Archaeologists working near Tel Megiddo in Israel’s Jezreel Valley have pulled back the veil on a slice of ancient life that echoes through Scripture. During roadwork on Highway 66, they dug up a 5,000-year-old winepress carved into rock—the oldest ever found in the country—alongside ritual items tied to Canaanites from 3,300 years ago.
The winepress stands as solid proof of early wine-making in a time when cities were just taking root. “This wine press is unique, one of very few known from such an ancient period when urbanization first took place in our region. Until now, indirect evidence indicated that wine could have been produced 5,000 years ago, but we did not have conclusive proof of this. … [T]his wine press finally provides new and clear evidence that early wine production actually took place here,” stated officials from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Among the cult artifacts, the team found a small ceramic shrine model, storage jars, jugs imported from Cyprus, and vessels for pouring offerings like milk, oil, or wine.
“These included a miniature ceramic model of a shrine, storage jars, imported jugs and juglets [from Cyprus], and a unique and impressive set of vessels, which was probably used for libations, or the ceremonial pouring of liquids,” the authority’s release explained.
These items lay buried in neat order beside a large rock formation, likely an outdoor altar beyond the city’s edge. “Some of these offerings were discovered as intact pottery vessels buried next to a large rock outcrop, which may have served as an open-air altar outside the Canaanite city of Megiddo,” the statement added.
The site, known in Hebrew as Har Megiddo, carries the weight of prophecy as the Armageddon of Revelation, where nations gather for the final clash. These finds paint a picture of persistent worship practices among local farmers, separate from grand temples, stretching across millennia.
“The 5,000-year-old hewn wine press places the beginnings of the local wine industry in a very early urban-settlement context, while the offerings from the period about 3,300 years ago indicate the continuity of ritual consecration [and libations] outside the sacred complex within the tell, possibly expressing aspects of the local Canaanite folk cult,” the authority noted.
Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, put it plainly: “The exposure of ancient wine-making facilities, and the evidence of folk worship outside of Megiddo, allow us to become acquainted with the daily life and beliefs of the region’s residents over the course of thousands of years.”
Other digs at Megiddo have turned up signs of Egyptian troops clashing with biblical forces around the time of King Josiah, with pottery shards suggesting a military outpost after Assyria’s fall. Such layers remind us that this ground has seen spiritual and earthly battles for ages, perhaps foreshadowing what’s ahead in the divine plan.
Reports from various outlets confirm the excitement around these revelations, with some noting a unique ram-shaped vessel among the libation set, adding to the intrigue of Canaanite rites. In a world quick to dismiss old truths, these artifacts stand as tangible links to the peoples and practices described in the Bible, urging a deeper look at history’s warnings.
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