What was Bible Archaeology’s top discovery of 2016? Was it really a toilet?
A number of discoveries in Bible archaeology could win the top spot for 2016. Even so, due to the uniqueness and somewhat interesting characteristics of the winner, our nod goes to damaged alters and a toilet. Yes, you did read that right.
Alters And A Toilet, Seriously
In 2016, while digging at the site of the ancient city of Tel Lachish, located in the Kingdom of Judah, Israeli archaeologist who were doing excavations on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) discovered a room that dates back to the 8th century BC. The room is believed to have been a shrine. Among the discoveries in this room were two four-horned alters, of which the horns had been cut off. Also found was a latrine, or what is more commonly referred to as a toilet.
Both of these 2016 discoveries are said to most likely be a result of King Hezekiah from the Old Testament and his religious reforms in which he destroyed idols and alters of false gods. This is found in 2 Kings.
(2 Kings 18:4) He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
Toilets To Dishonor False Gods
(2 Kings 10:27) They smashed the sacred pillar and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet, as it remains to this day.
We also read of a practice in the Bible in which toilets were apparently used to desecrate areas that had been used to worship false gods. (2 Kings 10:27) is referring to Jehu destroying the temple of Baal and using a toilet as a way to defile the location.
Defiling the shrine apparently is what King Hezekiah had in mind when a toilet was placed in the room with the damaged alters. Laboratory tests that were done where the stone toilet was found concluded that it was most likely never used. The discovery at Tel Lachish is the first time archaeologists have been able to confirm the practice of using toilets as a form of desecration to a religious site.
Bible archaeology’s top discovery of 2016, along with the many other discoveries over the years, continue to verify the Scriptures from the Bible as being accurate and true.
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