✔Scientific tests have offered fascinating new insight into the tomb in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre venerated as the resting place of Jesus Christ.
National Geographic reports that construction materials used on the tomb have been dated to the Roman era. The results of tests provided to the publication confirm that the remains of a limestone cave enshrined in the famous church are the remnants of a tomb found by the Romans 1,700 years ago.
Experts analyzed mortar from the original limestone surface of the tomb and a marble slab that covers it, which they dated to around 345 A.D. Historical accounts indicate that the tomb, which is a limestone shelf or burial bed hewn from the wall of a cave, was discovered by the Romans and enshrined around 326 A.D., according to National Geographic.
File photo - Candles are placed atop the newly restored tomb, which according to Christian belief is where Jesus's body was anointed and buried, inside the newly restored Edicule, the ancient structure housing the tomb, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City March 20, 2017. (REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
The findings are significant because, up until now, the earliest architectural evidence around the cave complex dated it to the Crusader period, which would make it about 1,000 years old.
Last year, researchers uncovered a stone slab and examined the interior of the tomb. The slab, which has been covered by marble cladding since at least 1555 A.D., was exposed as part of a major restoration project at the church. The original limestone rock surface, or “burial bed,” was found to be intact. Experts also found a broken slab marble incised with a cross resting on the rock surface.
The broken slab provided a key clue to archaeologists, who now believe that it was mortared into place during the fourth-century A.D. This corresponds with the church’s construction by the Roman Emperor Constantine on a site venerated as Christ’s burial place by the local Christian community. Constantine demolished a Roman Temple built by the Emperor Hadrian on the site some 200 years earlier and excavated the rock beneath it to expose the loculus, or burial niche, identified as Christ’s tomb.
CHRIST'S BURIAL SLAB UNCOVERED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CENTURIES
The Church built by Constantine was destroyed by the Fatimid Caliphate in 1009 and rebuilt in the middle of the 11th century, according to National Geographic.
The “burial bed” was hewn from the side of a limestone cave following Christ’s crucifixion, according to Christian tradition. Christ’s resurrection from the dead is a core tenet of Christian belief – the Gospels say that the tomb was found to be empty by those who visited it a few days after the crucifixion.
The Gospels say that Jesus was buried outside Jerusalem’s city walls, which was in keeping with Jewish tradition, and near Golgotha, the site of his crucifixion. Jerusalem’s walls were later expanded to place Golgotha and the tomb within the city.
During the renovation project by the National Technical University of Athens, experts also confirmed the existence of the original limestone cave walls inside the Edicule, the early 19th-century structure within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that houses the tomb.
Chief Scientific Supervisor Antonia Moropoulou, who led the restoration, took a number of mortar samples from different parts of the Edicule. Mortar samples taken from the southern wall of the cave, for example, were dated to 335 and 1570, according to National Geographic, indicating construction work began during the Roman era and was later restored. Mortar from the tomb’s entrance was dated to the 11th century, corresponding with reconstruction after its destruction by the Fatimids.
Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, told Fox News that the latest findings shed important light on the famous site. "This discovery is significant for two important reasons: first, its fourth century date suggests that Christians from around the world have revered this exact site as the location of the resurrection for more than 1700 years; but just as significant, is the fact that this lower marble slab is a unique piece of intact architecture from the original church and withstood the vicissitudes of destruction and reconstruction of the shrine over many centuries," he explained, via email.
Hiebert is also curator of the new exhibition, "Tomb of Christ: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre Experience," at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C.
Lost Roman city that was home to Jesus' apostles found, say archaeologists
By James Rogers
Published August 07, 2017
Experts believe they have found the lost Roman city of Julias, formerly the village of Bethsaida, which was the home of Jesus' apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip.
Last month, archaeologists from the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret College, Israel and Nyack College in New York, completed excavations at el-Araj on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. El Araj has long been considered a possible location of ancient Julias, which was also known as Bethsaida.
�The results of this season�s excavation indicate that el-Araj should now be considered a leading candidate for the lost city of Jesus� Apostles,� explained the excavation team, in a statement emailed to Fox News.
�There are indications that we�re excavating Bethsaida-Julia - we have to continue digging to confirm and clarify," Prof. Steven Notley of Nyack College, the dig�s academic director, told Fox News. �This is really one of the few [biblical sites] that has remained lost.�
The Roman city of Julias was born out of the Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida during the first century A.D, according to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius. The New Testament describesBethsaida as the home of Jesus� apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip. Jesus also healed a blind man at Bethsaida, according to Mark 8:22-26, while Luke 9:10-17 describes a nearby location for the feeding of the five thousand people.
