The Bible & Archaeology Group 56

Old Testament Time Line Adam & Eve4004 BC The Flood2348 BC The Patriarchs BC The Exodus1491 BC The Promised Land1451 BC The Judges BC Israel’s First Kings BC Solomon’s Temple960 BC Israel-Judah Divide928 BC Fall of Israel721 BC Jerusalem’s Temple Rebuilt515 BC Herod The Great Ruler of Judea37 BC

Michael The Archangel Jude 9 - The leader of the army of God during the Lucifer uprising. Considered the guardian angel of Israel, and the guardian and protector of the Church

Where is the Garden of Eden? Eden had four headstreams: The Pishon, The Gihon, The Tigris and The Euphrates." (Genesis 2:8-14) The land of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is today in Iraq - a land rich in places related to events of Bible History. Time and the Great Flood that occurred during the time of Noah that obliterated the entire region, including the garden. The flood is also the likely reason that the Pishon and Gihon Rivers that also flowed out of Eden are no longer existent - only the Tigris and Euphrates were apparently wide and deep enough to take the great amount of flood sediment without being filled and lost.

Noah’s Ark 1/75 Scale Model

…and the Ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.... Genesis 8:4-5

Noah’s Ark?

What archaeological discovery has had the all-time greatest Biblical impact? Clay Jars Cave at Qumran "Probably the Dead Sea Scrolls have had the greatest Biblical impact. They have demonstrated that the Old Testament was accurately transmitted. In addition, they provide a wealth of information on the times leading up to, and during, the life of Christ. —Dr. Bryant Wood, archaeologist, Associates for Biblical Research

The Dead Sea Scrolls

The Ten Commandments. GOD 1. You shall not worship other gods 2. You shall not make idols 3. You shall not use the name of God in vain. 4. You shall not break the Sabbath. MANKIND 5. You shall not dishonor your parents 6. You shall not murder. 7. You shall not commit adultery 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not lie 10. You shall not covet.

Crossing the Red Sea Round chariot wheel as well as human and horse bones found off the Gulf of Aqaba coast of Saudi Arabia, opposite of Nuweiba, Egypt. (photo Viveka Ponten and The Exodus Revealed)

Samson Two stone pillar bases in the Philistine temple at Tel Qasile, Israel Samson

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon The gardens were built to cheer up Nebuchadnezzar's homesick wife, Amyitis. The land she came from was green, rugged and mountainous, and she found the flat, sun-baked terrain of Mesopotamia depressing. The king decided to recreate her homeland by building an artificial mountain with rooftop gardens.

WHY DIG MEGIDDO?

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO IS AN ARCHAEO- LOGICALLY UNPARALLELED SITE WHERE ONE CAN LITERALLY SEE AND TOUCH AND BE INSPIRED BY MONUMENTS FROM BIBLICAL TIMES

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO APPEARS IN BOTH THE OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT (AS ARMAGEDDON) “And this is the account of the forced labour which King Solomon levied to build … Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer” (1 Kings 9:15) “…they assembled them at the place which is called in Hebrew Armageddon” (Revelations 16:16)

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO IS THE ONLY SITE IN THE LEVANT MENTIONED IN ALL GREAT RECORDS OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST: THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS ON THE ONE HAND, AND EGYPTIAN, ASSYRIAN AND HITTITE SOURCES ON THE OTHER Letter sent by the king of Megiddo to the Pharaoh, 14 th century BCE

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO IS LINKED TO GREAT FIGURES IN WORLD HISTORY King Solomon Pharaoh Thutmose III, founder of the Egyptian empire Seal of Jeroboam II King of Israel, discovered at Megiddo. The earliest such seal ever found Tiglath-pileser III, founder of the Assyrian empire

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO’S STORMY HISTORY COVERS OVER SIX MILLENNIA, FROM THE PRE-POTTERY NEOLITHIC PERIOD TO THE PERSIAN PERIOD Early Bronze templesLate Bronze tomb Late Bronze gateAssyrian palace

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO IS THE ONLY SITE IN THE LAND OF THE BIBLE WITH REMAINS OF THIRTY CITIES BUILT ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER The great trench: a series of settlements from the seventh millennium to the fifth century BCE

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO WAS THE SCENE OF MANY BATTLES THAT DECIDED THE FATE OF NATIONS AND EMPIRES Pharaoh Thutmose III defeated a coalition of Canaanite kings at Megiddo in the 15 th century BCE and established the Egyptian empire in Asia. The first recorded battle in history The victory of Field Marshal Allenby near Megiddo in 1918 opened the route to Damascus and to the end of WWI. When knighted after the war, he chose the title “Lord Allenby of Megiddo”

