Page 2 - Good News September 2011 paper

Continued from p. 1 Holy City. In recent years, archeologists have made
Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the Hebrew spectacular discoveries all over the city - bullae and
University of Jerusalem and volunteer students from coins, pottery, walls and gatehouses, tunnels
Herbert W. Armstrong College in Edmond, Oklahoma. proving the Jews' historic link to Jerusalem. Since
On June 21, after months of preparing the Ophel Wall 2005, Dr. Mazar has uncovered many fascinating
site and its artefacts for tourists, Dr. Mazar, together items in and around the City of David, including King
with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, announced that it David's palace, bullae (clay discs used to seal scrolls)
was officially open to the public. inscribed with Hebrew names mentioned in the Bible,
“Beginning today, visitors will actually be able to walk and the wall around Jerusalem constructed by
through First Temple remains, touch the stones, enjoy Nehemiah, recorded in the book of Nehemiah.
and study about yet another period of the archeology These archeological discoveries rank among the
of the city of Jerusalem,” announced Jacob Fisch, most important ever made. Not only because they
executive director of the Friends of the Israel prove the Jews' historic connection to Jerusalem, but
Antiquities Authority. The opening of the Ophel site rather, because they PROVE THE BIBLE ACCURATE!
was a big deal for Jerusalem. Though the city is
packed with historic sites and incredible artefacts, But Where Is the Media Coverage?
tourists haven't been able to explore the history of the Tragically, most people ignore or reject this inspiring
First Temple period - until now. reality. June's official inauguration of the Ophel City
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The wall has been dated to the 10 century B.C., and Wall, for example, came with a regrettable, shameful
all evidence indicates that it was built by King side story: the virtual blackout in the Western media.
Solomon and is the one mentioned in 1 Kings 3:1. This Outside of a few Israeli outlets, the inauguration of
Scripture speaks of Solomon building his own palace, one of the most remarkable archeological discoveries
“and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem in recent history was met with shocking silence!
round about.” It's pretty incredible, when you think The reason, in large part, is that the discovery of a
about it - being able to reach out and touch a wall that significant Jewish presence in Jerusalem as early as
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King Solomon himself strolled by daily three millen- the 10 century B.C. undermines the popular leftist
niums ago! narrative that the Biblical account of a Davidic
Importantly, this gigantic wall not only confirms the monarchy is exaggerated or a fallacy. The Ophel
presence of Solomon in Jerusalem, it also confirms discoveries, as Jonathan Tobin accurately pointed
the Biblical narrative of ancient Israel as a large and out in Commentary, are a “standing rebuke to those
advanced kingdom. “The city wall that has been who refer to parts of Israel's capital as 'traditional
uncovered testifies to a ruling presence ,” Mazar told Palestinian' or 'Arab East Jerusalem'” (June 21).
the Trumpet soon after its discovery in 2010. “Its With this in mind it was telling that, at least from the
strength and form of construction indicate a high articles I read and the footage I viewed, there was no
level of engineering.” indication that Israeli officials at the inauguration
Speaking at the official unveiling ceremony, Dr. Mazar brandished the Ophel finds as a political instrument.
stated again that the “reality was that a very highly This was an ideal opportunity for the Jews to politicize
advanced and sophisticated fortification was built by the archeology, to unsheathe these stunning artefacts
King Solomon.” The wall contains the largest hewn and wield them as a weapon to dismember the left's
stones from the First Temple period ever found in false narrative. They didn't. Instead, Dr. Mazar, Mayor
Israel. Only a thousand years later, with the Barkat and the other Israeli officials who attended
construction undertaken by Herod the Great, did the looked beyond the politics and concentrated on the
greater-size building blocks appear in Jerusalem. lesson that is truly the most important: They
Bible critics take pleasure in ridiculing Scripture's celebrated the fact that these ancient edifices and
account of King David and King Solomon. They artefacts prove the veracity of the Bible!
believe these men were mere chieftains of an This site “shows that the Bible is real,” Mr. Barkat
obscure, primitive tribe of sheepherders tucked away stated. “It shows that 2 000 to 3 000 years ago,
in the hills of Judea. These critics need to visit Jerusalem was the centre of the world. And we love to
Jerusalem and stand beneath Solomon's towering share that with the world.”
edifice. As they gaze at its impressive size and Dr. Mazar, a lady with an infectious passion for
sophisticated engineering, they ought to realize that Jerusalem archeology, emphasized the same theme:
such a wall couldn't have been patched together by a “So many people in the world appreciate historical
few hillbilly sheepherders. sources, e.g. the Bible, including the New Testament.
The thing is, when it becomes tangible, it makes it
More Evidence easy to understand. People believe, in their own ways,
Visit the Ophel and you will see more than just that which is written in the Bible,
Solomon's wall. Dr. Mazar and her team have also but they have no idea that some-
discovered other artefacts, including pottery shards, times, lots of it, can really be seen.
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many of which date to the First Temple period (10 to AND CAN BE TOUCHED.” That's a
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6 centuries B.C.). Like Solomon's wall, these finds neat observation: When you walk
confirm the Biblical narrative of the presence of a through the Ophel Wall, it's like
major Israelite kingdom. The Ophel site includes a you're walking through the pages
large gatehouse, royal edifices, a number of ritual of the Bible!
baths (called mikvaot) and a dozen clay jars, called Sadly, too many are blinded by
pithoi. Engraved on one of the remnants of the pithoi prejudiced politics and are
was a partial Hebrew inscription indicating that it missing out on the inspiring truths
belonged to a high-level government official. embodied in this dig.
The 6-meter-high gatehouse was a particularly stun- Nevertheless, it is becoming
ning discovery. Constructed in a style typical of the increasingly difficult to reject the
First Temple period, and much like others uncovered Biblical account of a formidable
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in Megiddo, Beersheva and Ashdod, Dr. Mazar Isrealite kingdom during the 10
believes the gatehouse is actually the “water gate” century B.C. reigns of King David
mentioned in Nehemiah 3:25-26. More proof that and King Solomon. Not because of
archeology and the Bible, as Mazar states, “connect any elaborate Jewish spin cam-
one to one.” paign, or crafty maneuvering by
Another thrilling find, though slightly less imposing Israeli politicians, or the work of
than the colossal wall or gatehouse, was a fragment of prejudiced historians and archeo-
a 3 000-year-old clay tablet covered with cuneiform logists.
script. Discovered in the Ophel dig and currently on Rather, rejecting this history is
display at the Davidson Centre in Jerusalem's Old made more difficult by the
City, experts say the thumb-size splinter is the oldest continual surfacing of hard,
written document ever found in Jerusalem. quantifiable, even TOUCHABLE,
Of course, the Ophel discoveries are only the latest in evidence proving that the Bible is
a long line of archeological finds proving accurate the true! [Brad Macdonald, The Phila-
Biblical account of ancient Israel's presence in the delphia Trumpet, August 2011].