LDS Smithsonian Letter Update

Daniel Marsh said:

Other significant artifacts related to Bible Times

2000 BCE
Creation myths and flood myths – recorded on the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Atra-Hasis tablets, the Enûma Eliš, the Eridu Genesis and the Barton Cylinder
Law tablets – ancient Near East legal tablets: Code of Hammurabi, Laws of Eshnunna, the Code of Ur-Nammu, king of Ur (ca. 2050 BCE), the Laws of Eshnunna (ca. 1930 BCE) and the codex of Lipit-Ishtar of Isin (ca. 1870 BCE).[20] Later codes than Hammurabi's include the Code of the Nesilim.[21] Hittite laws, the Assyrian laws, and Mosaic Law / Ten Commandments. (see Cuneiform law).
Hittite texts and Nuzi texts (17th century BCE and later)
Minoan Eruption – pumice found at various Tels dated to Late Bronze Age
Execration texts – earliest references to many Biblical locations
Shiphrah slave list – Shiphrah was one of two midwives who helped prevent the genocide of Hebrew children by the Egyptians, according to the Book of Exodus 1:15–21. The name is found in a list of slaves in Egypt during the reign of Sobekhotep III. This list is on Brooklyn 35.1446, a papyrus scroll kept in the Brooklyn Museum.
1500 BCE
Tombs of Ahmose, son of Ebana and Ahmose Pen-Nekhebet, record the earliest records of Egyptian control of Canaan. The Bible's depiction of Israel does not allow for Egyptian control over the area.[citation needed]
Amarna letters (c. 13th century BCE) – correspondence on clay tablets between the Egyptian administration and various Middle East kings petty sub-rulers in Canaan during the New Kingdom. The Bible's depiction of Canaan at this time (the period of the Judges) contradicts these records.[citation needed]
Great Hymn to the Aten is seen to possess strong similarities to Psalm 104, which may be based on it.
Ipuwer Papyrus (probably 18th century BCE) – poem describing Egypt as afflicted by natural disasters and in a state of chaos. The archeological evidence does not support the story of the Exodus, and most histories of ancient Israel no longer consider it relevant to the story of Israel's emergence.[22][23] Nevertheless, Ipuwer is often put forward in popular literature as confirmation of the Biblical account, most notably because of its statement that "the river is blood" and its frequent references to servants running away. This ignores the many points on which Ipuwer contradicts Exodus, such as the fact that its Asiatics are arriving in Egypt rather than leaving, and the likelihood that the "river is blood" phrase may refer to the red sediment colouring the Nile during disastrous floods, or may simply be a poetic image of turmoil.[24]
North Wall of the Medinet Habu temple and the Papyrus Harris (c. 1150 BCE) – depicts the Ramesses III's conquests in Canaan including the Battle of Djahy. This is not reflected in the Biblical history.
10th century BCE

