Top 10 Biblical Archaeology Discoveries of 2022

The frequency with which the land of Israel unveils new archaeological finds supporting the Bible never ceases to amaze. And 2022 was no exception! Here is a list of what we regard as the top 10 finds of 2022.

10. Underground Tomb at Palmahim Beach

In September, the ceiling of a 3,300-year-old underground tomb was unwittingly broken into by construction workers. This surprise discovery was made on Palmahim Beach, a popular beach for tourists and locals. Inside the tomb, archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority ( iaa) found a plethora of artifacts—complete vessels, bronze tools, weapons and skeletons—arranged in the form of a ceremonial burial. This tomb dates to the 13th century b.c.e., the time period of Ramesses ii. The fact that the tomb was undisturbed, that it hadn’t been looted in antiquity, makes it a gold mine for historians interested in the Late Bronze Age. Perhaps the tomb will shed further light on the chronologically related period of the judges.

9. Judges-Era Lead Trade

Just off the coast of Caesarea, an ancient shipwreck was discovered containing a hoard of lead ingots. In February, Prof. Naama Yahalom-Mack and Prof. Yigal Erel presented their isotope analysis of the ingots, concluding that the lead was mined on the Italian island of Sardinia. The ingots are stamped with Cypriot Minoan markings of the type used during the Late Bronze Age (1550–1200 b.c.e.). The researchers “concluded that there were vast commercial ties between the two populations with the purpose of transporting raw material.” This discovery is related to the 2019 discovery of another shipwreck along Israel’s coast that dated to the same period. In this instance, the ingots (tin instead of lead) had been mined in Cornwall, England. These discoveries fit alongside passages such as Judges 5:17, where the Prophetess Deborah describes the tribes of Dan and Asher as sojourning in ships and occupying seaports. Deuteronomy 33 also describes the tribe of Asher working with “bars” of various metals.

8. The Ishmael Papyrus

The Ishmael Papyrus is a Dead Sea Scroll fragment rediscovered by Prof. Shmuel Ahituv and the iaa in September. This papyrus is one of only three that have been discovered dating to the First Temple Period, as was determined by carbon dating and the paleo-Hebrew script. The four lines of text on the fragmentary papyrus contain the name “Ishmael,” along with line fragments saying, “don’t send,” “cry after him” and “of no help.” This discovery could be linked to a bulla with the inscription, “Belonging to Ishmael, son of the king.” Jeremiah 40 describes a man named Ishmael on the scene at the time of Jerusalem’s fall. Jeremiah 40 records that this Ishmael was “of the seed royal,” and from this same eastern location, he attempted to capture and drive a band of Jewish captives into Ammon. It is possible that this papyrus fragment may refer to the same individual.

7. Hezekiah’s Tunnel Sluice Gate

For decades, scientists have puzzled over how Hezekiah’s Tunnel could redirect water from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam without entirely draining the important Upper Pool. In April, researchers Aryeh Shimron, Vitaly Gutkin and Vladimir Uvarov published findings that solved this puzzle by suggesting that water levels in the tunnel were regulated by a sluice gate—a vertical sliding-door device that regulates the flow of water. Shimron, Gutkin and Uvarov wrote: “We have searched for such a dam at what would be the ideal, perhaps only location for such a structure to be able to function effectively, and have found physical evidence for what may have been a movable blocking wall (sluice) at precisely such a place.” This location within the tunnel has an abnormally high ceiling (necessary for such a gate), with ancient iron bolts sunken into the bedrock walls that bear trace amounts of a petrified-wood frame. They also found a vertical shaft to the surface nearby, helping to explain how the gate was raised and lowered by rope. Water lines within the tunnel suggest that various water levels (much higher than the level today) were sustained for long periods, indicating an artificial means of regulation and continued utilization of the Gihon Spring waters at the source in the Upper Pool, not just all the way down at the bottom of the city, in the Siloam Pool.

Key Data Summary

Discovery: 3,300-year-old underground tomb; Location: Palmahim Beach; Dating: 13th century b.c.e.
Discovery: Shipwreck lead ingots; Origin: Sardinia/Cornwall; Period: Late Bronze Age (1550–1200 b.c.e.).
Discovery: Ishmael Papyrus; Script: Paleo-Hebrew; Period: First Temple Period.
Discovery: Sluice gate evidence; Location: Hezekiah’s Tunnel; Mechanism: Vertical sliding-door.