Archaeologists unearth 2,000-year-old mystery that may confirm details of biblical account of Jesus' burial



Archaeologists believe they have uncovered remnants of an ancient garden that may confirm certain details of the biblical account of the burial of Jesus Christ.

A team of researchers from Sapienza University of Rome discovered remains of ancient olive trees and grapevines that allegedly date back to the time of the death of Jesus Christ in the spring of 33 A.D., according to the Jerusalem Post.

'The real treasure we are revealing is the history of the people who made this site what it is by expressing their faith here.'

The traces of the olive trees and grapevines were identified through archaeo-botanical and pollen analysis. The remains were discovered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Israel.

The Christian Post notes, "The Church of the Holy Sepulchre marks the traditional site of both Golgotha (Calvary) and Jesus’ tomb."

The site was believed to be a former quarry before it was transformed into a cultivated area.

The excavation unearthed low stone walls and filled-in soil, which suggests that the quarry was transformed into a garden.

Researchers believe that the remains could be in the same "garden" area that is mentioned in John 19:41: "Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There they laid Jesus."

"The archaeo-botanical findings have been especially interesting for us, in light of what is mentioned in the Gospel of John, whose information is considered written or collected by someone familiar with Jerusalem at the time," Professor Francesca Romana Stasolla of Sapienza University in Rome told the Times of Israel. "The Gospel mentions a green area between the Calvary and the tomb, and we identified these cultivated fields."

Radiocarbon dating of the garden remains is still being processed.

In addition to the botanical and geological discoveries, researchers found marble tombs in the church compound that appeared to be connected to Joseph of Arimathea, the biblical figure who allegedly assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion.

Stasolla added, "We are conducting geological analysis to verify the origin of the marble, and we are also testing the mortar. Both tests can give us important information."

The archaeological discovery could settle long-standing debate regarding the exact location of Jesus's crucifixion and burial.

Stasolla noted, "Whether someone believed in the historicity of the Holy Sepulchre or not, the fact that generations of people did was objective. The history of the place was the history of Jerusalem, and at least from a certain moment, it was the history of the worship of Jesus Christ."

Stasolla said, "The real treasure we are revealing is the history of the people who made this site what it is by expressing their faith here."

Stasolla stressed, “It is the faith of those who have believed in the holiness of this site for millennia that has allowed it to exist and transform.”

The excavation at the site in Jerusalem’s Old City began in 2022 as part of a restoration project.

“With the renovation works, the religious communities decided to also allow archaeological excavations under the floor,” Stasolla stated.

“While we have not been able to see the entire church excavated in one glance, new technologies are allowing us to reconstruct the bigger picture in our labs,” Stasolla continued. “If we were talking about a puzzle, we could say we are only excavating one piece at a time, but eventually, we will have a complete multimedia reconstruction of the full picture.”

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Archaeologists unearth first-ever evidence of epic biblical battle at 'Armageddon' through unexpected artifacts



Archaeologists believe they have uncovered new evidence of the ancient biblical battle of "Armageddon."

A significant archaeological discovery has reportedly been made at the historic site of Megiddo in northern Israel, roughly 18 miles southeast of Haifa.

'The encounter between Josiah and Necho at Megiddo in 609 BCE was a fateful event in biblical period history and theology.'

The Megiddo excavation site is said to contain over 30 layers of various settlements, dating back from the Copper Age up until World War I, according to Fox News.

Recent digs at the excavation site unearthed Egyptian and Greek pottery remains from the late 7th century BCE, which may be the evidence to confirm the biblical account of a battle between Judah's King Josiah and Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II over 2,600 years ago.

According to the Hebrew Bible, King Josiah's military force battled the Egyptian army at Megiddo in 609 BCE.

King Josiah was killed during the battle.

“There are several clues in the Bible to the participation of Lydians from western Anatolia in the killing of Josiah. One of them is the story of Gog; some scholars think that Gog refers to Gyges, the king of Lydia who, according to the Assyrians, sent mercenaries to serve in the Egyptian army in the 7th century BCE,” said professor Israel Finkelstein, head of the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa and longtime director of the Megiddo Expedition.

