Archaeologists Stumble on Evidence of a Biblical Battle Between an Israelite King and Pharaoh in Pottery Fragments
The Bible contains many fantastical stories that fascinate people even after centuries. For a long time, archaeologists have tried to dig up evidence that validates these tales. Certain evidences recently unearthed from the ancient city of Megiddo, Israel indicate that a battle mentioned in the religious book was possibly true, stated Live Science. Findings regarding these discoveries have been published in The Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament.
At present, the site is situated in a national park about 18 miles (30 kilometers) southeast of Haifa. Throughout its history, the site has been occupied by Persians, Egyptians, Canaanites, Assyrians, and Israelites. The area has undergone several excavations since the 1920s. Around 20 archeological layers have been unveiled as of now with the explorations.
The findings are large numbers of Egyptian and Greek pottery fragments. The items were unearthed from a layer that dated back to 732 B.C. The origin of these fragments was determined by analyzing the artifacts' clay and the designs. Researchers claim that it was during this time, that Egyptian troops collaborated with Greek mercenaries in the region for a confrontation that has been mentioned in Bible. According to the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament the Kingdom of Judah's King Josiah had a scuffle with the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II at Megiddo in 609 B.C. The fragments validate that Egyptian forces were present at Megiddo during King Josiah's reign.
However, the analysis does not imply that Josiah was present at the location, during the battle proceedings. Moreover, the whole interaction has been described differently in the two places it has been mentioned in the Bible. "The Josiah-Necho event at Megiddo in 609 BCE is described in the Bible twice: as an execution in a short chronistic verse in Kings and as a decisive battle in Chronicles," Archaeologist Assaf Kleiman of Ben-Gurion University, a study co-author said. Hence how Josiah was killed has also been a source of debate. Researchers associated with the study were more keen on the events recounted in the Book of Kings because it was written after some time of the supposed confrontation, compared to the Book of Chronicles which came into being centuries later.
Experts have been keen to understand whether a battle took place between King Josiah and Pharaoh Necho II, or if the latter just executed his vassal. Historian Jacob Wright, a professor of the Hebrew Bible at Emory University, claims that Josiah traveled from Jerusalem to Megiddo to pay tribute to the Pharaoh, but for some reason was executed. Clarity on the sequence of events will reveal if the southern Israelite kingdom of Judah was under Egyptian rule. The Bible makes no mention of this, but archaeological evidence over the years indicates that Egypt took over the region after 630 B.C.
Israel Finkelstein, an archaeologist at the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University, claims that Josiah was a pious and popular king. After his death, the concept of "Armageddon" possibly came into being. People began claiming the forces of God and evil would battle it out in the site, where Josiah took his last breath, leading to a scuffle capable of wiping out the world. 'Armageddon' is a prophesied battle mentioned in the New Testament's Book of Revelation, which will bring the end of the world.