Archaeology and the Bible
We are presently developing a series of hands on items under the category of "Biblical Archaeology". Many of these items are developed by scholars as reproductions of the original antiquities.
We are working with companies to produce items that are ideal items for use in college, school or personal situations. Being able to handle life size reproductions of items that once played a role in Biblical History will help bring study alive. The most common question we are asked is why would I want to study "Biblical Archaeology"?
The question we pose is: "If you are basing your faith and ultimately your eternity on parts of the scriptures, how can you be sure that those scripture are truth? Science and skeptics are doing everything they can to classify the historical component of scripture as false, thereby undermining the spiritual truths therein. Our aim is to demonstrate that the historical Biblical record must be based in solid truth otherwise how could you believe its spiritual promise.
So, Biblical Archaeology is a vital topic for both the Christian and Jewish faith to establish core values that then help to enlighten the spiritual value of the scriptures. Biblical Archaeology can never prove the Bible, but can only enhance your understanding of it, by opening up a greater understanding of the world in which it was written, while at the same time validating its historical accuracy. Ultimately your belief is grounded in faith irregardless of the evidence."
We are progressively developing new products that can be purchased either direct through us here in Australia or through our affiliate company in the USA. (see our Church Resource page for link details).
Many other items fit within this category as well, such as the Rosetta Stone ( an item that opened up the understanding of the ancient Egyptian texts and there by its relationship with ancient Israel/Judea), oil lamps and many other items. See our Historic Reproductions page for details.
Does Archaeology prove the Bible? Click HERE to see a six part presentation.
PLEASE NOTE:
Not all items on this page are kept in stock at all times. Many items are rare order items and are only stocked in minimal numbers. In many cases we will order certain items when an order is placed.
Please allow up to a month for certain non stock items to be shipped from our suppliers.
Note that prices can be changed without notice.
Seal and Bulla of Isaiah
A seal impression has been found during the Ophel excavations in Jerusalem in the same strata as a group of seal impressions belonging to King Hezekiah.
The text of the seal reads "(Belonging) to Isaiah nvy". Because the seal impression is broken and a portion is missing one has to read into the missing letters.
It was excavated by the team of archaeologists Eilat Mazar who because of the Hezekiah context read the inscription as "Belonging to Isaiah the Prophet".
$39.95AUD plus P&H
Arad Ostracon #18
A pottery sherd Ostracon on which a letter written from Jerusalem to Eliashib who was the commander at the Arad fortress dated c597BC.
"To my Lord Eliashib, May Yahweh concern himself with your well being.
And now, give Shemaiah a latek measure of flour.
As regards the matter concerning which you gave me orders, everything is fine.
Now he is staying in the Temple of Yahweh".
The earliest reference to the Temple in Jerusalem.
66 x 45mm text both sides.
$129.95AUD plus P&H
Ketef Hinnom Silver Scrolls replica
Two tiny soiver scrolls in the form of amulets were discovered at a burial cave outside Jerusalem called "Ketef Hinnom" in the Hinnom Valley. Written in ancient Hebrew script dated to the 7th century BC, the scrolls comprise the earliest known fragments of a Biblical Text and pre date the earliest scrolls from the Dead Sea area by more than 400 years. A form of what is j=known as the priestly blessing is contained on the scrolls: "The Lord bless you and keep ypu, the Lord makes His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenanace upon you and give you peace." Numbers ^:24-26.
It also contains the Tetragrammaton, the oldest known form of the Divine name of God.
Excavated in 1979 by team led by Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay in a tomb in the Hinnom valley alongside Jerusalem. The scrolls were excavated by Judith Hadley, who has purchased our replicas of the Ketef Hinnom Silver Scrolls. (Ketef Hinnom means the shoulder of Hinnom) The tomb dated to the 7th C BC and contained hundreds of pieces of silver jewelry and artifacts as well as a rare early coin.
The scrolls show a Hebrew script containing a text from the 7th C BC demonstrating the accuracy of translation of the Biblical text through to modern times.
This set of reproduction scrolls is available ready to frame. These would make a wonderful gift for any collector or student of Biblical Archaeology or anyone who grew up with the priestly blessing! (Scrolls handmade in a silver coloured resin - life size)
$94.95AUD plus P&H. QUOTE KHS1
An Inscription displayed on the balustrade of the Temple:
"No foreigner shall enter within the balustrade of the Temple, or within the precinct, and whosoever shall be caught shall be responsible for (his) death that will follow in consequence (of his trespassing)"
The inscription was displayed regularly around the court of the Gentiles and was written in both Latin and Greek. 480 x 250mm.
Contact us for a price.
Ekron Inscription
Ekron Inscription recreation (resin cast) about 23 inches (580mm) wide and 14 1/2 inches(370mm) tall.
