BRIT-AM Research Findings on Biblical Matters.
(June 2, 2020, 9 Sivan 5780)
Contents:
1. List of artifacts in biblical archaeology
2. Archaeological Discovery Near Western Wall Sheds Light on Ancient Prayer
3. Biblical Blue? What Color Was Tekhelet?
Blue tzitzit and murex dye by Robin Ngo
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1. List of artifacts in biblical archaeology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_artifacts_in_biblical_archaeology
Extracts:
Merneptah Stele Merenptah Israel Stele Cairo.jpg Cairo Museum 1896, Thebes c. 1209 BCE Egyptian hieroglyphs While alternative translations have been put forward, the majority of biblical archeologists translate a set of hieroglyphs on Line 27 as "Israel", such that it represents the first documented instance of the name Israel in the historical record, and the only record in Ancient Egypt. COS 2.6 / ANET 376-378 / EP[3]
Mesha Stele Mesha stele.jpg Louvre 1868, Dhiban, Jordan c.850 BCE Moabite language Describes the victories of Moabite king Mesha over the House of Omri (kingdom of Israel), it bears the earliest certain extra-biblical reference to the Israelite god Yahweh, and, if French scholar Andre Lemaire's reconstruction of a portion of line 31 is correct, the earliest mention of the "House of David" (i.e., the kingdom of Judah). One of the only two known artifacts containing the "Moabite" dialect of Canaanite languages (the second is the El-Kerak Inscription) COS 2.23 / ANET 320-321
Kurkh Monoliths Karkar.jpg British Museum 1861, ..tepe, Bismil c.850 BCE Assyrian cuneiform The Shalmaneser III monolith contains a description of the Battle of Qarqar at the end. This description contains the name "A-ha-ab-bu Sir-ila-a-a" which is generally accepted to be a reference to Ahab king of Israel,[4][5] although it is the only known reference to the term "Israel" in Assyrian and Babylonian records, a fact brought up by some scholars who dispute the proposed translation.
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III Black-obelisk.jpg British Museum 1846, Nimrud c.825 BCE Assyrian cuneiform Contains what is thought to be the earliest known picture of a biblical figure: possibly Jehu son Omri (mIa- -a mar mHu-um-ri-i), or Jehu's ambassador, kneeling at the feet of Shalmaneser III. COS 2.113F / ANET 278-281
Tel Dan Stele Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Archaeology WingDSCN5105.JPG Israel Museum 1993, Tel Dan c.800 BCE Old Aramaic Its significance for the biblical version of Israel's past, particularly in lines 8 and 9, which mention a "king of Israel" and a "house of David". The latter is generally understood by scholars to refer to the ruling dynasty of Judah. Although the meaning of this phrase has been disputed by the minority of scholars,[7] today it is generally accepted as a reference to Davidic dynasty.[8][9][10][11]
Nimrud Slab Nimrud Slab (Calah Slab) Inscription.png Unknown 1854, Nimrud c.800 BCE Akkadian cuneiform Describes Adad-nirari III's early Assyrian conquests in Palastu (Phillistia), Tyre, Sidon, Edom and Humri (the latter understood as the Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)). COS 2.114G[12]
Nimrud Tablet K.3751 Nimrud Tablet K 3751.png British Museum c.1850, Nimrud c.733 BCE Akkadian cuneiform Describes Tiglath-Pileser III's (745 to 727 BCE) campaigns to the region, including the first known archeological reference to Judah (Yaudaya or KUR.ia--da-a-a). COS 2.117 / ANET 282-284
Sargon II's Prism A N.A. British Museum c.1850, Library of Ashurbanipal c.710 BCE Akkadian cuneiform Describes Sargon II's (722 to 705 BCE) campaigns to Palastu, Judah, Edom and Moab. COS 2.118i / ANET 287
Siloam inscription Hashiloach.jpg Istanbul Archaeology Museums 1880, Siloam tunnel c.701 BCE Paleo-Hebrew) Records the construction of Siloam tunnel COS 2.28 / ANET 321
Cylinder of Cyrus Cyrus Cylinder.jpg British Museum 1879, Babylon c.530 BCE Akkadian cuneiform King Cyrus's treatment of religion, which is significant to the books of Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. COS 2.124 / ANET 315-316
Ketef Hinnom priestly blessing -Probably the oldest surviving texts currently known from the Hebrew Bible - priestly blessing dated to 600 BCE.[51] Text from the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament. Described as "one of most significant discoveries ever made" for biblical studies.[52][53]
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2. Archaeological Discovery Near Western Wall Sheds Light on Ancient Prayer
https://vision.org.au/radio/news/archaeological-discovery-near-western-wall-sheds-light-on-ancient-prayer/
Extracts:
Israeli archaeologists have announced the discovery of a 2,000-year-old underground complex near the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Authorities uncovered the rocky remains of the subterranean system beneath the entrance lobby of the Western Wall Tunnels.
The underground system consists of an open courtyard and two rooms carved by hand into the hard bedrock.
Mordechai Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation has told CBN News, the finding reveals that prayer at the foot of the remnant of the Temple never ceased.
Researchers suggest the underground complex could have been used as a living or storage space, or as a hiding place for Jews during the Roman siege of Jerusalem.
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3. Biblical Blue? What Color Was Tekhelet?
Blue tzitzit and murex dye
by Robin Ngo
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/what-color-was-tekhelet/
Extract:
... even ordinary Israelites were commanded to tie one string of tekhelet to the corner fringes (Hebrew, tzitzit) of their garments as a constant reminder of their special relationship with God (Numbers 15:38-39). The tradition of blue tzitzit still exists today.
A century ago, Isaac Herzog, who would later become Israel's first chief rabbi, researched tekhelet for his dissertation. He concluded that blue in the Bible was a bright sky-blue derived from the secretions of a sea snail, Murex trunculus.* This species was known to produce a murex dye the color of dark purple. Decades after Herzog's death, chemist Otto Elsner proved that murex dye could in fact produce a sky-blue color by exposing the snail secretions to ultraviolet rays during the dyeing process. Sky-blue tzitzit, then, could be made with murex dye.
A violet swatch of wool discovered during excavations at the first-century Herodian fortress of Masada was proven to have been colored by murex dye.
Assyriologist Wayne Horowitz explains that the Sumerian word uqnu, the word for the gem lapis lazuli, was used for the color blue and its shades. The term was applied to the sky and to blue wool (uqnatu). When the foreign word takiltu, Hebrew tekhelet, was adopted into Akkadian, the same cuneiform signs as uqnatu were used. To the ancient Mesopotamians, therefore, the color of lapis lazuli and the sky were equivalent to the color of tekhelet.