Archaeologists Discover Ancient Food Remains at Biblical Shiloh

Archaeologists have uncovered ancient food remains at Tel Shiloh, an archaeological site in the West Bank traditionally identified as biblical Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant was said to have been housed. The discovery was made beneath an Israelite-period ritual deposit and near an ancient Canaanite fortification wall. The excavation team found two jars containing olives and a third jar with lentils, along with approximately 500 burned olive pits. Scott Stripling, the excavation director, suggested that a fire likely preserved the olives for thousands of years. He noted that the excavation also revealed an Israelite-period ritual deposit containing around 10,000 animal bones, pottery vessels, and eight gold and silver objects, indicating that the site was used for sacrificial offerings. The jars are currently being restored at Tel Aviv University, where researchers aim to learn more about the artifacts. Stripling anticipates that radiocarbon dating will confirm the jars date back to the Middle Bronze Age.