Gog is a descendant of the prophet Joel in 1 Chronicles 5:4. However, Gog and Magog are described as allies of Satan in the battle against God, according to Revelation 20:7-9 in the New Testament.

The word "armageddon" is allegedly derived from "Har Megiddo" — the Hebrew word for the “mound” or “mountain” (har) of Megiddo.

The Oxford English Dictionary notes that "armageddon" in Christian eschatology means "the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgement, to be fought (according to Revelation 16:16) in the place of this name. Hence: any dramatic, final, or catastrophic conflict, especially one seen as likely to destroy the world or the human race; (sometimes more loosely) the end of the world."

Megiddo is mentioned 12 times in the Bible.

The archeological discovery of a noteworthy amount of 7th-century BCE Egyptian pottery at Megiddo suggests that the infamous battle took place there, according to an academic paper published earlier this year in the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament.

"The encounter between Josiah and Necho at Megiddo in 609 BCE (2 Kings 23:29) was a fateful event in biblical period history and theology," the paper states. "Yet, the archaeology of the site failed to supply information about this affair."

The discovery of unexpected archaeological artifacts from Egypt and East Greece in Megiddo could point to a crucial military alliance that defeated King Josiah.

"The finds in this layer include an exceptional number of Egyptian-made pottery vessels as well as a significant number of East Greek pottery, usually interpreted as representing Greek mercenaries in the service of the 26th Dynasty," the paper explains. "These finds shed light on the population of Egyptian-governed Megiddo and hence on the background of the 609 BCE event."

Dr. Assaf Kleiman of Ben-Gurion University — a senior lecturer at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and senior member of the Megiddo Expedition staff who led the studies — stated these archaeological findings suggest the presence of Egyptian military forces rather than traders.

“The exposure of so many Egyptian vessels, including fragments of serving bowls, cooking pots, and storage jars, is an exceptional phenomenon,” Kleiman stated. “We, therefore, understand it as representing Egyptians who settled at Megiddo in the late 7th century, maybe as part of an army force that arrived at the site following the collapse of the Assyrian Empire.”

“Service of Greeks, probably from western Anatolia, in the Egyptian army of the 26th Dynasty is referred to in both Greek [from Herodotus] and Assyrian sources,” Kleiman explained. “The possibility of the participation of such mercenaries in the killing of Josiah may be hinted in prophetic works in the Bible.”

Kleiman noted that there’s no non-biblical proof of King Josiah but asserted that his existence “has never been doubted in biblical and historical scholarship.”

Archaeologists said they plan to do more research into the site’s Bronze Age roots.

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Archaeologists unearth 'surprise' sarcophagus at ancient church that could rewrite history of saint that inspired Santa Claus



A groundbreaking archaeological discovery could potentially rewrite the history of the burial location of St. Nicholas, the saint who inspired the legend of Santa Claus.

Saint Nicholas of Myra — also known as Nicholas of Bari — was born in the maritime city of Patara, in what is modern-day Turkey.

'The discovery of a sarcophagus near the church, which is believed to be the resting place of St. Nicholas, could indicate that this site may indeed be the sacred area in question.'

Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop celebrated for his generosity, kindness, and numerous miracles. Because of charitable causes — especially toward children — Saint Nicholas was known as the patron saint of children.

St. Nicholas died on Dec. 6, 343 AD.

To this day, Christians honor Saint Nicholas on Dec. 6 with Saint Nicholas Day or the Feast of Saint Nicholas.

The St. Nicholas Church was erected in 520 AD on the foundations of an older church where St. Nicholas served as bishop in the ancient city of Myra — what is now the modern-day municipality of Demre in Turkey.

Historians had previously said that the remains of St. Nicholas were initially buried in Myra but later transported to Italy.

The Catholic News Agency reported, "Amid the takeover of the Turkish region by the Muslim Seljuks, Nicholas’ bones were purportedly moved by merchants from Myra to Bari in 1087 — and a few bones reportedly made their way to Venice — not long after the Great Schism between Catholics and the Orthodox in 1054."

However, a groundbreaking archaeological discovery is challenging the narrative of the final resting place of Saint Nicholas.