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO GUARDS THE MOST IMPORTANT HIGHWAY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, THE VIA MARIS THAT CONNECTED EGYPT WITH MESOPOTAMIA The Aruna Pass near Megiddo, early 20 th century

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO HAS BEEN EXCAVATED FOR OVER A CENTURY, STARTING ON APRIL 1 ST, 2003 The University of Chicago’s Expedition Gottlieb Schumacher at Megiddo, early 20 th century Yadin at Megiddo, 1960s The Megiddo Expedition, 2002 The President of the State of Israel and other dignitaries at the Megiddo Centennial, April 1 st, 2003

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO HAS BECOME THE CRADLE OF THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ISRAEL, THE SOURCE AND ANSWER TO ALMOST EVERY PROBLEM RELATED TO THE BRONZE AND IRON AGES IN THE HOLY LAND The first urbanization (fourth millennium BCE Egyptianized vessels) The end of the Late Bronze Age (Ramses VI at Megiddo) Stables or storehouses? Solomonic gates? The Great Debate on the chronology of the Iron Age strata and the nature of the United Monarchy focuses on Megiddo

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO EXHIBITS AN UNPARALLELED NUMBER OF MONUMENTS: FORTIFICATIONS TEMPLES, PALACES, WATER SYSTEMS AND OTHER PUBLIC EDIFICES Iron Age water system Early Bronze Temples Iron Age palace (left) and stables (right)

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO FEATURES MONUMENTS FROM MANY PERIODS AND RELATES TO DIFFERENT PROBLEMS IN THE HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST Area K: Late Bronze/Iron I Area H: Iron II Area F: Middle Bronze and Late Bronze Area L: Iron II palace and stables Area J: Early Bronze temples Area M: monumental Late Bronze tomb; Iron I palace (?)

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO HAS YIELDED AN EXCEPTIONAL NUMBER OF RICH FINDS Late Bronze Ivory box 2. Late Bronze statuette 3. Late Bronze cuneiform tablet 4. Iron Age Babylonian bottle 5. Iron Age cult stand

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO IS UNIQUE IN PROVIDING INTENSIVE INFORMATION ON CITY PLANNING IN ANTIQUITY The Assyrian city The Israelite cities

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO WAS CHOSEN AS THE SCENE OF THE HISTORIC MEETING BETWEEN POPE PAUL VI AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL IN 1964, IN THE FIRST VISIT EVER OF A POPE TO THE HOLY LAND

BECAUSE: MEGIDDO IS THE ONLY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE IN ISRAEL TO HAVE BECOME A SYMBOL IN POPULAR CULTURE

BECAUSE: IT’S FUN TO BE THERE!

Why was Saul chosen as King? The Jews wanted a king like the other nations (now) They were looking for someone big and strong His downfall was his pride, anger and jealousy

King David Ancient Israel's most important king His story is told in 1& 2 Samuel,, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 Chronicles. The eighth and youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem, David is appointed to be court musician and armor-bearer for Israel's first king, Saul. He kills a giant enemy soldier, Goliath Eventually succeeds Saul as king. Under David's rule 1010 to 970 BC), Israel's regions unite and win battles with surrounding enemies. Jerusalem comes to be known as the "City of David" and the center of government and worship. David has a turbulent personal life David's lineage holds an honored place in two religions: Judaism, which awaits the coming of the "Messiah, son of David," and Christianity, whose scriptures trace Jesus's Davidic ancestry.

Who was Ezra? Book of Ezra written in 440 BC He was a Jewish scribe who led the people of israel out of Babylon back to their homeland to rebuild the temple Ezra 7:6 "This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he [was] a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his requesst, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him."

The Twelve Apostles Simon Peter James Son of Zebedee John Philip Bartholomew Thaddaeus Mattthew Thomas Andrew James Son of Alphaeus Simon the Zealot Judas iscariot “The Twelve" were chosen by Jesus Christ Himself and actually lived and worked with Him during His Ministry.

Jesus Walks… On The WATER!

How long was Peter’s walk on the water? How loooooooooooong was Peter’s walk on the water?

The Bible Unmatched reliability and accuracy Confirmation of the events, places, nations, and people of the Bible by archaeology It is unique in many ways (written over 1,600 year span, over 40 authors maintaining harmony and continuity, survival through time, influence on society, unique teachings, etc.)

So… Many Biblical archaeological finds support what the Bible tells us Bible prophesy is true and unfolding every today Jesus is alive!

The Bible & Archaeology Group 56