast 4,200-year Old Prehistoric Necropolis Found by Bethlehem

Cemetery with over 100 tombs from 2200-650 BCE shows prehistoric Bethlehem was a rich town situated along important trade routes. A vast prehistoric necropolis some 4,200 years old has been found near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, proving for the first time that the city had existed and thrived in Canaanite times. See pictures and read article at -- http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/archaeology/.premium-1.707191

Rare Roman Gold Coin Discovered in Israel

A hiker in eastern Galilee discovered an ancient gold coin in the grass at an archaeological site and alerted officials at the Israel Antiquities Authority. “This coin, minted in Rome in 107 CE, is rare on a global level. See pictures and read article at -- http://www.archaeology.org/news/4259-160314-israel-gold-coin

Before Islam: When Saudi Arabia Was a Jewish Kingdom

The discovery of the oldest-known pre-Islamic Arabic writing in Saudi Arabia, from ca. 470 CE, evidently caused some consternation, given its Christian and Jewish context.

read more: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/archaeology/.premium-1.709010

Jerusalem Dig Uncovers Ancient Greek Citadel

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered the remnants of an impressive fort built more than two thousand years ago by Greeks in the center of old Jerusalem. The ruins are the first solid evidence of an era in which Hellenistic culture held sway in this ancient city. Alexander the Great conquered Judea in the 4th century B.C., and his successors quarreled over the spoils. Jerusalem, Judea’s capital, sided with Seleucid King Antiochus III to expel an Egyptian garrison, and a grateful Antiochus granted the Jews religious autonomy. For a century and a half, Greek culture and language flourished here. Yet archaeologists have found few artifacts or buildings from this important era that shaped Jewish culture. See pictures and read article at -- http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422-israel-jerusalem-hellenistic-archaeology-passover-hanukkah/

The Menorah Treasure Discovered in the Heart of Jerusalem
In 2013, Dr. Eilat Mazar and her team of diggers unearthed one of the most influential discoveries in the field of Biblical archaeology in the Ophel excavations. Ophel, Hebrew for “a high place” (to climb to), is a biblical term, used since the times of the First Temple, given to part of a settlement that is elevated relative to its surroundings. The discovery of a symbol embossed with a seven-branched menorah from the seventh century was very much unexpected. Said Dr. Mazar: “We have been making significant finds from the First Temple Period in this area, a much earlier time in Jerusalem’s history, so discovering a golden menorah from the seventh century CE at the foot of the Temple Mount was a complete surprise.” See pictures and read article at -- http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/66068/menorah-treasure-discovered-heart-jerusalem/#Pge2oaTLdxetWiiQ.97