While many experts had previously assumed there was no human presence at el-Araj during the Roman period, this summer�s excavations have shed new light on the site. A previously unearthed Byzantine structure, for example, offered plenty of clues to the archaeologists. More than 30 coins found beneath the structure�s floor dated its construction to the 5th century A.D.
Below the Byzantine era level, however, Roman era pottery dating back to between the 1st and 3rd centuries A.D. was found, along with a bronze coin from the late 2nd century and a silver denarius coin of the Emperor Nero that dates from 65 to 66 A.D.
Some 6.6-feet below the Byzantine floor, a Roman period wall was also discovered. Adjacent to the wall was a large section of black-and-white mosaic floor with mortar, clay bricks and ceramic vents typical of Roman bathhouses.
The archaeologists note that Roman-style baths were uncommon in rural settlements, so their presence at el-Araj indicates an urban site, making it a strong candidate for the city of Julias.
Geological research also suggests that the Sea of Galilee, the second lowest lake in the world, was at a lower level than previously thought during the Roman era. Experts had long thought the lake was 686 feet below sea level in Roman times, with the el-Araj site underwater until the Byzantine period centuries later. The Roman wall, however, was discovered at a depth of 692 feet below sea level.
Geologists studying el-Araj found that the site was covered with mud and clay, possibly from flooding of the nearby Jordan river, and abandoned sometime between 250 A.D and 350 A.D. "The Roman layer was buried at a certain period by these sediments derived from the nearby outlets of the Jordan River and Meshushim stream," explained Prof. Noam Greenbaum of Haifa University, who participated in the excavation. "We hope to deepen and extend our study in the future in order to clarify the full picture."
The site appears to have been resettled towards the end of the 4th century A.D. during the Byzantine period.
The Byzantine structure at el-Araj also offers a fascinating glimpse into the site�s biblical past. Small gilded glass blocks called tesserae that form part of a mosaic were found, suggesting that the building was once an important church. Archaeologists note that Willibald, the bishop of Eichstatt in Germany, visited the Holy Land in 725 A.D., and describes visiting a church at Bethsaida built over the remains of the house of apostles Peter and Andrew. �It may well be that the current excavations have unearthed evidence for that church,� explained the archaeologists, in their statement.
Other archaeologists have been looking to prove that the nearby site of e-Tell is the location of Bethsaida-Julias.
Excavations at el-Araj will start again in June 2018. �We�re looking right now at trying to do another five seasons,� said Notley.
Experts hunt for biblical tabernacle that housed the Ark of the Covenant
By James Rogers
Published July 25, 2017
At the site of an ancient city on the West Bank, archaeologists are hunting for evidence of the tabernacle that once housed the Ark of the Covenant.
Associates for Biblical Research, a consortium of individuals and universities, recently completed four weeks of excavation in Shiloh with the goal of eventually locating the tabernacle.
Dr. Scott Stripling, director of excavations at Shiloh and provost at The Bible Seminary in Houston, Texas, told Fox News that the site could offer up vital clues. �We have just begun the process of accumulating evidence but we�re confident that the tabernacle rested at Shiloh,� he said, adding that that the tabernacle was located at Shiloh for about 350 years. �The tabernacle was set up at Shiloh in 1400 B.C. - Joshua 18:1 mentions it.�
The recent excavation, which ran from May 21 to June 17, unearthed a huge amount of animal bones, which Stripling believes may be related to animal sacrifices at the sacred site. �We excavated through a tremendous amount of bone,� Stripling explained. �You have 350 years of sacrifices � where do all of those bones go?�
The bones, which were found while excavating the northern fortifications of the ancient city, have been sent to ABR�s zoo archaeologist for analysis. �The Bible specifies which animals are sacrificial animals and it also says that they are young animals,� said Stripling. �If the bones match the animals of the Biblical sacrificial system and the type and age specified, then we may be looking at evidence that the tabernacle sat nearby.�
The group is expecting to receive results from the bone analysis in the next few weeks.
A host of other items were also found during the recent excavation including objects used to create seals and scarabs - ancient beetle-shaped carvings that were used for inscriptions and amulets. �We registered 700 objects this last [excavation] season � seal impressions, scarabs, tools, weapons, jewelry, utilitarian objects, cultic objects,� said Stripling. �And about 2,000 pieces of pottery a day.�
This summer�s dig was the first in a series of at least five annual excavations at the site by ABR under the auspices of the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria.
