U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee Joins Excavation at Ancient Shiloh

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited Ancient Shiloh in the Binyamin region and went down into an archaeological dig near the site where the Tabernacle once stood. He joined archaeologists in searching for finds during a special working visit to the site, which he has visited many times since taking office.

The visit came days after three ancient jars were uncovered in the same excavation area. Researchers said the vessels, thousands of years old, were used in antiquity to store wine, oil and agricultural produce. On a previous visit to the region several months ago, Huckabee’s grandchildren found coins from the Bar Kokhba revolt in a cave in Binyamin.

During the tour, Huckabee was shown the newly uncovered artifacts, which were transferred to a local laboratory for study and restoration. Excavation team leader Dr. Scott Stripling said the team had identified the jars’ contents after washing and analyzing the remains. “In one jar we found 500 olives, in the second lentils and in the third wheat,” he said, calling it “a tangible testimony to daily nutrition in the biblical world.”

Huckabee said the broken pottery fragments were historical records, not just debris. “There have been so many attempts over the centuries to break Israel, to break the Jewish people, but God is putting it back together,” he said, adding that the land and people are being reunited before their eyes. Benjamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Israel Gantz, who accompanied the visit, welcomed him and said Huckabee was “already not just a guest but a regular at home here,” praising his involvement at the site and his support for sovereignty and the Jewish connection to the land.