Are the oldest archaeological sites in the world the world’s first temples?
I recently watched a television program on the National Geographic Channel that caught my attention. It was about Gobekli Tepe, which may be one of the most important archaeological sites in the world and the world’s first temple complex. Located in modern Turkey, nine miles northeast of the town of Sanliurfa (formerly Urfa) in southeastern Turkey, this fascinating group of buildings was constructed around 10,000BC, making it the world’s oldest known archaeological site. Study of the site indicates that it was used for ritual or religious purposes and it predates the stones of Stonehenge, the much better known ancient worship site, by 7,500 years. Although the local population had long recognized it as a sacred place, excavation on Gobekli Tepe (which in Turkish means “hill of the navel”) did not begin until 1994, spearheaded by Klaus Schmidt of the Instanbul branch of the German Archaeological Institute.
The portion of Gobekli Tepe that has been excavated reveals four arrangements of monolithic pillars, each around 16’ tall; 43 of these pillars have been unearthed to date. These pillars are linked together by coarsely built stone walls that form a series of circular or rectangular structures. The structures vary in size between 33’ and 98’ in diameter and have terrazzo floors made of burned lime.
Only about 5% of the site has been uncovered and geophysical surveys indicate that there may be as many as 250 more megaliths still buried, suggesting that another 16 complexes once existed here. Although some of the megalithic stones are blank, others have elaborately carved arachnids, boars, bulls, fowl, foxes, insects, lions, scorpions, snakes and vultures. There are also abstract shapes carved into the stones. Early excavation seems to indicate that there are two of these monumental stones in the center of each structure, surrounded by enclosures and walls, with pillars that may have been used to support roofs.
It is still unknown how these structures were used but scholars speculate that they could have been used for worship; many ancient religions worshiped gods whom they portrayed in animal form. It is also not known why they were preserved but it appears that around 8000BC, they were deliberately buried under a mountain of soil and settlement refuse, including flints and animal bones, brought in from somewhere else. It appears that those who held these buildings sacred wanted to protect them.
As I reflected on this complex, which was a massive undertaking, I was impressed by the energy humanity has expended throughout history on worship of their gods. So often in the past, humanity worshiped gods and goddesses of their own making. We are so blessed to believe in God who has revealed himself to us and actually come into our midst. It is the one, true God whom we worship.