Thursday, July 10, 2025

Mythical or Real? Part 5

 This week, we visit an ancient trading center and a Biblical pool.

8. Steinkjer, Norway -

Norse sagas tell of an ancient trading center that was, briefly, the largest in the Viking world, but no one knew where or if it had actually existed. In 2013, archaeologists found some intriguing evidence during an archaeological investigation conducted near Steinkjer. Researchers uncovered two separate boat graves associated with a wide variety of high-status trade goods, such as a silver button, a set of balance scales, imported jewelry, and amber beads.

These findings add to the area’s rich archaeological record, which includes twenty-two examples of a special trade-related Viking-age sword. Taken together, these artifacts suggest that Steinkjer was the major trading city described in the Norse sagas, and that its center was likely where its modern church stands today.

 

9. Pool of Siloam, Jerusalem – 700 BCE

In the New Testament, Jesus returns sight to a blind man at the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. Christians searched for the site for centuries before repair work on a water pipe south of the Temple Mount in 2004 revealed two ancient stone steps.

During the archaeological investigation that followed this find, researchers discovered a 2,000-year-old, 225-foot-long trapezoidal pool, which they believe to be the site where Jesus conducted his miracle. In addition to being an important part of early Jerusalem’s water system, the architectural feature was also likely a ritual bath used by visiting pilgrims.

Careful extraction and restoration work over the past twenty years have preserved the ancient Pool of Siloam. It was opened to the public as part of the City of David National Park.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/nine-mythical-places-archaeologists-think-may-have-actually-existed/ar-AA1pZfYc?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=81421580eeb740c9bf0eb1832cd5508b&ei=66

No comments:

Post a Comment