Old Testament History Confirmed… Again!
The book of Amos begins by identifying a time “two years before the earthquake” (Amos 1:1). The fact that it must have been very notable is demonstrated by the fact that two centuries later, Zechariah compared the devastation that will occur in the last days with the earthquake that occurred during the reign of King Uzziah in the eighth century B.C. (14:5). Evidence from archaeology has now confirmed a swath of destruction more than 125 miles long from Hazor in the north to Tell es-Safi in the south – in the eighth century B.C., just like the Bible records.
Tel es-Safi, about 20 miles west of Bethlehem, has archaeological remains identified by some as the Philistine city of Gath. Evidence of the earthquake extends from Tel es-Safi north to Hazor.
The most recent evidence even included Jerusalem, in a destructive layer of the City of David Archaeological Park. The Israel Antiquities Authority cited collapsed walls and shattered vessels, but there were no signs of fire. Extensive research concluded it was an earthquake from the mid-eighth century B.C. during the reign of King Uzziah. The IAA excavators believe it was “probably one of the strongest and most damaging earthquakes in ancient times.”
The Jerusalem evidence is added to the collapsed walls at the fortress of Tel Agol and a layer of destruction at Hazor, Gezer, and Tell es-Safi. It was certainly a powerful and remarkable event that was remembered by the biblical prophets – and now confirmed as a fact of history.
Source: Nathan Steinmeyer, August 10, 2021, “Bible History Daily” (BAR)
