A team of archaeologists has discovered the ruins of an ancient and important biblical city
Since 2009, researchers have studied the remains of an ancient village in an excavation site called Tel Burna, located 20 km southwest of Jerusalem, an area which was once a strategic border region between ancient Israel and the Philistines from the west.
Archaeologists are increasingly confident that they have discovered the remains of Libnah, an ancient city in Israel that is mentioned several times in the Bible.
Even though the archaeological site of Tel Burna has provided researchers with important archaeological finds, the true identity of the site has been uncertain for a long time.
“The identification of the site has been debated for over a century,” said Dr. Itzhaq Shai, director of Tel Burna Excavation Project to Popular Archaeology.
The ancient city of Libnah played notable roles in several passages of the Old Testament. Moses and the Israelites visited this ancient city during the Exodus. (33: 20-21) Joshua and the Israelite army conquered Libnah during the conquest of the Promised Land (Joshua 10: 29-30), after which the city was given to the descendants of Aaron and the priests (Joshua 21:13). According to 2 Chronicles 21: 9-10, the Edomites and the inhabitants of Libnah revolted against Joram, the wicked king of Judah.
Experts commonly agree that the site of Tel Burna was an important place in biblical times, especially due to its location and the lands, which made it not only a strategic location but also a very productive one.
Map showing the Kingdoms of Israel (blue) and Judah (orange), ancient Southern Levant borders and ancient cities such as Urmomium and Jerash. The map shows the region in the 9th century BCE.(Malus Catulus, Wikimedia Commons)
“Ancient Libna was located in the lowland region, which was the border between the kingdoms of Judah and the Philistines in the Iron Age,” states the website of the Excavation Project at Tel Burna, noting that it was “a fertile area that supported the agricultural production, the region was known as the granary of the south.
A survey in 2009 provided researchers with the necessary details to believe that the city was an important entity both in the Bronze and Iron age”.
There is still a small amount of uncertainty whether this location is in fact the actual place of the ancient city of Linah, but most archaeologists and researchers agree, that this is the most likely scenario, even though that to date, there are other candidates that suggest the location of ancient Libnah, including nearby Tel Zayit.
The archaeological remains exposed in Tel Burna support the theory of the discovery of Libnah as both geographic, survey and excavation data seamlessly integrate into what we know was a frontier town in the Iron Age according to leading researchers of the project.
The artifacts discovered at the site, including grains, stamps, figurines and ceramic vessels originate from the ninth and eighth centuries BC, a period known as the Iron Age. This time period coincides closely with the historical accounts of the Bible and stories of the city of Libnah.
It is perhaps one of the most incredible ancient sites in Peru, a megalithic site that is believed to predate the Inca themselves. The construction features found at Sacsayhuaman are breathtaking, precisely cut stones, sharp edges, smooth surfaces and walls put together in such a way that modern engineers stand in awe when looking at the feature of this ancient megalithic site. Sacsayhuaman is located at an elevation of 3701m above sea level in the northern outskirts of Cusco, Peru.
Modern archaeologists believe that, according to recent studies, the oldest parts of this ancient city were built by the Killke, 1.000 years ago, but Inca legends go far beyond that; stating that this ancient megalithic site was built by gods who descended from the heavens. The stone masonry present at Sacsayhuaman is incredible, with huge walls composed of rocks over 50 tons, squeezed together in such a way as if the rock literally melted, placed together like a puzzle, perfectly fitting into place.
Here we bring you ten amazing images of this ancient megalithic site that you probably haven’t yet seen, in an effort to help understand and get to know Sacsayhuaman better.
This image is incredible, observe the corner of this construction, the stone blocks seem bent, yet everything fits together perfectly, and there is not a chance that a single sheet of paper would fit between these incredible blocks of stone. This is one of the best examples of stone masonry fount at this ancient megalithic site.
