Archaeologists think they have found the tabernacle that once housed the Ark of the Covenant. The Bible describes the building of a holy tabernacle with the purpose of storing the Ark of the Covenant which was used to carry the Ten Commandments and is also mentioned in Joshua 18:1 that “The tabernacle was set up at Shiloh in 1400 B.C. ”
The excavation lead by Dr. Scott Stripling ran from May 21 to June 17 and the goal was to eventually locate the tabernacle. Ten ancient jugs unearthed at the Samaria site of the ancient city of Shiloh could lead researchers to new discoveries about the Jewish tabernacle that existed there before the First Temple was built in Jerusalem. The jugs, only some of which were broken, date to the time when the Jewish people first entered the land of Israel. The Bible attributes the tabernacle at Shiloh to the time of the High Priest Eli and the Prophet Samuel. The newly discovered jugs indicate that in ancient times, the area was vacated abruptly, with residents not having enough time to collect and pack up their belongings. Among the jugs, the archaeologists also found a goblet known as a kobaat, a type of ritual chalice. The discovery of the kobaat ties in with the stone altar that was unearthed in the area a few years ago, and could indicate that researchers are closing in on the precise location of the Shiloh tabernacle. Hanina Hizami, coordination officer for archaeology at the Civil Administration, said, “This is a very exciting find. The destruction could have been caused by the Philistine invasion and the fire that raged.”
The bones, which were found while excavating the northern fortifications of the ancient city, have been sent to ABR’s zoo archaeologist for analysis. “The Bible specifies which animals are sacrificial animals and it also says that they are young animals,” said Stripling. “If the bones match the animals of the Biblical sacrificial system and the type and age specified, then we may be looking at evidence that the tabernacle sat nearby.”A host of other items were also found during the recent excavation including objects used to create seals and scarabs – ancient beetle-shaped carvings that were used for inscriptions and amulets.
Reference:
http://www.catholic.org/news/international/middle_east/story.php?id=75605
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/07/25/experts-hunt-for-biblical-tabernacle-that-housed-ark-covenant.html
Ancient Jugs Unearthed at Shiloh Could Reveal Precise Location of Tabernacle