A team of archaeologists has made an eye-opening discovery of a "surprise" sarcophagus in Turkey that could rewrite the history of St. Nicholas. The archaeologists say they have unearthed a special sarcophagus at the St. Nicholas Church in Demre that could be the burial ground of St. Nicholas.

"We believe that we have encountered a sarcophagus to be in situ (original position) for the first time," proclaimed associate professor Ebru Fatma Findik, who is heading the excavation team through Hatay Mustafa Kemal University's Department of Art History.

The sarcophagus was reportedly found in the church’s two-story annex.

"While drilling inside the structure, we encountered a surprise sarcophagus," Findik stated. "We are working inside the 20-meter-long, two-story structure that borders the church courtyard from the south. This work, among the undecorated sarcophagus group, is made of local stone and has a slightly high barrel roof."

Findik noted of the promising archaeological find, "According to initial evaluations, its similarity to the types of sarcophagi in the region is striking."

"The discovery of a sarcophagus near the church, which is believed to be the resting place of St. Nicholas, could indicate that this site may indeed be the sacred area in question," Findik continued. "We can say that we have reached archaeological evidence that confirms historical sources about St. Nicholas' burial place being in the city's sacred area."

Findik told Daily Sabah, "Our biggest hope is to find an inscription on the sarcophagus. This would help clarify the burial contents and allow us to determine the exact period it dates from. While the lid of the sarcophagus has been uncovered, only a small section of the burial chamber has been exposed, and further excavation is expected to reveal more details in the coming months."

"The fact that a sarcophagus has been unearthed very close to the church that is thought to contain the tomb of St. Nicholas excites us greatly," Findik said.

Archaeology experts also discovered several "terracotta oil lamp fragments and animal bones," which they say indicates that it is a burial site.

However, Findik conceded that the exact location of Saint Nicholas’ burial remains uncertain.

Findik and his team will continue to excavate the area around the ancient church in an effort to contribute to his country’s tourism.

The project is financed by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

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Groundbreaking discovery of 1,800-year-old amulet found on skeleton could rewrite early Christian history



In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists have unearthed a 1,800-year-old silver amulet that could rewrite early Christian history.

An ancient silver amulet was discovered in a grave near Frankfurt, Germany.

'The "Frankfurt Inscription" is a scientific sensation.'

Crews conducted an excavation at an ancient cemetery in what was once the Roman city of Nida at an archaeological site outside of Frankfurt in 2018.

The city of Nida was an "administrative, economic, and religious center in the hinterland of the Upper Germanic Limes and, until its abandonment around 270-275 AD, was a major center of the Roman Empire," according to ArtDependence Magazine.

The 3rd-century Roman grave in the Heilmannstraße area contained 127 graves. Experts estimate that the burial ground dated between 230 and 270 AD.

Archaeology News Online Magazine reported that archaeologists unearthed the skeleton of a man aged 35-45 years. Around the skeleton were grave goods such as an incense burner and a jug made of baked clay.

Slightly below the skeleton's chin was a small silver amulet, also known as a phylactery. The amulet was likely worn with a ribbon around the neck.

Tine Rassalle — an archaeologist and researcher of Jewish and Christian history — told Live Science that the purpose of these amulets "was to protect or heal their owners from a range of misfortunes, such as illnesses, bodily aches, infertility, or even demonic forces."

Rassalle added, "In an era without advanced medical knowledge, such items were vital sources of comfort and security for you and your loved ones."

The cylindrical amulet measures just 1.4 inches long and contains a wafer-thin sheet of silver foil that is rolled up tightly. Inside the meticulously preserved amulet were 18 lines of text written in Latin.

Researchers analyzed the "Frankfurt Silver Inscription" and believe it could rewrite early Christian history.

Professor Markus Scholz from Frankfurt’s Goethe University — an archaeologist and expert on Latin inscriptions — finally deciphered the 18 lines of the Frankfurt Silver Inscription.

"Sometimes it took weeks, even months, until I had the next idea," Scholz explained. "I called in experts from the history of theology, among others, and we approached the text together bit by bit and ultimately deciphered it."

Scholz noted, "Normally, such inscriptions on amulets were written in Greek or Hebrew."

