Archaeologists say the 3,100-year-old temple discovered near Beit Shemesh may be associated with the Ark of the Covenant. The pedestal was dug from the remains of the 12th century BC temple, that is, at a time when the Israelites and Philistines were fighting fierce battles.
Archaeological excavations in Tel Aviv on the outskirts of Beit Shemesh, 20 km west of Jerusalem, began in 2012. Archaeologists working there recently discovered a stone plinth, reminiscent of the altar described in the Bible, on which the Ark of the Covenant was installed.
The pedestal was found in a building believed to be a former temple. The discovery is very important because the building that was discovered was built in the same period as the "Great Stone" on which the Ark of the Covenant was to be laid.
According to the Bible, he was taken to Beit Shemesh after the return of the Philistines, as described in the book of Samuel. It is possible that the Great Stone has just been found.
The era mentioned in the biblical account was clearly marked by a war between the Israelites, led by the likes of Samson, Deborah, and their Philistine neighbors. The temple is known to have been desecrated at some point in the middle of the twelfth century BC; broken pottery and, even worse, when archaeologists discovered the remains of buildings, they even came across a thick black layer that was first mixed with ash, but then it was animal droppings. It is assumed that after the seizure of the territory, the temple was turned into a stable.
Researchers, however, avoid directly connecting the stone plinth with the stone mentioned in the Bible, indicating that such a conclusion will be almost impossible to prove from an archaeological point of view.
They also point to some inconsistencies between history and evidence. A good example would be that, according to the Bible, the stone is in a field under the city, not in a temple at its top. Finding the actual trail of the Ark of the Covenant remains subject to speculation.
Promotional video:
