Has the Biblical Garden of Eden Been Discovered Here? CBN News

Has the Biblical Garden of Eden Been Discovered Here?

CBN News 07-28-2016

The wetlands of southeast Iran, believed by many to be the location of the ancient Garden of Eden, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

The vast Ahwar marshes are fed by the Tigris and Euphrates river and are home to one of the world's most diverse ecosystems. UNESCO describes the region as dating back to the "4th and 3rd millennium BCE," and truly "unique."

But it was not always this way. 

When dictator Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist, he almost completely drained the marshes to punish the Arab inhabitants for rebelling against his reign. What was once one of the most fertile places in the world became a desert. 

The marsh inhabitants re-flooded the wetlands after Hussein was overthrown. 

Although in recent years, the marshes have been used for drugs and arms smuggling and keeping hostages for ransom, many consider it a reflection of paradise on earth. 

Many believe the vast wetland could be the location of the biblical story of the Garden of Eden, the paradise where God once walked and visited his prized creation, Adam and Eve. 

"The Bible describes the area around the Garden in Genesis 2, even using recognizable place names such as Ethiopia. It mentions a spring in the Garden which parts into four major rivers, including the Euphrates," says Dr. John Morris from the Institute for Creation Research. "This has led many, including Bible scholars, to conclude that the Garden of Eden was somewhere in the middle eastern area known today as the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley."

But Morris is skeptical that the ancient Garden of Eden rests in the Ahwar marshes of today. He believes another piece of biblical history destroyed the chance for the discovery of modern-day Eden -- the Flood. 

"As described in Genesis 6-9, the Flood would have totally restructured the surface of the globe," Morris said. "It would have done what major floods do--erode the land surface in one area and redeposit those sediments elsewhere."

He said the earth looks vastly different from what it was a few millennia ago.

"No present topography or underground surface could possibly bear any resemblance to the pre-flood world," he explained.

Therefore, although many believe the marshes of Iraq can be appreciated for their biodiversity, there is little evidence this is actually the home of the Garden of Eden. 

3,200 Year Old Egyptian Amulet Discovered in Temple Mount “Trash” - By Ariella Mendlowitz BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

The 3,200 year old Egyptian amulet. The small amulet is in the shape of a pendant, missing its bottom part, measures 21mm wide, 4 mm thick and its preserved length is 16 mm. A loop on top allowed it to be strung and hung on the neck. (Photo: City of David / Temple Mount Sifting Project / Israel Antiquities Authority)

3,200 Year Old Egyptian Amulet Discovered in Temple Mount “Trash”

By Ariella Mendlowitz April 20, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“And it came to pass the selfsame day that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.” Exodus 12:51 (The Israel Bible™)

Fours years ago, eight year old Neshama Spielman discovered a rare Egyptian amulet, estimated to be more than 3,200 years old. Only in the last week have archaeologists at last deciphered the intricate inscriptions on the historical artifact.

Written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics is the name Thutmose III, an Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaoh who ruled over Egypt from 1479-1425 BCE and is considered to be one of the most influential pharaohs in Egypt’s New Kingdom. Nicknamed by historians the “Napoleon of Egypt” due to his active pursuit to conquer cities and expand Egyptian land, Thutmose III is credited with having transformed Egypt into an international superpower.

12 year old Neshama Spielman at the Temple Mount Sifting Project where she discovered the 3,200 year old ancient Egyptian amulet. (Photo: City of David / Temple Mount Sifting Project / Adina Graham)

The small amulet was found among the rubble at the Temple Mount Sifting Project, an organization whose sole purpose is to sift through the debris that was illegally removed from the Temple Mount by the Islamic Waqf in 1999. Horrified by the lack of regard for the countless archaeological artifacts from all periods in Jerusalem’s past, archaeologists Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira established the Sifting Project in 2004 as a way to salvage history.

Since the project’s inception, well over 170,000 people from all over the world have taken part in the sifting, “representing an unprecedented phenomenon in the realm of archaeological research,” according to the City of David, the archaeological site of ancient Jerusalem in the pre-Babylonian exile era located today in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The amulet sits atop the sifter where Neshama Spielman found it 4 years ago. (Photo: City of David / Temple Mount Sifting Project / Israel Antiquities Authority)

Asked how the Egyptian amulet could have reached so far as Jerusalem, Dr. Barkay told the City of David, “For more than 300 years, during the Late Bronze Age, Canaan and the city state of Jerusalem were under Egyptian dominion.”

