Discoveries Show that Galilee and Jerusalem are Far Older than Once Believed

Discoveries regarding two of the most important archaeological sites in Israel – Galilee and Jerusalem, suggest that the cities are far older than commonly believed. Teams of archaeologists have found a giant village from 12,000 years ago in Galilee and a 7,000-year-old ancient settlement in Jerusalem.

Until now, it was thought that the oldest settlements in this part of the world were located in Jericho, which date back 11,000 years (c. 9,000 BC). In the case of Jerusalem, it was previously believed that the oldest settlement comes from c. 5,000 BC. As for Galilee, in 2015 archaeologists discovered fava seeds dated to between 10,125 and 10,200 years ago. The recently announced findings are changing the history of this area.

Jerusalem is at Least 2,000 Years Older

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on February 17, 2016 the discovery of the oldest known remains of an ancient settlement on the site of modern-day Jerusalem, dating back some 7,000 years. This means that the beginning of one of the most important cities in the world dates back to the period of the Chalcolithic era, also known as the Copper Age.

Dr. Omri Barzilai, head of the IAA’s Prehistory Branch, declared that this finding is the oldest proof of human settlement in the Jerusalem area. It was known before that Galilee, Goland and Negev existed during the Chalcolithic period, but it was not known that Jerusalem was also an important site at the time. Some settlements in Judea Hills and Jerusalem were thought to exist, but they were believed to have been very sparse.