AMAZING - 21 Greatest Old Testament Biblical Archaeology Discoveries Ever (2024)
How can you prove to your family, friends and co-workers that the Bible is true?
There's no better way than showing them either a biblical archaeology discovery that is still in the dirt today, or one that has been taken out of the dirt, and cannot be denied.
Well instead of just one, I am going to show you right now the 21 greatest Old Testament biblical archaeology discoveries ever.
These are indeed the top biblical archaeology discoveries.
Here are the biblical archaeology discoveries we are going to be covering (click on link to scroll directly to that archaeological find):
- Jericho
- The Prophet Balaam
- The Ketef Hinnom Amulets
- The Tell-Dan Inscription
- The Amarna Letters
- Azariah Seal
- Gemariah Seal
- Gedaliah Seal
- Jerahmeel Seal
- King Hezekiah Seal
- King David's Palace
- The Dead Sea Scrolls
- The Merneptah, or Merenptah Stele
- The Taylor, or Sennacherib Prism
- Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser
- Moabite Stone, or Mesha Stele
- Weld-Blundell Prism
- Seal of Megiddo
- Shishak's Invasion Record
- Pool of Gibeon
- House of Yahweh Ostracon
So here we go with our list of biblical artifacts - Introducing Bible Archaeology!
Jericho
Archaeological finds in the Bible are vast, but sometimes it is hard to know which biblical archaeology books to buy, or who you can trust.
Also, not everyone has an archaeological study bible to go through, or knows where to look for these biblical discoveries.
With many biblical artifacts found 2019 turned out to be a great year to start our archaeology list.
When we did our first list, the Biblical Archaeology 2019 discoveries, we got a great response, so we figured we would begin in the same place.
JERICHO!
We've all heard the incredible story of Jericho (God told all the Israelite men of war to walk around the city of Jericho (with its large walls) one time per day for 6 days, then on the 7th day, to walk around the city 7 times, and then to blow a trumpet and shout, and the walls would fall (Joshua Ch. 6)), but is there any archaeological evidence that this happened or that ancient Jericho even existed?
Uhh...yes.
In the early stages of archaeology, in the early 20th century, people searched hopeful and eager to find Jericho. But then Kathleen Kenyon (pictured below) (1952-1958) came in and said the location where the Bible says is Jericho couldn’t be Jericho, because of the absence of the Cypriote ware pottery (special pottery from Cypress).
She did acknowledge that the walls were blackened and reddened with fire, and that “in most rooms, the fallen debris was heavily burnt…” (Digging up Jericho, 1957, pg. 370)
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Jericho
Bryant Wood (pictured above), former professor of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Toronto, however, began to work there in the late 90s and into the turn of the century, and found exactly what she said didn’t exist.
He found the Cypriote (from Cypress) diagnostic pottery (that Kenyon said didn't exist) on the east side of the tell, a more prosperous part of the city.
Not only that, he also found a continuous series of Egyptian scarabs with dated inscriptions on the bottom.
To add to it, he found the remains of a fortified tower, and storage containers that were indicated to be full of grain at the time that it was burned.
Normally, the grain would be taken by the conquering people (but we know from the biblical account that they were commanded not to take things from Jericho). Here is one of the pottery pieces pictured below.
Archaeology and the Bible support one another very well. We have and will continue to uncover artifacts that corroborate archaeology and the Old Testament.
Joshua Ch. 3 tells us that the Israelites “carried the ark and came into the Jordan…(for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest),”.
So according to the Bible, they attacked Jericho during the days of the harvest, and so [at harvest] the storage containers would be full. Finding full containers at Jericho means that the people of Jericho were not planning on leaving and did not flee (otherwise they would've taken their provisions with them. According to the Bible, they were attacked swiftly and that is exactly what we find.
Perhaps most importantly, there was one portion of the wall that was still remaining. Dr. Wood found a small portion of the north wall still standing (houses built against and into this wall). We look (pictured below) at the one portion of the wall still standing, and we see the house. Whose house was this? Let's look at the scriptures.
Joshua Ch. 2:15 says, “Then she (Rahab) let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall…” and she was promised (Rahab) that her house would be preserved, and sure enough, it is the only spot that is still left.
A documentary came out a few years ago, called Patterns of Evidence, by Timothy Mahoney, that gives some excellent further information into Jericho, the Exodus and many other archaeological finds.