These are “thrones” or at least that is what the tour guides explain them to be, but some believe that these flat surfaces are something other. Here we have 13 of these flat surfaces which have been carved out from extremely hard stone. Observe the incredible precision and detail, yet these were produced thousands of years ago.
Another image of a piece of a wall found at the megalithic site of Sacsayhuaman. Notice the different shapes that compose the wall, yet they seem to fit together in such a way as if the stone was made one for another.
Another section found at Sacsayhuaman demonstrating incredible masonry skills. Smooth surfaces were something which was favored by the ancient stonemasons at Sacsayhuaman. Precision and smoothness, amazing details.
Another image demonstrating Sacsayhuamans’ stonemason abilities to shape these huge stones in a unique manner, creating bent corners; something that we have seen in other places on the Planet, Egypt being one of those. Did ancient stonemasons from Sacsayhuaman really have the ability to soften rock?
Notice how these huge rocks seem to have been squeezed together. Some say that they appear to be fused together. Not a single sheet f paper can fit in between these rocks. How did the ancient stonemasons at Sacsayhuaman achieve this precision?
Another breathtaking image of Sacsayhuaman. Some of these blocks of stone have over a hundred tons, they seem to be pressed together fitting into place incredibly well. How did the ancient stonemasons achieve this type of precision? And how did they manage to quarry these blocks of stone and put the into place? Could the ancient Inca legends be true perhaps? That Sacsayhuaman was in fact constructed by gods that came from the sky?
Amazing styles of construction that defy our very own engineering and construction skills today. Observe the precise placement of these walls, and the incredible shapes these blocks of stone have. Sacsayhuaman is truly a wonder of ancient construction.
Another incredible wall at Sacsayhuaman displaying the combination of smaller blocks of stone with much larger ones, yet the difference is very pleasing to the eye. not only is Sacsayhuaman incredibly well constructed, it is incredibly aesthetic.
Sacsayhuaman is place that you have to visit to truly appreciate its beauty, energy and history. Even though we can see and learn much about this ancient megalithic site believed to predate the Inca, some of its mysteries are still hidden in these incredible walls who have a unique story to tell.
New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare had stopped to help the man when he was gunned down by Jaremy Smith, who is also charged in the killing of a paramedic whose stolen car was involved in the officer’s killing
The underground city of Derinkuyu is an ancient city located beneath the surface of the Derinkuyu district in the Nevşehir Province, Turkey. It is one of the most amazing underground cities to have been discovered, and no one knows its exact age, making this already awesome underground city even cooler.
Here, we bring you 15 things you need to know about Derinkuyu.
Derinkuyu extends to a depth of about 60 meters underground, it was a highly sophisticated underground shelter. No one knows exactly from what were the people of the underground city hiding, some say war, others climate change, but the exact reason remains a mystery.
Who the exact builders of Derinkuyu where is a mystery, according to the Turkish Department of Culture, Derinkuyu was built by the Phrygians in the 8th and 7th centuries B.C. This ancient underground city was enlarged in the Byzantine era.
Evidence found in Derinkuyu connect the settlement to the Hittites’, several artifacts of Hittite-style have been found during excavations performed in the past.
Archaeologists speculate about the exact age of Derinkuyu, but writings of Xenophon (ca. 431 – 355 BC) mention the underground city and are believed to be the earliest examples of written evidence referring to Derinkuyu.
Even though there are really large underground cities across Europe and Asia, Derinkuyu is the largest underground city discovered to date in Turkey.
The underground city of Derinkuyu had extremely well-designed air shafts, some of them as deep as forty meters below the surface. Together with the air shafts, storage rooms and wells that were incorporated into the design, people could live without problems underground for long periods of time.
Underground Derinkuyu is really big, it has a total area of around 7,000 square feet, the entire underground city has not been excavated. The fact that Derinkuyu has around eleven floors adds to the mystery of how ancient man was able to achieve such incredible construction.
