“This excavation has been breathtaking,” Garfinkel said a statement. “Only once every 30 or 40 years do we get the chance to excavate a Canaanite temple in Israel. What we found sheds new light on ancient life in the region. It would be hard to overstate the importance of these findings.” The archaeologists outline that layout of the “level VI northeast temple,” which they date to the 12th century B.C., is similar to other Canaanite structures that have been found in Northern Israel but is more square. However, it also differs in that there are side rooms that are “typical of later temples, including Solomon’s Temple.”
The temple, or ceremonial structure, appears to have had two columns at its entrance and two towers that led to a large hall, along with “standing stones” inside that might have represented their gods. A number of artifacts were also found in the vicinity, including jewelry, daggers, ax heads engraved with bird images, and Egyptian items, such as a gold-plated bottle that was inscribed with the name “Rameses II,” also known as Rameses the Great. According to reports, Rameses II ruled for 67 years after taking the throne as a teen. Claiming to be a god on earth, he had many structures built in his lifetime, and a large statue bearing his image was found in Giza in the 1990s. Another statue stands in front of the temple of Luxor. -Full Article
