A stone quarry in Jerusalem, a rare Roman prison in Corinth, and a stunning First Temple-era seal were the top three reports in biblical archaeology from August 2024.
3. Second Temple-Era Stone Quarry Discovered in Jerusalem
The Israel Antiquities Authority recently announced the discovery of a stone quarry dating to the Second Temple era at Har Hotzvim Hi-Tech Park in Jerusalem. The area excavated was 37,673 square feet (3500 square meters), which represents a small portion of the original quarry. Archaeologists unearthed numerous stone slabs, as well as cutting trenches outlining future blocks to be quarried. Two stone vessels were also discovered at the site. Many of the stones that had been quarried were 8 feet (2.5 m) long by 4 feet (1.2 m) wide by 1.3 feet (0.4 m) thick and weighed two and a half tons. These large limestone slabs were likely intended to be used in Herod the Great’s building projects.
NEWS REPORT: https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-812998
2. Rare Roman Prison Identified in Corinth
In a new article published in the journal Hesperia, Matthew Larsen, anarchaeologist and associate professor of New Testament at the University of Copenhagen, has identified the remains of a Roman-era prison in Corinth. Discovering Roman prisons is difficult and only a few have been positively identified. Larsen examined the graffiti at the site and the excavation report from 1901 to make the identification. The prison is 1600 years old, and contains pleas of the prisoners scratched into the floor, including the following (see link below):
- “Lord, make them die an awful death”
- “May the fortune of those who suffer in this lawless place prevail. Lord, do not show mercy on the one who threw us in here”
- “Godbearer, repay [punishment given by] Marinos, the one who threw us in here and made us spend winter” (brackets in the original)
- “Lord God and pure justice, ransom from this place the two brothers. Christ, safeguard both Boudis and John…”
Several game boards were also discovered etched into the floor. There were also the remains of jugs and lamps on the eastern side of the prison, which would have provided water and light for the prisoners. In addition, a small latrine was found in one of the prison’s chambers. The prison likely gives us a picture of those that held the apostles as recorded in the New Testament (e.g. Acts 5:18, 12:5, 16:23)”?
1. 2,700-Year-Old Seal Discovered in Jerusalem
A beautiful 2,700-year-old stone seal was recently unearthed in excavations in the Davidson Archaeological Garden near the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount. The black stone seal depicts a winged figure and bears the paleo-Hebrew inscription, “LeYehoʼezer ben Hoshʼayahu.” It has a hole drilled through it from top to bottom so that it could be attached to a chain or worn around one’s neck. The spectacular winged figure contrasts with inscription, which is relatively sloppy. Scholars hypothesize that the seal once belonged to an important figure in the courts of the Kingdom of Judah named Hoshʼayahu and that upon his death, his son, LeYehoʼezer, inscribed his name and his father’s on it. These names appear in the Bible: in 1 Chronicles 12:6, Joezer/Yo’ezer (an abbreviate form of Yeho-ezer) is listed as one of David’s mighty men and in the book of Jeremiah (43:2) Hoshʼaya (a shortened form of Hoshʼayahu) is one of the insolent men who accuses the prophet of lying. This indicates these names were used in the Iron Age in the kingdom of Judah as the Bible describes. Furthermore, if it was indeed Yehoʼezer himself who engraved the names on the seal, it is evidence of literacy at this period in Judah’s history.
NEWS REPORT: https://www.timesofisrael.com/extremely-rare-beautiful-first-temple-era-genie-seal-discovered-in-jerusalem/
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