Watch Jerusalem

The ancient city of Lachish in southern Israel is one of the most excavated sites in Israel. It is mentioned in the Bible during the time of Jeremiah, and further back during the time of King Hezekiah. Earlier, the Bible notes that it was King Rehoboam, King David’s grandson, who first fortified the city around 920 BCE. And yet, all the excavations at Lachish have failed to uncover a fortified city from the time of Rehoboam. Until now.

On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal discusses the recent discovery of a large wall from Rehoboam’s city that confirms the biblical construction date of the city.

Archaeology is often used as a bulwark against those who would so readily dismiss the Bible as mere myth. Discoveries over the past 100 years have confirmed many elements of the biblical narrative from the time of the kings and the prophets.

But what has been uncovered correlating to the earlier period of the Exodus?

On today’s program, we talk with archaeology writer Christopher Eames about what archaeology and secular history has to say about the biblical account of Israel’s deliverance from slavery.

Around 100 different creatures are described in the Bible, most of which are described as native to Israel or the Middle East. Could such exotic animals really have lived in this territory? How did the ancient biblical writers even know about some of these animals?

On today’s program, we interview archaeology writer Christopher Eames about the elusive animals of the Bible and what insights archaeology has to offer.

JERUSALEM – The Givati excavation in Jerusalem has been running around the clock for over a decade. This week, the excavation made international news over the discovery of a seal impression of an official mentioned in the Bible.

On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal interviews Givati excavation co-director Dr. Yiftah Shalev at the site. They discuss the recent discovery, as well as the larger context of the Jerusalem excavation.

JERUSALEM - In his latest attack against King David, Tel Aviv University archaeologist Israel Finklestein now says that the history of the United Monarchy under King David and Solomon, is really just a description of the magnificent kingdom of Jeroboam II, projected back by aggrandizing Jewish scribes centuries later.

On today's program, host Brent Nagtegaal looks at a recent Haaretz article featuring this new theory and shows why it is dishonest to the facts on the ground, and in the Bible itself.

Adam. Seth. Jacob. Moses. None of these biblical individuals have been absolutely proven through archaeology. But what of the simple names? The Bible is full of names for different people of different periods. If archaeology can corroborate names for the right periods, then that would serve as proof, in its own right, of the accuracy of the biblical record.

On today’s program, host Christopher Eames examines the slew of “generic” biblical names that have been verified in the archaeology record.

JERUSALEM – Last Sunday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei awarded General Qassem Suleimani with the Order of Zulfaqar, the highest military honor in the country. Suleimani is the first person to receive the commendation since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Why now?

Suleimani’s award came at the precise time a large Iranian delegation was in Iraq cementing their alliance. The correlation between the two events is clear: Suleimani was being recognized for successfully overseeing Iran’s conquering of Iraq. A few days after receiving the award, Iran began a massive military drill entitled “Toward Jerusalem 1."

On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal looks at the Iranian revolution’s longstanding connection between the capture of Iraq, and its main mission of conquering Jerusalem.

JERUSALEM – “Sulemani is singularly dangerous. He is also singularly positioned to shape the future of the Middle East.” This is how United States Gen. Stanley McChrystal recently described the head of Iran’s Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. At a time when Iran is seeking hegemonic goals in the Middle East, Suleimani leads the expeditionary force making it possible.

On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal looks at the battlefield successes of Qassem Suleimani in light of the prophetic rise of Iran, the biblical “king of the south.”

Sensationalist, biased, fraudulent, agenda-driven—such were the ad hominem attacks leveled by the scholarly Victorian establishment against the great African explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley. One of the greatest adventurers ever to have lived, this man suffered much abuse from establishment peers jealous of his work.

Unfortunately, his story is all too familiar. Dr. Eilat Mazar—an archaeologist that we at Watch Jerusalem have been privileged to work with for well over a decade—is one of Israel’s greatest archaeologists, with easily the largest number of significant discoveries to her name. Yet she too has suffered abuse from the same old, cold Establishment.

On today’s program, host Christopher Eames compares the stories of two great scientists—Sir Henry Morton Stanley and Dr. Eilat Mazar—examining not only the inordinate attacks against them from certain scholarly critics but also the inordinate affection shown to them by the general public.

JERUSALEM – The historical setting of the biblical book of Jeremiah has been verified time and again by both archaeological discoveries and contemporary literary sources. Although the story took place over 2600 years ago, many of Jeremiah’s friends and as well as the kings he warned have been uncovered by modern science.

On today’s show, host Brent Nagtegaal discusses the historical reality of the Book of Jeremiah’s lesser-known heroes, who each had their own difficult journey’s in support of the famous prophet.