Driving along Highway 38 near Jerusalem one can now see on either side of the road massive excavations uncovering an entire ancient city near modern-day Beit Shemesh. Hundreds of archaeologist and workers have been digging at the site already for months, and are discovering new areas all the time. If one looks closely, it is possible to see channels carved into the stones under and connecting some of the buildings.
Many large clay vessels have been found bearing the inscription “l’melech” – for the king. Many of the finds have been dated to the 7th century BC, during the period when Hezekiah, Manasseh and Amon were ruling in Judah. The channels carved into the stone floors are believed to be a transportation system for olive oil, and indicate production on an industrial scale far beyond what any other excavations from the same period have ever revealed.
It should be remembered that Judah was not a fully independent kingdom at that time, but rather a vassal of the Assyrian Empire, which we know from both the...
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