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Jake Paul sends fiery message to Tom Brady after dust-up with Logan Paul: 'Revenge is sweet'
Jake Paul had some terse words for Tom Brady after the NFL legend decided to slap Logan Paul during a heated moment at Fanatics Fest in New York City on Friday.
Paul briefly spoke to Fox News Digital at Sports Illustrated Beyond the Pitch, which featured a 50 Cent and Diplo concert.
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"I’m honestly p---ed. I wish I was there to back him up," he said. "But I have one message for Tom. The Paul brothers are coming for you and revenge is sweet. Tom, keep your head on a swivel."
Brady and Logan Paul met on stage with New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns coming in between them. The NFL legend then attempted to slap the WWE star before they were pulled apart before things could really escalate.
Paul and Brady responded to the incident on X afterward.
"This happened bc I was roasting Tom for beating him in flag football. And he tries to smack me ?? Horrible example for the kids," Paul wrote on X. "Aura -100 + Blocked. With a torn tricep."
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Brady called him a "dork."
"I tried America… will try again next time I see this nerd," he added.
Brady suggested in an interview on WWE star Cody Rhodes’ podcast "What Do You Wanna Talk About?" that he would want to get involved in a match.
"I need to get an invite. I've been waiting for (WWE president) Nick Khan to come up with some storyline for me to get in the mix," Brady said Thursday. "I feel like I'm retired from football, and I have an opportunity to go out there and still showcase that I'm a little bit of an athlete."
Paul is out with a tripcep injury but a big angle may drum up some interest in WWE’s road to WrestleMania 43.
Van Jones warns far-left socialist agenda is 'regressive' threat to Democratic Party
Longtime CNN political commentator and Democrat, Van Jones, rebuked far-left activists Saturday, warning that their positions on Hamas, prisons and immigration are regressive and threatened to steer the Democratic Party in the wrong direction as socialist-backed candidates celebrated recent primary victories.
"Yes, we want our Democratic Party to be a big tent. But we don’t need 'party poopers. So STOP pooping in the punch bowl — and telling us the turds are ice cubes," Jones said on X, in reference to his Substack post.
Jones accused some Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) activists of promoting positions involving Hamas, policing, prisons and immigration that he considered outside the progressive movement.
DEM REP HENRY CUELLAR REJECTS DSA AGENDA, SAYS SOCIALISTS ARE TRYING TO 'USE' DEMOCRATIC PARTY
"But some people in groups like the DSA are pushing an agenda FAR outside those ideals. Supporting Hamas is not progressive. 'No police, no prisons, no borders' is not progressive. Celebrating the murder of Israeli civilians is not progressive. These ideas are REGRESSIVE," Jones said.
Jones, a self-proclaimed progressive Democrat, outlined the policies he considered central to that political identity.
"I’m a strong Democrat, with a winning bipartisan track record. I’m rooted in progressive ideals and policies: criminal justice reform, Green New Deal, Medicare for All, free education, clean air and water. These are ideas I have fought for my entire adult life," Jones said.
WATCH: HOUSE DEMS DODGE QUESTIONS ON SOCIALIST AGENDA THAT THREATENS TO ABOLISH KEY INSTITUTIONS
The ex-administration advisor to former President Barack Obama also rejected the argument that the far-left was merely advocating the type of social democracy practiced in Nordic countries.
"Some defend the far left by claiming they only want Nordic-style social democracy. If that were true, I might applaud them," Jones said. "I want those policies, too! But what does universal healthcare have to do with Hamas? With abolishing all law enforcement? With erasing all borders? With treating every wealthy person as a villain? Ideas matter. And these are terrible ideas."
The DSA's recently released Workers Deserve More program called for shifting police funding to public services as a step toward abolishing police and prisons. The program also advocated abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ending immigration detention and deportations, legalizing migration and granting amnesty to immigrants regardless of status.
The platform's foreign policy section called for ending all U.S. military and economic assistance to Israel and establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Jones' criticism came after Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado's Democratic primary. In New York, DSA-backed candidates Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier won congressional primaries, while several candidates endorsed by the organization captured state legislative nominations.
Jones acknowledged the organization’s electoral momentum in an earlier Substack post.
