Major Biblical Archaeology Discoveries and Reports
Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the limited excavations that occurred in Israel, 2020 was another major year of discoveries for biblical archaeology. Here is a selection of the top finds and reports from recent research.
Tel Abel Beth Maacah Inscription
In January, a small pottery fragment (ostracon) inscribed “l’bnyw”—Belonging to Benayau—came to light from northern Israel. While the discovery of a Hebrew inscription isn’t overly impressive, what is impressive is the findspot, together with the dating: Abel Beth Maacah, 10th–9th centuries b.c.e.
Abel Beth Maacah is a town situated in the far northern extremity of modern-day Israel—a town so far north that many scholars assumed Israel was not powerful enough to control it until hundreds of years later. The discovery fits with the biblical account, which describes a powerful 10th-century united kingdom of Israel extending far north during the reign of David (1 Chronicles 18). During this, Abel Beth Maacah is named a “mother in Israel” and the “inheritance of the Lord [Yahweh]” (2 Samuel 20:15-19). Even the mention of “Yahweh” in connection to the city fits well with the inscription, as “Benayau” is a name that includes the Yahweh theophoric element (-yau).
The Tel Motza Temple
This 3,000-year-old temple, first discovered in 2012, continued to be uncovered by archaeologists on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Inside the large courtyard complex, archaeologists uncovered an altar, idols and other religious ritual paraphernalia. The site showed that during the time of Solomon, temples to other gods were sanctioned and allowed to operate alongside and in close proximity to the temple in Jerusalem. Some claimed this refutes the biblical account of a monotheistic worship centered at Jerusalem, but actually, the Tel Motza temple serves to confirm the biblical record.
Passages like 1 Kings 11:7 show that King Solomon, under the influence of his many pagan wives, allowed the construction of pagan temples not only in the land, but also on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Further, the ninth-century dismantling of this temple fits with the period and biblical account of King Asa’s righteous reforms, during which he destroyed Judah’s pagan places of worship (2 Chronicles 14).
King Ahaz’s Cannabis Altar Worship
In 1963, two incense altars were discovered at a temple in Tel Arad. Recently, a new chemical analysis of the altars revealed that cannabis was burned as part of the ritual worship. This constitutes the first-ever discovery of drug use by the early Israelites.
The Tel Arad altar use began around 735 b.c.e. and ended roughly a decade or two later. The discovery fits well with the biblical account of pagan King Ahaz (742–726 b.c.e.), a monarch the Bible connects especially with incense altars. Following Ahaz’s death, the righteous Hezekiah became king and demolished the high places and incense altars built by Ahaz (2 Kings 18:3-4; 2 Chronicles 30:14). The Tel Arad altars were found to have been deliberately buried on their sides, at the time of his reign (circa 715 b.c.e.).
Israelite Literacy and the Samaria Ostraca
A study analyzed the text of 39 inscriptions known as the “Samaria Ostraca.” These 2,800-year-old administrative documents, recording the receipt of wine and oil to Samaria over at least a six-year period, were revealed to have been written by the hand of only two scribes. These documents are dated to around 600 B.C.E. and demonstrate the work of scribes evidently during the reign of King Jeroboam ii (2 Kings 14).
New Testament Archaeology: Marble Head of Apollo
A team of Greek archaeologists has unearthed a marble head of Apollo at ancient Philippi. The statue head was discovered late in 2023 and dates to the second or third century AD. Based on the location where the artifact was found, it appears the head was reused in the Medieval period to decorate a fountain in the town square. The apostle Paul visited Philippi on his second and third missionary journeys and wrote a letter to the church there (Acts 16:12, 20:6).
The Villa of Caesar Augustus at Somma Vesuviana
Japanese archaeologists recently announced new data that they say confirms that a villa in Somma Vesuviana on the northern slope of Mt. Vesuvius once belonged to Caesar Augustus. Radiocarbon dating and chemical analysis of volcanic layers have revealed that the earlier structure dates to the reign of Augustus. Caesar Augustus is named in Luke 2:1 as the Roman emperor ruling at the time of Christs’ birth.
The Crosby-Schøyen Codex
An ancient papyrus codex containing the earliest complete texts of Jonah and 1 Peter is one of a number of manuscripts set to be auctioned in 2024. The Crosby-Schøyen Codex, which dates to AD 250-350, contains five Christian texts in Coptic: Melito’s On Passover, 2 Macc. 5:27–7:41, 1 Peter, Jonah, and an Easter morning homily.
Summary of Archaeological Highlights
- Tel Abel Beth Maacah: Hebrew inscription "Benayau" confirming 10th-century kingdom reach.
- Tel Motza Temple: 3,000-year-old site confirming King Solomon's era pagan influences.
- Tel Arad Altars: Evidence of ritual cannabis use during King Ahaz's reign.
- Philippi: Marble head of Apollo discovered in the city visited by the apostle Paul.
- Somma Vesuviana: Villa belonging to Caesar Augustus identified near Mt. Vesuvius.
- Crosby-Schøyen Codex: Contains the earliest complete texts of Jonah and 1 Peter (AD 250-350).