The inscription mentions Saint Titus, a student of the apostle Paul. It also shares the invocation "holy, holy, holy," which was not actually known in the Christian liturgy until around the 4th century AD. The inscription also mentions the phrase “bend your knees," which is a quote from Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

(In the name?) of St. Titus.
Holy, holy, holy!
In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God!
The lord of the world
resists to the best of his [ability?]
all seizures(?)/setbacks(?).
The God(?) grants well-being
Admission.
This rescue device(?) protects
the person who
surrenders to the will
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
since before Jesus Christ
bend all knees: the heavenly ones,
the earthly and
the subterranean, and every tongue
confess (to Jesus Christ).

The rare amulet holds religious significance because it provides the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity spreading north of the Alps. Previously, there was no archaeological proof that Christianity had spread north of the Alps until after the 4th century AD.

Mike Josef, Frankfurt’s mayor, said in a statement, "The ‘Frankfurt Inscription’ is a scientific sensation. As a result, the history of Christianity in Frankfurt and far beyond will have to be turned back by around 50 to 100 years. The first Christian find north of the Alps comes from our city. We can be proud of this, especially now, so close to Christmas."

Goethe University pointed out:

It is unusual that there is no reference in the inscription to any other faith besides Christianity. Normally, up until the 5th century, a mixture of different faiths can always be expected in precious metal amulets of this type. Often elements from Judaism or pagan influences can still be found. However, neither Yahweh, the almighty God of Judaism, nor the archangels Raphael, Gabriel, Michael, or Suriel are mentioned in this amulet, nor are the forefathers of Israel such as Isaac or Jacob. And no pagan elements such as demons either. The amulet is purely Christian.

The wafer-thin silver foil was too brittle and fragile to simply roll it out due to being 1,800 years old.

In May, researchers utilized a state-of-the-art computer tomograph at the Leibniz Center for Archaeology to scan it at a high resolution and create a 3D model.

Dr. Ivan Calandra of the Leibniz Center for Archaeology spotlighted the difficulties of transcribing the ancient amulet: “The challenge in analyzing the artifact was that the silver sheet was not only rolled but, after approximately 1,800 years, was also creased and compressed. Using the CT scanner, we were able to scan it in very high resolution and create a 3D model.”

According to Popular Mechanics, the owner of the amulet was brave to be a Christian during the 3rd century because Roman emperor Nero punished Christians with death or forced them to fight in the Colosseum.

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'Helped shape Western civilization': Oldest stone tablet of the Ten Commandments up for auction — could be worth millions



The oldest-known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments that includes 20 lines closely related to biblical texts is going to auction.

Sotheby’s will auction "one of the most widely known and influential texts in history" on Dec. 18.

'To encounter this shared piece of cultural heritage is to journey through millennia and connect with cultures and faiths told through one of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes.'

The prestigious auction house is putting up the ancient stone tablet featuring an inscription of the Ten Commandments in a single-lot sale.

Experts believe the cherished artifact — which is thought to be approximately 1,500 years old — could command between $1 million and $2 million.

The last time the stone tablet was up for sale was in 2016, when the artifact was sold for $850,000 at a Heritage Auction in Beverly Hills, California.

The world’s earliest-known complete stone inscription of the Ten Commandments was rediscovered in 1913 during the construction of a railway near Israel's southern coast, near the sites of early synagogues, mosques, and churches.

Amazingly, the precious relic was a paving stone at the entrance to a local home, with the inscription facing upwards and exposed to foot traffic.

“Some of the letters of the central part of the inscription are blurred — but still readable under proper lighting — either from the conditions of its burial or foot traffic while it was resting in the courtyard,” David Michaels, director of ancient coins for Heritage Auctions, told CNN in 2016.

In 1943, the stone tablet was purchased by Y. Kaplan, a municipal archaeologist. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Kaplan identified the slab as a Samaritan Decalogue — an important piece of religious history.

The precious antiquity was reportedly carved by the Samaritans circa 300-500 AD.

The Samaritans were an ancient group of people who lived in the central region of the land of Israel and whose beliefs were rooted in the Old Testament.

The Samaritan Decalogue is similar to the Jewish Ten Commandments but focuses on the religious sanctity of Mount Gerizim instead of Mount Zion.