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"The Democratic Socialists of America are winning elections — and sending waves of joy and terror through the Democratic Party. A little historical context might be useful," Jones said.
Jones warned Saturday that mainstream Democrats frustrated with both Republicans and their own party’s establishment could overlook proposals he opposed.
"Right now, extremists are trying to sneak backwards proposals into our party, hoping mainstream Democrats are too frustrated with MAGA and the Democratic Party establishment to notice. But we see you," Jones said.
'Keep a low profile': State Department warns Americans overseas they could be targeted
The State Department on Saturday reiterated its worldwide warning for Americans overseas as fears grow that Iran or its supporters could retaliate against U.S. citizens and interests far beyond the Middle East.
The "Worldwide Caution" alert, which has been in place since February, warns that groups supportive of Iran could target Americans and U.S. interests overseas.
The advisory urges U.S. citizens abroad to remain vigilant, monitor local developments and follow guidance from nearby U.S. embassies.
WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN
The warning follows a series of rapidly escalating developments in the region. Earlier Saturday, the U.S. military said an Iranian missile and drone attack in Jordan killed two American service members and left another missing, underscoring concerns that the conflict could spill beyond traditional battlefields and increase security risks for Americans overseas.
The heightened security concerns were reinforced when the U.S. Embassy in Amman issued a separate security alert after Jordanian authorities evacuated Aqaba's international airport and seaport because of what officials described as a "specific and credible threat."
The embassy urged Americans to avoid both locations and reminded U.S. citizens that the State Department has maintained an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government personnel and their families in Jordan since March because of ongoing security risks.
TWO US SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN IRANIAN STRIKES ON JORDAN, CENTCOM SAYS
The State Department said the security environment remains "complex" and warned the conflict could escalate with little notice.
Officials also noted that U.S. diplomatic facilities, including some outside the Middle East, have previously been targeted and cautioned that groups supportive of Iran could target other U.S. interests or locations associated with the United States and Americans around the world.
Officials urged Americans worldwide, particularly those in the Middle East, to exercise increased caution, keep a low profile, avoid locations associated with the United States when possible, monitor local news, follow security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which provides security updates and allows embassies to contact U.S. citizens during emergencies.
The advisory also warns that continued military activity could lead to commercial flight cancellations and temporary airspace closures, adding to travel disruptions across the Middle East. Travelers were advised to check with airlines before departing and prepare for potential delays, rerouted flights and last-minute itinerary changes as security conditions evolve.
The State Department issues worldwide caution alerts when officials believe security threats extend beyond a single country or region.
While the advisory does not prohibit international travel, it reflects growing concern that the conflict could create security risks well beyond the Middle East, prompting U.S. officials to urge Americans everywhere to remain vigilant and prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
Caitlin Clark 'cheering hard' for Argentina over Spain in World Cup final: 'I want Messi'
Caitlin Clark has officially picked a side in Sunday’s World Cup final. And the United States’ exit in the Round of 16 apparently did not kill her interest in the tournament.
Clark is riding with Argentina.
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Following the Indiana Fever’s 108-88 win over the New York Liberty on Saturday night, Clark was asked whether she would be rooting for Argentina or Spain when the two countries meet for the World Cup final Sunday afternoon.
"I’m cheering for Argentina," Clark said. "I want Messi, so I’ll be cheering hard."
Argentina is attempting to become just the third nation to win back-to-back men’s World Cups, while Lionel Messi is seeking his second consecutive title at 39 years old.
And Clark’s interest in the final goes beyond simply jumping on the Messi bandwagon.
Long before she became a basketball superstar, the Fever guard was also an accomplished soccer player. Clark played during her freshman and sophomore years of high school, scoring 26 goals and earning first-team all-state honors during her first season.
HOW TO WATCH ARGENTINA VS. SPAIN: LIVE STREAM THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL MATCH
"I loved soccer growing up, and I probably could have played in college, too, but it was hard in the state of Iowa," Clark said last month on the "Post Moves" podcast with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston.
"Soccer was during the spring, and so was AAU basketball. I was leaving for some USA Basketball stuff, and would miss part of the high school soccer season. Then I’d came back and I felt like a bad teammate, so I eventually gave it up after my sophomore year. But I loved it."
Seems like she made a good choice.
But Clark said the skills she developed on the soccer field still helped shape the basketball superstar she became.
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"The best thing it did for me was obviously foot speed, but also reading angles. That’s what soccer is — getting your body in the correct angle, leading people on passing, putting the ball on the perfect spot where they can run onto," Clark said.
"That helped me as a passer, understanding angles and leading people, manipulating where I want them to go. And it helped me get in incredible shape for basketball."
Clark will be parked in front of a TV watching the World Cup final on Sunday afternoon. But she’ll return to her primary sport Wednesday night when the Fever host the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
'Breakfast Club' star Anthony Michael Hall reveals the key to surviving Hollywood after 51 years
"Breakfast Club" star Anthony Michael Hall knows exactly why he's been able to survive Hollywood for over 50 years.
Hall is starring on the FOX celebrity competition series "Nation's Dumbest," hosted by Jack Whitehall. At the press event, Hall explained the secret to longevity in Hollywood.
"Having a thick skin, and just being game and just wanting to work with the best people you can," he began. "Just being persistent and tenacious. And thank God I was born with a hard head. But you have to have a thick skin."
"You have to really want and love what you do. So I think that's it."
MATT DAMON SAYS HOLLYWOOD'S 'RUTHLESS' NATURE HAS TAKEN HIM AWAY FROM FATHERHOOD MORE THAN HE'D LIKE
Hall also told Fox News Digital the biggest lesson he's learned after five decades in the industry.
WATCH: 'Breakfast Club' star Anthony Michael Hall reveals the key to surviving Hollywood after 51 years
"Stay humble, stay focused, keep your eyes on the road, and just keep moving ahead somehow. There's no guarantees of anything in this business, and it's a tough business, but it's really great business, so I'm very fortunate," he noted.
"[I] feel very blessed. This is my 51st year doing this, and this was really a unique thing, because it was something I never expected," Hall continued, referring to "Nation's Dumbest."
"It really took me by surprise, and it was really lot of fun," he said. "So, it was about learning that lesson, too. Staying open to new opportunities, just being cool with it and having fun. So, we really had a great time, all of us. It was nice."
WATCH: Dr. Drew and Andrew Yang reveal most frustrating part of 'Nation's Dumbest'
"Nation's Dumbest" is FOX's new celebrity competition series that puts a comedic twist on the traditional game show format. Hosted by Whitehall, the series challenges 12 celebrities to return to "summer school," where they compete in a mix of classroom-inspired trivia, physical games and school-themed challenges.
But unlike most competition shows, the objective isn't to win — it's to be eliminated. Each week, the contestant who performs the best "graduates" from the competition, while those who struggle remain in the game. In the end, the last celebrity standing earns the title no one wants: "The Nation's Dumbest."
Hall told Fox News Digital that he saw some parallels from his days on the "Breakfast Club" and being back in a classroom setting on FOX's new competition series.
WATCH: JoJo Siwa and Chase Hudson talk competing on FOX's 'Nation's Dumbest'
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"Do you know what, there was some parallels for sure. We all got thrown together. We're all stuck, we couldn't really go anywhere. And honestly, we all really got along. It was a real nice organic surprise that I had a great time with all these people. It was coming into a year where I wasn't sure where the next job was gonna come, like we often feel in this industry. And I got the call, and I was just really excited by it," he said.
"And I really embraced it and I just went up to Toronto and had a good time shooting it and everybody was really cool. So we had a really good time," Hall concluded.
The inaugural cast includes Hall, Ice-T, Jon Heder, Hilaria Baldwin, Carmen Electra, Chase Hudson, Elle King, Matt Leinart, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Steve-O, JoJo Siwa and Andrew Yang.
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The format, which has found success internationally, blends pop quizzes, report cards, recess-inspired games and "final exams" with Whitehall's signature humor. FOX has described the series as a fresh take on celebrity competition television, designed to deliver laughs by turning the usual goal of winning completely upside down.
WATCH: Elle King reveals what made her say yes to 'Nation's Dumbest'
The series premiered Wednesday, July 15 on FOX and streamed the next day on Hulu.
Argentina at +255 to win the World Cup final is a value bet Lionel Messi backers cannot ignore
June 11 marked the start of the World Cup. We saw Mexico take down South Africa and South Korea defeat Czechia. Since then, there have been great matches, dull matches, wins, ties, losses, controversies, and some amazing soccer.
After today, there will be no more soccer to enjoy – well, there will, but most of us won’t pay attention. Let’s try to close the World Cup with a win.
There are some games where it just looks like one team is significantly better than its opponent. I can tell you that Spain looked like they were men playing with boys when I watched them play against France. Sure, they had a lead, and their main goal at that point was to play keep away. They did it brilliantly. The stats show that the splits were very close, but if you watched it, Spain always looked like the dominant team.
There isn’t one major star on the Spanish team, but they are finding ways to win as a team, which can often be the more effective method. This win did come with a bit of controversy as the first goal they scored on a penalty was… interesting. A French player was trying to kick a ball in the air, and the Spanish player purposefully ran into his leg, causing a penalty. Some things about soccer are goofy, but if that’s the rule, it was a smart play. I don’t expect them to get the benefit of the doubt against Argentina.
HOW TO WATCH ARGENTINA VS SPAIN: LIVE STREAM THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL MATCH
That is mostly because Argentina seems to be able to do whatever it wants on the field, and the referees don’t seem to care. It was very interesting to see that Lionel Messi stepped on a player’s foot prior to the game-winning assist. That exact same thing happened when an Egyptian player stepped on an Argentinian player’s foot prior to a full field navigation and goal score. The goal was negated for Egypt, but upheld for Argentina.
Regardless of calls, Argentina has found ways to win. When they get their first goal, it feels like the second isn’t that far behind. It's almost like dominoes, where they are just finding the right spot to attack, and then the whole thing goes as soon as they get the first one in place.
Messi remains elite and will win the Golden Boot if he scores a goal because he has more assists than Kylian Mbappe. There is a lot left for them to accomplish, but the World Cup win would be more important than the Golden Boot.
Perhaps the smart thing to do, knowing that Argentina is getting so many calls, or perhaps the benefit of the doubt, if you prefer, is not to bet on FIFA games. That’s not my way, though. I didn’t come this far in this World Cup journey to just give up. I want to keep betting it.
I’m going to take Argentina. I really can’t believe that they are +255 with the best player in history on their side. I get that Spain looked absolutely dominant, but Argentina has been toying with teams and then absolutely destroying them. I definitely could regret this choice, but after they’ve scored nine of 11 goals in the 79th minute or later, I just don’t see quit in Argentina. Give me them to repeat as champions.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
Ella Langley turns 63-year-old former NFL head coach into 'Ella Fella'
It’s no secret that Ella Langley is one of the biggest music stars on the planet.
The country artist is set to join the likes of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey as "Choosin’ Texas" is set to spend 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Her popularity is only rising higher and she’s turning 63-year-old former NFL coaches into "Ella Fellas."
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Rex Ryan posted on social media that Langley’s performance at M&T Bank Stadium blew him away.
"Look, I've been around football my whole life. I've coached in Baltimore, won a lot of games, and seen some incredible performances But let me tell you something…Ella Langley had Baltimore in the palm of her hand tonight. As the kids say, I'm officially an Ella Fella. I don't make the rules," he wrote on X.
Langley, along with fellow country star Morgan Wallen, have had a great first half of 2026.
Billboard reported this week that Wallen's "I’m the Problem" and Langley's "Dandelion" are the top two albums in America for the first half of 2026, according to Luminate data.
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"I'm the Problem" is number one with 2.035 million album units and Langley's "Dandelion" is number two with 1.638 million units.
Luminate defines an album unit as "one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 2,500 ad-supported on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album, or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official and audio streams generated by songs from an album," according to the same report.
Bad Bunny, who did the Super Bowl halftime show this year, is third with "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" at 1.543 million units.
If Langley could hold the attention of a crowd in Baltimore, imagine what she could do at the halftime show of a Super Bowl.
Someone get Apple on the phone.
Fox News' David Hookstead contributed to this report.
I am once again begging the folks in USC's athletic department to study some Greek literature
I am once again begging the folks in USC’s athletic department to crack open a book.
Or pull up Google. Watch a YouTube explainer. Ask an English professor walking across campus. Anything.
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Because for the second time in less than two years, the USC Trojans have attempted to build football hype around a famous piece of Greek literature without stopping to consider one very important detail:
The Trojans lose spectacularly.
With Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" taking over theaters and social media, USC football decided to capitalize on the moment. The program posted its own version of the movie poster featuring its famous Trojan helmet and the words, "Our Odyssey begins August 29."
Very cool, dramatic and topical. There is just one tiny problem.
"The Odyssey" is the story of the Greek hero Odysseus’ 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. And the reason Odysseus is traveling home is because he and the rest of the Greeks have just finished destroying Troy.
The Trojans are not the heroes of "The Odyssey." By the time the story begins, their city has been sacked, their greatest warriors are dead, and the surviving Greeks are packing up to head home after an extremely long and violent road win.
This seems like suboptimal branding for USC.
Now, listen, I know not everyone is a nerd. If you do not personally know the intricate details of Homer’s epics, I will not fault you. Most normal people do not spend their free time carefully reviewing ancient Greek poetry.
But if you represent an academic institution whose mascot represents the mythological inhabitants of the ancient city of Troy, you should probably have a general understanding of how things worked out for them.
At the very least, someone in the social media approval chain should type "Who wins the Trojan War?" into a search bar before hitting "post."
'THE ODYSSEY' REVIEW: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN GOES EPIC WITH HIS MOST AMBITIOUS FILM TO DATE
And I might be willing to dismiss this as a one-time oversight if USC had not already committed essentially the exact same mistake.
Before the 2024 season, the Trojans released a beautifully produced hype video showing USC players bursting out of a Trojan Horse and charging into battle.
Again, very cool visual.
Except it was not the Trojans hiding inside the Trojan Horse. It was the Greeks. The Trojans were the ones who foolishly dragged the horse inside their own city, went to sleep, and then got slaughtered when the Greek soldiers climbed out and opened the gates.
And now, after already being roasted for that blunder, USC has returned to the same piece of literature and aligned itself with another story detailing its own demise.
But perhaps the funniest part of this entire situation is the date USC chose for the beginning of its own "Odyssey."
The Trojans open the 2026 football season on August 29 against San Jose State. The Spartans.
So USC has promoted its season with a story about the destruction of Troy, nearly two years after promoting itself with the weapon used to destroy Troy, all leading up to a battle against an army from ancient Greece.
It’s — dare I say — poetic?
Anyway, good luck, Trojans. And maybe leave any suspicious wooden horses in the parking lot.
Speaker Johnson warns students are 'indoctrinated' to see US through 'wrong lenses' as nation celebrates 250th
House Speaker Mike Johnson sounded the alarm over students viewing America through the "wrong lenses" at an event hosted by legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.
"What ADF does every day on the front lines is defend the very foundations of the greatest nation in the history of the world, so that it can continue. We have a great challenge right now because, sadly, the generations coming behind us do not seem to fully appreciate and understand this," Johnson, R-La., told attendees as a keynote speaker at ADF’s summit in San Diego on July 9.
The ADF Summit 2026 brought together leaders from law, public policy, media, business, education and Christian organizations. ADF stated that the event celebrated the historic 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the role of the founders and "why our founders held certain truths to be self-evident and what we must do to reclaim the spirit of 1776 today."
AMERICA 250 ATTENDEES FIRE BACK AT CRITICS OF TRUMP'S JULY 4 SPEECH: 'WHAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR'
"ADF was deeply honored to welcome Speaker Johnson as a keynote speaker at our annual Summit," said Kristen Waggoner, ADF's president, CEO and chief counsel.
"Those who knew Speaker Johnson early in his career—when he worked alongside us at ADF—have been unsurprised to watch him bring the same grace, resolve, and fidelity to principle to one of the most difficult jobs in Washington," Waggoner added. "His remarks on America’s spiritual heritage provided the ideal capstone to our week at Summit, where we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the American founding."
KEY TRUMP AGENCY PUTS TOP UNIVERSITIES IN CROSSHAIRS OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED DORM PROGRAMS
Delivering the final speech to close out the four-day event in California, Johnson shared that he often seeks opportunities to educate young people about American history to show them they live in the greatest nation in history.
