Thursday, September 4, 2008

Ancient Beehive Found At Northern Israel Site

· Archaeologists digging at a nearly 3,000-year-old site in northern Israel have found the remains of a large beekeeping operation that may change what is known about life during the Iron Age.

Ancient Israel is referred to as the land of "milk and honey" in the Bible.

Until now, there had been no evidence of ancient beekeeping. Historians had thought that people made honey from fruit, such as figs and dates.

The ancient apiary contained between 75 and 200 beehives, which would have held more than 1 million bees.

Honey had many uses in ancient times, including as a cream for wounds.

The settlement where the apiary was found dates to the time of biblical accounts of King David and King Solomon.

Only a strong central authority could have built it. That tells historians something about the ancient government in those times.