Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a 2,800-year-old palace at the site where a biblical prophet is said to have wrestled with God.
At the site of Tulul ed-Dhahab in Transjordan, researchers believe that ‘probably the biblical Mahanaim can be found blocks carved with lions and elaborate feasts.’
It is said that Mahanaim is where Jacob, one of the ancestors of the Jewish nation, fought with God from sunset to dawn.
The ruins are coming Kingdom of Israelaccording to the scriptures that show that the ancient Israelites ruled the region.
Although the building has not yet been excavated, the team believes it was a rectangular building built on a platform by Jeroboam II, the 13th king of Israel. who is also mentioned in the Bible.
There were 10 blocks, one showing a man carrying a goat at a feast, and another with two harpists.
Others had tied them with horses, palm trees, and one was painted with a lion’s head.
Professor Israel Finkelstein of the University of Haifa said that the newly discovered ruins provide more information about why major biblical stories were set in this area.
Archaeologists have found the ruins of a 2,800-year-old palace at the site where Jacob said he wrestled with God.
The research also showed that two blocks with lion heads must have been at the entrance of the building, protecting the gate.
Mahanaim, mentioned 13 times in the Old Testament, has great significance in the biblical narrative.
This name means ‘two camps’ in Hebrew and is first found in Genesis 32:2.
Jacob saw them and said, ‘This is God’s camp!’ So they called the place Mahanaim,’ says the verse.
Archaeologists were working on two nearby hills near the Zarka River, which historians believe was the biblical Jabbok.
The western hill, now known as Tall adh-Dhahab al-Gharbi, contains the remains of an ancient town that has been around for several generations.
Archaeologists have also found part of a Herodian-era building, which may have been part of the Greco-Roman settlement Amathus, which shows that the site was still important until the Roman era.
On the nearby mountain, Penuel, it is said that Jacob fought with an angel and called the place after seeing ‘the face of God.’
Seven of the bars revealed ‘images or motifs that should be thought to be for the construction of a palace or great gates, possibly state units,’ the researchers said.
It is said that Mahanaim is where Jacob, one of the ancestors of the Jewish nation, fought with God from sunset to dawn.
Scrolls 4 and 5 contained images that were part of a battle or hunt, often associated with festive events.
The study revealed that similar images were found on three artifacts from Kuntillet ʿAjrud, which is dated to the late 9th to early 8th century BCE in northeastern Sinai.
‘The fourth head seen from Tall adh-Dhahab al-Gharbi is compared to the image of Kuntillet ʿAjrud and the Sacrifice Tree cut on Block 7, where two prominent horizontal branches with bends inside the tree have survived,’ the researchers shared.
Although the building has not yet been fully excavated, the team believes it was a rectangular building built on a platform by Jeroboam II, the 13th king of Israel, who is also mentioned in the Bible.
There were 10 blocks, one showing a man carrying a goat at a feast, and another with two musicians.
One of the boards had a picture of a lion sprawling on top of the sandstone
‘The clear correlation between the murals of Tall adh-Dhahab al-Gharbi and the Kuntillet ʿAjrud pottery and mural parallels the construction of the site by Jeroboam II.’
The reign of Jeroboam II is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:23-29, along with the books of Amos and Hosea.
The research also showed that two blocks with the heads of lions must have been at the entrance of the house, protecting the gate.
The finds have also been found in two locations in southern Syria and Jordan.
The study explains: ‘The cut walls found at Tall adh-Dhahab al-Gharbi, the site of the biblical Mahanaim, may have come from an Iron Age house that served as an elite,’ says the study.
‘The characteristics of Tall adh-Dhahab ash-Sharqi—its small size, its rectangular shape and possibly the presence of a raised tower—seem to indicate that it was not a town, but perhaps a temple.’
The researchers stressed that their work does not prove that the stories in the Bible are true, but their findings show that the Israelites lived in the area for thousands of years and explain why the Bible writers used Mahanaim as a place to tell stories.
