Archaeologists Discover Treasure Trove of 2,600-Year-Old Artifacts in Jerusalem

A discovery by Israeli archaeologists presents new evidence of the thriving city of Jerusalem before the Babylonian destruction 2,600 years ago.

Christian Today reports that archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have uncovered charred wood, grape seeds, pottery, fish scales and bones, as well as a small ivory statue showing a naked woman with her hair done in the Egyptian style of the day.

Ortal Chalaf and Joe Uziel, directors of the archaeological excavation, noted that the type and quantity of artifacts uncovered reveals how wealthy Jerusalem was before the Babylonians took over.

'The excavation's findings show that Jerusalem had extended beyond the line of the city wall before its destruction. The row of structures exposed in the excavations is located outside beyond the city wall that would have constituted the eastern border of the city during this period. Throughout the Iron Age, Jerusalem underwent constant growth, expressed both in the construction of numerous city walls and the fact that the city later spread beyond them,” they said.

The archaeologists also noted that rose petal seals stamped onto the lids of dozens of recently discovered storage jars pinpoint the time period of these artifacts:

“These seals are characteristic of the end of the First Temple Period and were used for the administrative system that developed towards the end of the Judean dynasty. Classifying objects facilitated controlling, overseeing, collecting, marketing and storing crop yields. The rosette, in essence, replaced the ‘For the King’ seal used in the earlier administrative system.”

Publication date: July 26, 2017