Seal of the City of David

Archaeology - Recent Discoveries

Seal of the City of David

“Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying,

“Thus says the Lord: ‘He Who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as a prize to him, and he shall live.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.’”

How do we know this passage from Jeremiah 38:1–3 is historically accurate (compare Jeremiah 37:3). First, we can look back at history and see if these words were fulfilled, and secondly, we can look at the archaeological evidence. Excavations have been taking place for quite some time (1920s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s) in the ancient City of David, located in the lower part of Jerusalem, from where King David once ruled.

The latest excavations are taking place under the experienced hand of Dr. Eilat Mazar, who believes her crew has uncovered the palace of King David. The discovery of a plaque with a seal dating to 580 BC has a name on it that’s close to the names of one of King Zedekiah’s officers.

On the seal is the name “Jucal (also spelled Jehucal), the son of Shelemiah,” the same name that appears in Jeremiah 38:1. This seal dates from before the destruction of the First Temple. These finds, which align with the same time periods in Jeremiah, give historical authenticity to the Bible. They also give archaeologists hope for more discoveries in the palace of the kings of Israel.

These verses in Jeremiah speak of a decree to the Israelites to leave their homeland because God was about to cast them into exile. God would spare the lives of those who left. And He also preserved the decree so the generations that followed would believe that His Word is true! 

New Dead Sea Scroll Fragments

The latest discovery; two small fragments of animal skin, brown with age, with Leviticus 23:38-39 and 43-44 inscribed in ancient Hebrew.

There is only one place on earth where an unending stream of evidence substantiating the Bible
is discovered year after year. Granted, it’s been 40 years since the major discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls thrilled biblical archaeologists and others who love the Word of God.

The newest Dead Sea Scroll fragments are now in the hands of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). How they got there is an intriguing story in itself. About a year ago, Professor Chanan Eshel, an archaeologist at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv, was summoned to an abandoned police station near the Dead Sea for a clandestine meeting with a Bedouin Arab. After explaining that he’d been offered $20,000 on the black market, the man asked Eshel to evaluate the fragments. It would be hard to describe the emotions that surged through the professor’s heart as he examined the skins. “I was jealous that he had found them instead of me,” said Eshel, who has worked in the Judean Desert for nearly 20 years. “I was also very excited, though I didn’t believe I would ever see them again.” Months later, after learning that the fragments had not left the country, Eshel bought them with $3,000 provided by Bar Ilan. The skins were turned over to the IAA, which is now testing them for authenticity. They are the 15th find in this area and date to the Second Revolt against the Romans under Bar-Kochba.

The discovery sparked renewed hope among biblical archaeologists that the Judean Desert has much yet to yield. “No scrolls have been found in the Judean Desert since 1965,” said Eshel. “This [find] encourages scholars to believe that if they bother to excavate, survey and climb, they will still find things in the Judean Desert. The common perception has been that there is nothing left to find there, but that is clearly wrong.”

Arjuna's penance

Mahabalipuram,derived from 'Mamallapuram' is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).

Mahabalipuram

The temples of Mamallapuram, portraying events described in the Mahabharata, built largely during the reigns of Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman, showcase the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building.

Themandapa or pavilions and the rathas or shrines shaped as temple chariots are hewn from the granite rock face, while the famed Shore Temple, erected half a century later, is built from dressed stone. Whatmakes Mamallapuram so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates.

The Shore Temple includes many bas reliefs, including one 100 ft. long and 45 ft. high, carved out of granite.All but one of the rathas from the first phase of Pallava architecture are modelled on the Buddhist viharas or monasteries and chaitya halls with several cells arranged around a courtyard. Art historian Percy Brown, in fact, traces the possible roots of the Pallava Mandapa to the similar rock-cut caves of Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. Referring to Narasimhavarman's victory in AD 642 over the Chalukyan king Pulakesin II, Brown says the Pallava king may have brought the sculptors and artisans back to Kanchi and Mamallapuram as 'spoils of war'.