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Archaeologists unearthed the Jordan Valley site considered the first built in Canaan.
 (Ron Gafni - SkyPics)
Last update - 10:52 14/04/2009
Have the first Israelite sites built after Exodus been found?
By Ofri Ilani, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: israel news, bible 

A Haifa University archaeologist on Monday said he has unearthed structures in the shape of human feet believed to have been erected by the Israelites upon their initial entry to the Land of Canaan.

Prof. Adam Zertal said that the large compounds discovered in the Jordan Valley were "the first sites to have been built by the Israelites upon entering Canaan and manifest the biblical notion of claiming ownership of the land by setting feet on it."
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Prof. Zertal's excavation team uncovered five large foot-shaped compounds that he identifies as the biblical site of Gilgal.

Most contemporary archaeologists do not consider the Israelite Exodus from Egypt and the conquest of Israel to be verifiable historical events. Zertal is one of the few Israeli archaeologists who claim to have found archaeological evidence supporting the Israelite entrance to Canaan.

Zertal's most famous discovery is a compound on Mount Ebal near Nablus, which he identified as the site of the Covenant ceremony depicted in the biblical Book of Joshua. Other archaeologists have identified that site as a watchtower.

Zertal has also recently claimed to have found clay markings unique to early Israelites, around the time of the conquest of Canaan described in the Bible.

According to the Book of Joshua, the Israelites arrived at Gilgal after having crossed the Jordan River. Some researchers have claimed that Gilgal is named after the collection of stones at the site that were used during various rituals, but no archaeological evidence has been discovered to support that claim.

Since 1990, five sites shaped like human feet have been excavated in the Jordan Valley. All five date back to the early Iron Age (12th to 13th centuries B.C.E.), and their shapes indicate that they were used as communal gathering places.

Zertal said that the foot-shaped sites were used during ceremonies following the Israelites' entry into the Land of Canaan. He added that the concept of the Jewish pilgrimage to Jerusalem on three major holidays (known as "aliya la'regel" or ascending on foot) also originates from the foot-shaped sites in the Jordan Valley and Mount Ebal.

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      1.   What A STRETCH! 16:53  |  Funny Man 06/04/09
      2.   intellectual dishonesty 17:10  |  bob 06/04/09
      3.   Funny Man????? 17:13  |  Brad 06/04/09
      4.   The truth about Israel and the land of Canaan 17:25  |  deesit 06/04/09
      5.   Brad 18:49  |  Funny Man 06/04/09
      6.   Deesit#4 19:03  |  Mickey 06/04/09
      7.   When science 19:19  |  Axel 06/04/09
      8.   Biblical Facts not myths. 19:26  |  John 06/04/09
      9.   To All 19:50  |  danite 06/04/09
      10.   Israelites/is - are the most ancient and the modt modern owners 19:56  |  17 06/04/09
      11.   Deesit ok you are right 20:12  |  dudu 06/04/09
      12.   To #4 20:25  |  Col [Res] Cohen 06/04/09
      13.   Deesit 20:30  |  Jackie 06/04/09
      14.   Jews: aboriginals of Israel, 4000 years in the land dating to 21:28  |  Jae 06/04/09
      15.   This is the sort of thing that Palestinian archeologist means... 21:39  |  Colin Wright 06/04/09
      16.   Funny Man 22:20  |  Roo 06/04/09
      17.   Nasiriyism 22:22  |  Zionist 06/04/09
      18.   # deesit 22:43  |  Zeev 06/04/09
      19.   to #4 22:56  |  Yosi 06/04/09
      20.   Gilgal? Isn`t That The Encampment That The Hebrews 22:57  |  Jeff Northridge 06/04/09
      21.   brad in canada 23:40  |  had enough 06/04/09
      22.   Which is an indicator of veracity 00:01  |  RfaelMoshe 07/04/09
      23.   To #1 00:02  |  Shlomo 07/04/09
      24.   Can`t see a foot in the photo. 00:08  |  kai 07/04/09
      25.   Funny Man 00:27  |  Roo 07/04/09
      26.   Ancient Egyptians tried to erase evidence of debacles 00:44  |  Susan Dunham 07/04/09
      27.   Jewish historical presence in Israel well documented 01:46  |  bronxite10 07/04/09
      28.   Funny Man 02:09  |  Roo 07/04/09
      29.   Funny man..You are indeed very funny. Because. 02:17  |  Whiskey 07/04/09
      30.   Not science 03:27  |  Observer 07/04/09
      31.   Israelites were Canaanites 03:45  |  Jack 07/04/09
      32.   I dont get where the people on talkback get their info from 06:21  |  Isaac Moddel 07/04/09
      33.   I dont get where the people on talkback get their info from 06:24  |  Isaac Moddel 07/04/09
      34.   I dont get where the people on talkback get their info from 06:32  |  Isaac Moddel 07/04/09
      35.   I dont get where the people on talkback get their info from 06:33  |  Isaac Moddel 07/04/09
      36.   TRY THIS FOR "SIZE". 06:37  |  Christopher 07/04/09
      37.   Exodus 03:32  |  Joe Kelsall 08/04/09
      38.   First Israelite Sites 06:40  |  Phil 08/04/09
      39.   Please Read `The Bible Unearthed` 19:43  |  Binyamin 09/04/09
      40.   #4 07:58  |  Rab Burns 10/04/09
      41.   I second Ms Dunham`s mottion! 23:11  |  Zev Davis 11/04/09
      42.   Axel, since when do scientists act "theologically"? 09:52  |  Zev Davis 12/04/09
      43.   Exodus a myth 18:09  |  GullyFoyle 12/04/09
      44.   Gully, there are more modern scientific myths than . . . 15:02  |  Zev Davis 13/04/09
      45.   Re: Biblical Facts 23:52  |  Carole 26/04/09
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