Top Biblical Discoveries of 2022 (Part One)

 #8 - Shroud of Turin

A new analysis of the Shroud of Turin reports a potential startling revelation. The Shroud, which many believe was the burial cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus after he was removed from the cross, has always been a subject of controversy and debate. Many believe the artifact to be genuine, while others insist it is a fake from the Middle Ages. 

The debate seemed to be settled, at least to many, in 1988 when a portion of the shroud was subjected to carbon 14 dating. These tests showed the fabric to be from the Middle Ages and thus had to be a fake. Almost instantly, however, critics began to point out apparent flaws in this theory. The portion of the shroud tested, they pointed out, was a patch, not the original fabric. Also there have always been problems in accurately dating textiles with carbon 14. This is due to the porous nature of fabric. Many critics of the carbon 14 dating pointed to the fact the Chapel where the Shroud was kept experienced an intense fire. The heat was so severe it actually melted the silver frame the shroud was stored in. Critics claim the heat and smoke from this fire make carbon 14 dating all but impossible.

Now, Doctor Liberato De Caro has performed a new battery of tests on the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud was exposed to wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) which measures the structural degradation of fabric due to natural ageing. The results were then compared to textiles with well documented ages. After comparing the test results it was found the best match for the Shroud of Turin came from the first century, showing dates of between 55 and 74 A.D. 

These new studies do not prove the Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus. What they can prove, at least to many, is that the fabric is from the first century which at least opens up the possibility for the artifact to be genuine. While these new test results are very interesting, it is highly unlikely this will settle the debate over the Shroud of Turin.

#7 - New Information on Hezekiah's Tunnel

King Hezekiah created one of the great biblical architectural marvels when he had a tunnel built from the Gihon spring into the city of Jerusalem. The tunnel is 1,750 feet long and was dug from both ends at the same time. The tunnel is still in existence today and still carries water. While it was an ingenious plan to bring the water into the city by way of a secret tunnel, it has long been questioned how the water level in Hezekiah's tunnel would have been controlled in times of floods. A new discovery has found the answer, and it makes Hezikiah's tunnel that much more of an engineering marvel.

Grooves cut in the walls of the tunnel are believed to have been used with a Sluice gate. The gate appears to have been placed at the only location in the tunnel where it could have worked. It would have prevented the complete draining of the upper pool, which may have alerted Hezekiah's enemy of the existence of the tunnel, and also controlled the water during times of flooding. 

The location of the Sluice Gate was in an area with high ceilings and ancient iron bolts along with petrified wood were found in the walls. Explorers also discovered a vertical shaft that extended all the way to the surface. This shaft would have allowed the gate to be raised and lowered by means of a rope. This new discovery makes Hezekiah's tunnel just that much more amazing.

#6 - Ivory Lice Comb

This tiny artifact, some 3,700 years old, contains a Canaanite inscription. In fact, it is the first complete reliable sentence in a Canaanite dialect, written in the Canaanite script. The artifact measures 3.5 by 2.5 cm and has teeth on both sides. It was intended to comb hair lice from the scalp and from facial hair. Made of ivory, the comb was originally found in 2016. The artifact was so badly encrusted with dirt that it was originally tossed into a bag of assorted bones. Not until recently did researchers realize what they actually had.

The 17-letter inscription is in an early pictographic style. The comb is believed to have been first used as far back as 1,700 B.C. The inscription on the comb reads.

"May this tusk root out the lice of the hai[r and the] beard."

#5 - Lead Trade was brisk during the Time of Judges

There has always been a debate over just how civilized the Holy Lands were in the time of David and Solomon and even in the time of Judges. Many critics of the Bible insists this area was little more than a dusty crossroads with no formal government and little if any commerce. Recent discoveries can now cast this time period in an entirely different light.

In 2019 a shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Israel which contained Tin Ingots that had been mined in Cornwall England some 3,200 years ago. Just last year another shipwreck was discovered off of Israel which contained a vast hoard of lead ingots. Tests on the lead show it came from mines on the Italian island of Sardinia. Furthermore, it was shown the lead had been mined sometime between 1,500 and 1,200 B.C. These two discoveries show there were vast commercial trade routes in place even before the time of King David, dating back to the time of judges.

This would seem to confirm several biblical verses in which they reference ships and seaports during the time of Judges as well as mentions of the tribe of Asher working with various bars of metal. As more and more information is gathered, the facts and stories in the Bible are confirmed and proven accurate over and over again. These shipwrecks show there was a significant level of commerce taking place on what was then a global scale. There seems little if any reason to doubt the biblical stories of a major kingdom in Israel which traded with faraway lands.

See Top Biblical Discoveries of 2022 (Part 2) for discoveries 1 through 4.