Ancient stone with mystery carvings from 1,700yrs ago found in Biblical region where Jesus ‘walked on water’
A MYSTERIOUS stone carved nearly 1,700 years ago has been unearthed in a region rich with Biblical history, where Jesus is said to have walked on water.
The volcanic slab, inscribed with Ancient Greek, may rewrite what we know about the Roman Empire’s reach — and the towns it controlled.
Scientists say that the basalt stone, unearthed in Upper Galilee at the site of Abel Beth Maacah, served as a boundary marker under Roman rule.
It reveals the existence of two previously unknown settlements – Tirathas and Golgol – firmly within the vast Roman Empire’s control.
The stone’s inscriptions date back 1,720 years, during the reign of Caesar Marcus Aurelius Alexander, a name familiar to fans of the original Gladiator film.
Alongside the towns’ names, it features references to four governors who managed the empire’s far-flung territories.
Professor Uzi Leibner from the Hebrew University explained the significance of such a discovery.
He said: “Finding a boundary stone like this not only sheds light on ancient land ownership and taxation but also provides a tangible connection to the lives of individuals who navigated these complex systems nearly two millennia ago.”
The discovery paints a picture of Rome’s extensive influence, stretching from Italy to the Middle East, where it governed Israel from 63 BC until 135 AD.
Residents of the region, taxed by an empire 2,500 miles away, left behind enduring traces of their lives etched into the archaeological record.
Researchers said that this stone can provide a “unique glimpse into the lives of ancient inhabitants, the pressures they faced and the enduring traces of their communities in the archaeological record.”
The names Tirathas and Golgol are entirely new to scholars.
Researchers linked Golgol linguistically and culturally to significant Biblical locations like Gilgal and Golgotha.
While Gilgal is mentioned in the Book of Joshua as a key Israelite encampment, Golgotha is famously known as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Researchers have speculated that the ruins of Kh. Turritha, recorded in the late 19th century on the Lebanese side of the border, may correspond to Tirathas.
The resemblance of the names “can hardly be coincidental,” they noted, though only “large heaps of basalt stones” were documented at the time.
The search for Golgol, however, remains inconclusive.
Some scholars believe a round hill near Abel Beth Maacah could hold the answer, though no definitive archaeological link has been made.
The boundary stone adds to a collection of over 20 similar finds in the northern Hula Valley, dating to a period of heightened Roman administrative control.
These markers were used to define land ownership, streamline taxation, and enforce imperial authority.
The artifact’s placement in Galilee, where Biblical history and Roman governance collide, marks how ancient geography, economy, and culture are interconnected.
It comes after an ancient amulet once believed to have protected women and children from ‘evil spirits’ was also unveiled in the Biblical region of Galilee by archaeologists.
The 1,500-year-old artefact is called ‘Solomon’s Seal’ and was found in northern Israel by a local resident living in the village of Arbel about 40 years ago.
Meanwhile, a religious shrine sealed up by the ancestors of Jesus was discovered in the ancient heart of Jerusalem, frozen in time for nearly 3,000 years.
Carved into the rock on the east slope of the City of David, near Temple Mount, the remarkably preserved structure comprises eight rooms containing an altar and a sacred standing stone
And experts believe it may have featured in the Bible, because the partially-destroyed site lines up with the story of how Hezekiah – one of Jesus’s paternal grandfathers – smashed idolatrous places of worship.