Comments on: Ancient markings excavated in Jerusalem stump experts

By: The Seal of Melchizedek – Part 5 – Temple Study - LDS Temples, Mormon Temples, Study Blog

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 03:45:41 +0000

[...] marks like the Greek letter gamma, which is also very interesting, and worthy of a study in and of [...]

By: scifieye

scifieye — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:08:42 +0000

My guess is these are molds that hot liquid metal was poured into. I think these are for metal tools, probably for stone carving. If you were to hold one of these V-shaped tools at one end, you would have a very effective hammer-like tool for roughing out stone shapes, as it provides extra leverage and force. These poured metal objects would have been pounded into their final form after being extracted from the mold. However, I also like the “notches” are for holding something in place.

By: Marilyn Sams

Marilyn Sams — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:27:51 +0000

Josephus cites eye-witness accounts of people like Aristeas and Polyhistor, who said there was a spring under the temple. Many of the Psalms refer to this water source. Since the Gihon Spring is the only spring in Jerusalem, since it was located in the middle of the City of David, and since the temple was built in the middle of the City of David (not north of it as is currently thought–the so-called “temple mount” is actually Fort Antonia) these discoveries could be related to the means of getting the water up to the temple, to the water wheel, which was located in an inner inclosure.

By: Rebekah

Rebekah — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:26:45 +0000

Well it could be that that whatever the notches were suppose to hold has just as much meaning as the marks themselves. Those are pretty specific notches if you ask me. But whatever it is suppose to hold has been lost to history and science.

By: chas

chas — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:30:38 +0000

“expert archeologists cannot determine what their meaning or use was” “Such stones were used in the ancient Middle East as a focal point for ritual or a memorial for dead ancestors, the archaeologists say…”. Who are these archeologists? Where do we find other such marking by archeologists that are used for “hold something secure”. There deep to hold oil and water?

By: Lee

Lee — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:17:47 +0000

Actually, Eric, this was probably built by stone cutters — notches like this would have not been an issue.

And the “hold something secure” thought is the first thing that popped into my head as well. They’re not letters with a meaning, I think, they are slots where the base of something fit into, with additional slots for other things as well. I’d think the depth and such might be an indication of the value of the “something” being held in place, but that’s just my imagination.

BTW, there are explanations for the room, just not things that “scientists” would keep up with.

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:36:12 +0000

Grooves to keep something from sliding? Sorry, but there are MUCH more practical ways to do that–notch, notch, notch, done.

And besides, this it STONE. Just stick another stone on top of it and it isn’t going anywhere. No, those marks had a much more specific use. In that room. Near a spring. So that water could be re-directed there when necessary.

By: Mary Kartchner

Mary Kartchner — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:29:37 +0000

I think it was to set something in to keep it secure. It had a different kind of base but that’s what I think. Something fit into it and they did not want it to slide around the room..

By: Trevor

Trevor — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:49:23 +0000

Scientists admit on a regular basis they don’t have all the answers…
That said, whatever the message is, must have been important at the time – I can’t imagine carving stone was for the faint-hearted. I hope they figure it out.

By: Rebekah

Rebekah — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:57:53 +0000

I saw this article on Yahoo about the markings about a week ago and I thought…..that looks interesting.