Gezer calendar in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.
Early Paleo-Hebrew writing – contenders for the earliest Hebrew inscriptions include the Gezer calendar, Biblical period ostraca at Elah and Izbet Sartah,[25] and the Zayit Stone
Pim weight – evidence of the use of an ancient source for the Book of Samuel due to the use of an archaic term.
Khirbet Qeiyafa pottery sherd – (10th century BCE) inscription – both the language it was written in and the translation are disputed. Was discovered in excavations near Israel's Elah valley.[26]
Tell es-Safi Potsherd (10th to mid 9th centuries BCE) – Potsherd inscribed with the two names "alwt" and "wlt", etymologically related to the name Goliath and demonstrate that the name fits with the context of late-tenth/early-ninth-century BCE Philistine culture. Found at Tell es-Safi, the traditional identification of Gath.
Khirbet Qeiyafa shrines – cultic objects seen as evidence of a "cult in Judah at time of King David" and with features (triglyphs and recessed doors) which may resemble features in descriptions of the Temple of Solomon.[27]
Ophel inscription is a 3,000-year-old inscribed fragment of a ceramic jar found near Jerusalem's Temple Mount by archeologist Eilat Mazar. It is the earliest alphabetical inscription found in Jerusalem written in what was probably Proto-Canaanite script.[28] Some scholars believe it to be an inscription of the type of wine that was held in a jar.[29]
9th century BCE
Amman Citadel Inscription – 9th century BCE inscription in the Ammonite language, one of the few surviving written records of Ammon.
Melqart stele – (9th–8th century BCE) William F. Albright identifies Bir-hadad with Ben-hadad I, who was a contemporary of the biblical Asa and Baasha.
Ostraca House – (probably about 850 BCE, at least prior to 750 BCE) 64 legible ostraca found in the treasury of Ahab – written in early Hebrew.
Balaam inscription (c. 840–760 BCE)[30] 9th or 8th century BCE inscription about a prophet named Balaam (cf. the Book of Numbers).[31]
8th century BCE
Kuntillet Ajrud inscriptions – (9th - 8th century BCE) inscriptions in Phoenician script including references to Yahweh
Sefire stele – (8th century BCE) described as "the best extrabiblical source for West Semitic traditions of covenantal blessings and curses."[32]
Stele of Zakkur – (8th century BCE) Mentions Hazael king of Aram.
Tell al-Rimah stela (c.780 BCE) - tells of the exploits of Adad-nirari III, mentioning "Joash King of Samaria"[33]
Shebna's lintel inscription – (8th - 7th century BCE ?) found over the lintel or doorway of a tomb, has been ascribed to Hezekiah's comptroller Shebna.
King Ahaz's Seal (732 to 716 BCE) – Ahaz was a king of Judah but "did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had done" (2 Kings 16:2; 2 Chronicles 28:1). He worshiped idols and followed pagan practices. "He even made his son pass through fire, according to the abominable practices of the nations" (2 Kings 16:3). Ahaz was the son and successor of Jotham.
Bullae (c.715–687 BCE or 716–687 BCE)[34] (clay roundels impressed with a personal seal identifying the owner of an object, the author of a document, etc.) are, like ostraka, relatively common, both in digs and on the antiquities market. The identification of individuals named in bullae with equivalent names from the Bible is difficult, but identifications have been made with king Hezekiah[35] and his servants (????? avadim in Hebrew).
Annals of Tiglath-Pileser III (740-730 BCE):
Layard 45b+ III R 9,1 possibly refers to [KUR sa-me-ri-i-na-a-a] as ["land of Samaria"][36]
The Iran Stela refers to KUR sa-m[e]-ri-i-na-a-[a] "land of Samaria"[36]
Layard 50a + 50b + 67a refers to URU sa-me-ri-na-a-a "city of Sarnaria"[36]
Layard 66 refers to URU Sa-me-ri-na "city of Samaria"[36]
III R 9.3 50, refers to "Menahem the Samarian"[33][37]
Nimrud Tablet III R 10.2 28-29, refers to the overthrown of Pekah by Hoshea.[33][37]
one fragment refers to "Azriau" and another it has been joined to refers to "Yaudi". Some scholars have interpreted this as Ahaziah / Uzziah, although this is disputed and has not gained scholarly consensus.[38][39][40][41]
III R 10,2 refers to KUR E Hu-um-ri-a "land of Bit-Humri"[36]
ND 4301 + 4305 refers to KUR E Hu-um-ri-a "land of Bit-Humri"[36]
Babylonian Chronicle ABC1 - (725 BCE), Shalmaneser V refers to URU Sa-ma/ba-ra-'-in "city of Sarnaria"[36]
Annals of Sargon II (720 BCE):
Nimrud Prism, Great Summary Inscription refers to URU Sa-me-ri-na "city of Samerina"[36]
Palace Door, Small Summary Inscription, Cylinder Inscription, Bull Inscription refers to KUR Bit-Hu-um-ri-a "land of Bit-Humri"[36]
Oldest papyrus mentioning Jerusalem in the Hebrew language
7th century BCE
Bulla of Gemariah son of Shaphan (r. 609–598 BCE) – possible link to a figure during the reign of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36:10). Archaeologist Yair Shoham notes: "It should be borne in mind, however, that the names found on the bullae were popular in ancient times and it is equally possible that there is no connection between the names found on the bullae and the person mentioned in the Bible."[42]
Seal of Jehucal – (7th century BCE) Jehucal or Jucal is mentioned in chapters 37 and 38 of the Book of Jeremiah where King Zedekiah sends Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah saying `Please pray for us to the Lord our God` (Jeremiah 37:3). His seal and also one of Gedaliah, son of Pashur (also mentioned in Jeremiah 38:1 together with Jehucal) were found during excavation in the city of David in 2005 and 2008, respectively, by Dr. Eliat Mazar.[43]
Khirbet Beit Lei contains oldest known Hebrew writing of the word "Jerusalem" dated to 7th century BCE "I am YHWH thy Lord. I will accept the cities of Judah and I will redeem Jerusalem" "Absolve us oh merciful God. Absolve us oh YHWH"[44]
Mesad Hashavyahu Ostracon is an inscribed pottery fragment dated to 7th century BCE and written in ancient Hebrew language. It contains earliest extra-biblical reference to the observance of Shabbat.[45][46]
Victory stele of Esarhaddon
6th century BCE
Ketef Hinnom priestly blessing – Probably the oldest surviving texts currently known from the Hebrew Bible – Priestly blessing dated to 600 BCE.[47] Text from the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament. Described as "one of most significant discoveries ever made" for biblical studies.[48][49]
Jehoiachin's Rations Tablets (6th century BCE) – Describe the rations set aside for a royal captive identified with Jehoiachin, king of Judah (Cf. 2 Kings 24:12,15–6; 25:27–30; 2 Chronicles 36:9–10; Jeremiah 22:24–6; 29:2; 52:31–4; Ezekiel 17:12).[50]
Nebo-Sarsekim Tablet – (circa 595 BCE) a clay cuneiform inscription referring to an official at the court of Nebuchadrezzar II, king of Babylon, possibly the same official named in the Biblical Jeremiah.
Lachish letters – letters written in carbon ink by Hoshaiah, a military officer stationed near Jerusalem, to Joash the commanding officer at Lachish during the last years of Jeremiah during Zedekiah’s reign (c.588 BCE) (see Nehemiah 12:32, Jeremiah 42:1, 43:2). Lachish fell soon after, two years before the fall of Jerusalem.[51]
House of Yahweh ostracon is an ancient pottery fragment discovered at Tel Arad probably referring to the Temple at Jerusalem.[52]
5th century BCE
Elephantine papyri, ancient Jewish papyri dating to the 5th century BCE, name three persons mentioned in Nehemiah: Darius II, Sanballat the Horonite and Johanan the high priest.
2nd century BCE
Hasmonean coinage (164 BCE – 35 BCE)
1st century BCE
Western Wall – (c. 19 BCE) is an important Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Just over half the wall, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of the Second Temple period, being constructed around 19 BCE by Herod the Great. The remaining layers were added from the 7th century onwards.
1st century CE
Rock of Calvary (Golgotha), identified by Constantine's mother Saint Helena and Macarius of Jerusalem, within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Grotto of the Nativity, identified by Constantine's mother Saint Helena and Macarius of Jerusalem, within the Church of the Nativity
Pilate Stone – (c. 36 CE) carved inscription attributed to Pontius Pilate, a prefect of the Roman-controlled province of Judaea from 26–36 CE.
Erastus Inscription (Roman period, disputed)
Judaea Capta coinage (after 70 CE)
Nazareth Inscription bears an edict of Caesar prohibiting grave robbing.