The security system that was used in Derinkuyu is both very effective and relatively easy to manage. Each floor of Derinkuyu could have been closed off separately; huge circular stones were used to isolate the entrances, these “doors” could only be worked with on the inside.
The underground city of Derinkuyu, even though located under the surface, was connected with the world. This ancient city was connected to other underground settlements through a series of tunnels.
Underground Derinkuyu was a fully working community; having specific sections underground such as shops, communal rooms, wells, tombs, arsenals, apartments, religious buildings and escape routes. People living in underground Derinkuyu had everything they needed to live life properly.
So far, archaeologists have discovered approximately fifty air shafts, they expect this number to increase as excavations advance.
According to archaeologists, there is a tunnel on the third level of Derinkuyu that leads to a neighboring city, 5 kilometers away called Kaymakli.
Underground Derinkuyu is believed to have been capable of offering proper living conditions to around 50,000 people.
This underground city had several wells, some of them were connected to the surface while other wells were not in order to protect the underground population from potential poisoning during times of war.
If you decide to visit the ancient underground city of Derinkuyu, you should know that you can only visit about 10% of this ancient city. The city itself is gigantic, and to even enter it you will have to go through really small passages. These passages were built on purpose to repel enemy troops or at least make it difficult to enter the city itself.
The suspect sustained minor injuries when the East Rochester PD officer returned fire; he has since been charged with attempted murder and sentenced to 35 years to life
The Middle Township officer arrived on the scene first and immediately began administering CPR; the paramedic took over CPR upon arrival until the child’s pulse returned
Mars has been one of the most important celestial objects for humans for centuries. We have observed and recorded the movement of the red planet and even named gods after our neighbor planet. Today, thanks to the research performed by space agencies worldwide, we can learn more about the red planet than ever before.
The images sent back by NASA’s rovers have been both revolutionary and controversial as some of them are more than strange. Is it too exaggerated to say that there is a slight possibility that there are structures on Mars? and that these structures are not just natural geological formations of the Red Planet? Well if you believe that all of the images from Mars that look like statues, animals, and other objects are just a strong case of Pareidolia, check out the following images from the red planet which might make you change how you see the red planet.
The possibility of life on Mars is higher than ever, and as each day goes by NASA’s scientists are a step closer to proving that the red planet did in fact have life thousands of years ago. This would change the entire picture about the red planet and these “statues” and “random” objects become something more… another mystery on Mars waiting to be explored and explained.
One of those really crazy images from the red planet. This image apparently shows a… gorilla? right? Or is Pareidolia kicking in again? Well, this object is very similar to some sort of ape; Now notice the surrounding rocks are more pointy, with sharp edges, this “formation” has smoother edges and round details. The question is, what is it? Just another one of those Martian rocks? Or is there something to the red planet we do not know?
Id say this one is more Pareidolia than anything else, i mean yeah, it could be just another martian rock, but again the surrounding objects are very unlike this strange looking formation that some have called ” the finger on Mars”.
Ahh, the Martian helmet. another one of those crazy images. And this one actually looks like a World War I helmet, or at least resembles it a bit don’t you think? It could be just one of those really nicely shaped rocks credited to “Martian Mother Nature” but the similarity to a army helmet is just incredible.
Probably one of the most famous images from Mars is the Face of Mars. NASA even did a press conference when this image was sen to Earth to explain that due to the light conditions and angle from which the image was taken, Pareidolia kicked in to make it seem as there was an actual monument on Mars, with a humanoid face. Pareidolia or not, the image is a bit freaky, you can actually distinguish nose, eyes, and mouth… right?
One of the more recent images sent back to Earth from Mars is this images that according to some resembles an actual bone. Specifically a femur thigh bone. But, NASA quickly explained that this is just another Martian rock and we quote; “it is not the fossilized remains of a mysterious Martian. “Mission science team members think its shape is likely sculpted by erosion, either wind or water.” So there you have it, it seems the Red planet is a really cool artist, don’t you think?
