A 2,000-year-old tomb containing 12 skeletons was recently discovered underneath the Treasury at Petra. The Treasury is the iconic rock-cut facade that many scholars believe was once the tomb of the Nabataean king Aretas IV. A team of archaeologists from the University of St. Andrews, the Jordanian Department of Antiquities, and the American Center of Research first used remote sensing to scan the ground for underground chambers. When evidence of such a chamber was discovered, the team was given permission to excavate. Twelve skeletons, along with a variety of ceramic vessels, were found inside the tomb; one of the skeletons was still holding a chalice. Sediment tests from the tomb indicate that the burials date from the middle of the first century BC to early in the second century AD. Nabataeans are connected to the Bible in two ways: first, the frankincense the magi gave Jesus was likely obtained from the Nabataeans, and second, the Nabataean king, Aretas, is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11:32.
OFF-SITE LINKS:
- https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2-000-year-old-tomb-holding-12-skeletons-found-at-petra-where-indiana-jones-and-the-last-crusade-was-filmed
- https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/st-andrews-researchers-make-historic-discovery-underneath-one-of-the-seven-wonders-of-the-world/
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