The Earliest Known Images of Two Biblical Heroines Uncovered

July 19, 2022290 views0

The Earliest Known Images of Two Biblical Heroines Uncovered

2022-07-19T13:21:38+01:00

By Church News

An excavation team in Israel has uncovered the first known images of two Old Testament heroines, Deborah and Jael.In the Old Testament’s Book of Judges, two women, Deborah and Jael help defeat the Canaanite general Sisera. Now, archaeologists in Israel’s Lower Galilee have unearthed 1,600-year-old mosaics depicting their stories, according to a statement from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.UNC in its release said, “The uppermost register of the newly-discovered Huqoq mosaic shows Deborah under a palm tree, gazing at Barak, who is equipped with a shield. Only a small part of the middle register is preserved, which appears to show Sisera seated. The lowest register depicts Sisera lying deceased on the ground, bleeding from the head as Jael hammers a tent stake through his temple.”Professor Jodi Magness said in a statement that this example is “the first time we’ve seen a depiction of the biblical heroines Deborah and Jael in ancient Jewish art.” She added that it’s clear why the story “might have had special resonance for the Jewish community at Huqoq, as it is described as taking place in the same geographical region as the territory of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulon.”The mosaics are divided into three parts, per the statement. The uppermost part depicts Deborah under a palm tree, gazing at the warrior Barak. The next image, only partially preserved, displays Sisera seated, while the lowest section shows Sisera bleeding on the ground with Jael above him. In addition to the mosaic, the floor also revealed a Hebrew inscription inside a wreath, along with images of four animals eating grapes.These groundbreaking mosaics have been removed from the synagogue for conservation, but Magness hopes to return soon to make additional discoveries.The Huqoq Excavation Project, sponsored by UNC-Chapel Hill, Austin College, Baylor University, Brigham Young University and the University of Toronto, paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.ALSO READ SIGNIS Africa Discusses Church Communication Structures In Rwanda