This inscription identifies Tel Migne as Ekron, one of the five Philistine capital cities mentioned in the Bible. The Inscription consists of 72 letters in five lines, it reads: The temple which he built, Achish son of Padi, son of Ysd, son of Ada, son of Ya'ir, ruler of Ekron, for Ptgyh his lady. May she bless him, and protect him, and prolong his days, and bless his land.
This item ships from US supplier.
Contact us for a price.
Siloam Inscription
Hezekiah's Tunnel
$299.00AUD plus P&H QUOTE SILOAM1
Tel Dan Inscription
The David narratives have for years been interpreted as a priestly propaganda campaign during the Babylonian exile in an attempt to bolster their national integrity. No extra Biblical evidence of David previously existed, and since he was such a monumental leader of the nation of Israel skeptics denied his existence. The argument of lack of evidence raised yet again.
However in 1993 renown archaeologist Avraham Biran was excavating ancient Dan when one of his staff discovered a piece of basalt with an inscription on it in the rubble of a wall.
It was found along with two more pieces found the next season to contain a reference to the ?House of David?. It was written in the Paleo-Hebrew script and has been dated both paleographically and in accord to its position in the site levels to 858-824BC.
Now we have solid evidence that King David did exist, his family descendant being the subject of this stele.
The inscription is in fact a victory monument of one king of Damascus (Aram) proclaiming his defeat of a king of Israel and the House of David.
Place of Trumpeting Inscription
Clear evidence of the accuracy of Jesus words in that every part of the temple was dismantled and thrown over the side of the temple mount only to be found by archaeologists 2000 years later.
$169.95.00AUD plus P&H
Tel Gezer Inscription
The Gezer Calendar is probably a student?s memory exercise written in verse on a piece of limestone around 925BC, about the time of Solomon. It is a text in Paleo-Hebrew about the agricultural seasons and related tasks. It may have been used as a folksong and is of help to researchers of scripts and language of the Near East. It was found at Tell el-Jazari which is the ancient city of Gezer, 30km northwest of Jerusalem by R.A.S Mc Allister It was found in 1908. The text in the bottom left corner is the students signature, his name is Abijah. This tablet/inscription is one of the earliest known examples of Paleo-Hebrew text ever found, indicative of the use of the Hebrew text as early as the 10th century BC predating the Babylonian exile of 586BC after which minimalists and some scholars claim the Biblical text was written. Both the inscription and the text are considered archaic in nature.
His two months are (olive) harvest,
His two months are planting (grain),
His two months are late planting;
His month is hoeing up flax,
His month is harvest of barley,
His month is harvest and feasting;
His two months are wine - tending,
His month is summer fruit.
Ivory Pomegranate from Solomon's Temple
What has become one of the most controversial items procured by the Israel Museum in Jerusalem is also one of the most inconspicuous items that would have graced their display cabinets. (This item has been removed from display).
A small carved piece of ivory in the shape of a pomegranate with a paleo-Hebrew text around the neck of it ascribing the words (interpreted):
belonging to the temp(le of Yahw)eh holy to the priests
This item if genuine would be the only archaeological find from the 1st Temple of Solomon. It has been dated according to its textual style to 8th century BC.
This would have been used as a scepter top piece evidenced by the hole in its base.
$59.95AUD plus P&H
Amarna Tablet EA290
Amarna EA290: A reproduction of an Amarna Tablet from Jerusalem .
"[Sa]y [t]o the king-(i.e. pharaoh), my lord: Message of ['Abdi]-Heba, your servant. I fall at the feet [of the kin]g, my lord, 7 times and 7 times. Here is the deed against the land that Milkilu and Šuardatu did: against the land of the king, my lord, they ordered troops from Gazru, troops from Gimtu, and troops from Qiltu-(Keilah). They seized Rubutu. The land of the king deserted to the Hapiru. And now, besides this, a town belonging to Jerusalem-(called Urusalim), Bit-dNIN.URTA by name, a city of the king, has gone over to the side of the men of Qiltu. May the king give heed to Abdi-Heba, your servant, and send archers to restore the land of the king to the king. If there are no archers, the land of the king will desert to the Hapiru. This deed against the land was [a]t the order of Milki[lu and a]t the order of [Šuard]atu, [together w]ith Gint[i] -(i.e. the city). So may the king provide for [his] land." -EA 290, lines 1-30 (complete)
The city "Bit-dNIN.URTA" is linked to cuneiform as: city: "Home of God–Ninurta", (Bit-dNIN.URTA).
$29.95AUD plus P&H
Gilgamesh Flood Tablet
From the Library of Ashurbanipal 669-631BC
This is the tablet 11 of the story, describing of Gilgamesh meeting with Utnapishtim. With similarities to Noah in the Bible, Utnapishtim had been warned that the gods would send a great flood. He built a boat and loaded it with all his possessions, his family of three sons and their wives, domesticated and wild animals.
