 Akkadian sources written on clay tablets and cuneiform script greatly improved our understanding of the decline and fall of the kingdom of Judah. This extra Biblical text offered us the opportunity to understand the events, still commemorated on the Jewish calendar today as part of what we might call the geopolitical scene in the early Neo-Babylonian period. A set of cuneiform texts known as the Babylonian Chronicles record practically year by year, major events from 741 BC through the end of the 2nd century CE. The Babylonian text documents significant parts of the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar and his father Nabu Palisar. Under these kings, Babylonia re-emerged from under Assyrian domination and eventually expanded to dominate the regions to its north and west. The siege and fall of Jerusalem can, therefore, be viewed through the lens of broader historical developments. The fifth of these Babylonian Chronicles contains one of the most important correspondence between Biblical and extra Biblical historical records. It mentions how in his seventh year, spring 598 to spring 597 BC, the king of Babylon besieged the city of Judah, Jerusalem, and on the second day of the month of Adar, he captured the city and seized the king. A king of his own choice he appointed in the city and taking the vast tribute he brought it into Babylon. This notice mirrors the Hebrew's Bible Exile of Jehodecan, or Exile of the Craftsmen and the Smiths, which preceded the final destruction by some 11 years and which ended with the exile of the royal family and the installation of Jehodecan's uncle Zedekiah as a Babylonian puppet monarch, Nebuchadnezzar's king of his own choice. Fortunately, the text breaks off shortly after this notice and the next surviving Chronicle begins in 557 BC, a date much after the final destruction of Jerusalem. So it's not surprising that major interest exists about the missing period and the search has been on for many years to find the missing period and this has led to new evidences being discovered of what took place here at this time and they are being uncovered thanks to a dig by the University of North Carolina who are currently undertaking excavations on Mount Zion. What they have discovered is a time capsule of artifacts under a layer of ash that includes arrowheads that date to this exact period in time, as well as Iron Age potchards, lamps and a significant piece of period jewelry and also a gold and silver tassel or earring. There are also signs of a significant Iron Age structure in the associated area but the building beneath layers from later periods has yet to be excavated. The Mount Zion Archaeological Project co-directed by UNC Charlotte Professor of History Shimon Gibson and a team of other researchers have been in operation for over a decade and have made numerous significant finds relating to the ancient city's many historical periods including the announcement made in July 2019 on evidence concerning the sack of the city during the first crusade. The current find is one of the oldest and perhaps most prominent in its historical significance as the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem is a major moment in Jewish history. The team believes that the newly found deposits can be dated to the specific event of the conquest because of the unique mix of artifacts and materials found. Pottery and lamps side by side with evidence of the Babylonian siege represented by burnt wood and ashes and a number of Scythian type bronze and iron arrowheads which are typical of that period. Because of the site's location various alternative explanations for the artifacts can be eliminated, the researchers argue. We know where the ancient fortification line ran so we know we are within the city. We know that this is not some dumping area but the southwestern neighborhood of the Iron Age city during the 8th century BC. The urban area extending from the city of David area to the southeast and as far as the western hill where we are digging. The ash deposits similarly are not conclusive evidence of the Babylonian attack in themselves but are much more so in the context of other materials. For archaeologists an ashen layer can mean a number of different things. It could be ashy deposits removed from ovens or it could be localized burning of garbage. However in this case the combination of ashy layer full of artifacts mixed with arrowheads and a very special ornament indicates some kind of devastation and destruction. Nobody abandons golden jewelry and no one has arrowheads in their domestic refuse. The arrowheads are known as Scythian arrowheads and have been found at other archaeological conflict sites from the 7th and 6th centuries BC. They are known at sites outside of Israel as well. They were fairly commonplace in this period and are known to be used by the Babylonian warriors. Together this evidence points to the historical conquest of the city by Babylon because the only major destruction we have in Jerusalem for this period is the conquest of 587 and 586 BC. According to Shimon Gibson the clay artifacts also help date the discovery. The lamps are the typical high based pinch lamps of the period. It's the kind of jumble that you would expect to find in a ruined household following a raid or battle. Household objects, lamps, broken bits from pottery which have been overturned and shattered and arrowheads and a piece of jewelry which might have been lost and buried in the destruction. Frankly jewelry is a rare find at conflict sites because this is exactly the sort of thing that attackers will loot and later melt down. I'd like to think that we are excavating inside one of the great man's houses mentioned in the second book of Kings 25.9. Mr. Gibson further speculated that this spot would have been an ideal location situated as it is close to the western summit of the city with a good view overlooking Solomon's temple and Mount Moriah to the northeast. We have high expectations of finding much more of the Iron Age city and future seasons of work. The building that is apparently part of the layer remains unexcavated. One might ask why haven't we excavated the whole building? The reason is that we are slowly taking this site down level by level period by period and at the end of this last digging season two meters of domestic structures from later Byzantine and Roman periods have still to be dug above the Iron Age level below. We plan to get down to it in the 2020 season. According to professor of history Shimon Gibson the unexpected and rare piece of jewelry found is apparently a tassel or earring with a bell shaped golden upper part. Clasp beneath is a silver part made in the shape of a cluster of grapes. Mr. Gibson noted that this discovery of jewelry is a unique find and it is a clear indication of the wealth of the inhabitants of the city at the time of the siege. The only other discovery of jewelry in Jerusalem from this period was made many years ago in 1979 in an Iron Age tomb at Katef Hinam outside the city. The researchers say that finding evidence of a critical historical event is what makes the discovery particularly exciting. Louis, another co-director of the project, explained that it is very exciting to be able to excavate the material signature of any given historical event and even more so regarding an important historical event such as the Babylonian Siege of Jerusalem. By all accounts the Babylonian conquest of the city by the Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was ferocious and resulted in a great loss of life with the raising of the city and burning of houses and the plundering and dismantling of King Solomon's temple to God. The local ruler of the kingdom of Judah, King Zedekiah made an attempt to flee the city with his retinue but was eventually caught and taken captive to Babylon. The Babylonian Siege of Jerusalem lasted for quite a while even though many of the inhabitants wanted to give up. King Zedekiah simply was not willing to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar and the direct result of this was the destruction of the city and also of the temple. Anywho we just thought you guys would find this active archaeological search to find the missing pieces of the historical past interesting and we will of course be back just shortly with more Lost History. In the meantime guys, comments below and as always thank you for watching.