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UNC archeology team uncovers biblical artifacts in ancient Jewish village

An archeology team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has uncovered depictions of two biblical heroines in the ancient Jewish village of Huqoq.

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UNC archeology team uncovers biblical artifacts in ancient Jewish village

An archeology team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has uncovered depictions of two biblical heroines in the ancient Jewish village of Huqoq.

The artistic floor panels found in the Galilean synagogue in Israel’s Lower Galilee date back nearly 1,600 years, according to the university. The synagogue was built in the late fourth-early fifth century C.E.

A team of specialists and students led by UNC professor Jodi Magness unearthed the mosaics, which are believed to include the first known depiction of the biblical heroines Deborah and Jael as described in the book of Judges.

The Huqoq Excavation Project at UNC was paused during COVID-19 but is now in its 10th season.

Magness, a professor of religious studies, explained, “Looking at the book of Joshua chapter 19, we can see how the story might have had special resonance for the Jewish community at Huqoq, as it is described as taking place in the same geographical region – the territory of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulon.”

Mosaics were first discovered at the site in 2012. Other discoveries include panels depicting Samson and the foxes (referenced in Judges 15:4), Samson carrying the gate of Gaza on his shoulders (Judges 16:3) and a Hebrew inscription surrounded by human figures, animals and mythological creatures.

UNC archeology team uncovers biblical artifacts in ancient Jewish village

The most recent discovery of two panels shows two of the spies sent by Moses to explore Canaan carrying a pole with a cluster of grapes (Numbers 13:23) and a man leading an animal on a rope (Isaiah 11:6).

Other mosaics panels include a portrayal of Noah’s Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, Jonah being swallowed by three successive fish and the Tower of Babel.

The mosaics have been removed from the site for conservation, according to UNC, and the excavated areas have been backfilled.

Excavations are scheduled to continue in summer 2023.

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