Where Saul Became Israel's King: New Excavation at Mount Bezek | Scott Stripling & Jim Scudder

What if one of the greatest military victories in Israel's history began with a farmer and two oxen cut into pieces? On Mount Bezek, a divided nation came together, a desperate city was rescued, and a man many people doubted became Israel's first king. Jim Scudder joins archaeologist Dr. Scott Stripling on the summit, where Saul gathered Israel's army before marching to rescue Jabesh-Gilead (1 Samuel 11). In this episode: A salvage dig: Before a construction project removes the site, Dr. Stripling's team is excavating a single-period Iron Age IIA site from the time of Saul and David. A fortress: They found a crude fortification wall circling the summit, with makeshift military structures built against it. The view: From the summit you can see the Jezreel Valley, Mount Tabor, Mount Carmel, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, Shechem, Elon Moreh and Mount Gilboa. 📖 The Spiritual War Against Israel This new book by Jim Scudder and Dr. Phil Stringer covers God's covenant with Israel, the danger of replacement theology, Israel's rebirth and the truth about the Holocaust. You can get it for a gift of any amount at https://ingrace.tv ✈️ Come to Israel with us Join Jim and Karen Scudder on the InGrace Solidarity Tour in February 2027. Reserve your spot at https://ingrace.tv/travel 📺 More from InGrace Watch InGrace every week on TBN, and subscribe to InGrace Israel and InGrace Adventures for apologetics and evidence that confirms the Bible. InGrace is a viewer-supported ministry. Thank you for your prayers and gifts. Chapters 0:00 A Farmer, Two Oxen & Israel's First King 0:34 The Dynamic Duo Is Back 0:45 Why Excavate Mount Bezek? 1:32 Saul's Zenith: "Men Whose Hearts God Had Touched" 2:27 Saul-Era Fortification Walls 3:46 An Unmatched View (and Friendly "Canaanites") 4:06 Why Bezek Was the Perfect Rallying Point 5:08 Saul Cuts the Oxen in Pieces 6:01 Bezek Means "Lightning" 6:10 How Do We Know This Is Bezek? 6:50 A Salvage Dig Before Construction 7:18 A Military Fortress from Saul's Time 8:10 Minimalists vs. the United Kingdom 9:28 Surprise: A Mamluk Structure 11:12 Why Saul Started Well and Then Unraveled 12:47 Holy Land Tour: February 2027 13:35 Panorama: Jezreel Valley, Tabor & Carmel 14:22 Gerizim, Ebal, Shechem & Elon Moreh 15:26 Mount Gilboa & Saul's Tragic End 16:05 Jim the Ceramic Typologist: Reading Pottery 18:54 A Stone Vessel from Saul's Day 19:42 Our Fallen Nature & the Hope of Redemption 21:11 More from InGrace 22:35 New Book: The Spiritual War Against Israel #BiblicalArchaeology #KingSaul #Israel #MountBezek #InGrace #ScottStripling #1Samuel