If you love archaeology and love finding the greatest biblical archaeological discoveries, I highly recommend you check out his DVD/Blu-ray. And if you would like some more information on Jericho, here is more information on Jericho, from their website:
https://patternsofevidence.com/2018/09/28/footprint-evidence-of-the-israelites/
The Prophet Balaam
Many people, including myself, are blown away when they start to read about biblical archaeology news and archaeological discoveries that support the bible.
Another Old Testament archeological find is of the prophet Balaam, who was working with the Moabites, the enemies of the children of Israel.
As at the time of the Exodus, the Israelites were marching toward the promised land, and were mowing down the people along the way.
The Moabites were worried they would be mowed down as well, so they hired a prophet to curse the children of Israel (Balaam). At Tel Deir ‘Alla, Jordan, on the other side of the Jordan, where the Jabat River meets the Jordan, they found a sort-of administration building (pictured below) for the Moabites.
It was covered with plaster that had fallen off, but on that plaster, they had written various stories. Written on this stone, they found the story of Balaam the prophet, written by the enemies of the children of Israel.
One line from the wall says, “Warnings given by Balaam, the son of Beor. A seer of the gods.” This inscription is dated from the 8th century BC. Numbers 22:5, of course, says, “So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the river…” This archaeological find corroborates this biblical scripture.
I have highlighted the area (pictured below) where Balaam, son of Beor's, name is mentioned on the wall plaster.
This material is on display in Aman, Jordan.
For more information on this specific dig, you can check out this website:
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The Ketef Hinnom Amulets
The next find is called the Ketef Hinnom Amulets. An amulet is an ornament or small piece of jewelry often thought to give protection against evil, danger or disease. These particular amulets,which date from around the 7th century BC, were rolled up but had inscriptions on them from Numbers 6:24-26.
This priestly blessing was what the priests would wear around their neck and inscribe on various objects.
These amulets (pictured below) are from Jeremiah’s time. This was the oldest instance to date of Hebrew text of the Old Testament. It was found in 1979, in Jerusalem.
Check out this web page from the Biblical Archaeology Society for more information on this archaeological discovery:
The Tell-Dan Inscription
Many of these archaeological finds have been written, not by the children of Israel, but by the enemies of the children of Israel, showing you strong evidence from a non-believing community, attesting to the God of the Bible.
Here is another of this type. The “Tell-Dan Inscription” (pictured below) was found in 1993, and makes reference, by the enemies of the children of Israel, to the battle between Hazael, King of Aram and the kings of Judah and Israel, which is highlighted in 2 Chronicles 22.
For many years, people in archaeology discredited the Bible stories, claiming the stories of David, Solomon and the like were just fairy tales, and there never even was a real HOUSE OF DAVID.
Well this inscription, again written by the enemies also makes reference to the “House of David”, archaeological proof that such a house existed.
For further study, here is an article that goes into more detail on this find:
https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/tel-dan-inscription
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The Amarna Letters
The next discovery references Jerusalem (the City of David). Again, keep in mind that some people like to try to equate the Bible with some fairy tale written so long ago, and without any real basis in reality.
They also say that Jerusalem is not really that old, or that the children of Israel didn't have anything to do with it long ago. These finds completely destroy that criticism.
The earliest reference to the City of David (Jerusalem in this case) (2 Samuel Ch. 5) is from the “Amarna Letters”, dating back to the 14th century BC. This is a cuneiform tablet sent from Abdi-Heba, ruler of Jerusalem, to the Egyptian pharaoh. This inscription references “Jerusalem”.
Although many also consider Bethlehem the City of David, here is the particular scripture that also references "Jerusalem" as the City of David.
These finds build a strong case that parallels ancient Jerusalem with the children of Israel.
Azariah Seal
We have found seals and bullae (inscribed clay tokens) from kings specifically mentioned in the bible. These were found in the early to mid-1970s, in Jerusalem. We have a seal that says from, “Azariah the son of Hilkiah” (pictured below).
Azariah is specifically mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9. He was a member of the high priests who officiated at the end of the First Temple Period (First Temple Period refers to the period from about 1100 to 586 BC).
We will cover some more seals in this section of our biblical archaeology finds.
Gemariah Seal
We have also found the seal of Gemariah the son of Shaphan, who was a high official at the court of Jehoiakim of Judah. His seal is pictured below.
Gemariah is mentioned in Jeremiah 36:10.
Gedaliah Seal
We have found the seal of Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, which corroborates 2 Kings 25:22.
Gedaliah was the 1st Judean governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC, assassinated by Ishmael and Baalis. His seal is pictured below.
