The Lost Temple of Israel: Biblical Archeologist Presents Evidence to Christian Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2008

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kristin Schwabauer
Office of College Communications
[email protected]
978.867.4037

WENHAM, MA-Zvi Koenigsberg, author and Biblical archeologist, will present an illustrated lecture at Gordon College on his recent book The Lost Temple of Israel: Mt. Ebal and the Altar of Joshua on Monday, March 3 at 7 p.m. in the Jenks Library, Room 237.

An acknowledged expert in his field, Koenigsberg will focus on the Biblical region of Samaria, presenting and evaluating the archeological evidence he and his colleagues found leading to a controversial claim about the location of the First Temple in Israel. His lecture will illustrate both how the Bible impacts archeologists and how archeological findings influence Biblical interpretation. In The Lost Temple of Israel, Koenigsberg draws revolutionary conclusions that impact Biblical interpretation and this will be the subject of an upcoming Discovery Channel full-length documentary.

"Up until now, biblical scholars and historians have considered Solomon's Temple (10th century B.C.), built in Jerusalem, to be the First Temple of Israel," says Gordon biblical and theological studies professor Dr. Marvin Wilson. "Koenigsberg contends, however, that a site he helped excavate on Mt. Ebal, about thirty miles north of Jerusalem, is actually Israel's First Temple. That site, he argues, pre-dates Solomon's Temple by 200 years. If his claim proves to be correct, this discovery will have far reaching implications for the study of Israelite history and religion. Textbooks will have to be rewritten and the biblical eras of the Conquest, Judges and United Kingdom rethought."

Koenigsberg has a decade of hands-on experience with this archeological work and two decades of independent research guided by the best professionals in various fields, including the late Professor Benjamin Mazar, former president of Hebrew University in Jerusalem and excavator of the Western Wall. Koenigsberg earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Bar Ilan University in Israel in political science and literature.

This event, sponsored by the Biblical Studies Department, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Kristin Schwabauer in the Office of College Communications at 978.867.4037 or email [email protected].

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Gordon College is a Christian college of the liberal arts and sciences on Boston's North Shore. The college offers majors in 36 fields and has graduate programs in education and music education. Leading the way in Christian college merit, Gordon is nationally ranked for its excellence in academics and its role in character building. These achievements recognize Gordon as one of the nation's top Christian colleges.

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