Utnapishtim survived the flood for six days while mankind was destroyed, before landing on a mountain called Nimush. He released a dove and a swallow but they did not find dry land to rest on, and returned. Finally a raven that he released did not return, showing that the waters must have receded.
$59.95AUD plus P&H
Jewish Menorah
#1 Brass 165mm tall. $24.95 Plus P&H
#2 Brass 145mm tall. Jerusalem Holyland on Base. $19.95AUD Plus P&H
#3 Brass 175mm tall. $29.95AUD plus P&H
Coins and the Bible
Coins of the Bible Set One
Coin of Herod the Great
Shekel of Tyre
Herod Antipas
Stater of Antioch
Widows Mite
Tribute Penny
$24.95AUD plus P&H
Coins of the Bible Set Two
Dilepton Simon Nasi
Shekel 66-70AD
Judea Capta Vespasian 70AD
Denarius 132 - 135AD
Quarter Shekel 132-136AD
Shekel Bar Kochba
$24.95AUD plus P&H
Christmas Collection
A coins et based around the Christmas story and the Three Wise Men.
Coins included are:
- King Azes II of Bactria
- King Phraates IV of Parthia
- King Aretas IV of Nabataea
Alexamenos Graffito
This graffiti was found scratched into a plaster wall in a room near the Palatine Hill in Rome.
It is dated to c200AD and it shows a young man worshipping a crucified donkey headed figure.
The text reads "Alexamenos worships (his) God".
It was meant to poke fun at Alexamenos who worshipped Christ crucified by a person who could not
comprehend why a person would worship a person who was crucified, the worst type of death
of the period. Crucifixion was considered a disgraceful death and was intentionally meant to
press the point by crucifixion. By displaying an image of a figure with the head of a donkey
was saying: "Why would god submit himself to such a horrid shameful death?"
His death on the cross was meant to pay an eternal punishment for the sins of the world
sins that were as shameful as the death He bore in our place. He carried our shameful sins to the cross.
Note: The cross is a "Tau" cross shaped like our capital T not our lower case t.
The crucified figure is naked, hence being shown from behind.
The figure is looking at Alexamenos.
275mm x 190mm
$49.95AUD plus P&H
Puteoli Crucifixion Graffito
Another graffito found in Rome dated a little later than the Alexamenos Graffito.
It was found in an excavation in the town of Puteoli and depicts what a crucifixion may have looked like.
It again has the "Tau" cross shipped like an upper case T, the victim is naked and is shown from behind.
The victim appears to have been whipped or flayed and the legs are nailed separately at each side
matching the crucified ankle bone that was found in Jerusalem, which still has the nail through the
calcaneus (heel).
150mm x 100mm.
$19.95AUD plus P&H
Seals...
Seal Impression of Darius 1
A seal impression with the text: "I (am) Darius the King" in three languages Elamite, Old Persian and Babylonian Cuneiform.
The original cylinder seal was made of chalcedony and was probably his seal of office at Persepolis.
The impression reveals a myriad of details about Darius and about the cultural aspects of his time. It shows him riding in a chariot driven by his chariot driver. He has just killed a small lion (below the horses) has shot a rampant lion in the eye and is about to fire another arrow.
The image shows his clothing style (Crown and gown) their hair and beard styles and the design of chariots. This chariot has an eight spoked when the rim having studs and the cruciform style are very similar to a golden model of a chariot found in the Oxus Treasure.
The character above the chariot is Ahura Mazda and the text to the right in vertical columns reveals who owned the seal.
An amazing art form not much larger than a postage stamp. 50 x 35mm.
$24.95AUD plus P&H
Cylinder Seal of Queen Puabi of UR
A replica of a seal found in the burial pits of UR by Leonard Woolley. The seal gives us a glimpse into the culture of Ur before the time of Abraham. More the dress styles though crude in art form. The scene is a banqueting scene in the Royal Court with Queen Puabi seated while attendants offer drinks.
$44.95AUD plus P&H - Seal only - make the impression yourself with air dry clay.
What are Bullae?
Bulla (Bullae - Pl) are impressions created when a seal is impressed into a piece of damp clay which is then attached to a document to create a security seal.
It was commonly attached to a scroll, which was rolled, tied with string then a piece of damp clay wrapped around the knot and the writers seal impressed into that clay to declare authority or ownership. If on receiving said scroll one found the bull removed, or damaged it indicated that the document had bene tampered with.
Bull or seal impressions also appeared on jar handles again indicating ownership.
During the Old Testament period when a city was attacked the fire of the assault would often destroy many scrolls stored in buildings there, but in doing so the bull would actually survive having mimicked being baed in a kiln, leaving a permanent remainder of who once left his mark, his record there.
Ideal for individual or group study.
