Israel: Archaeologists Find Bodies in King Solomon-Era Town
Elevate Christian Network :: News and Events
Israel: Archeologists discovered three bodies while unearthing the city of Gezer, a city mentioned several times in the Old Testament. Egyptians destroyed it over 3,000 years ago.
The three corpses – two adults and a child – may give a glimpse into the brutal acts that took place in Gezer.
One of the adults was found under a pile of rubble in one room.
“This individual attests to the violent nature of the destruction, as it is clear he experienced the trauma of the event” said Prof. Steven Ortiz of Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Condition of the Human Remains
The other was buried with the child under three feet of ashes in another room. The adult’s corpse was so badly damaged its gender couldn’t be determined. Ortiz offers more details and theorizes about what these two may have been doing.
“The adult was lying on its back with arms above its head. The child, who was wearing earrings, was next to the adult, to the left. This room was filled with ash and collapsed mud brick,” he said.
Ortiz added, “We can only guess what they were doing in the building on the eve of destruction. Were they hiding? Were they fleeing the Egyptian soldiers? Did they go back into the building to retrieve valuables?”
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About Prof. Steven Ortiz
Dr. Ortiz is Professor of Archaeology and Biblical Backgrounds and Director of the Charles D. Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a biblical archaeologist with over 30 years of field experience and has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East.
He lived in Israel for over four years and spends most of his summers in the country. Dr. Ortiz is currently the co-director and principal investigator at Tel Gezer.
Dr. Ortiz grew up in East Los Angeles. He is married to Beth and they have two teenage children, Rebecca and Nathaniel. They are members of Church at the Cross where Dr. Ortiz serves as a deacon.
He is a frequent supply preacher and conference speaker. He has contributed to over 100 radio interviews, newspaper articles, and denominational publications. Learn more about Dr. Ortiz…