The State of Israel might only be 74 years old, but the Land of Israel contains thousands of years worth of history inside it. Every year, archaeologists working at digs around the country discover ancient sites and artifacts that help us better understand the rich history of both the land and its inhabitants.
The following is a list of the top 10 archaeological discoveries from June 2021 until today:
1. Mosaic Depicting Deborah and Yael Defeating Canaanite King Sisera
Discovered at the site of a 5th-century synagogue in the Galilean town of Huqoq, this mosaic portrays the biblical account of the defeat of the Canaanite king Sisera at the hands of the prophetess Deborah, the military leader Barak and the ancient heroine Yael. This mosaic features three sections: Deborah looking at Barak, Sisera seated and Sisera dead after being killed by Yael.
Unearthed by a team led by UNC Chapel Hill professor Jodi Magness, this is the latest mosaic to be discovered at the ancient synagogue site. Previously discovered mosaics include depictions of Jonah and the whale, the Israelite spies in Canaan, Noah’s Arc and the parting of the Red Sea. According to Magness, these mosaics “attest to a rich visual culture as well as to the dynamism and diversity of Judaism in the late Roman and Byzantine periods.”
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2. Remains of a Medieval Mosque Found in the Northern Negev Desert
While excavating in the northern Negev Bedouin city of Rahat, Israeli archaeologists uncovered a Byzantine-era farmhouse near a group of estate buildings that included a mosque. The 1,200-year-old rural mosque, which featured a wall facing Mecca, was large enough to hold up to dozens of Muslim worshippers.
Archaeologists point to this site as proof of the shifting demographics of the Negev region that accompanied the Arab conquest of the region, with the largely Christian population being slowly replaced by Muslims arriving from the Arabian Peninsula.
3. 2,000-Year-Old Hasmonean Aqueduct in Southern Jerusalem
In Jerusalem’s Armon Hanetziv neighborhood, Israeli archaeologists excavated a 40-meter-long segment of a 21-kilometer Hasmonean aqueduct that was used to bring water from the Solomon’s Pools area near Bethlehem to the Temple Mount. Built around 100 BCE, this aqueduct was in use for almost 2,000 years, until the advent of the electrical water pump at the beginning of the British Mandate.
Operated throughout the history of Jerusalem, this aqueduct was defined by one Israeli archaeologist as “a real historical monument of the city.”
4. Intact 5,000-Year-Old Jug From the Qumran Region
An American-Israeli hiking with a friend in the Qumran region, near the Dead Sea, discovered a fully intact clay jug in March 2022. The 5,000-year-old jug was uncovered in a cave in the area known to contain a wide variety of ancient Jewish artifacts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls.
According to Israeli archaeologists, the discovery of a complete vessel from the Early Bronze Age is extremely rare and this may be the first find of its kind in the area.
Related Reading: Media Erase Jewish Connection to Newly Uncovered Ancient Winery in Israel
5. Remains of a First Temple-Era Wall in the City of David
Israeli archaeologists unearthed the remains of a defensive wall along the eastern slope of the City of David. Connecting two previously-discovered wall remnants, this wall is believed to have successfully withstood various assaults on Jerusalem during the First Temple era before the Babylonians were finally able to breach it and sack the holy city.
This discovery helped confirm for archaeologists that previous findings in the same area due indeed date back to the First Temple period.
6. Evidence of Beer Production in the Land of Israel 7,000 Years Ago
A recent discovery by a team of Israeli and American archaeologists has found that the inhabitants of the Land of Israel have been producing beer for thousands of years. Two clay strainers — one from the upper Galilee and one from the Jordan Valley — were analyzed by experts and determined to have been used to produce beer 7,000 years ago.
According to archaeologists working on the project, the consumption of beer during this time period is evidence of humanity’s development of complex social relations.
7. ‘Rebel Coin’ Unearthed by 11-Year-Old May Have Been Minted on the Temple Mount
During a trip to the City of David national park just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, an 11-year-old Israeli girl discovered a silver coin dating back 2,000 years. The coin is engraved on one side with the image of a cup along with the words “second year” and features on the other side an engraving of the headquarters of the High Priest along with the words “Holy Jerusalem” written in an ancient Hebrew script.
The coin, which dates back to the Great Rebellion against the Roman Empire between the years of 66 and 70 CE, is thought to have been minted on the Temple Mount by priests who were sympathetic to the rebels’ cause.
Related Reading: Israeli Archaeological Treasures Align With Hebrew Bible Accounts
8. Dig at Yavne Unveils What Life Was Like in Rabbinic Center 2,000 Years Ago
An excavation project by Israeli archaeologists at the historic site of Yavne uncovered the home of a religious family, as evidenced by the discovery of vessels used to maintain ritual purity. An even more important discovery was located mere meters from this house: a cemetery. Experts believe the cemetery is a Jewish one and may hold the remains of important rabbinic figures from the end of the Second Temple period.
After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Yavne became the center of Jewish life until the Bar Kochba revolt 60 years later.
9. Clay Fragment May Be Connected to the Biblical Judge Gideon
A fragment of a jug unearthed in the Judean foothills in 2019 was recently discovered to have been inscribed with the Hebrew name “Yeruba’al.” According to experts, the name Yeruba’al is used in the Bible as a nickname for the judge Gideon, who led 300 Israelite warriors to victory against the Midianites, as detailed in the Book of Judges.
While Israeli archaeologists have dated the potsherd to the same time period that the Biblical Gideon would have lived, they are unsure if this fragment is related to him or another “Yeruba’al,” since it was found some distance away from where he is believed to have lived.
Either way, this pottery fragment is also useful in tracking the development of writing systems in the Land of Israel 3,000 years ago.
Related Reading: Forensic Architecture ‘Investigation’ Into ‘Destruction of Gaza’s Antiquities’ Glosses Over Real Archaeological Crimes
10. Archaeologists Discover Evidence of Biblical Earthquake in Jerusalem
Archaeologists working at the City of David in Jerusalem exposed the remnants of an 8th century BCE structure that seems to have been destroyed through a natural occurrence, most likely an earthquake.
According to experts, this is the first time incontrovertible evidence has been found for earthquakes that are referenced in the Biblical books of Amos, Isaiah and Zechariah. Aside from confirming the biblical narrative, this discovery is also useful for archaeologists in dating finds located around the same area.
While there are continuous efforts to undermine the connection of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, the consistent discovery of ancient Jewish artifacts and sites in Israel not only helps to strengthen the historic ties of the Jewish people to their land, but also helps to enlighten both scholars and laypeople as to the development of the Jewish community within the region over the past 3,000 years.
Photo Credit: Jim Haberman
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