Israeli and French researchers will explore an unstudied biblical site, Kiryat Yea’rim, in August, The Sun reports.
Kiryat Yea’rim or Kiriath-Jearim is where, according to the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was kept for two decades. The area is located about 12 kilometers from Jerusalem. It was mentioned several times in the Bible and was referred to as a Judahite town.
The Ark of the Covenant is a wooden box with gold plating that contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God. According to accounts in the Bible, it is a blessing to those follow the God of the Israelites and a curse to those who oppose Him.
“It’s a large, central site in the Jerusalem hills that hasn’t been studied until now. It may be the only key site in Judah that hasn’t undergone a systematic archaeological excavation.”
According to Evangelical Focus, Israel Finkelstein and Christophe Nicolle of Tel Aviv University and Thomas Römer of College de France will lead the research.
Finkelstein said the location of Kiryat Yea’rim is of great importance. “It’s a large, central site in the Jerusalem hills that hasn’t been studied until now. It may be the only key site in Judah that hasn’t undergone a systematic archaeological excavation.”
Archaeologists hope to uncover the area’s importance with the Iron Age, the time associated with King David’s regime from the Bible. They believe that whether or not they find the Ark of the Covenant, they may find other structures buried within the site since the Bible suggests that the area was of great significance.
Sources:
Thesunco. (2017). Thesunco. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2855876/scientists-to-explore-home-to-the-ark-of-the-covenant-in-hope-they-will-find-missing-10-commandments/
Evangelicalfocuscom. (2017). Evangelicalfocus. http://evangelicalfocus.com/culture/2350/Archaeologists_will_research_site_were_Ark_of_Covenant_was_kept
Worldreligionnewscom. (2017). World Religion News. http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/archaeologists-explore-unstudied-biblical-site-ark-covenant
