Biblical Archaeologists Discover 3,100-Year Old Stone Table Within a Jewish Temple Outside of Jerusalem Where the Ark of the Covenant Once Sat

A 3,100-year-old temple uncovered near Beit Shemesh may hold a link to the Ark of the Covenant, biblical archaeologists have said.

Over the past 10 years that we have been end times content publishers here at Now The End Begins, 2019 stands out as the year, in my opinion, that the most finds by biblical archaeologists has been recorded. We did so many stories on archaeological finds this year and to have this one to close the year old is amazing! And who knows? Maybe the Lord will allow biblical archaeologists to find one or two more bigs one before we go into 2020.

“And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.” 1 Samuel 6:13-15 (KJV)

I feel that 2020 is going to be a year of tremendous change on many levels, in everything from politics to prophecy, and as end times Bible believers we should ‘gird up our loins’ and be ready for the battle to come to us from all side and from all angles. And not just wait for the battle to come to us, but to trust in the Lord and start running towards it. Yes, the professing Church is Laodicea, and nothing can change that. But Revelation 3 also says that if any man will ‘open the door’ to the Lord, that He will come in and meet with us one on one.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 3:20-22 (KJV)

How about you, Christian? Are you up for running into the battle with me? God raised up this ministry to be an end times trumpet, one that will be echoing around the world in 2020 proclaiming the good news of the gospel of the grace of God. To the fight!

Biblical Archaeologists Discover Table On Which Ark Of The Covenant Once Sat

FROM THE JERUSALEM POST: The archaeological site at a tel on the outskirts of Beit Shemesh, 20km west of Jerusalem, which has been under excavation since 2012 has now recently yielded a fascinating discovery: a stone table, which echoes Biblical narratives of a slab on which the Ark of the Covenant is said to have been placed.

The table has been found within a structure thought to be a temple thanks to its construction – the building was a perfect square, with walls 8.5m long, whose corners aligned with the cardinal points – and because it contained two large concave stones with gutters which may have been used for libation offerings, as well as a vast array of pottery and animal bones, indicative of ritual activity.

“There is a lot of evidence that this was indeed a temple,” Prof. Shlomo Bunimovitz of Tel Aviv University told Haaretz. “When you look at the structure and its content, it’s very clear that this not a standard domestic space but something special.”

The table structure, a huge dolmen-like rock slab resting upon two smaller rocks, posed more of a challenge.

“At the beginning we thought it was a massebah that had fallen over,” Dr. Zvi Lederman, who leads the dig, said (a massebah is a type of standing stone commonly associated with cultic activity in the Levant). “But soon we realized that it was meant to be a table.”

The find is significant because it ties in with the time frame of the ‘large stone’ the Ark of the Covenant was said to have been placed upon when brought to Beit Shemesh after being returned by the Philistines, as recounted in the book of Samuel. The era referenced in the Biblical narrative was clearly one marked by warfare between the Israelites, led by judges like Samson and Deborah, and their neighbors, the Philistines. The site bears evidence of this struggle out: not only is located just seven kilometers from Tel Batash, a Philistine settlement, but more importantly the structure itself shows evidence of having fallen foul of warring between the nations.

“This would be a rare case in which we can merge the biblical narrative with an archaeological find,” says Lederman.

It is clear that at some point in the mid-12th Century B.C.E. the temple was desecrated; the pottery within it smashed to bits. When uncovering the remains, the archaeologists had to dig through a thick black layer which they initially thought was ash, but turned out to be animal dung: the site had been turned into a byre after being captured. READ MORE

Incredible Israeli Archeological Discoveries

From the Dead Sea Scrolls to a mysterious bronze coin, here are the Most Incredible Israeli Discoveries by biblical archaeologists in recent years.

A Seal Discovered In The City Of David

A rare and exciting discovery: A bulla (seal impression) and a 2,600-year-old stamp bearing Hebrew names were uncovered in the City of David by biblical archaeologists. The artifacts were discovered inside a public building that was destroyed during the destruction of the First Temple and were uncovered in archaeological excavations of the Givati Parking Lot in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem.

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The post Biblical Archaeologists Discover 3,100-Year Old Stone Table Within A Jewish Temple Outside Of Jerusalem Where The Ark Of The Covenant Once Sat appeared first on Now The End Begins.