1. Seal Impression of Jeremiah’s Attempted Killer

It is rather outrageous to directly assume that the Minister Gedaliah Ben Pashur of the Bible who attempted to kill the Jerusalem prophet, is the same man mentioned on the 2,600 year old seal impression. However taking into consideration that this Biblical character was entangled in this ugly affair with another Minister, namely Yehuchal Ben Shelemayahu (Jer 38:1), and that this second man’s name was also found in the same excavation seems enough material evidence to suppose these bullae refer to true biblical-period men in the courts of King Zedekiah of Judah.

2. Roman Gold and Jewels in the City of David

In two separate incidents in the excavations of the Israel Antiquities Authority (that are digging in what used to be a large car park opposite the road from Elat Mazar’s dig in the what is commonly known as the ‘City of David’ dig) – a treasure of 264 gold coins depicting the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Emperor Heraclius, were found; along with a magnificent example of Roman jewellery. The coins were exposed with the collapse of a wall and date to around 1,300 years ago while the single Roman earring found with pearls and emeralds dates to 2,000 years ago.

3. ‘Oldest Hebrew Inscription’ found?

Yossi Garfinkel’s excavation at Khirbet Qeiyafa has revealed a pottery fragment that has five lines of what he claims to be, the oldest attested Hebrew script known today dated to 1000- 975 BCE. His claim has naturally been contested since the break from proto-Canaanite script with its descendants, only one of which is Hebrew, is miry and be-fuddled waters. One cannot with certainty declare the script Hebrew without justifying why in the same breath it cannot represent classic proto-Canaanite script. Garfinkel makes his case- noting that a word exists on the sherd that is a typical Hebrew word. If his case holds, then we will have found in this year the oldest Hebrew Inscription!

4. Half-Shekel Temple Tax coin found in the Rubbish

The full shekel and the half-shekel were well known to have been the prescribed coin with which all the young Israeli men could pay the yearly Temple Tax. The commandment stems from the Lord’s dialogue with Moses (Exodus 30:12-15) and is well documented in the story of Jesus and Peter (Matthew 17:24–27). This year is not the first year that a half-shekel coin has been found, although they are rare, but rather it is the first half-shekel coin that has come from the Temple itself! This coin represents one man’s modest contribution to Temple maintenance and would go straight to the Temple treasury. In a small way it is an exciting find, not so much for the item itself, but from where it came from, and what it paid for.

5. The Messianic Stone

An inscription known as “Gabriel’s Vision” was published this year- the text was written in ink onto a stone sometime in the last first century B.C. and early first century A.D. and due to its Messianic content has come to wide attention. This pre-Christian Jewish text is said to relate to two different concepts of the Messiah. So the text is difficult to read in some places it describes how there will be a militant Messiah of David who will be involved in some king of military victory, while Ephraim, otherwise known as the Messiah son of Joseph will be involved in suffering and death. There is a debate if the inscription also describes how the Messiah son of Joseph will rise from the grave “in three days, live!”