Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery that appears to confirm the biblical account of King Josiah's death at Megiddo.
New findings at an ancient site in northern Israel provide the first evidence of Egyptian forces stationed there back in 609 BC - a date which supports the historical accuracy of the battle described in the Bible.
Excavations at Megiddo have uncovered a multitude of Egyptian ceramics specifically from the Nile Valley.
Huge amounts of Egyptian and Greek pottery at the site confirm that Egyptian forces and their Greek mercenaries had a presence at the site when King Josiah died.
Researchers said: "The analysis of the objects showed that the building which was excavated was constructed around the middle of the seventh century BC, shortly before Pharaoh Necho killed King Josiah."
Assaf Kleiman, co-researcher from the University of Haifa, explained the significance of the finds.
"These are not decorative tableware representative of the era and the Jewish tradition," he said. "Therefore, it is very difficult to argue that someone in Megiddo, a displaced person or a surviving Israelite, suddenly became interested in inferior Egyptian pottery and decided to import it into his home."
The pottery's presence strongly indicates foreign military occupation rather than local trade.
MORE BIBLICAL BREAKTHROUGHS:
Although most of biblical Megiddo has been excavated since 1920, archaeologists identified a promising spot known as Area X which remained unexplored.
In Area X, they found remains of a mud-brick wall and two successive buildings with well-preserved layers dating from the eighth to sixth centuries BC.
The earliest layers contained evidence of Israelite occupation - and its fiery destruction by Assyrian forces around 732 BC.
Later layers showed evidence of Assyrian occupation, followed by a sudden change in ceramic remains.
LATEST ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS:
According to the Bible, King Josiah's death is recorded in 2 Kings 23:29: "In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Necho killed him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him."
During this period, Pharaoh Necho II was travelling from Egypt to aid the Assyrians who were under attack by Babylonians, Medes, and Persians.
The large presence of Egyptian and Greek pottery at Megiddo suggests a garrison of Egyptian troops and Greek mercenaries who served under Pharaoh Necho II - evidence which aligns with historical records showing how Egyptian allies filled the power vacuum after Assyria lost control of the Levant.
Find Out More...
New findings at an ancient site in northern Israel provide the first evidence of Egyptian forces stationed there back in 609 BC - a date which supports the historical accuracy of the battle described in the Bible.
Excavations at Megiddo have uncovered a multitude of Egyptian ceramics specifically from the Nile Valley.
Huge amounts of Egyptian and Greek pottery at the site confirm that Egyptian forces and their Greek mercenaries had a presence at the site when King Josiah died.
Researchers said: "The analysis of the objects showed that the building which was excavated was constructed around the middle of the seventh century BC, shortly before Pharaoh Necho killed King Josiah."
Assaf Kleiman, co-researcher from the University of Haifa, explained the significance of the finds.
"These are not decorative tableware representative of the era and the Jewish tradition," he said. "Therefore, it is very difficult to argue that someone in Megiddo, a displaced person or a surviving Israelite, suddenly became interested in inferior Egyptian pottery and decided to import it into his home."
The pottery's presence strongly indicates foreign military occupation rather than local trade.
MORE BIBLICAL BREAKTHROUGHS:
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Although most of biblical Megiddo has been excavated since 1920, archaeologists identified a promising spot known as Area X which remained unexplored.
In Area X, they found remains of a mud-brick wall and two successive buildings with well-preserved layers dating from the eighth to sixth centuries BC.
The earliest layers contained evidence of Israelite occupation - and its fiery destruction by Assyrian forces around 732 BC.
Later layers showed evidence of Assyrian occupation, followed by a sudden change in ceramic remains.
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According to the Bible, King Josiah's death is recorded in 2 Kings 23:29: "In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Necho killed him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him."
During this period, Pharaoh Necho II was travelling from Egypt to aid the Assyrians who were under attack by Babylonians, Medes, and Persians.
The large presence of Egyptian and Greek pottery at Megiddo suggests a garrison of Egyptian troops and Greek mercenaries who served under Pharaoh Necho II - evidence which aligns with historical records showing how Egyptian allies filled the power vacuum after Assyria lost control of the Levant.
Find Out More...