Posts by Abdo Khater

Posts by Abdo Khater

Archaeologists find a First Temple-era palace

Rare column heads located at Armon Hanatziv walkway, indicating residents of ancient city found their fortunes outside the walls after easing of Assyrian siege 2,700 years ago Archaeologists have uncovered majestic column heads from a First Temple-era palace at Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatziv promenade, with the remnants of the ancient building going on public display for the first time on Thursday. The owner of the lavish Jerusalem mansion — which would have enjoyed a monumental view of the Old City and…

Tiny First Temple seal impression found with name of Bible-era royal steward

Inscribed with ‘Belonging to Adoniyahu, Royal Steward,’ a clay sealing from the 7th century BCE uncovered from earth excavated at the foundations of the Western Wall A minuscule 7th century BCE clay sealing reading “Belonging to Adoniyahu, the Royal Steward,” was recently discovered in the City of David’s sifting project. In earth excavated from the foundations of the Western Wall under Robinson’s Arch in 2013, a national service volunteer some three weeks ago unearthed the one-centimeter inscribed letter sealer bearing…

Colossal ancient structures found at Gath may explain origin of story of Goliath

Newly unearthed, unusually large fortifications from the 11th century BCE could be the genesis of the biblical tall tale, says Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project director A giant of a man may have sprouted from an equally giant-sized city. Super-sized remains of “enormous” architecture and fortifications from a new, unexpected “biblical-era” layer of the Philistine city of Gath were unearthed this summer at the ongoing Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project. Whereas most of the site’s previously excavated areas date to the 10th…

‘Pontius Pilate built Pilgrim’s Road in Jerusalem’

Coins found above and below a 2,000-year old road to the Temple Mount prove it was constructed between 31 and 40 CE, researchers say, and thus likely commissioned by the infamous Roman governor of Judea, explain Israeli archaeologists. Archaeologists now believe that Jerusalem’s “Pilgrim’s Road” was built by none other than Pontius Pilate, the infamous Roman governor of Judea. The ancient road in the City of David, which was preserved under the ashes of the Roman sack of Jerusalem in 70 CE,…

120 Seals Discovered in Excavation

A treasure trove of seals and small finds discovered close to Jerusalem’s U.S. Embassy Archaeologists working at Arnona, Jerusalem have unearthed a large administration storage center literally brimming with lmlk seals and other exciting discoveries, dating to the reigns of biblical kings Hezekiah and Manasseh—the late eighth-seventh centuries bce. The more than 120 administrative seals discovered makes this one of the largest and most important seal collections in Israel. Most of the seals were of the “lmlk” variety. These are a certain administrative seal that was stamped onto…