Archaeologists Have Found The Ruins Of The Biblical "kingdom Of Geshur" - Alternative View

Archaeologists Have Found The Ruins Of The Biblical "kingdom Of Geshur" - Alternative View
Archaeologists Have Found The Ruins Of The Biblical "kingdom Of Geshur" - Alternative View

Video: Archaeologists Have Found The Ruins Of The Biblical "kingdom Of Geshur" - Alternative View

Video: Archaeologists Have Found The Ruins Of The Biblical
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Many ancient kingdoms have irrevocably sunk into oblivion, while others have left a trace …

The new find by American archaeologists has significantly expanded the understanding of the power of the Old Testament kingdom of Geshur (mentioned in the Bible) in the Middle East. During excavations near the northeastern shore of Lake Kinneret, powerful six-meter fortress walls and watchtowers were found on the road leading to Bethsaida - the ancient capital of Geshur …

The ruins of Bethsaida rest on the basalt ledges of the slopes of the Golan Heights. The most significant find of recent times, scientists consider the massive stone gates of the ancient capital.

Approximately 2,700 years ago, Geshur coexisted with Israel and the Aramaic kingdom. According to the Old Testament, King David was married to the daughter of the Geshur king Falmay - Maakhi. Their son Absalom is famous for killing half-brother Amnon for dishonoring his sister Tamar. Later, he rebelled against his father, was defeated, while fleeing, he got entangled in long hair in the branches of a tree and was killed.

For the first time Geshur is mentioned in the Bible in connection with the aggressive campaigns of the commander Joshua. In Hebrew, the word "geshur" means "bridge", so some researchers believe that it was through this country that the famous route from Egypt to Anatolia, Syria and Mesopotamia ran from the Bronze Age. In ancient manuscripts, it was designated as "Via maris" - "seaside road". Its peculiarity was that along its entire length there were many bridges thrown over streams and rivers that once flowed there in great numbers. Today there are three of them.

Scientists are sure that the capital of Geshur was Bethsaida, but there is considerable disagreement about who were the people who inhabited this kingdom - the Arameans, the Israelites, or the descendants of both? So far, scientists have very limited information about the appearance of Geshurite cities.

During excavations in the area of Bethsaida, archaeologists discovered an even more ancient city underground. If the ruins on the surface belong to the 8th century BC, then the underground ones - to the 10th-11th centuries BC. At a depth of three meters was found an imposing outer wall of the city, built of boulders. "The entrance gate (the capital of Geshur) is the only large structure of its kind in this area, dating back to the Iron Age," - said researcher Rami Arav of the University of Nebraska.

In 732 BC. Bethsaida was taken by storm and destroyed by the soldiers of the Assyrian king Tiglathpalasar III. They decapitated statues worshiped by the pagans and burned houses. Bethsaida has not been revived since then. During the Roman era, there was a small fishing village, which, however, acquired a special significance for Christians. It was in Bethsaida that the three disciples of Jesus Christ were born - the apostles Philip, Andrew and Peter.

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