Eilat Mazar is a "leading Jerusalem" female Jewish archeologist who is affiliated with the Hebrew University who is highly regarded for her archeological abilities and talents. Her passion and "specialty" involves "the archeology of the Holy City"-Jerusalem. Despite her unusual archeological talents, she has received strong verbal fire from secular liberals as being "unscholarly" in her archeological endeavors.

Her "chief sin," according to these biased and prejudiced liberals is that "she is interested in what archeology can tell us about the Bible. In 1997, Mazar wrote an article in the Biblical Archeology Review [BAR] entitled "Excavate David’s Palace," in which she delineated the "precise place where it should be." As a result of her article, excavation funds were supplied, and "when she excavated she found a large building with some walls 16 feet thick and pottery indicating it dated to the time of David."

Mazar’s BAR report concluded by stating that "The Biblical evidence…, better explains the archeology we have uncovered better than any other hypothesis that has been put forward." A liberal based National Geographic article, however, sought to debunk Mazar’s work by alleging that her archeological discoveries were being "funded by groups not interested in objective discovery but vindication of the Bible."

The BAR review of Mazar’s discovery discerningly stated: "What she is guilty of is making a reasonable judgment about archeological evidence as it relates to the Bible. In some scholarly circles, however, this is considered ‘unscholarly.’ If the judgment she made related to something other than the Bible, no one would give it a second thought. Only a finding related to the Bible brings such obloquy upon the head of a leading archeologist."

Another archeological find, based on Eilat Mazar’s work was reported from Jerusalem, Israel on Jan. 18, 2008. The article title and content is printed below exactly as reported:

"EMINENT ISRAELI ARCHEOLOGIST DR. EILAT MAZAR HAS UNCONVERED A STONE SEAL BEARING THE NAME OF A FAMILY WHO ACTED AS SERVANTS IN THE FIRST TEMPLE"

"She said on Jan. 16, the 2,500 year old black stone steal has the name ‘Temech’ engraved on it. It was found earlier in the week amidst debris in the excavation located just outside the Old City walls, near the Dung gate.

Dr. Mazar, who regards the Bible as a key source of her ‘digs,’ explained that the ‘Temech’ family are recorded in the book of Nehemiah as First Temple [Solomon’s Temple] servants. They were sent into exile to Babylon following its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The Bible records [that] the family later returned to Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 7:6, ‘These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone to his own city.’ Nehemiah 7:46,’…the children of Temech.’

In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Dr. Mazar explained the seal is engraved with two bearded priests standing on the top of the altar. Under that scene are three Hebrew letters spelling Temech, she said, ‘The seal of the Temech family gives us a direct connection between archeology and the Biblical sources and serves as actual evidence of a family mentioned in the Bible. One cannot help being astonished by the credibility of the Biblical source as seen by the archeological find, Dr. Mazar told the Jerusalem Post. The dig is sponsored by the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem research institute, where Mazar serves as senior fellow and the City of David Foundation…’"

Ed: This writer hopes that Mazar will continue such type archeological digs and he can safely predict, that every archeological discovery Mazar makes will confirm the Biblical record!

Archeologists from the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) said workers from the Wakf Islamic Trust had uncovered ‘an apparently sealed archeological level dates to the First Temple Period near the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam.’

Finds included fragments of ceramic tableware and animal bones. The finds are dated from the eighth to the sixth centuries BC. The discovery marks the first time Israeli archeologists have been able to examine Temple Mount artifacts still in the ground. The Wakf [A Jordanian based Muslim entity] which maintains the mount, has for several decades denied requests by international archeologists wishing to conduct excavations…

The Israeli archeologists said the characteristics and location of the finds may aid scholars in reconstructing the dimensions and boundaries of the Temple Mount during the first Temple Period. The finds included fragments of bowls, the base of a juglet used for the lading of oil and the rim of a storage jar. The bow shards were decorated with wheel burnishings characteristic of the first Temple Period.

Gabriel Barkey, director of the Temple Mount Sifting Project, called the Temple Mount, ‘the most delicate and important and sensitive site in this country and not counting the destructive acts of the Wakf, it’s hardly been excavated.’"

Ed: Jews believe that the Temple Mount is the Biblical Mt. Moriah, where Abraham offered his son Isaac, as well as the site of Solomon’s Temple and Herod’s Temple. The Scriptures are historically trustworthy in every area they record since "all scripture" has been "given" by the "inspiration of God" (II Tim. 3:16-17).

Since this writer accepts by faith, all the Biblical record as precisely stated, the above articles should not state in essence that "Archeology confirms the Bible," but that "The Bible confirms genuine archeology." For genuine saints it is not first "see and then believe," but "believe first and then see." Cp. Ps. 116:10 & II Cor. 4:13 "I believed and therefore have I spoken." However, it is encouraging and exciting to know that every genuine archeological discovery related to the Scriptures confirms the Biblical record! "Thy word is true from the beginning"—Ps. 119:160.