It was 12 year old Neshama Spielman who made the incredible find when she came with her family to take part in the Sifting Project. “While I was sifting, I came across a piece of pottery that was different from others I had seen, and I immediately thought that maybe I had found something special,” she said in a press release.

Indeed she did find something truly special. While Egyptian scarabs bearing the Thutmose III’s name have been discovered in Jerusalem, this marks the first time the Pharaoh’s name has been found to adorn an amulet. “Objects bearing the name of Thutmose III continued to be produced in Egypt long after the time of his reign, reflecting the significance and lasting impression of this king,” continued Dr. Barkay.

Israel Antiquities Authority Egyptologist, Baruch Brandl conducted the research project, deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphics.

This Friday is the first night of Passover, a Jewish holiday commemorating the Israelite Exodus from Egypt, making the deciphering of the ancient Egyptian relic especially meaningful. “A discovery such as this is particularly symbolic at this time of year, with the Passover festival just a few days away, and represents greetings from the ancient past,” Assaf Avraham, archaeologist and director of the Jerusalem Walls National Park from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said to the City of David.

12 year old Neshama Spielman holds the 3,200 year old ancient Egyptian amulet. (Photo: City of David / Adina Graham)

“It’s amazing to find something thousands of years old from ancient Egypt all the way here in Jerusalem! Celebrating Passover this year is going to be extra meaningful to me,” Spielman concurred in a recent interview with the City of David after being told what the markings meant.

The Temple Mount Sifting Project is organized under the auspices of Bar-Ilan University with the support of the City of David Foundation and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

The Menorah Treasure Discovered in the Heart of Jerusalem - By Ariella Mendlowitz BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar shows an ancient medallion dated to the late Byzantine period (early seventh century CE) with a shofar (ram’s horn) and a Torah scroll icon during a press conference in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, 09 September 2013. The treasure was found in Jerusalem excavations in the City of David’s summit at the Temple Mount’s southern wall by members of the Hebrew University Institute of Archaeology. (Photo: Flash90)

The Menorah Treasure Discovered in the Heart of Jerusalem

By Ariella Mendlowitz April 22, 2016  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.” II Chronicles 27:3 (The Israel Bible™)

In 2013, Dr. Eilat Mazar and her team of diggers unearthed one of the most influential discoveries in the field of Biblical archaeology in the Ophel excavations.

Ophel, Hebrew for “a high place” (to climb to), is a biblical term, used since the times of the First Temple, given to part of a settlement that is elevated relative to its surroundings. The Ophel in Jerusalem refers to an area approximately 50 meters south from the Temple Mount on the border with the City of David, the site of ancient Jerusalem’s capital of the pre-Babylonian exile era.

General Sir Charles Warren initiated the first excavations in the Ophel area in 1867, but it wasn’t until 1968 under Benjamin Mazar that remains from the First Temple period (from 957 to 586 BCE), such as water cisterns, tombs and parts of Robinson’s arch, were unearthed. Carrying on her father’s legacy, Dr. Eilat Mazar first tackled the site in 1986 and returned three years ago to continue.

Dr. Mazar’s persistence was well rewarded. Just five days into the summer dig, the team of Hebrew University archaeologists was astonished to uncover a trove of archaeological goodies: 36 gold coins, as well as several pieces gold and silver jewelry. But the prize find was the now-famous Menorah Treasure, a 10-centimeter golden medallion with three sacred Jewish motifs etched into it: a menorah, a shofar (ram’s horn), and a Torah scroll.

The Menorah Treasure medallion, discovered by Dr. Eilat Mazar and her team of archaeologists in 2013 (Photo: Video screenshot – Dr. Eilat Mazar / Hebrew University / YouTube)

The gold cache was discovered in a Byzantine structure which archaeologists say was constructed in the sixth century CE. Dr. Mazar believes the trove was carefully hidden by a group of Jews during the Persian conquest of Jerusalem in 614 CE. The collection itself is only the third of its kind ever discovered in Jerusalem.

According to the Hebrew University report, the medallion was “hanging from a gold chain” and is “most likely an ornament for a Torah scroll.” If indeed it is meant to adorn a Torah scroll, “it is the earliest Torah scroll ornament found in archaeological excavations to date.”