The artifact from the late Byzantine period only lists nine of the commandments found in the Book of Exodus, omitting “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.”

Archaeologists believe the original site of the stone tablet was likely destroyed during either the Roman invasions of 400-600 AD or during the Crusades in the 11th century.

The stone slab weighs 115 pounds and stands approximately two feet in height. The marble tablet is chiseled in Paleo-Hebrew script.

The slab of white marble — described as a “national treasure” of Israel — features 20 lines of text incised on the stone that closely follow the biblical verses "familiar to both Christian and Jewish traditions," according to Sotheby's.

Sharon Liberman Mintz — Sotheby’s international senior specialist of Judaica, books, and manuscripts — told ARTnews, "We understood how powerful the object was, and we were really thrilled to be able to offer it for sale to the public."

“This is really one-of-a-kind," Mintz added. "It's one of the most important historic artifacts that I’ve ever handled."

Richard Austin, Sotheby’s global head of books and manuscripts, said in a statement, "This remarkable tablet is not only a vastly important historic artifact, but a tangible link to the beliefs that helped shape Western civilization. To encounter this shared piece of cultural heritage is to journey through millennia and connect with cultures and faiths told through one of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes.”

The stone tablet with the Ten Commandments will be on public display at Sotheby’s in New York City beginning on Dec. 5.

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'A king will die': 4,000-year-old Babylonian tablets finally deciphered to reveal disastrous omens



Researchers have finally deciphered a set of 4,000-year-old Babylonian tablets that had ominous omens of doom and destruction.

The four clay tablets dating back some 4,000 years likely originated in Sipparan — an ancient Babylonian city southwest of what is now Baghdad, Iraq.

'There will be an attack on the land by a locust swarm.'

The Babylonian tablets were written in cuneiform — the earliest system of writing that was developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3,400 to 3,300 BCE. The term "cuneiform" comes from the Latin word cuneus, meaning "wedge," and forma, meaning "shape," referring to the wedge-shaped formations made by a stylus on the soft clay tablets.

The British Museum acquired the tablets between 1892 and 1914. However, the tablets have never been fully translated until now.

The translation of the ancient artifacts was recently published in a paper featured in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies. The paper was written by Andrew George, an emeritus professor of Babylonian at the University of London, and Junko Taniguchi, an independent researcher.

The paper titled "Old Babylonian Lunar-Eclipse Omen Tablets in the British Museum" declares that the artifacts are "the oldest examples of compendia of lunar-eclipse omens yet discovered and thus provide important new information about celestial divination among the peoples of southern Mesopotamia in the early second millennium BCE."

The paper reads: "They are all found to bear witness to a single text, which organizes the omens of lunar eclipse by time of night, movement of shadow, duration, and date."

The Babylonians were deeply driven by astrology and invented the 12 zodiac signs and the horoscope.

Babylonians recorded the movements of the celestial bodies, the stars, and planets and recognized patterns in them. They believed celestial phenomena were divine signs from the gods and could predict joyous and catastrophic events.

One of the most significant celestial phenomena for the ancient people was lunar eclipses — when Earth’s shadow falls on the surface of the full moon. The Babylonians were able to predict lunar eclipses with fair accuracy for the time.

Babylonians believed that "events in the sky were coded signs placed there by the gods as warnings about the future prospects of those on earth," George and Taniguchi wrote in the paper. "Those who advised the king kept watch on the night sky and would match their observations with the academic corpus of celestial-omen texts."

According to NASA, Babylonians believed lunar eclipses meant evil omens were coming that involved their kings.

The Babylonians went as far as appointing substitute kings so they would be the victims of the wrath of the gods instead of the real king. The substitute king was reportedly killed so the omen was always correct.

The tablets claim that if "an eclipse becomes obscured from its center all at once [and] clear all at once, a king will die, destruction of Elam,” referring to a region that is now located in modern-day Iran.

A prediction proclaims if there is "an eclipse begins in the south and then clears" that it will result in the "downfall of Subartu and Akkad," referring to two other regions of the time.

Another omen warns that "a dearth of straw will occur; there will be losses of cattle" if an eclipse occurs on a certain day of the month.

