Archaeologists working on ruins in an ancient port city near Alexandria believe they have uncovered the oldest church ever discovered in Egypt. Researchers said the church — with walls likely built in the shape of a cross — probably dates back to the 4th century AD. Such architecture was common in places of worship at that time.
No one names their son Jehoahaz. It’s just too tough to pronounce. On the other hand, most of us know a Josiah or two. Not only is it a much more pronounceable, but as we read in 2 Kings chapter 22, “Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years… He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.”
Preserving the past and paving the way for progress have come to a crossroads in Israel. Archaeologists discovered what they believe to be the ancient town of Beit Shemesh and what they found there overturned their assumptions about the fate of the ancient city.
Would you pay $2.95 million for a baby Tyrannosaurus rex? The sixty-eight-million-year-old skeleton was discovered in Montana in 2013 by Alan Detrich and his brother. Detrich loaned the fossil to the Kansas University Natural History Museum, then decided to put it up for sale on eBay. Paleontologists warn that the bones are incomplete and shattered in parts. “The asking price is just absurd,” one said.
Israeli Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Second Temple-period settlement linked to Abraham. The find, in the city of Beersheva, revealed a rare lamp chard with a nine-branch menorah, one of the earliest ever discovered. Other artifacts include limestone vessels used for purity rituals, bronze coins, a watchtower, and underground tunnels used by Jewish rebels.
Archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered a 2,600-year-old clay seal they believe belonged to Nathan-Melech, who is mentioned in 2 Kings and was a servant to King Josiah.
Dr. Scott Stripling and a team of archaeologists say they may have found the location of the Biblical city of Ai from the Old Testament.
When pieces of ancient pottery and never-before-seen scroll fragments began making their way to the antiquities black market a few years ago, archaeologists suspected that looters had found a new cache of Dead Sea Scrolls.
2018 was a big year for archeologists. On Christian Headlines alone, we covered almost 20 Biblically significant archeological discoveries. From potentially finding the location of the Ark of the Covenant to finding the oldest known manuscript of the Gospel of Mark, scientists have put their best feet forward in the quest to finding artifacts from way back.
Here are 7 of the most significant Biblical archaeological discoveries of 2018.
Photo courtesy: Pixabay
A modern verification of an ancient event and tangible evidence of an ancient person. And once again, biblical history is verified.
