An Ancient Latrine Provides Confirmation of a Biblical Narrative

Mosaic Magazine ^ | November 14, 2017 | Robin Ngo

[JOHN ADAMS]

Part of this gate complex, the archaeological team found, was a large room that appears to have been a shrine. The room contained two four-horned altars, whose horns [cube-like protrusions on the four corners of an altar’s top surface] had been intentionally damaged, and several ceramic lamps, bowls, and stands. [The scholars overseeing the excavation] believe that the destroyed altars corroborate biblical references to King Hezekiah’s reforms: his efforts to centralize worship in Jerusalem and abolish it elsewhere.

Most surprising of all was that in one corner of the room, the archaeologists discovered a seat carved of stone with a hole in the center—what [they] believe to be a toilet. This latrine . . . was unquestionably a form of desecration of this shrine room—a practice described in the Hebrew Bible: “Then they demolished the pillar of Baal, and destroyed the temple of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day” (2Kings 10:27).

[The researchers] believe the latrine excavated at Lachish was symbolically placed. . . . “Laboratory tests we conducted in the spot where the stone toilet was placed suggest it was never used,” [one] said in a press release; “hence, we can conclude that the placement of the toilet had been [merely] symbolic.”

[JOHN ADAMS]

Mosaic Magazine finds interesting stuff on the web and and sends out excerpts every day. In the article quoted here, they highlight an article about a recent excavation that confirms the account, in the Bible's Book of Kings, about King Hezekiah. To uproot an evil religion, he smashed its alters and then put a toilet in its sanctuary. The article reports that archeologists just found the sanctuary, complete with smashed alters. And a toilet. May our leaders soon remember how to read the bible and take its lessons seriously.

[JOHN ADAMS]

argh. Altars, not alters. JA

[lefty-lie-spy]

Aarrrgh. Already posted on Friday.

[bagster]

Aaaaarrrrrgh!!!!!

[Albion Wilde]

And here it is:

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Whar’s me cabin boy? Bring me rum, laddie, rum! Aaarrrrgh!

[JOHN ADAMS]

Fair enough — it didn’t dawn on me to do a search for this because it seemed so obscure. I didn’t take into account the wide reading list of the Freeper population. But did the poster emphasize the toilet? That was my favorite part.

[Sasparilla]

...Aarrrgh. Already posted on Friday...

Aarrrgh...posted 5 days ago...the horror of it all..
Nobody is on FR 24/7/365.
I just saw this and found it very interesting.
Thank you John Adams.

[LIConFem]

That’s one hell of a toilet seat. Does it come in any other colors?

[nevergore]

Besides colors, I hope they have the squishy ones....

[T-Bone Texan]

I bet that’s a cold, cold toilet in the winter.

[ptsal]

.

Lucky, this duplication was not seen by the Arrogant Peashooter.

The whithering blast would have looked like a Roman candle going off inside the car.

(Remember the fun times shooting Roman candles out the window of a moving car?)

[Dr. Sivana]

The reference to 2 Kings 10:24 corresponds to a different reference in Catholic Bibles.

In the Catholic Douay-Rheims (Challoner) it is found in 4 Kings 10:27

And broke it in pieces. They destroyed also the temple of Baal, and made a jakes in its place unto this day.

"Jakes" is a term for "toilet".

[Verginius Rufus]

My copy of the Septuagint has eis lytronas which probably should read eis loutronas, i.e., "into a bathing-room" or "bath-house."

Looks like "bathroom" is being used as a euphemism for "toilet," but maybe we should consult an expert like Bath-house Barry.

[SunkenCiv]

additional:

Ancient Latrine: A Peek into King Hezekiah’s Reforms in the Bible?
Biblical Archaeology Review | November 8, 2017 | Robin Ngo
Posted on 11/09/2017 11:18:43 PM PST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3603380/posts

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.google.com/search?q=Arrogant+Peashooter+site:freerepublic.com

[Sasparilla]

1160 posts ago

[SunkenCiv]

1160 *topics* ago. :^)