Jerahmeel Seal
We also have a seal from Jerahmeel the king’s son, who was mentioned in Jeremiah 36:26.
This is the person who tried to get Jeremiah, to throw him into the pit.
Many of these seals and bullae were found in the City of David. Of the 51 bullae and seals found in the archive building in the City of David, they attest to 26 individuals mentioned in the Bible.
If you are enjoying this article, you will LOVE our blog post, the 17 Greatest NEW TESTAMENT Biblical Archaeology Discoveries Ever (2020), like Pontius Pilate's Stone (pictured below), the Dead Sea Scrolls and many other incredible finds.
King Hezekiah Seal
How about one more seal - this one from King Hezekiah. Hezekiah, son and successor of Ahaz and the 13th king of Judah (king from about 715-686 BC) is mentioned numerous times in the Bible. His seal is pictured below.
Former Cold Case detective, and author of the classic apologetics book, Cold Case Christianity, J Warner Wallace gives some more information on this particular find, as well as some other incredible discoveries in this article:
King David's Palace
King David’s palace was found, announced by the New York Times on August 5, 2005. King David's palace is mentioned in 2Samuel 5:11.
This was a Phoenician-style palace in the middle of Jerusalem, and was found by Eilat Mazar (pictured below) of Hebrew University. The pottery there was dated to around the 10th century BC (time of David).
Israeli translater, Hillel Halkin (pictured below), on July 2, 2006, described it like this, “We have a biblical text describing in detail (2 Samuel 5:17) the creation of a Phoenician-style palace by David high up on a particular mountain, around the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 10th century b.c.e.”
He continued, “And we have a grand structure of the Phoenician style dating from the same time, on the summit of that very mountain, located with assistance from the text and previous archaeological discoveries.”
“This was not stumbled upon, moreover, but carefully hypothesized, and the current dig was proposed as the test. The likelihood of this happening by chance is extremely small.”
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Here we have one of the most important finds in biblical archaeology news.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are actually hundreds of scrolls and scraps that date between 300 BC and AD 70. The significance of this find cannot be overstated. Pictured below is the book of Isaiah, which was found very much intact.
The first of these scrolls was found in 1947 in caves in the Qumran area near the Dead Sea about 7 miles south of Jericho. About 1/3 of the scrolls contain copies of portions of Old Testament books (every Old Testament book except Esther).
These copies are over 1,000 years older than most of the manuscripts scholars previously had available for study and translation.
This find shows that the Old Testament was copied very accurately over the centuries. Our current Old Testament translation (that is for sale in stores today) is extremely close to this early copy, thousands of years old.
The Merneptah, or Merenptah Stele
Another important find is the Merneptah (Merenptah) Stele (a stele is a wooden slab or stone) (also called the Israel Stele). This contains the earliest extrabiblical mention of the name “Israel” thus far known.
Again, this is very important because there are many today who would try to proclaim that Israel was just a name made up in modern times, and that the stories of ancient Israel never actually happened. The problem for them is archaeological finds that continue to prove otherwise. This stone is pictured below.
This stone dates to about the 13th century BC.
The Taylor, or Sennacherib Prism
Our next Old Testament archaeological find is the Taylor, or Sennacherib Prism. This discovery corroborates events spoken about in Isaiah 36 and 37 (also 2 Chron. 32) confirming Sennacherib, the king of Assyria’s rising up against Hezekiah.
This is a 15-foot tall, six-sided baked clay prism from ancient Assyria containing the story of the invasion of the kingdom of Judah by Sennacherib in 701 BC. The prism was found at Ninevah.
For a deeper study on this archaeology discovery, check out this webpage:
https://www.bible-history.com/empires/prism.html
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser
Our next find is called the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser (pictured below). It was found in 1846, in Nimrud, Iraq and is a 6 ½ foot tall 4-sided pillar. It reports in pictures and words the conquests of Assyrian King Shalmanesar III, enemy of the Israelites.
This is very interesting as it depicts King Jehu (the oldest picture known of an ancient Israelite - 9th century BC), kneeling down and bringing tribute to the Assyrian king, Shalmanesar. King Jehu’s reign is mentioned in 2 Kings 9-10, even though the tribute is not.
Check out more information on this discovery at the link below:
https://www.bible-history.com/black-obelisk/what-is-the-black-obelisk.html
Moabite Stone, or Mesha Stele
The Moabite Stone, also known as The Mesha Steele, was set up around 840 BC, and was found in 1868, in Palestine. It is a 3-foot-tall slab.
