(PHOTO:
SCREENGRAB/YOUTUBE/TIM
BULKELEY)
The
ruins of Tel Gezer, located in the modern state of Israel.
An
ancient palatial building excavated in modern Israel that dates to around the
time of King Solomon adds credence to the Old Testament account of the area.
Archaeologists at Tel Gezer found what Haaretz described as
a "monumental building" dated to the 10th century BC, which included artifacts
that added weight to what the Bible says about the
region's history.
"According
to the Old Testament, the city was also associated with the Philistines in
David's time: the king broke their power 'from Geba to as far as Gezer' (2
Samuel 5:25; 1 Chronicles 14:16)," reported
Haaretz.
"This
excavation season has proved the Philistine link too, when the archaeologists revealed a layer with Philistine bichrome
pottery. The archaeologists also found a tell-tale fragment of a
so-called 'Ashdod figurine,' … Such figurines have been found associated with
Philistine remains in other excavations, such as in Ashdod, Timna, Ekron and
Ashkelon."
Haaretz
also noted that the Gezer site "features a large central courtyard, like
contemporary palace-like buildings found throughout the southern Levant,
including at Hatzor and Megiddo."
Excavation
was done in part by researchers from the Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary, who has been sending archaeologists to the Gezer site for the past several
summers.
