The Latest Archaeological News From Isreal

SUMMER 2015  DISCOVERED! RARE INSCRIPTION FROM THE TIME OF KING DAVID  A rare inscription from the time of King David was discovered in the Valley of Elah. Pieces of a 3,000-year-old ceramic jar were found in 2012 during excavations. Letters written in ancient Canaanite script could be discerned on several of the pieces, sparking the curiosity of researchers, who have since worked to decipher the inscription. Find more informationhere.  REMAINS OF BYZANTINE CHURCH UNCOVERED  While working on expanding the main highway linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, archeological excavations at the entrance to Abu Ghosh have uncovered a large Byzantine-period road station that included a church. Other findings included oil lamps, coins, special glass vessels, marble fragments, and mother-of-pearl shells. EARLIEST KNOWN DEPICTION OF MUSIC SCENE IN ISRAEL DISCOVERED A recently discovered seal impression from 5,000 years ago portrays a scene of a "sacred marriage" ceremony between the king and a goddess in Mesopotamia that included music and dancing. According to researchers, this represents the first possible identification of a figure playing an instrument on a seal impression from the third millennium BCE.   SECTION OF ANCIENT JERUSALEM'S LOWER AQUEDUCT DISCOVERED A section of Jerusalem's Lower Aqueduct, which carried water to the city more than 2,000 years ago, was uncovered in the Umm Tuba quarter, located near Har Homa, during the construction of a sewer line in the neighborhood. Due to its historical and archeological importance, the Israel Antiquities Authority is taking steps to prevent any damage to the aqueduct, and is working to reveal sections of its remains, study them, and make them accessible to the general public.  1,400-YEAR-OLD WINE PRESS FOUND A wine press used 1,400 years ago was recently discovered by teenagers in Jerusalem's Neve Yaakov neighborhood. Measuring 16.4 feet across, the artifact is carved out of a boulder, and has a large square floor where grapes were once crushed by barefoot workers. The teens took it upon themselves to dig out the wine press. Find more information here. THE SITE OF JESUS'S TRIAL BY PONTIUS PILATE A dig in Jerusalem's Old City has revealed 2,700 years of history, from the time of the First Temple through the Roman, Crusader and Ottoman periods. The dig was initiated in 1999 in order to inspect the site before it was transformed into an event space for the Tower of David Museum. Originally built as a jail by the Ottoman Turks in the 1800s, the site has revealed the remains of a defensive wall built by the Hasmoneans. The room may have also been the site of Jesus's trial by Pontius Pilate. Find more information here. ARTIFACTS SHOW EGYPTIAN CULTURE STILL ALIVE YEARS AFTER THE "EXODUS FROM EGYPT" This past year, Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Amir Ganor  directed an excavation in a cave in the vicinity of Kibbutz Lahav, located in the south of the country. At a press conference held in Jerusalem on the eve of Passover, Ganor revealed archeological finds to the public, which attest to the existence of an Egyptian administrative center in the region 3,400 years ago. Among the findings were more than 300 pottery vessels, some of which were intact, along with dozens of pieces of jewelry made of bronze and Egyptian faience, and seals carved with Egyptian imagery. Upon completion of this investigation, important information on Egypt's influence on Israel during the biblical period will become apparent.  BEER-MAKING FRAGMENTS REVEAL EGYPTIAN OCCUPATION DATING BACK 5,000 YEARS Evidence indicating the presence of an ancient Egyptian population from more than 5,000 years ago is currently being revealed in downtown Tel Aviv amid excavations prior to constructing office buildings at an office building construction site. Seventeen pits were found, which were used to store agricultural products in the Early Bronze Age I (3500-3000 BCE). Also among the findings were fragments of large ceramic Egyptian-style basins, which were once used to make beer. This discovery marks the first evidence of an Egyptian presence in the center of Tel Aviv during this period. LARGEST KNOWN MASK OF PAN UNCOVERED A large bronze mask of the god Pan, the only one of its kind, was recently uncovered at the University of Haifa's excavation at Hippos-Sussita National Park on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. According to Dr. Michael Eisenberg from the university's Zinman Institute of Archeology, bronze masks of this size are extremely rare as most of the known bronze masks from the period are miniature and usually do not depict Pan or any of the other Greek or Roman mythological images. Find more information here. SPELUNKERS FIND 2,300-YEAR-OLD RARE OBJECTS IN A CAVE IN NORTHERN ISRAEL A month after divers off the coast of Caesarea discovered treasures made of gold, another important discovery has been made. This one, from a cave in northern Israel, has shown a selection of rare coins, along with silver and bronze objects dating back 2,300 years. Officials believe this to be one of the most important discoveries to come to light in the north of the country in recent years. FIRST-CENTURY HOME IN NAZARETH MAY BE WHERE JESUS GREW UP Archeologists have found new evidence suggesting that a small 1st-century house in Nazareth could be the home where Jesus was raised. Archeologists found that the Byzantine Empire protected the house by constructing a church over this spot; years later, during the 12th century, Crusaders fixed up the church after it fell into disrepair. These findings suggest that both the Byzantines and Crusaders believed that this was indeed Jesus's home. Find more information here. 1,500-YEAR-OLD GRAPE SEEDS DISCOVERED Grape seeds from the Byzantine era have been uncovered for the firsttime. These grapes were used to produce "the Wine of the Negev," one of the most renowned wines from the Byzantine Empire. According to the director of the excavation, the vines growing in the Negev today are of European varieties, whereas the Negev vine has since been lost to the world. Wine growers and archeologists hope to be able to uncover the secret of the Negev vines so that they can eventually recreate this ancient wine. SEXY SYMBOLS FOUND AT ANCIENT CULT SITES One hundred prehistoric "cult sites" have been discovered in the Eilat Mountains, an arid area of the Negev Desert. At the sites, which date back 8,000 years, archeologists discovered a variety of stone structures and artifacts, including stone circles that measure roughly five to eight feet with male genitalia-shaped installations pointing toward them. Other findings included standing stones reaching 2.6 feet high and stone carvings depicting a human-like shape. Find more information here. GOLD TREASURE ON DISPLAY About 2,600 coins of pure 24-karat gold - the largest amount of gold ever discovered in Israel - can be viewed at the Archaeology Wing of the Israel Museum. Discovered in February of this year, the gold will be on display at the museum for the next three months. Find more information here. EARLY CHRISTIAN MOSAIC FLOOR UNEARTHED An early Christian mosaic floor dating back to the fourth century has been unearthed at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. It's believed that Angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary at the site where the church was built and rebuilt over time. The floor and the original church may have been constructed as a Christian pilgrim site when Christianity became the state religion of Rome. Find more information here.