Samson Story Gains Substance:

The Church in Toronto, like other evangelical churches in Toronto and elsewhere, believes that the Bible is God’s inspired Word. We believe that the events described in Scripture —e.g. David slaying Goliath, Jesus’ walking on water— actually happened. We don’t rely upon extra-biblical evidence to “prove” that such events occurred. However, we are heartened to read about archaeological finds which shed additional light on Scripture. Such reports also have an apologetic function of buttressing the Bible’s record. The following news account relates to Scriptures’ record of strongman Samson (Judges 14:5-9.) –Nigel Tomes

Edited using accounts by Stephanie Pappas, MSNBC.MSM.COM & Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News

Ancient Seal supports Bibles’ Man-vs.-lion Tale

Archaeologists date relic, found near Jerusalem, to the 12th century B.C.

A small stone seal found in Israel could be the first archaeological evidence of the story of Samson, the Bible's most famous strongman.

The ancient seal smaller than a penny (under an inch in diameter), depicts a long-haired man fighting a large animal with a feline tail. Archaeologists believe that the scene of a man fighting a lion, could be an early reference to the biblical tale of Samson.

According to Scripture, Samson was of the Dan tribe of Israelites, born near where the Israelite, Philistine and Canaanite borders met. As a Nazarite, Samson wasn’t allowed to cut his hair. Long-haired Samson sought a wife among the neighboring Philistine people. On his way to secure the marriage Samson met the lion and killed it with his bare hands; he’s said to have torn the lion apart as if it were a "young goat." However, the marriage engagement went sour due to a feud between Samson and the bride-to-be's relatives. The incident ends with Samson slaughtering multiple Philistines and setting fire to their crops using torches tied to foxes’ tails. That entire story has been depicted in a mosaic dating back to A.D. 400 or 500.

This find, the seal depicting a man vs. lion contest, doesn't prove that the strongman, Samson, actually lived. Nevertheless, while the find doesn’t prove the event happened, it does "anchor the story in an archaeological setting," said Tel Aviv Univ. archaeologist Shlomo Bunimovitz.

Close to the Ancient Israel-Philistine Border

The seal was found at Beth Shemesh, an archaeological site between the ancient cities of Zorah and Eshtaol, about 20 kilometers west of Jerusalem. The location where the stone seal was unearthed is close to the Sorek River which marked the ancient border between Israelite and Philistine territories. This context could suggest that the figure on the seal was intended to represent the Biblical slayer of Philistines. Archaeologists date the seal to the 12th century B.C.

The strength, which Samson discovered encountering a lion and ripping it apart with his bare hands, was linked in his long hair. Samson, later killed 1,000 Philistines single-handedly with a donkey’s jawbone and then gloated over his triumph. However he was later seduced by Delilah, a Philistine woman who lived in the valley of Sorek. She cut his long hair, depriving Samson of his strength and resulting in his capture by the Philistines, who blinded him and put him to work grinding grain at Gaza. Samson’s life ended with him exacting revenge on the Philistines by demolishing their Temple, killing thousands, while taking his own life.

Ancient Cross-border Conflict

"If we’re right and what we see on the seal is a representation of a man meeting a lion, it shows that the Samson legend already existed around the area of Beth Shemesh during that time period," Bunimovitz said in a statement. "We can date it quite precisely."

Samson's biography, recorded in the Book of Judges, tells of cross-border conflict between the Israelites & Philistines in Gaza. These stories represent the anxiety people felt about the fuzzy borders between their civilizations, according to Zvi Lederman, who co-directs the Beth Shemesh excavations with Bunimovitz.

"When you cross the border, you have to fight the enemy and you encounter dangerous animals. You meet bad things," Lederman said in a statement. "These are stories of contact and conflict, of a border that is more cultural than political."