"There will be an attack on the land by a locust swarm," one omen reads.

The tablet text foresees that a "large army will fall" if a lunar eclipse occurs.

George told Live Science, "The origins of some of the omens may have lain in actual experience — observation of portent followed by catastrophe."

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'Monumental' fortification that protected Jerusalem's biblical kings discovered, reveals hidden history from 3,000 years ago



Archaeologists have uncovered a "monumental" fortification that protected Jerusalem's biblical kings some 3,000 years ago. The "dramatic" archaeological discovery solved a 150-year-old mystery in the City of David.

Since 2007, archaeologists have been excavating the area around the Givati Parking Lot, the largest active archaeological excavation in Jerusalem today. The excavation site on the northwestern side of the City of David has unearthed different layers of the city's life from the Middle Ages to ancient times.

'The creation of the moat was a large-scale, monumental operation, designed ... to demonstrate the power of Jerusalem’s rulers to those who entered its gates.'

The most recent archaeological find is the remnants of a moat that split the City of David in half — separating the king's palace and Temple Mount from the rest of the city, including the Ophel in Jerusalem.

The fortification aligns with the city's division noted in the Bible as Ophel and Millo. In the first Book of Kings (11:27), King Solomon described a fortification known as Millo.

"And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the City of David his father," the Bible verse reads.

Archaeologists had been searching for the route of Jerusalem's northern fortification for 150 years. However, the recent excavation finally solved the riddle and revealed a city-dividing moat with unclimbable perpendicular cliffs on both sides.

“It is not known when the moat was first dug, but it is clear that it was used during the centuries when Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah – almost 3,000 years ago, starting from the days of King Josiah,” said Tel Aviv University professor Yuval Gadot and Israel Antiquities Authority’s Dr. Yiftach Shalu.

The archaeologists added, “During those years, it divided between the extension of the city that spread to the south and was served as the residence of the people of Jerusalem and the Acropolis – the upper city, which was where the palace and the temple were located and stood on the Temple Mount, to the north.”

“The connection of the two exposed sections creates a deep and wide trench that stretches across About 70 meters at least, from west to east,” Gadot noted. “Following the dramatic discovery, we reexamined the past excavations reports written by the British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon, who excavated in the City of David in the 1960s, in an area located slightly east of today’s Givati Parking Lot.”

Gadot said the "dramatic discovery" has opened up a "renewed discussion of terms from biblical literature that relate to the topography of Jerusalem," which includes Ophel and Millo.

The Israel Antiquities Authority said of the engineering efforts involved in the moat's construction, “The creation of the moat was a large-scale, monumental operation, designed to change and modify the natural topography to demonstrate the power of Jerusalem’s rulers to those who entered its gates.”

Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido said in a press release, "The excavations in the City of David never cease to amaze; once again, discoveries are being revealed that shed new and vivid light on the biblical literature. When you stand at the bottom of this giant excavation, surrounded by enormous hewn walls, it is impossible not to be filled with wonder and appreciation for those ancient people who, about 3,800 years ago, literally moved mountains and hills."

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Archaeological discovery backs up epic battle from 2,700 years ago documented in the Bible



An archaeological discovery has seemingly corroborated an epic battle that took place some 2,700 years ago and is documented in the Bible.

King Sennacherib's Assyrian troops attempted a siege of Jerusalem approximately 2,700 years ago. King Hezekiah of Judah allegedly prayed for a miracle to save the city from being captured.

As per the Bible, an "angel of the Lord" descended on the invading Assyrian troops attempting to besiege Jerusalem. The "angel of the Lord" allegedly "struck down" 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night. Sennacherib – the king of Assyria – realized the devastation and was forced into a military retreat. The "angel of the Lord" allegedly prevented an Assyrian conquest of Jerusalem, according to accounts detailed in 2 Kings 19:35 and Isaiah 37:36.

2 Kings 19:35:

"And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses."

Historical records do indicate that there was an attempted Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C. However, Sennacherib's Annals claim that Assyrian troops returned to Assyria after receiving tribute from King Hezekiah. He was purportedly allowed to stay in power as a vassal of the Neo-Assyrian Empire – which included present-day Iraq, as well as parts of Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Kuwait.

