BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

D.C.-Area Archaeology Event: The Golden Age of King Midas

On Sunday, September 11, 2016, Dr. C. Brian Rose, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver the lecture “The Golden Age of King Midas: Excavations at Gordion, Turkey” in the Washington, D.C. area. The event is hosted by the Biblical Archaeology Society of Northern Virginia (BASONOVA) and Biblical Archaeology Forum (BAF).

King Midas was an actual historical figure. During the mid-eighth century B.C.E. he ruled from Gordion (Turkey), the royal capital of the powerful Iron Age kingdom of Phrygia. One of the large royal buildings uncovered at Gordion is likely his palace. Many artifacts, sumptuous architecture, massively built fortification walls and the contents of 36 tumulus burials from Gordion have now been excavated.

Gordion is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in the Near East and was once violently destroyed by a massive fire. It is where Alexander The Great supposedly cut the Gordion Knot during his 333 B.C.E. campaign against the Persian Empire.

In addition to relating the history of Gordion, Dr. Rose will present an illustrated overview of the most recent fieldwork there, including: new discoveries at the monumental burial mound built by Midas for his father; a new circuit of fortifications revealed by remote sensing; and the latest architectural conservation at the site.

Click here for more information.

Our free eBook Ten Top Biblical Archaeology Discoveries brings together the exciting worlds of archaeology and the Bible! Learn the fascinating insights gained from artifacts and ruins, like the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem, where the Gospel of John says Jesus miraculously restored the sight of the blind man, and the Tel Dan inscription—the first historical evidence of King David outside the Bible.

Related reading in Bible History Daily:

King Midas and His Golden Touch at the Penn Museum
Hierapolis and the Gateway to Hell
The Last Days of Hattusa
Amphipolis Excavation: Discoveries in Alexander the Great-Era Tomb Dazzle the World