Further, Dr. Mazar noted, “The most likely explanation is that the Ophel cache was earmarked as a contribution toward the building of a new synagogue, at a location that is near the Temple Mount.” Despite the honorable intentions, however, the mission was clearly unsuccessful. “The treasure was abandoned, and its owners could never return to collect it,” Dr. Mazar said.

The discovery of a symbol embossed with a seven-branched menorah from the seventh century was very much unexpected. Said Dr. Mazar: “We have been making significant finds from the First Temple Period in this area, a much earlier time in Jerusalem’s history, so discovering a golden menorah from the seventh century CE at the foot of the Temple Mount was a complete surprise.”

The original menorah itself was first constructed by the Israelites, at God’s instruction, for use in the Tabernacle services as they sojourned in the desert.

“And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it. And there shall be six branches going out of the sides thereof: three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candle-stick out of the other side thereof.” (Exodus 25:31-32)

Over time, the candelabra has become the national symbol of Israel, appearing on Israeli currency, the Presidential seal, on the tags of IDF soldiers and law enforcement personnel, and on the seal of the Mossad (the national intelligence agency). Reflecting the historical presence of Jews in the area, the menorah represents the strength and resilience of the Jewish people throughout their arduous history.

The medallion and the cache of treasures discovered with it are now housed at the famous Israel Museum in downtown Jerusalem.

The City of David, the site of dozens of exciting archaeological finds including the Ophel excavations, has recreated the menorah medallion so that everyone can share its beauty and the powerful message it carries. Explaining the reason for the replication, Avishai Shraga, City of David store manager, told Breaking Israel News, “The medallion is a symbol for the Jews never to give up, despite the hardships we have faced throughout every generation.”

Pool Where Jesus Healed a Blind Man Discovered, Proves Gospel of John Is True - JESSILYN JUSTICE CHARISMA NEWS

The Pool of Siloam is proof the Gospel of John is true. (YouTube)

Pool Where Jesus Healed a Blind Man Discovered, Proves Gospel of John Is True

 

2/4/2016 JESSILYN JUSTICE  charisma news

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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Archaeological evidence now proves the Gospel of John is true.  

Though discovered more than a decade ago, the pool of Siloam continues to make headlines, most recently in an analysis by author and speaker Eric Metaxas.  

In John 9, Jesus spat in the dirt, rubbed the mud on a blind man's eyes and then commanded him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam.  

Workers stumbled upon this very pool in 2005 while repairing sewage pipes.   

"Scholars have said that there wasn't a Pool of Siloam and that John was using a religious conceit" to illustrate a point, New Testament scholar James H. Charlesworth told the Los Angeles Times. "Now we have found the Pool of Siloam ... exactly where John said it was." 

The site of Jesus' miracle is just one of many in archaeological discoveries verifying the authenticity of the Bible.  

The news isn't so much in the discovery, but in what the site stands for, Metaxas says.  

"The point is that it's become increasingly clear that the default scholarly position of disbelieving the Bible because it is the Bible is untenable," Metaxas writes. "Of course, Christians should already know that. But it's still gratifying to see that other people are able to see it, as well. Even if they have to go to the Pool of Siloam to do it."

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

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3,800-year-old biblical fortress discovered in City of David

3,800-year-old biblical fortress discovered in City of David Click here to watch: 3,800-year-old biblical fortress discovered in City of David After a 15-year-long excavation defined as one of the the most complex ever conducted in Israel, archaeologists have finished uncovering a massive Canaanite fortress dating back to the time of Kings David and Solomon. The 3,800-year-old "Spring Citadel" was excavated in the City of David National Park by dozens of researchers led by Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa and Eli Shukrun of the Israel Antiquities Authority. "The Spring Citadel was built in order to save and protect the water of the city from enemies coming to conquer it, as well as to protect the people going down to the spring to get water and bring it back up to the city," said Director of Development in the City of David, Oriya Dasberg. WATCH HERE The citadel is believed to have protected the Gihon spring, described in the Book of Kings as the location of King Solomon's anointing. The Spring Citadel is the largest Canaanite fortress yet discovered in Israel, and is believed to be the largest known fortress pre-dating the reign of King Herod, according to the IAA. The fully-excavated site has re-opened to the public and will offer fuller access to visitors who wish to explore a piece of biblical history. Source: Jerusalem Post Today's Must-See Video: The Jewish People Know How to Have Fun, This Proves it. Follow us on Facebook for top Israel videos: https://www.facebook.com/israelinmysoul