Biblical Archaeology’s Top Discoveries and Historical Insights

Archaeology takes years, decades, and even half centuries. The painstaking work of digging and sifting is followed by longer stretches of waiting, analyzing, and interpreting. But the past months have seen regular announcements of developments and discoveries—some expected but some quite surprising—that deepen and broaden our understanding of the world of the Bible. From the breaking archaeological news, these stories add to our understanding of the world of the Bible.

The Legacy of King Herod

King Herod—best known in the Bible for ordering the deaths of any infants who might be Jesus’ age—turns out to have had a gardening hobby. Soil samples from excavations at his Jericho palace, taken almost a half century ago, were recently analyzed, and the pollen particles revealed sophisticated horticulture. Miniature pine, cypress, cedar, and olive trees grew in clay pots that were originally recovered by archaeologist Ehud Netzer. Many of the tree species would not typically have grown in the desert around Jericho, making the garden a demonstration of Herod’s greatness, a horticultural feat to impress guests and subjects.

In addition to his gardens, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced the rediscovery and preservation of Herod the Great’s basilica in Ashkelon. Herod was known in his time for the dramatic locations of his palaces and fortresses, and this Roman-style construction, a public building for community activities, was no exception. The huge edifice, larger than a football field, was first excavated over a century ago but is now being reexcavated and developed to attract visitors to the Tel Ashkelon National Park.

Ancient Egypt and Biblical History

Evidence of a biblical pharaoh’s border monument was discovered in a farmer’s field in northeastern Egypt. This inscribed monument bears the name of one of the few pharaohs actually named in the Old Testament. Hophra led an Egyptian army into Judah to help King Zedekiah resist an invasion by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. The stele contains 15 lines of hieroglyphics, and most importantly, it raises the intriguing possibility that it might describe Hophra’s campaign to support Zedekiah.

Furthermore, archaeologists announced the discovery of a previously unknown city on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor. Believed to be one of the largest Egyptian cities ever unearthed, it dates to the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. This pharaoh was the grandfather of Tutankhamun but, more importantly perhaps, the grandson of Amenhotep II, believed by many evangelical scholars to be the pharaoh of the Exodus. What remains today may reveal many details of daily life in Egypt around the time of Moses.

Significant Inscriptions and Textual Finds

The ability to read ancient Egyptian texts unlocked a wealth of textual and historical sources related to the Bible, including the famed Merneptah Stele, which furnished the earliest mention of a people called Israel. Regarding other significant finds, 2022 marked the 75th anniversary of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century. Teams of scholars pieced the scrolls together to reconstruct an amazing library of early Jewish texts dating from the third century BCE to the first century CE.

Another fascinating story was the announcement of a sensational new inscription from Mt. Ebal in the West Bank. Researchers claim that the inscription is the earliest Hebrew text that also contains the earliest reference to the god Yahweh in ancient Israel. Additionally, the oldest alphabetic sentence ever discovered was found carved into an ivory comb. Dating to around 1700 BCE, this inscription sheds new light on the early development of the alphabet and the daily life of the important Canaanite city of Lachish.

Roman Occupation and Early Christianity

The Roman practice of crucifixion is well known from ancient sources, including the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death. It was announced that a skeleton had been excavated from a grave at Fenstanton in Cambridgeshire, England. The remains had a nail driven into the back of the right foot. This burial dates to around A.D. 400, during the Roman occupation of England.

Notably, in the Arabian Peninsula, ancient rock art and inscriptions provide some of the earliest evidence for the spread of Christianity across the region. Some of these inscriptions predate the birth of Islam and bear crosses and express Christian prayers. Finally, during building renovations in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, archaeologists came across a stunning discovery, a large section from the church’s original altar, which excavators believe once adorned the 12th-century high altar.

Summary of Key Archaeological Finds

Discovery	Location	Biblical/Historical Relevance
Herod’s Horticulture	Jericho	Demonstrated Herod's power through sophisticated gardening in the desert.
Hophra’s Stele	Northeastern Egypt	Bears the name of a pharaoh mentioned in Jeremiah 44:30.
Unknown Egyptian City	Luxor (West Bank)	Dating to the reign of Amenhotep III, revealing daily life near the time of Moses.
Mt. Ebal Inscription	West Bank	Claims to be the earliest Hebrew text mentioning the god Yahweh.
Crucifixion Evidence	Cambridgeshire, England	Physical archaeological evidence of Roman crucifixion methods.