Archaeologists had previously discovered a scene carved into the stone walls of King Sennacherib's palace, which displayed the Assyrian conquest of Lachish – a city 42 miles south of Jerusalem. The carvings showed how the Assyrian military bases were laid out.

Archaeologist Stephen Compton carefully examined these ancient engravings to determine the locations of ancient military camps set up by King Sennacherib in the Levant.

Compton wrote a peer-reviewed paper titled "The Trail of Sennacherib’s Siege Camps," which was recently published in the journal Near Eastern Archaeology. In the paper, Compton mapped out the likely locations for the ancient Assyrian military camps, from around 700 B.C.

Compton utilized aerial photographs of Lachish from World War II, landscape images, satellite imagery, onsite surveys, ancient pottery, and archaeological data to create a virtual map of Sennacherib's camps.

After Sennacherib's invasion of Lachish, the ruins near the city were abandoned for approximately 2,600 years. The ancient Arabic name for the ruins was "Khirbet al Mudawwara," meaning "The Ruins of the Camp of the Invading Ruler." Based on the discovery of pottery sherds from a period of prehistory known as the Chalcolithic, Compton suspects that the ruins were an Assyrian military camp used for the invasion and then abandoned after the city was conquered.

There was similar ruins north of Jerusalem, which was on a hill that was known in Arabic as "Jebel el Mudawwara," or "The Mountain of the Camp of the Invading Ruler."

Some archaeologists believed the ruins were a Roman military camp built by Titus during the later Roman invasion of Jerusalem. However, Compton noted that Roman military camps were always rectangular, but Assyrian military camps were an oval shape.

"We knew it was an oval. What I did was I took the image of the relief and match it up with recognizable features in the landscape with the actual landscape and overlayed the two," Compton told Fox News. "I used earlier photographs of the landscape from World War II, right before major changes were made. And it was a match."

Using the location of the military camps, Compton said that he had determined the location of two lost ancient cities – Libnah and Nob, Both cities were known to have been conquered by the Assyrians, but whose exact locations were uncertain. Nob was described as a "city of priests" near Jerusalem in 1 Samuel 22:19. Compton said Nob "held the tabernacle, the holiest site in Judaism prior to the construction of the temple."

Compton – an independent scholar specializing in Near Eastern archaeology – believes that the sites of the Assyrian military camps tell the story of where Sennacherib's armies invaded and conquered. He concluded that the discovery of the military camps proves that King Sennacherib's infamous siege of Jerusalem did happen.

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Archaeologists unearth ancient sword from 3,000 years ago at German burial site in 'extraordinary' condition



Archaeologists unearthed an ancient sword at a German burial site that is believed to be more than 3,000 years old. The Bronze Age sword is said to be in such remarkable condition that it "almost still shines."

An "extraordinary" bronze sword with an ornate octagonal hilt was discovered during excavations last week in Nördlingen, Germany – between Nuremberg and Stuttgart. The sword was found at a grave site said to have the remains of three people – a man, woman, and young person. Archaeologists believe the trio were buried shortly after one another, but it is not clear as to their relationship to each another. There are also several arrowheads in the burial mound.

The sword is believed to date back to the end of the 14th century BC — the middle of the Bronze Age.

Bavaria's State Office for Monument Protection noted that the sword is in such impressive condition that it "almost still shines."

"The sword and the burial still need to be examined so that our archeologists can categorize this find more precisely. But we can already say that the state of preservation is extraordinary. A find like this is very rare," said Mathias Pfeil, head of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, according to the Associated Press.

The German website Welt noted:

The manufacture of such octagonal swords was complex because the handle was cast over the blade. Two of the recognizable rivets are real connections, the other two are only suggested. Despite the effort involved in making it and the lack of any traces of a blow, the Bavarian archaeologists assume that it was a real weapon, not just a showpiece. The center of gravity in the front part of the blade indicates that this sword was primarily aimed at slashing.

The Jerusalem Post reported, "The sword, which had a greenish color, contains both bronze and copper. Over time, the copper oxidized to create the unique color."

Archaeologists believe that the sword’s components were crafted in southern Germany, northern Germany, and Denmark.

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