Massive 3,200-Year-Old Biblical Fortress Constructed By Ancient “Lost Civilization” Uncovered in Israel
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A massive fortress dating back to the 12th-century BC has been found in Israel and experts are connecting it with a structure described in the Bible.
The Canaanite citadel is said to have resemblance to a building in the Book of Judges, a section of the Bible that describes fervent warfare between groups of Canaanites, Israelites and Philistines.
The fortress found in Israel
The design of the fortress and pottery discovered there indicate that it belonged to the Canaanites who would have lived under Egyptian rule at that period.Canaanites are often called the ‘lost people’ of the Bible because a lot of what we know about them just comes from ancient texts describing interactions with the civilization.The 3,200-year-old fortress was discovered in southern Israel. It measures 60 feet by 60 feet and would have been two stories high.
Experts think it would have been two stories high, with four watch towers
There is evidence to imply that it had watch towers on each corner and a courtyard featuring stone slabs and columns.The Israeli archaeologists working on the dig think the Canaanites constructed the structure with assistance from their Egyptian overlords.
Fortresses like this would have been necessary in an attempt to stay protected from the invading Philistines.The site contained hundreds of pottery vessels inside rooms off the courtyard. This particular one included one piece of pottery suspected to be used for religious reasons.
Plenty of pottery discovered at the site
IAA archaeologists Saar Ganor and Itamar Weissbein said: “The fortress we found provides a glimpse into the geopolitical reality described in the Book of Judges, in which the Canaanites, Israelites and Philistines are fighting each other.“In this period, the land of Canaan was ruled by the Egyptians and its inhabitants were under their custody.”
Each corner of the fortress possesses a tower
Pottery found at the site was similar to the Egyptian style at the time and even the fortress was similar to an Egyptian ‘governor’s houses’.The Egyptians are thought to have moved away from the Canaan area in the middle of the 12th-century BC.
The risen location of the fortress would have given its inhabitants a view of who was coming to attack
This means the fortress inhabitants would have been left to defend themselves as the area descended into territorial battles.The archaeological site will soon be opened to the public for free tours.
Here’s some facts worth noting about the Canaanites
The Canaanites were a group of ancient people who lived in the land of Canaan.
Canaan is believed to be in the region of modern day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
Ancient texts suggest they resided there from the middle to late Bronze Age.
They’re mentioned often in the Old Testament and a lot of what we know about them comes from texts written by other groups.
The Bible states that they were eradicated by the Israelites but more recent research suggests they were just absorbed into other groups.
