CHRISTIANNEWS.COM. – Tom Meyer, a professor at Shasta Bible College and California Graduate School, revealed in an interview with the British news site ‘Express’, three ancient finds that “help us gauge the historical accuracy of Samson.”
According to the Old Testament, Samson was an Israeli warrior whose enormous strength was in his uncut hair.
One of the stories says that Samson found a lion and killed it with his bare hands. This is exactly what scientists saw depicted on a small stone seal discovered in 2012. The 12th century BC seal showed an unarmed strongman against a lion.
“The small seal, just 15mm in diameter, was found in the city of Beth-Shemesh, Israel, a city on the Biblical plains that was within sight of Samson’s hometown of Zorah, and a short walk from Timnath. , the place where Samson killed the lion,” Meyer told the newspaper.
The Bible also says that Samson cut off his hair and became a prisoner of the Philistines, Israel’s enemies.
During a festival to celebrate his victory, Samson was ordered by the Philistine rulers to go for entertainment. The celebration took place on the terrace of a temple supported by cedar pillars.
“Swinging furiously back and forth between the cedar pillars that supported the roof, Samson broke the pillars and the roof collapsed, killing Samson and all the Philistines present,” Meyer said.
archaeological evidence
Archaeological excavations from 1971-1974 at Tel Qasile, north of Tel Aviv, unearthed a 12th century BC temple. C. which may be the temple where Samson died.
However, Meyer, known as the Man of the Memory of the Bible, for his extraordinary ability to recite more than 20 biblical books, clarified that “it is not yet clear if the temple of Tel Quasile is what Samson demolished” because “everything the Philistine temple excavated in Israel has a similar architectural plan.
The third discovery is a synagogue from the 5th century AD, found in 2011 in the city of Huqoq. Its mosaic floor depicts two scenes from the life of Samson.
“The first is the story of Samson capturing 300 foxes, tying their tails with a rope, and then tying torches to the ropes and releasing the foxes to destroy the entire Philistine spring crop.
The other mosaic shows Samson carrying gates from Gaza to a hill near the Biblical city of Hebron,” Meyer explained.
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