Exceptional Archeological Find at "Gilgal"

This news has been brewing the past few weeks, and was finally announced today.

The footprint structures were found by Prof. Adam Zertal, noted biblical archaeologist who discovered Joshua's altar on Mount Eval near Shechem.

(see photos and explanation of the altar/mizbeach here and here)

Gilgal:

"The 'foot' structures that we found in the Jordan valley are the first sites that the People of Israel built upon entering Canaan and they testify to the biblical concept of ownership of the land with the foot," said archaeologist Prof. Adam Zertal of the University of Haifa, who headed the excavating team that exposed five compounds in the shape of an enormous "foot", that it were likely to have been used at that time to mark ownership of territory.

On the eve of the Passover holiday, researchers from the University of Haifa reveal an exceptional and exciting archaeological discovery that dates back to the time of the People of Israel's settlement in the country: For the first time, enclosed sites identified with the biblical sites termed in Hebrew "gilgal", which were used for assemblies, preparation for battle, and rituals, have been revealed in the Jordan valley. The researchers, headed by Prof. Adam Zertal, exposed five such structures, each in the shape of an enormous "foot", which they suppose functioned during that period to mark ownership on the territory. "I am an archaeologist and only deal with the scientific findings, so I do not go into the additional meanings of the discovery, if there are any," Prof. Zertal said.

Worth reading the entire article here. Haaretz picked up the story as well.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד