The Bible calls Israel the land of milk and honey. But where did the honey the Bible writes about come from?

For a long time, it was accepted that the honey part came from dates—one of the seven species in the land of Israel mentioned in Deuteronomy.

Now an amazing discovery indicates beekeeping may have been a big industry thousands of years ago. Evidence shows honey was being produced by bees here nearly 3,000 years ago around the time of the prophet Elisha.

Bees connected to honey are mentioned only a few times in the Bible, and beekeeping is never mentioned, but several years ago, archaeologists uncovered a strange installation.

"We saw that we have here a row of cylindrical—of clay cylinders—each one of them is about 2-1/2 feet long and about 1 foot in diameter," Hebrew University archaeologist Amihai Mazar told CBN News. "We realized these must be bee hives."

The apiary—the place where the hives were found—is at a site in the Jordan Valley called Tel Rehov where some archaeologists believe Elisha lived about a century later.

Mazar says the type of bee was native to Turkey, pointing to its ancient trade relations with Israel. Remnants of the bees were found at the dig.

"These are the most ancient bees ever found in the world," Mazar said.

The artifacts were recently displayed at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv.

Each hive was made of unbaked clay mixed with straw. At one end of the cylinder there was a small hole for the bees to enter and exit. At the other end, a fitted clay lid could be removed to extract the honey.

"Date honey was definitely very important and perhaps the term was used for both of them," Mazar explained. "But it's clear they knew very well how to raise bees. There were very sophisticated apiaries here, and I think that maybe much of the Biblical honey—davash—is really bees' honey."

Researchers estimate there were at least 180 hives and maybe more than a million bees. Each hive could have produced about 11 pounds of honey each year, making it a suitable business effort.

"In addition, the wax was very important—the bee wax. It was important to different types of industries and crafts," Mazar said.

Apparently, the apiary met with a sudden violent end. It was covered with a thick layer of destruction, including mud bricks and charred wooden beams.

The hives were never used again.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

'We've Been Silent Too Long': Texas Towns Take a Stand, Become Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn

'He's Completely Remarkable': Boy Born With No Brain Makes Incredible Progress after Parents Urged to Abort

'This Is a Truly Historic and Important Moment for Jewish Americans': President Trump to Sign Executive Order Addressing Anti-Semitism in US Education

Israeli Researchers Develop Technique That Could Lead to Less Electrical Energy Usage

This Company's Founder Just Gave His Employees the Christmas Surprise of Their Lives

'Zuzu' and 'Tommy' from 'It's A Wonderful Life' Reflect on the Iconic Movie and James Stewart: 'He was a wonderful man, He touched a lot of lives, just being him. He was George Bailey in real life'

Sean Hannity Opens Up about His Faith: 'I'm An Aspiring Christian'

President Trump Tells the Incredible Story behind the Prayer and Song, 'God Bless America'

President Trump Scores Big Win for American Workers as Dems Sign On to USMCA Deal Replacing NAFTA

Democrats Unveil 2 'Articles of Impeachment' against President Trump

Attorney General Bill Barr Just Issued a Translation of the DOJ IG Report & It's a Red-Hot Rebuke of 'Intrusive' Spying on Trump

Anti-Religion Group Asks Alabama Sheriff to Stop Referencing Prayer after Tragedies

Poll: Overwhelming Majority of Americans Want Abortion Industry Held to Higher Medical Standards

HEALTH Breakthrough: These Micro Implants in the Spinal Column Could Restore Standing and Walking, Possibly Within a Decade

Louie Giglio's New Children's Devotional Works to Close the Gap between Faith and Science

Remembering 'God's General' Reinhard Bonnke: 'Jesus Did Not Call Us to Deliver Sermons, He Called Us to Deliver People'

Pro-Life Win: Supreme Court Upholds Kentucky Ultrasound Law

Guatemala's New President to Designate Hezbollah as a Terrorist Organization: 'The Friends of Israel Are Our Friends and the Enemies of Israel Are Our Enemies'

CEO Pays for Military Members to Fly Home for Christmas, Sparking Generous Trend: 'Anybody Could Do This'

[Watch] The Moment This Deaf Baby Hears Her Mum's Voice after Her Hearing Aids Are Switched On: 'Her Face Lights Up'