The wall and storage areas studied by ABR during the recent dig date back to 1700 B.C. when Shiloh was part of the ancient Canaanite civilization. The city became a major site of worship for the Israelites after they arrived there about 300 years later.
The tabernacle was destroyed by the Philistines in 1050 B.C., Stripling told Fox News, around the same time that they briefly captured the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites in a battle nearby. The Ark, however, was soon back in the hands of the Israelites.
While Shiloh�s link to the Ark of the Covenant is fascinating, Stripling notes that it was subsequently housed in a number of locations, where other tabernacles were built. �Later, the tabernacle was set up in other places, but we assume that it was rebuilt, reconstructed.�
The Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem by King David around 1000 B.C. but disappeared when the city was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C, prompting multiple theories about its fate. While some people believe that the Ark�s gold was melted down, there have also been claims that it was taken to cave on Mount Nebo, Jordan, or to Ethiopia.
ABR�s research is focused firmly on locating the tabernacle site at Shiloh, and Stripling is confident that future digs will deliver results. The dimensions of a �tel� or �mound� at Shiloh, for example correspond to biblical descriptions of the tabernacle, he says.
�We�re revealing the material culture of the ancient cultures, they often do shed light on the biblical texts,� Stripling added.
This is, however, not the first time that archaeologists have focused their attention on Shiloh. The Times of Israel reports that a major dig at Shiloh in the 1980s by prominent Israeli archaeologist Israel Finkelstein did not reveal the tabernacle.
However, the professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University was not expecting to find the tabernacle, according to the Times of Israel. Finkelstein, it notes, does not view the Bible as a blueprint for archaeological research, opting instead for an �evidence-based� approach.
�Over two centuries of critical biblical exegesis and over a century of modern archaeology have shown how complex the biblical text is,� explained Finkelstein, in an email to Fox News. �Reading the Bible, it is important to distinguish historical facts from the ideological/theological stances of the authors. Shiloh is an important site for studying the rise of ancient Israel in the highlands of Canaan. This should be the aim of any excavation carried out there.�
Experts hunt for biblical tabernacle that housed the Ark of the Covenant
By James Rogers
Published July 25, 2017
At the site of an ancient city on the West Bank, archaeologists are hunting for evidence of the tabernacle that once housed the Ark of the Covenant.
Associates for Biblical Research, a consortium of individuals and universities, recently completed four weeks of excavation in Shiloh with the goal of eventually locating the tabernacle.
Dr. Scott Stripling, director of excavations at Shiloh and provost at The Bible Seminary in Houston, Texas, told Fox News that the site could offer up vital clues. �We have just begun the process of accumulating evidence but we�re confident that the tabernacle rested at Shiloh,� he said, adding that that the tabernacle was located at Shiloh for about 350 years. �The tabernacle was set up at Shiloh in 1400 B.C. - Joshua 18:1 mentions it.�
The recent excavation, which ran from May 21 to June 17, unearthed a huge amount of animal bones, which Stripling believes may be related to animal sacrifices at the sacred site. �We excavated through a tremendous amount of bone,� Stripling explained. �You have 350 years of sacrifices � where do all of those bones go?�
The bones, which were found while excavating the northern fortifications of the ancient city, have been sent to ABR�s zoo archaeologist for analysis. �The Bible specifies which animals are sacrificial animals and it also says that they are young animals,� said Stripling. �If the bones match the animals of the Biblical sacrificial system and the type and age specified, then we may be looking at evidence that the tabernacle sat nearby.�
The group is expecting to receive results from the bone analysis in the next few weeks.
A host of other items were also found during the recent excavation including objects used to create seals and scarabs - ancient beetle-shaped carvings that were used for inscriptions and amulets. �We registered 700 objects this last [excavation] season � seal impressions, scarabs, tools, weapons, jewelry, utilitarian objects, cultic objects,� said Stripling. �And about 2,000 pieces of pottery a day.�
This summer�s dig was the first in a series of at least five annual excavations at the site by ABR under the auspices of the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria.
The wall and storage areas studied by ABR during the recent dig date back to 1700 B.C. when Shiloh was part of the ancient Canaanite civilization. The city became a major site of worship for the Israelites after they arrived there about 300 years later.
The tabernacle was destroyed by the Philistines in 1050 B.C., Stripling told Fox News, around the same time that they briefly captured the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites in a battle nearby. The Ark, however, was soon back in the hands of the Israelites.
