3,200-Year-Old Biblical City Uncovered in ‘The Promised Land’

Archaeologists have uncovered intriguing secrets of a Biblical city situated in the ‘Promised Land,’ where the Israelites settled after their exodus from Egypt under Moses’ leadership (roughly 1446 BC according to the Hebrew Bible). Their findings include stone walls, pottery, and other artifacts that date back over 3,200 years from Zanoah, a city mentioned in the Old Testament.

According to the Bible, the Israelites arrived in the Promised Land, or Canaan, around 1406 to 1407 BC after wandering for 40 years in the desert. Among the uncovered artifacts is a broken jar handle inscribed with Hebrew text meaning “belonging to the king”(of Judah), lending further credence to the Biblical narrative of Moses, according to a press release by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who’d carried out the research and excavation.

The jar handle bearing a ‘lmlk’ stamp impression meaning “belonging to the king” in Hebrew text. (Israel Antiquities Authority)

The Story of the Exodus: Fact or Fable?

The story of the Exodus spans the biblical books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It starts with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, followed by Pharaoh releasing them after ten devastating plagues, and Moses leading them through the miraculously parted Red Sea.

The story of the Exodus is a foundational narrative in the Bible, illustrating themes of deliverance, faith, covenant, and God’s faithfulness to His people. It remains a central story in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions – all the Abrahamic faiths.

What still baffles researchers is that no account of Moses and the Exodus have been found in Egyptian records from the time, and it is only first mentioned by Manetho, the 3rd century BC Egyptian priest, around a millennium after it is supposed to have occurred. 

Scripture details that after reaching the Sinai Peninsula, the Israelites traveled to Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. They then moved towards Canaan’s southern border, but fear prevented them from entering, resulting in God condemning them to decades in the wilderness.

After spending years at the oasis of Kadesh Barnea, the Israelites journeyed to Canaan’s eastern border, where Moses died and was buried on Mount Nebo. In the Book of Joshua, Joshua succeeds Moses, leading the Israelites into the Promised Land across the River Jordan and conquering Jericho, with Zanoah mentioned in the Book of Joshua. Joshua 15:34,56 delineates the boundaries and cities within Judah’s tribal allotment upon entering the Promised Land, including Zanoah.

Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. Have archaeologists found evidence for the Exodus and the metropolises the Israelites built in Egypt? (Public domain)

An Agrarian Community: Evidence from Farming Terraces and Pottery Fragments

Excavations at Tava-tepe in 2019 led to the findings which were published by IAA in March. The team discovered walls made from large, white rocks, believed to be retaining walls for farming terraces used to create level planting areas and prevent soil erosion.

“While it is likely that some of the finds originated in the ruin and were subsequently washed down the slope over the years, the majority of the finds, especially those dating from the early Byzantine period, relate to farming activities conducted on the hill slopes. They added that the large number of finds indicates the importance of the site ‘and highlights [its] potential significance,” wrote the researchers, as quoted by The Daily Mail.

Stone wall 17, looking south. (Israel Antiquities Authority)

The landscape was scattered with pottery fragments, about 20 percent dating back to the time of the Israelites’ arrival after 40 years of wandering, with the remainder fashioned over the next 900 years.

Archaeologists recovered well-preserved pottery, with an LMLK seal on the jar handle, something quite rare in the Judean hills. These marks are ancient Hebrew seals meaning “of the King” or “belonging to the king”. These seals were first issued during the reign of Hezekiah around 700 BC.

Another notable find was a decorated cosmetic bowl fragment made of white limestone. The rim was adorned with three concentric bands: narrow external and internal bands with a rope decoration, and a wide central band with an intermittent grid pattern, reports Ofici Nista.

Stone cosmetic bowl with band decoration. (Israel Antiquities Authority)

Other artifacts included bowls and jugs, one with perforations suggesting it might have been used as a lantern, and various metal objects. Although the researchers did not specify their dates, the metal objects included bronze jewelry like a ring and an earring fragment. Additional remnants of ancient habitation included iron tools, nails of various sizes, and bronze strips used for welding iron.

Top image: The site of Tava-tepe where the walls and artifacts Source: Israel Antiquities Authority

By Sahir Pandey