Shiloh Recent excavations at Shiloh, about 50 kilometers north of Jerusalem, yielded finds of one of the Holy Land’s earliest churches, ancient inscriptions identifying the place, and ancient mosaics. “This [late fourth century] church is certainly among the first churches in the Holy Land,” according to archeologist Yevgeny Aharonovitch, co-director of the dig, “although Jerusalem and Bethlehem have churches that are 40-50 years older.”
Explorers in the late 19th century proposed a plateau about 100 meters north of the ruins of the ancient city of Shiloh was the site of the Tabernacle containing the Ark of the Covenant. The plateau is big enough to contain the Tabernacle’s dimensions and aerial photos indicate hewn rocks at the plateau’s north indicating some type of assembly.	One of the inscriptions found was a prayer asking, “Lord Jesus Christ have pity on Shiloh and its inhabitants. Amen.” Aharonovitch insists its rare to find a mosaic inscription identifying a site. Another inscription included a prayer addressing “Lord Jesus Christ,” asking his help.   Four churches have been found on the ancient site. That’s important, according to Aharonovitch “because early Christians came to places that were holy according to Old and New Testaments. Byzantine sources told us about Shiloh  in its biblical context –not a word about inhabitants. It’s a holy place.”   David Rubin, a local guide who is authoring God, Israel and Shiloh: Returning to the Land, develops the point that the four churches are not indicative of the size of the Christian population. Rubin maintains that the large number of churches existed because of the reverence early Christians had for the site.
"This place has tremendous attraction for Christians, because of the connection made in Genesis 49:10 between Shiloh and the Messiah." Rubin recalls that the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant were brought to Shiloh after the 40 years of wilderness wandering and Joshua's conquest of the land. The Tabernacle was in Shiloh 369 years according to rabbinic sources.
First Samuel 4 records the Ark of the Covenant was lost to Philistine forces about 50 kilometers east of Shiloh. Eventually Philistine forces sacked the city, destroying the tabernacle. Dubbed "The Church of the Ark," by some journalists, Rubin says that is probably a misnomer. The original site of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant which contained the Ten Commandment tablets, was probably about 100 meters north of the church. Even so, the former mayor of Shiloh wants the digging to continue. Since the Talmud holds that the Tabernacle assumed a semi-permanent structure - "a building of stone below and cloth above," Rubin hopes archeologists will find data that will add to existing knowledge of the Tabernacle. "I can speak for many that live here. Every time there is a dig here, new things are found ... new remains and relics. It confirms the significance of Shiloh because each time that one digs and digs a bit deeper, you are going deeper into the history. That's very exciting." "We people here are people of great faith - a religious community and faith-based. We don't need archeological finds to confirm what we already know ... that what's written in the Bible is true. Nevertheless, it's exciting to see."	Archeologist Yevgeni Aharonovitch examines a cross in a Byzantine mosaic found recently in the ancient city of Shiloh about 25 miles north of Jerusalem. Excavators found mosaics including prayerful inscriptions calling out to "Lord Jesus Christ.". One inscription identifies the city of Shiloh - an exceptional find according to Aharonovitch.