The top three reports in biblical archaeology in July 2026 featured evidence of Judahite idolatry, remains from the Babylonian destruction in Jerusalem, and the discovery of three, previously unknown Assyrian kings.

3. Burnt Wooden Beams from Babylonian Destruction Discovered in Jerusalem

Archaeologists excavating at the Givati Parking Lot in Jerusalem recently discovered charred wooden beams from the Babylonian destruction of the city by Nebuchadnezzar in 587/586 BC. The beams were likely part of the roof over an inner courtyard that collapsed onto the floor. During the fire, plaster from the building’s walls apparently melted and covered the wooden beams, which helped preserve them. Archaeological excavations rarely uncover wood this old with so many growth rings, and scholars hope these tree rings, along with radiocarbon dating, will shed more light on the history of these beams. Were the trees cut down just a few years before the Babylonian destruction, or were they felled several decades earlier? Were the beams already old and reused from older buildings?

Source: https://www.iaa.org.il/en/page/news-index (see “Burnt Wooden Beams from the Destruction of Jerusalem During the First Temple Period Discovered in the City of David” [July 20, 2026])

2. Rare Figurine Mold Discovered in Jerusalem

Excavators at the Kishle within the Tower of David Museum complex recently unearthed a rare mold that was used in antiquity to produce female figurine faces. The mold was discovered in fill dating to the First Temple period. It would have been used to cast the face of the famous Judean pillar figurines. These figurines usually depict women with elaborate hairstyles and with their hands placed under their breasts. The head and body of these figurines were made separately by hand, while only the face was cast using a mold. This is the first time a facial mold for Judean pillar figurines has been discovered. Judean pillar figurines are often found in domestic contexts dating to the Iron Age II, and many scholars believe they were used in household religious practices. Their widespread use corresponds closely to the period when the Old Testament repeatedly condemns idolatry in Judah (see Jeremiah 11:13; Ezekiel 8:10–12).

Source: https://www.iaa.org.il/en/page/news-index (see “Rare First Temple Period Mold for Producing Figurines Discovered at the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum Excavations” [July 27, 2026])

1. Three Previously Unknown Assyrian Kings Identified

A new study in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies by Alexander Johannes Edmonds of the University of Münster and Eckart Frahm of Yale University presents evidence for three previously unknown Assyrian kings. A new translation of a cuneiform tablet indicates a grant was made under a king named Tiglath-Pileser (not the more famous Tiglath-Pileser III, but another prince who assumed this name). This Tiglath-Pileser may be responsible for a rebellion in Ashur in 763/762 BC that is mentioned in the Assyrian Eponym Chronicle. The authors also identified a new Shalmaneser (ca. 747–745 BC) whose reign similarly coincided with a period of chaos in Assyria. The third king, a new Aššur-uballiṭ (ca. 913–912 BC), is mentioned in a text providing a list of kings who dedicated silver ritual vessels to the god Ashur. Each new king reigned for less than two years, and the authors of the study believe these rulers were systematically erased from history, likely by their successors.

Source: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/741239

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