This stone corroborates 2 Kings 3. This scripture tells that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel after the death of King Ahab of Israel. It highlights the accomplishments of Mesha, king of Moab around 840 BC.
According to Genesis 19:37, the Moabites were relatives to the Israelites.
The Moabite Stone is the most extensive inscription ever received that refers to “the kingdom of Israel”, the “House of Omri”, it bears the earliest certain extra biblical reference to the Israelite God “Yahweh”, and also seems to refer to the “House of David”.
More information on this discovery can be found at:
https://christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-a019.html
Weld-Blundell Prism
The Weld-Blundell Prism, found in 1922, in Babylon, Iraq, contains a list of Sumerian Kings that ruled before and after some sort of "great flood" (sound familiar?).
The kings that pre-dated the flood are attributed enormous life spans reminiscent of, though greater than, the lifespans of pre-flood inhabitants of the Bible. It is dated to around 2170 BC, and is a baked clay prism. It is pictured below.
Seal of Megiddo
The Seal of Megiddo was found in 1904, in an excavation led by Gottlieb Schumacher (pictured below).
This was a seal belonging to a royal member in the 8th century BC. It is engraved with a roaring lion (symbol for the kingdom of Judah). The inscription (pictured below) reads, “Shema” on top, and “Servant of Jeroboam” on the bottom (referring to King Jeroboam II who ruled from about 787 BC to about 747 BC).
You will read about Jeroboam in 2 Kings 14:23-25.
If you would like some more details on this find, click the link below:
https://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/megiddo.htm
Shishak's Invasion Record
Shishak’s Invasion Record (pictured below) is a record of Pharaoh Shishak’s raid of 140 places. This includes the kingdom of Judah.
This invasion took place in the 10th century BC.
This, again, is important because there are some who would claim that these ancient cities, like Judah, never actually existed and were just made up in the Bible.
Shishak's Invasion Record and many others listed here in this document prove they are wrong. This find was discovered in Egypt, carved on a wall in the Karnak Temple of Amun, god of Thebes (Luxor today).
Shishak is referenced in 1 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 12.
For more information on this archaeological discovery, check out:
https://biblereadingarcheology.com/2015/12/21/pharoah-shishaks-invasion/
Pool of Gibeon
The Pool of Gibeon is spoken about in 2 Samuel 2:13 AND Jeremiah 41:12.
This remarkable pool (pictured below), dating to before 1000 BC, was found largely intact in Gibeon, six miles north of Jerusalem in excavations around 1956.
House of Yahweh Ostracon
And the final archaeological discovery on our list of the "21 Greatest Old Testament Biblical Archaeology Discoveries Ever" is the House of Yahweh Ostracon.
The House of Yahweh Ostracon appears to be a receipt for a donation of three shekels of silver to the “House of Yahweh”, which is referring to Solomon’s temple. An ostracon just simply refers to a writing on a piece of pottery.
This ostracon (pictured above) is 4 inches wide and 3 ½ inches tall. Some scholars date it between 835 and 796 BC, some 130 years after the temple was built. This is the oldest mention of Solomon’s temple that has been found outside the Bible.
Now It’s Your Turn: I hoped you enjoyed our list of the 21 greatest Old Testament archaeology discoveries ever. Hopefully you can see that the biblical archaeology news 2024 has to boast of is quite rich!
Now I want to hear from you: Which was your favorite archaeology find? Was it the wall of Jericho or The Dead Sea Scrolls? Let me know by leaving a comment.
19 Responses
Noah Msimanga
I enjoyed generally all the archeological finds. However the Dead Sea scrolls were top of the list because of the varied book finds. Thank you.
Jonathan
Hey Josh, thanks for the comment. I actually tried to check out that book, but I cannot find it (EXCEPT in Kindle version) online. I cannot seem to get to reading Kindle books YET. I still prefer a hard cover book. Let me know if you know a place I can purchase it, I would be interested in checking it out. Thanks!
Josh Rucinski
Good article. For the flood king list, I’d look at Dr. Bill Cooper’s “Authenticity of the Book of Genesis”, he is with the Lord now, but he had a wonderful mathematical solution to the much longer time spans than as listed in the Bible. The short version is that the Babylonians had more than one measurement for the astrological period that is used to measure their reigns. The sad thing is that researchers know but they will continue to sell the longer much more inaccurate dates because they hate God and they hate his revelation to us, His Word.
