Scientists have managed to study the impact of a fire that happened more than 2,500 years ago a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science reveals.
Israeli archaeologists assessed the microscopic remains of a huge elite building that burned down during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E.
During this time, Jerusalem suffered political turbulence but it seems one key event stands out, the destruction of the First Temple, during which the city was destroyed.
This event shaped the biblical narrative and theology for generations to come, according to the study.
By studying the microscopic remains of this particular fire in an unusually large and rich building, scientists have been able to create a detailed reconstruction of what occurred, providing greater insight into the Babylonian campaign.
Archaeologists already knew that the building in question likely belonged to Jerusalem's elite because of its scale. Three rooms labeled A to C in the southern part of the building were excavated and archaeologists found that all had collapsed because of fire, the study reported.
Sediment showed that construction stones had fallen in. However, the walls that surrounded each room were found to still be standing.
The large amount of charred remains found in these rooms show a huge, catastrophic fire took place.
Room A, the largest of the rooms, was scattered with charred wood remains, likely from the beams that supported the second floor of the building. Pottery remains were found on the floors of all the rooms.
What is perhaps most interesting, however, is the state of Room C.
The remains in this room were vastly different to those in the other rooms. There were many more large chunks of charred wood, and some finer fragments, the study reported.
Analysis of these findings showed that Room C suffered higher temperatures during the fire.
"The widespread presence of charred remains suggests a deliberate destruction by fire, which was ignited at several locations in the top and bottom floors, with heat rising to burn the ceiling of the bottom floor," the researchers concluded. This led to the rapid collapse of the building.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
