Ancient Blade Workshop Found in Israel Reveals New Details About Biblical Canaanite People Share this article Share this article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy link Link copied Bookmark Comments
Archaeologists have discovered a 5,500-year-old blade-making workshop beneath the Israeli town of Kiryat Gat, a discovery that deepens knowledge of the biblical era.
The unique site, located about 65 km south of Tel Aviv, was the first such structure identified in the area, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Facebook in late July.
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“The most significant artefacts were large flint blanks, from which blades of identical shape with ideal sharpening were created,” the IAA noted.
According to Mirror US, the finished products were used as knives for cutting up animals, as well as parts of sickles for agricultural work.
The remains of the production complex were discovered during excavations in the Nahal Komem gorge. Hundreds of underground storage rooms, which once housed tools and weapons, have been preserved here.
Experts found oblong flint blades and stone tools used to process ceramics and create weapons.
The findings are planned to be presented at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Archaeology Campus in Jerusalem.
The IAA associates the site with the “Canaanite blade-making tradition.” The Canaanites, mentioned in the Bible as the indigenous people of the region before the arrival of the Israelites, possessed advanced technology, as evidenced by artefacts characteristic of the material culture of Abraham's time.
As the Directorate stated, the creation of such blades required a skill that was only available to a narrow circle of specialists.
The discovery sheds light on the development of crafts and urbanisation during the Early Bronze Age. “It confirms that even then the local society had a clear organisation, specialisation and complex structure,” the IAA explained.
Earlier in April, archaeologists found evidence of a biblical battle at a site associated with “Armageddon” – the final battle between the forces of good and evil before Judgment Day, according to Scripture.
Megiddo, where the event is believed to take place, is mentioned in biblical texts and ancient Near Eastern sources. “It is the only place in Israel and neighboring countries that appears in all the key historical documents,” Professor Israel Finkelstein, who led the Megiddo expedition, told the Times of Israel.
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Sourse: www.express.co.uk