Those are some of our favorite images from the red planet, but we are sure that we will have tons of new images to talk about in the next months so stay tuned.
Do you believe in ancient cities made out of gold? Ancient civilizations that were capable of great construction projects with mysterious technology that allowed them to achieve incredible things which engineers today, with our technology, have a difficult time recreating? Well there are many treasure hunters who believe in the legendary City of Gold, El Dorado, Atlantis, etc… they believe that these ancient cities could have actually existed and that they are hidden somewhere under a thick canopy of trees.
The Quimbaya were a pre-colombian culture living in South America from 300 to 1550 CE, they were well known for their incredible skills in very precise gold and metalwork. Among the figurines discovered, some models actually resemble what some believe to be, “flying machines”. Does this sound crazy? well for some it might, but the figurines created 2,000 years ago might actually be capable of achieving flight, (with a couple of alterations).
Even though cities like el Dorado and the city-continent of Atlantis have not been found, many incredible discoveries have been made in South America, specifically near the Magdalena River where artifacts dating back to 1500 years have been found. Among the artifacts, hundreds of relatively small golden figurines were found resembling fish, and insects while some of them may resemble animals in nature but are of mysterious shapes. Many claim that some of these figurines do not depict animals at all, but rather advanced technology, specifically airplanes. Does that sound a bit strange? Well yes it does when you think about the past and the people living 100-2000 years ago, everyone would go with the “animals”, “insects” theory, but what if there is something more to these figurines?
According to the Ancient Alien theory, the figurines found have almost nothing in common with anything similar found in nature, and the triangular shaped figurines might actually depict something like fighter planes, displaying stabilizers and a fuselage. Now, even though these little figurines that might resemble modern day airplanes to some, they can actually just depict fish, or other animals found in the Tolima region where the artifacts were found. Both possibilities are open. Those who firmly oppose the ancient Alien theory will not consider it, while others might consider there is a small chance that the ancient peoples of the Tolima might have depicted in gold, something rather unusual.
If you decide to exclude the possibility that the Tolima depicted insects or fish, you can connect the shape of the artifact to a aerodynamic object. In Germany aviation experts actually performed physical tests with the Tolima “gold plane”. They actually built a scale-model replica of the artifact and did a few changes, like adding an engine to the front, and removing the curls on the wings which would have made it difficult for the artifact to achieve flight. So whit a few modifications this 2,000 year old model did prove to be aerodynamic.
It is pretty amazing to think that a pre-colombian civilization had the skill to achieve a figurines that with only a couple of changes could actually achieve flight. These figurines might have not been designed 2,000 years ago to fly, but they could have been a depiction of what they saw, either in nature, as fish and insects, or perhaps something more extraordinary than that.
Essentially you have something incredible here, and we have to mention that most of the Quimbaya figurines are made up of a “tumbaga alloy” with 30% copper; something that some believe has to do with accounts of Plato and Atlantis, but that is another story on another time. Is this just a coincidence that the model replica of the “Quimbaya Airplanes” could actually fly? And that the display such incredible similarities to modern day objects? According to many, this isn’t a coincidence but proof that ancient man was extremely intelligent. The ancient people actually managed to create a model of a flying device 2000 years ago, that proved to be capable of flight today. Whether they depicted insects or something else, the figurines could achieve flight.
A research team from the University of Göttingen and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) has discovered another piece in the puzzle of the formation of the moon and water on Earth. The prevailing theory had been that the moon was the result of a collision between early Earth and the protoplanet Theia. New measurements indicate that the moon formed from material ejected from the Earth’s mantle with little contribution from Theia.
Tucked away in a star-forming region in the Taurus constellation, a pair of circling stars are displaying some unexpected differences in the circumstellar disks of dust and gas that surround them. A new study led by researchers at Lowell Observatory, combining data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Keck Observatory, has unveiled intriguing findings about planet formation in this binary star system, known as DF Tau, along with other systems in this region. The work is published in The Astronomical Journal.