While Shiloh�s link to the Ark of the Covenant is fascinating, Stripling notes that it was subsequently housed in a number of locations, where other tabernacles were built. �Later, the tabernacle was set up in other places, but we assume that it was rebuilt, reconstructed.�
The Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem by King David around 1000 B.C. but disappeared when the city was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C, prompting multiple theories about its fate. While some people believe that the Ark�s gold was melted down, there have also been claims that it was taken to cave on Mount Nebo, Jordan, or to Ethiopia.
ABR�s research is focused firmly on locating the tabernacle site at Shiloh, and Stripling is confident that future digs will deliver results. The dimensions of a �tel� or �mound� at Shiloh, for example correspond to biblical descriptions of the tabernacle, he says.
�We�re revealing the material culture of the ancient cultures, they often do shed light on the biblical texts,� Stripling added.
This is, however, not the first time that archaeologists have focused their attention on Shiloh. The Times of Israel reports that a major dig at Shiloh in the 1980s by prominent Israeli archaeologist Israel Finkelstein did not reveal the tabernacle.
However, the professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University was not expecting to find the tabernacle, according to the Times of Israel. Finkelstein, it notes, does not view the Bible as a blueprint for archaeological research, opting instead for an �evidence-based� approach.
�Over two centuries of critical biblical exegesis and over a century of modern archaeology have shown how complex the biblical text is,� explained Finkelstein, in an email to Fox News. �Reading the Bible, it is important to distinguish historical facts from the ideological/theological stances of the authors. Shiloh is an important site for studying the rise of ancient Israel in the highlands of Canaan. This should be the aim of any excavation carried out there.�
Bible breakthrough: Scientists unlock secrets of burned Hebrew scroll
By Rob Verger
Published September 22, 2016
In a significant archaeological achievement, an ancient Hebrew scroll that was burned in a fire in the distant past and was seemingly impenetrable has finally become readable� and scientists have discovered that it contains verses from the book of Leviticus.
The breakthrough was made through a high-tech process called �virtual unwrapping� and involved a collaboration between experts in the United States and Israel. While no one is sure of the precise age of the parchment, referred to as the En-Gedi scroll, radiocarbon dating suggests it is from about the third or fourth century. Discovered in 1970, it likely was burned in a fire that destroyed a synagogue in the year 600 AD.
�We�re reading a real scroll. It hasn�t been read for millennia. Many thought it was probably impossible to read,� Brent Seales, a professor in the computer science department at the University of Kentucky, said during a teleconference with the media on Tuesday.
Seales, the first author of the paper announcing the discovery in the journal Science Advances, explained that the breakthrough occurred after a scan of the fragile scroll was made in Israel using a micro-CT scanner; then his team digitally unpacked the rolled, charred object. They later corresponded with experts in Israel for the analysis of the lines of Hebrew text.
They first could see that the scroll contained writing when they examined the digital version of the document in the lab, which made them feel �elated,� Seales said in a response to a question during the news conference.
�The real joy came when [Pnina Shor, an expert with the Israel Antiquities Authority] sent me back the result of having read our first results, because then I knew not only were we seeing writing, but it was readable,� Seales continued, �because she and her team were able to identify it as a known text, and at that point, we were absolutely jubilant, I have to say.�
Seales also said during the news conference that their method may hold interest for those in security or intelligence who want to read something �noninvasively.�
In an email to FoxNews.com, Seales clarified that deciphering the exact age of the scroll is �tricky.� The radiocarbon dating method suggests it�s from around 300 AD �with high probability,� but analysis of the handwriting suggests it�s slightly older.
The Hebrew writing on the En-Gedi scroll has consonants, but does not have vowels. Besides the Dead Sea Scrolls, the newly-readable document represents the oldest scroll in Hebrew from the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch), according to the study, which published on Wednesday.
Related:
Michael Segal, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a coauthor on the study, said that he and a colleague, Emanuel Tov, analyzed the scroll after the team in Kentucky made it readable.
�We were amazed at the quality of the images,� he said. They first thought that it might contain all the books of the Torah, but later realized it was part of Leviticus.
He added: �I think we can safely say that since the completion of the publication of the corpus of Dead Sea Scrolls about a decade ago, under the editorship of Emanuel Tov, the En-Gedi Leviticus scroll is the most extensive and significant Biblical text from antiquity that has come to light.�
Ancient forbidden Christian text of Jesus' 'secret teachings' to his 'brother' found
By James Rogers
Published December 04, 2017
Biblical scholars have discovered the first-known original Greek copy of an ancient forbidden Christian text that purportedly describes Jesus� secret teachings to his �brother� James, an early leader of the Church.