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Daniel Marsh said:

CURRENT DIGS
Israel
Abel Beth Maacah
Apollonia-Arsuf
Ashdod-Yam
Azekah
‘Einot Amitai
Ein el-Jarba
El-Araj
Hippos-Sussita
Jezreel
Khirbet el-Eika
Khirbet el-Mastarah
Khirbet er-Rai
Kiriath-jearim
Kursi Beach
Legio
Majduliyya
Manot Cave
Mt. Zion
Shikhin/Asochis
Tel Achziv
Tel Akko
The Tel Bet Yerah Archaeological Project
Tel Beth Shemesh
Tel Burna
Tel Dan
Tel Dor
Tel Eton
Tel Gezer Water System
Tel Hazor
Tel Kabri
Tel Megiddo
Tel Qedesh
Tel Shiloh
Tel Shimron
Tel Tsaf
Tell es-Safi/Gath
Tell Halif
Tell Keisan
Tiberias
Timna
Jordan
Abila of the Decapolis
Dhiban
Khirbat al-Jariya
Khirbat Ataruz
Khirbat Iskandar
Khirbet Safra
Petra Garden and Pool Project
Tall el-Hammam
Tall Jalul
Egypt
City Of The Dead
The Fayum Field School
Turkey
Antiochia ad Cragum
Boncuklu
Cyprus
Idalion
Find a Dig | Excavate Ancient Sites as a Volunteer

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