Archaeologist sees proof for Bible in ancient wall

[cowiz]

JERUSALEM – An Israeli archaeologist said Monday that ancient fortifications recently excavated in Jerusalem date back 3,000 years to the time of King Solomon and support the biblical narrative about the era.

If the age of the wall is correct, the finding would be an indication that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government that had the resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications in the 10th century B.C.

That's a key point of dispute among scholars, because it would match the Bible's account that the Hebrew kings David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem around that time.

While some Holy Land archaeologists support that version of history — including the archaeologist behind the dig, Eilat Mazar — others posit that David's monarchy was largely mythical and that there was no strong government to speak of in that era.

Speaking to reporters at the site Monday, Mazar, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, called her find "the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel."

"It means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction," she said.

Based on what she believes to be the age of the fortifications and their location, she suggested it was built by Solomon, David's son, and mentioned in the Book of Kings.

The fortifications, including a monumental gatehouse and a 77-yard (70-meter) long section of an ancient wall, are located just outside the present-day walls of Jerusalem's Old City, next to the holy compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. According to the Old Testament, it was Solomon who built the first Jewish Temple on the site.

That temple was destroyed by Babylonians, rebuilt, renovated by King Herod 2,000 years ago and then destroyed again by Roman legions in 70 A.D. The compound now houses two important Islamic buildings, the golden-capped Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Archaeologists have excavated the fortifications in the past, first in the 1860s and most recently in the 1980s. But Mazar claimed her dig was the first complete excavation and the first to turn up strong evidence for the wall's age: a large number of pottery shards, which archaeologists often use to figure out the age of findings.

Aren Maeir, an archaeology professor at Bar Ilan University near Tel Aviv, said he has yet to see evidence that the fortifications are as old as Mazar claims. There are remains from the 10th century in Jerusalem, he said, but proof of a strong, centralized kingdom at that time remains "tenuous."

While some see the biblical account of the kingdom of David and Solomon as accurate and others reject it entirely, Maeir said the truth was likely somewhere in the middle.

"There's a kernel of historicity in the story of the kingdom of David," he said.

Full article here > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100223/ap_ ... cient_wall

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Did the wall have a signature on it? Who built it, when, and why? Or is it just something they found in the "right place" and decided all that because "it fits"?

[GenesForLife]

Did the wall have a signature on it? Who built it, when, and why? Or is it just something they found in the "right place" and decided all that because "it fits"?

Well, does the finding of troy then also validate Greek mythology? or does the finding of Dwaraka also make Hindu mythology true?

[Agrippina]

Yes there was a whole big 'announcement' about a tomb fairly recently and especially because it said something about being the tomb of the family of Joseph including one sarcophagus with the name Jesus on it, it was determined to be a forgery.

All antiquities from Israel have to be viewed with extreme skepticism because of the way that forgers are very clever about making things look old. There is a huge market it forgeries from there, so until several reputable archeologists and real forensic scientists verify that it's real, I won't hold my breath.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Did the wall have a signature on it? Who built it, when, and why? Or is it just something they found in the "right place" and decided all that because "it fits"?

Well, does the finding of troy then also validate Greek mythology? or does the finding of Dwaraka also make Hindu mythology true?

If we find Achilles' bones in Troy that would help, but it wouldn't prove the gods were shooting dice with the universe.

[Dr. Kwaltz]

Ah yes... The topic of biblical archeology...

I'm so far from being an expert on the topic but it really interests me as this is where any evidence could surface but so far it is mum, including this so called Solomonic wall.

I am not sure if people here are familiar with Prof. Hector Avalos?
He has a very good lecture that is currently available for download from alt.binaries.documentaries on USENET for those interested. It is called "Hector Avalos How Archaeology Killed Biblical History". He describes his own voyage through the topic and how he turned from being a pentecostal to an atheist based upon the inherent lack of archaeological evidence along with what to him became clearly pure fiction. It's well worth the couple of hours the program lasts.

[T. Kari]

Imagine that, they've found something that the bible might or might not have managed to deliver a remotely accurate historical account about.
But at least I'm quite sure theists won't be clinging to it as an argument for biblical accuracy like flies on a musky pile of dung, any less than they will claim it to just be allegorical when something is shown to be complete horseshit

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Somebody let me know when they find Jesus's body.

[Dr. Kwaltz]

Somebody let me know when they find Jesus's body.

Ummm welll hmmm you see.. ehhh

That's going to be a bit difficult..
You see, a few days after they buried him, thanks to a sudden spell of tropical weather, they reopened the grave and found his body to be bloated from gases released from his rapidly decaying body. Alas, some joker poked his bloated body and *kapooooof* he took off like a balloon, some resurrection alright...

[Reverend Blair]

Imagine that, they've found something that the bible might or might not have managed to deliver a remotely accurate historical account about.

Yup. And Stephen King mentions real places and events in his books sometimes, therefore everything he ever wrote should be viewed as fully factual reportage, not fiction.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Imagine that, they've found something that the bible might or might not have managed to deliver a remotely accurate historical account about.

Yup. And Stephen King mentions real places and events in his books sometimes, therefore everything he ever wrote should be viewed as fully factual reportage, not fiction.

Does anybody else love the fact that Salem's Lot was a pig pen?

[Feck]

Was there writing on the wall ?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Was there writing on the wall ?

Yeah, but it was evaluated and found to not be of any quality.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Was there writing on the wall ?

Yeah, but it was evaluated and found to not be of any quality.

Philistine! It was a Banksy!!!

[cracka1337]

Wait, someone found evidence to support the bible that is older than biblical 'scholars' claim the entire universe is?
Maybe it was an ancient zoo and that wall was to keep the dinosaurs in.