Geoffrey Smith and Brent Landau, religious studies scholars at The University of Texas at Austin, located the rare text in Oxford University archives earlier this year. The experts found several fifth- or sixth-century A.D. Greek fragments of the First Apocalypse of James, one of the books from an ancient collection known as the Nag Hammadi library. Previously, the text was thought to be preserved only via translations in the Egyptian Coptic language.
Only a small number of texts from the Nag Hammadi library, a collection of 13 Coptic Gnostic books discovered in Egypt in 1945, have been found in Greek, their original language of composition. Also known as the �Gnostic Gospels,� the books are seen as key documents for understanding Gnosticism, an ancient belief system.
The First Apocalypse of James, like the other books in the Nag Hammadi library, was deemed heretical or forbidden by the church because it fell outside of the fourth-century religious boundaries that defined the 27-book New Testament.
File photo - a page from the Coptic translation of the First Apocalypse of James from the Coptic Museum in Cairo, Egypt. Digitized by Claremont College (Nag Hammadi Library, Oxford University)
Experts were thrilled by the discovery of the ancient fragments, which are owned by the Egypt Exploration Society.
�To say that we were excited once we realized what we�d found is an understatement,� said Smith, an assistant professor of religious studies, in a statement. �We never suspected that Greek fragments of the First Apocalypse of James survived from antiquity. But there they were, right in front of us.�
The document is said to describe Jesus� secret teachings to his �brother� James. Details of the �heavenly realm� and future events, such as James� inevitable death, are revealed, according to The University of Texas at Austin.
Geoffrey Smith (left) and Brent Landau take a closer look at the Greek fragment identified as the First Apocalypse of James. The fragments--and rights to published images of them--are owned by the Egypt Exploration Society. (Photo provided by Geoffrey Smith, UT Austin)
�The text supplements the biblical account of Jesus� life and ministry,� Smith added.
There are a number of interpretations of references to Jesus' siblings in biblical texts. The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, for example, refer to Jesus' brothers, including James.
James, also known as "James the Just" was a leader of the early church - one interpretation of �brother� may thus be a close spiritual relationship as opposed to a fraternal biological link. The First Apocalypse of James describes James as not Jesus� brother �materially.�
Other interpretations describe James as Jesus' step-brother or cousin.
The manuscript, which uses neat, uniform handwriting and words separated into syllables, was probably a teacher�s model used to help students read and write, according to the experts. �The scribe has divided most of the text into syllables by using mid-dots. Such divisions are very uncommon in ancient manuscripts, but they do show up frequently in manuscripts that were used in educational contexts,� said Landau, a lecturer in the UT Austin Department of Religious Studies, in the statement.
Landau notes that the teacher who produced the manuscript likely �had a particular affinity for the text.� The document, he explains, appears to be a complete copy of the forbidden ancient text.
This story has been updated with information from the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.
12th Dead Sea Scrolls cave discovered in Israel
Published February 08, 2017
Researchers have discovered a new cave in Israel that they say once held Dead Sea Scrolls, making it just the 12th such cave of its kind found. The find is thus a milestone, according to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The cave was looted long before the archeologists excavated it, but inside they found telltale signs that scrolls had been there: broken storage jars and lids on its edges and in a tunnel in the back.
"This exciting excavation is the closest we�ve come to discovering new Dead Sea scrolls in 60 years. Until now, it was accepted that Dead Sea scrolls were found only in 11 caves at Qumran, but now there is no doubt that this is the 12th cave,� Oren Gutfeld, an archaeologist at the Hebrew University�s Institute of Archaeology and director of the excavation, said in a statement.
�Although at the end of the day no scroll was found, and instead we �only� found a piece of parchment rolled up in a jug that was being processed for writing, the findings indicate beyond any doubt that the cave contained scrolls that were stolen.�
Archaeologists also found a string that would have tied the scrolls, as well as pottery, flint blades, and arrowheads.
�The findings include the jars in which the scrolls and their covering were hidden, a leather strap for binding the scroll, a cloth that wrapped the scrolls, tendons and pieces of skin connecting fragments, and more,� Gutfeld added.
A professor and students from Liberty University in Virginia also helped with the research.
The team also found the iron remnants of pickaxes in the cave. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem said that it was looted by Bedouins in the 1950s.
"The important discovery of another scroll cave attests to the fact that a lot of work remains to be done in the Judean Desert and finds of huge importance are still waiting to be discovered,� Israel Hasson, Director-General of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in the statement.
�We are in a race against time as antiquities thieves steal heritage assets worldwide for financial gain.�
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