Second Temple Era Marketplace Uncovered in Jerusalem

The following report describes the latest in a long series of archaeological discoveries confirming the accuracy of biblical history. While archaeology cannot prove that Jesus was born of a virgin or that He walked on the water or that His death was an atonement for sin or that He rose bodily from the dead, it can demonstrate that the Bible’s history is accurate and can thus give confidence that whatever the Bible says is true. The following is excerpted from “Second Temple era marketplace,” The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 6, 2020: “A rare tabletop used for measuring liquids is among the finds uncovered by archaeologists at a site they believe may have been the location of a major town square en route to the Second Temple 2,000 years ago. Excavations in the City of David National Park by the Israel Antiquities Authority have brought to light dozens of stone measurement weights of various sizes, in addition to the tabletop, indicating that the site was once a bustling marketplace in what was known as Jerusalem’s lower city. The agora (market) appears to have served as a focal point of trade and commerce along the Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem, as well as housing the offices of the ‘Agoranomos,’ the official in charge of regulating weights and measurements in the city. The key find is a section of a ‘standard volume’ table featuring two deep cavities, each with a drain hole at the bottom. The hole could easily be plugged, the cavity filled to the brim giving a standard volume, and the plug then removed to allow the liquid to drain into a container, said Prof. Ronny Reich, who is researching the find. Meanwhile, Nahshon Szanton, Moran Hagbi and Meidad Shor of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who directed the excavations along the Pilgrimage Road, have uncovered a large open paved area on the street that led up to the Second Temple. The area appears to have served as the main square of the lower city, which would likely have attracted tradespeople and customers alike.” (See also “Great Archaeological Discoveries in Israel,” Jun. 4, 2019, www.wayoflife.org.)

(Friday Church News Notes, January 24, 2020, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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