Several remarkable archeological discoveries in Israel during 2023 confirm the consistent presence of Jews in the Holy Land for the last two millennia, hundreds of years before the emergence of Islam 1,400 years ago in Arabia.

Among the most spectacular findings is the Pool of Siloam, the site where the Bible says Jesus restored sight to a blind man. American pastor John Hagee, the founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, explained the significance of the pool:

The Pool of Siloam’s excavation is highly significant to Christians around the world.

It was at this site that Jesus healed the blind man (John 9), and it is at this site that, 2,000 years ago, Jewish pilgrims cleansed themselves prior to entering the Second Temple.

The Pool of Siloam and the Pilgrimage Road, both located within the City of David, are among the most inspiring archeological affirmations of the Bible.

The Pool of Siloam

The excavation site of the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem is where Jesus restored sight to a blind man.

The painting shows the blind man from birth washing his eyes in the Pool of Siloam. The pool is the site of one of the most famous miracles performed by… pic.twitter.com/PhMYko4Dtd

— Confessions of a Pool Boy (@ConfessionsPool) December 24, 2023

The tweet continues:

The pool is the site of one of the most famous miracles performed by Jesus.  After Jesus smeared the eyes of a blind man with mud and saliva, he sent him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. There, the man recovered his sight (John 9:1–7)

The pool has been partially excavated and when work is complete, the entire site will be opened. The finding confirms writings in the Bible, according to some experts. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons, chief visionary officer for Kenneth Copeland Ministries, said:

History abounds with written testimonies of persons of real impact. Archeology, however, testifies to the truth or falsehood of what’s been written. Without fail, the archeological discoveries around Israel, and most especially the City of David, confirm the truth and accuracy of the Bible. This is God’s answer to skeptics and reassurance to believers that everything He has said regarding our present lives and future can be fully relied upon.

But that's not the only striking discovery made in Israel in 2023 -- the Israel Antiquities Authority announced in July that it found a rare 2,000-year-old silver quarter-shekel coin from the time of the first Jewish revolt against the Romans in the Judean desert.

An extremely rare Judean quarter-shekel coin, minted by Jewish rebels fighting the Roman empire some 2,000 years ago, was returned to the State of Israel in an official ceremony in New York on Monday, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. #EretzIsrael pic.twitter.com/nuGlYW3LEk

— Eretz Israel (@EretzIsrael) September 15, 2022

What's the significance of this find? It confirms that the Jewish people populated the land for thousands of years and neutralizes many of the arguments you hear today that they only recently "colonized" the area:

The reaffirmation of the presence of the Jewish people before the establishment of Islam, which unfolded 1,400 years ago in Arabia, debunks the widespread, mostly Palestinian falsehood on social media platforms that Jews "colonized" the biblical land with the re-birth of the Jewish state in 1948 and the Zionist movement in the late 1800s, argue historians.

These dramatic findings confirm that at least some of the stories in the Bible contain actual historical facts. While we may never be able to prove each and every tale, more and more discoveries are proving that certain events and places unquestionably existed, as was written. Expect 2024 to bring more exciting findings that shed light on the life of Jesus and the Holy Land over 2,000 years ago.