Posted on 08/31/2013 5:42:24 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Researchers were able to establish that this was later a place of Jewish dwellers.
An archaeological discovery in the Tel Rechesh excavations at the Tabor River Reserve in northern Israel: a joint archaeological expedition, which included researchers from the University of Tenri, Japan, and the Institute of Archaeology of Galilee Kinneret Academic College, have unearthed a Canaanite cult ritual stone.
The excavations in this area have been going on for six years now.
The same excavations also revealed large parts of a Jewish farmhouse dating back to the Second Temple. Researchers were able to establish that this was a place of Jewish dwellers based on typical stone tools, oil lamps and coins minted in the city of Tiberias.
The diggers received a big surprise, said Chairman of the Institute of Archaeology of Galilee Kinneret Academic College Dr. Mrdechai Aviam. In the ruins of the second floor of the farmhouse, they discovered a Canaanite cult statue, similar to a statue that stood in the sanctuary of a temple which is yet to be located.
Similar stones have been discovered in a number of Canaanite sites, such as Hazor, Dr. Aviam said. The same stone was later used as part of a doorframe in one of the rooms of the Jewish structure. This is the unique development of archaeological hills in Israel, where successive generations mingle ritual objects on their way from the world of the Canaanite mythology to monotheism.
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishpress.com ...
Of course this is exactly the opposite of how someone familiar with the bible would interpreted that. To us it shows the degradation from monotheism to Canaanite mythology that so angered God that he eventually allowed the country to be sacked.
This is the unique development of archaeological hills in Israel, where successive generations mingle ritual objects on their way from the world of the Canaanite mythology to monotheism.
I don't know how much this can tell us that's new. The Bible tells us that syncretism was a huge problem with both the northern and southern kingdoms.
Or, they were just reusing a convenient chunk of stone.
Convenient piece of stone is the best explanation, apart from the apparently likely possibility that the stone was completely unknown (still buried, and in a supposedly much older strata) when the Second Temple structure was built.
How did they use it? Article offers no explanation up to us ignorant ones out here...
They worshiped Japanese women? Wow. I got to tell you, who ever carved that Japanese woman did one heck of a lot better than that sculpture you had up above.
What’s Lily Tomlin doing in the photo ?
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