Archaeologists are reporting a stunning discovery, right in the shadows of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
A rare 2,700-year-old pottery fragment with a royal message is shining a light on key events found in the Old Testament.
Archaeologists in Jerusalem unearthed an Assyrian inscription on a piece of clay in a drainage canal at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. The one-inch artifact appears to be a part of a seal that was used to authenticate official documents.
“The composition of the bullae (inscribed clay) generally matches the components of the minerals and rocks in the Tigris basin and therefore the bullae most likely arrived here in Jerusalem as official documents from one of the Assyrian centers,” researchers explained.
This incredible find appears to confirm yet another Biblical narrative. Israeli tour guide Yoav Rotem tells CBN News it’s a clay seal with a message from Assyria that appears to be from the time of King Hezekiah during the First Temple period, relating to the biblical account of 2 Kings 18:13 that preceded the message.
“If you remember, King Hezekiah is facing a military campaign coming from Assyria,” he explains. “We know that the kings before Hezekiah…they have been under probable control or had to pay tax to Assyria.”
Researchers noted the inscription confirms the Biblical story that King Hezekiah delayed paying taxes to the empire.
The rare discovery was uncovered as part of an Israel Antiquities Authority archaeological excavation, in collaboration with the City of David Foundation and directed by Dr. Ayala Zilberstein of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Moriah Cohen, who works at the “Archaeological Experience” in Emek Tzurim, was the one to stumble upon the artifact.
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“I was sifting through the dirt and suddenly noticed a sherd with a strange decoration. Examining it closely, it looked to me to be cuneiform, but that seemed totally unreasonable,” she said.
Cohen, who says she was in disbelief, said she had to do a double-take to make sure it wasn’t a decoration.
“Even though so many fascinating finds have been discovered here over the years, we’ve never, ever found anything like this,” she recounted. “For me personally, the thought that after 2,700 years, I am the first person to actually touch this pottery with my hands is a very exciting thought. This is a once-in-a-lifetime find.”
A video report from “City of David” reveals more details about the discovery: “And here we actually have a direct letter signed with the seal of the king of Assyria addressed to the king of Judah saying to him, ‘Dear King of Judah, send the tribute quickly by the first of Av and if not the consequences will be severe.'”
“Perhaps [it] describes a point of friction between the Kingdom of Judah the great Assyrian empire,” explained Dr. Peter Zilberg of Bar-Ilan University about the artifact. Some researchers point to 2 Kings 18:7, which reads, “And he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and did not serve him,” as evidence of the conflict.
Rotem shares more of the account, which begins 2 Kings 18:13, which details how King Sennacherib of Assyria marched against the fortified cities of Judah and seized them.
“King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: ‘I have done wrong; withdraw from me; and I shall bear whatever you impose on me,'” scriptures read. “So the king of Assyria imposed upon King Hezekiah of Judah a payment of 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold.”
“Know that our Bible is true,” said Rotem. “And yes, you can trust the Bible.”
Zilberg, an Assyriologist, adds that this text, although incomplete, helps “connect the biblical narrative to historical sources… in such a strong way.”
“We have the connection between archeology, history, and science,” he said. “This artifact is very, very important in connecting the history of the Land of Israel to the Bible and to the history of the ancient Near East as a whole.”
It’s no wonder that people, not just in the archaeological world but those with a biblical worldview, are marveling at the discovery.
“This groundbreaking archeological discovery near the Temple Mount not only verifies what Scripture has told us for thousands of years, but it also reminds us that God’s Word stands the test of time, and His promises to Israel are everlasting,” said Ben Hilton, writing for The Israel Guys.
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