JONATHAN
Hi David! Thanks for commenting. We’re always on the lookout for new discoveries that corroborate the Bible and that sounds very interesting about Avram and Sarai. We haven’t heard anything authoritative on that, but if we do, we’ll be sure to let you know and add it to our blogs as well! Keep seeking truth – God bless you!
David Mahan
While in college during the mid to late 70’s Heard about Tell Mardikh and the Ebla dig. I remember there being fussing about the early leader of the dig who was replaced by a subsequent; Mattie/Petinatto. The core of the issue was that scholars in Syria did not want to athenticate the antiquity of Israel.. So they brought in Petinatto. Is there substance to that claim.
I had a subscription to BAR but got tired of thepettines and abandon the issue. Subsequently found a doctoral candidate who told me that they were finding names such as “avram” and ’Sarai". Whether of not the Biblical Avram and Sarai. Can you point me in the direction of some publications that deal authoritatively with that subject??
cristea cornelia
The Legend has been annulled,the truth has come ‘’ to light’’.
Jonathan
Hey Lito, I am glad that the blog post is helpful for YOU, and KEEP doing the great work you are doing for the Lord. We have a NEW TESTAMENT Archaeology Blog as well that you might find helpful, linked below. God bless! – https://welcometotruth.com/blogs/apologetics/new-testament-biblical-archaeology
Lito
Everthing is important for me as ministering to Muslim both Jericho or Dead Sea Scrolls f9r archaelogical evidence side by side with Bible Mss ad well historical witnesses of patriarch church fathers writing commentaries or quotation etcetera.
Jonathan
Awesome Vira! That’s great to hear :) If you enjoyed this blog post, be sure to check out our ‘17 Greatest NEW Testament Biblical Archaeology Finds Ever’ as well. Same length and in-depth info. Hope you enjoy it!
Vira Marie
Loved the 21 greatest. Some I already knew about, but I am always glad to hear of new finds. Even when some ppl are handed concrete evidence, they CHOOSE not to believe. A lot of ppl seek God and Jesus when they need help. Then they "believe " till things get better.
Jonathan
Hi James, thanks for the comment I am GLAD you enjoyed the blog post. The Merneptah Steele was actually found IN HIEROGLYPHICS, which is pretty cool. The stela represents the earliest textual reference to Israel from ancient Egypt. God bless!
James
Thank you for the insight. I am exited as well as fascinated about this findings. However, I want to know in which language were the writings especially the one that dates as far back as 13th century BC ie THE MERNEPTAH, OR MERENPTAH STELE?
Jonathan
Hey Okaibe I C, yes there are some great reads and archaeology that supports the Bible as you can see. Steve Caldwell, thanks for your message and encouragement. These findings are SOOOO amazing for people to see. Yes, the light that it sheds on Israel as a nation and the truth of the Bible is just astounding! God bless you both in all you do!
Steve Caldwell
For me it has always been the Dead Sea Scrolls, I was amazed by the accuracy, and intrigued with wonder why God allowed them remain in such good condition. It excited me to see how well, word for word the sages passed on to us the words of God. Another thing is the timing of many discoveries, as the world continues to dispute Israels claim to the Land. Eventually eschatology became my passion, along with that the discoveries of so many insights the G-d of Abraham has revealed to me, individually, and also collectively working through others like you and these people. I no longer am looking for signs and wonder. Now I am listening for Trumpets. What a wonderful work for the Lord you have all collectively done…G-d Bless Israel
Okaibe I C
I have red too about some discoveries of the scriptures by Arab shephard boys.
Okaibe I C
I have red too about some discoveries of the scriptures by Arab shephard boys.
Jonathan
Hey David. Thank you for your comment and interest in this topic. You know, it may seem like these sort of things don’t make much difference, but it is at least what I see as overwhelming evidence that discredits the whole “legend” theory.
Also, as a believer, it certainly strengthens my faith.
When you start to study Luke’s archaeological references, it is astounding at how accurate he is. So the question is, if Luke was spot on with all the archaeological references in the books of Luke and Acts, then why would one doubt the miracle accounts that he, as an historian, also reports on, or of course, the Resurrection?
david grainger
We live in a godless world today and the mention of archaeological finds which support biblical events and times. Sadly, these make no difference to objectors views. I’m pleased to see these finds all in one place.
Darcy
May 16, 2023
How can I choose a single favorite? I love ANY corroboration to the Bible THANK YOU!