"I would do that as often as possible, and I would go into big, often hostile arenas on university campuses, and I would ask for a simple whiteboard to put on the stage," Johnson said. "And I would begin… my little lecture often, I would say, ‘Could I just have a raise of hands of anyone in the room?’ I would ask this of university students ‘Raise your hand if you agree you live in the greatest nation in the history of the world.’ And sadly, just a handful of hands would be raised. And I'd say, 'OK, well, if you don't agree with me that you live in the greatest nation in the history of the world, would you raise your hand if you agree that you live in at least a great nation?' I'd get a few more sheepish volunteers."
Johnson expressed deep concern over students being "indoctrinated" in the classroom.
"I think on the nation's 250th birthday, I believe we have a divine opportunity. We have a teachable moment. And I think we've got to make this very simple to explain it to the people coming behind us, because, let's be honest, they've been indoctrinated in so many of these educational institutions," Johnson said.
He went on to say, "They see America through the wrong lenses. And I think right now we have a great opportunity because on the nation's birthday, we can take them right back to the nation's birth certificate, the Declaration of Independence... I love that. When you're a member of Congress, you get invited to speak to a lot of university students in that setting."
Fox News Digital previously reported on polling showing Americans’ lack of trust in higher educational institutions and a survey reportedly revealed a continuing political imbalance among university faculty.
The latest Gallup data reveals that just 38% of U.S. adults maintain a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in higher education. The figure represents a noticeable drop from last year, when trust in the sector experienced a modest uptick to 42%. Notably, 31% of those who express a lack of confidence cite perceived political indoctrination as a driving factor.
Another report, released by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), revealed that liberal faculty members outnumber conservatives nearly 7-to-1 nationwide — a massive shift from 1969, when the ratio sat at less than 2-to-1.
Archaeologists make unusual find near site where Ark of the Covenant was once kept
Archaeologists recently uncovered ancient food remains at biblical Shiloh, the ancient site where the Bible says the Ark of the Covenant was housed for centuries.
The remains were found at Tel Shiloh, an archaeological site in the West Bank that is traditionally identified as biblical Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept before it was taken by the Philistines.
The discovery was made beneath an Israelite-period ritual deposit and adjacent to an ancient Canaanite fortification wall, according to the excavation team.
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Two of the jars contained olives, while a third held lentils, according to archaeobotanical analysis — and one of the vessels contained some 500 burned olive pits.
The olives in the jar were likely preserved in oil before they were burned thousands of years ago, said Scott Stripling, excavation director and the president of the Near East Archaeological Society.
Stripling, who is based in Texas, told Fox News Digital that "some sort of accident" likely started a fire — and ended up preserving the olives for thousands of years.
"Once it started on fire, then it caught that whole area on fire," he said. "That's what it appears to me. But next year we'll have to excavate a broader area to better understand exactly what it was."
ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH ANCIENT TREASURE CACHE AT BIBLICAL CITY CONNECTED TO GENESIS
Before reaching the jars, archaeologists excavated an Israelite-period ritual deposit containing roughly 10,000 animal bones, pottery vessels and eight gold and silver objects, including pendants and earrings, Stripling said.
The deposit was not an ordinary garbage pit, he said — but a favissa, where the remains of sacrificial offerings were deliberately buried rather than discarded with everyday waste.
"We went through about two meters [6.6 feet] of heavy sort of tumble, and then we came down on these storage jars," he said.
"At the top, we could see the rims. So we were very careful not to remove any pieces of it, and to keep going down deeper and wider so that we could leave them intact."
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Eventually, the team made so much progress that it needed ladders to enter and exit the excavation trench.
Though the scale of the olive pits was surprising, the types of food were not. Stripling described the lentils and olives as "staples of the Mediterranean diet."
Stripling said the Israelites who later occupied Shiloh likely had no idea that much older Canaanite storage jars lay buried beneath the ritual deposit they created.
"For thousands of years, the Israelites who deposited the remains of the sacrificial system above the jars didn't even know they were there," Stripling said.
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He added that the jars are being restored at Tel Aviv University, where researchers hope to learn more about the artifacts.
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"I will be shocked if the radiocarbon dates do not come back as Middle Bronze Age," he said. "These [burned olive pits] are ideal for radiocarbon dating."
Stripling said the team also plans to expand excavations next year to determine whether the jars were stored in a kitchen, storage room or another part of the ancient settlement.
"These jars have been buried there waiting for us to find them," he said.