Bible Archeology Discoveries

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Maresha Painted Burial Caves
Discovered: Maresha (Marisa), Beit Guvrin–Maresha National Park, Judean Lowlands, Israel
From: (c. Third–second centuries BC (Hellenistic period))

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Near ancient Maresha, families buried their dead in chambers cut into the soft limestone. Some tombs were decorated with colorful wall paintings, including animals, musicians, and scenes influenced by Greek art. The best-known examples include the Sidonian Tomb and the Tomb of the Musicians.

The painted tombs show how the people of Hellenistic Maresha combined local burial traditions with ideas and artistic styles from the wider Mediterranean world. The community included Idumeans, Phoenicians, and others, so the tombs should not all be assigned to a single ethnic group.

Joshua 15:44; 2 Chronicles 11:8 (references to Maresha, not to these later tombs).

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Notable Finds

Much of what is described in Bible text is lost to history, requiring readers to assume the historicity of the scriptures.

However, many of the places and events described in the Old and New Testaments are periodically corroborated by archeological finds.

Some finds simply help us to better understand things from the ancient world. However, others provide important evidence as to the truth of scripture regarding things about which there had previously been skepticism.

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