Jewish Temple of King Solomon as described in the Bible, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) said Thursday January 16.
"Our findings show that it is authentic," explained Dr. Shimon Ilani, of the Geological Survey of Israel (GSI) research institute, which performed tests on the tablet, according to the ICEJ News Service, which has close knowledge of the ongoing project.
The black stone tablet was discovered on the disputed Temple Mount and described as "the earliest external verification" of a Biblical text that confirms the existence of Solomon’s Temple.
It was reportedly unearthed in recent years during Muslim construction work of on the raised Mount where the First and Second Jewish Temples once stood.
MUSLIM AUTHORITIES
"Ironically (the discovery was made) during the course of determined efforts by Muslim authorities there to remove or conceal any trace of an historic Jewish presence on the disputed site," the ICEJ said.
The tablet reportedly fell into the hands of an Arab antiquities dealer in east Jerusalem, who tried to sell it to the Israel Museum last year. After the museum was turned it down, the GSI institute agreed to examine it and established its authenticity.
The fragment is believed to date from the period of King Jehoash, who ruled Judea some 2,800 years ago and is mentioned in the Bible in II Kings.
HOLY MONEY
It is said to contain a 15-line inscription in ancient Phoenician in which a king tells priests to take "holy money… to buy quarry stones and timber and copper and labor to carry out the duty with the faith." If the work is completed well, it adds, "the Lord will protect His people with blessing."
Scholars say these words closely resemble the biblical narrative in II Kings 12 describing efforts by King Jehoash to repair Solomon’s Temple, which stood for 400 years before it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
Prof. Gabriel Barkai, who the ICEJ described as the most knowledgeable archaeologist on ancient Jerusalem, said that if the temple tablet was authenticated, it would be a "sensational" discovery.
He suggested that the inscription’s resemblance to biblical passages "has far-reaching implications of the historical importance of the biblical text."
TEMPLE BURNED DOWN
The ICEJ said the stone is also contains microscopic gold flecks, suggesting it could have been in the Temple when it was burned down. However outside experts are already divided on the Jehoash tablet and Muslim authorities have questioned its authenticity.
The controversy resembles other recent finds related to the Bible, such as the stone burial box which apparently inscribed "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus."
Other notable archaeological finds relating to biblical accounts of the First Temple include an ivory pomegranate believed to have been worn by Temple priests and a pillar found in northern Israel that mentions the "House of David," the ICEJ News Service said.
The phrase "House of David" is believed to be a reference to the Israelite king who first sought to build a "house for the Lord" in Jerusalem, according to the Bible.
