Weekend Roundup

Archaeologists have found a collection of right hands at the Hyksos capital of Avaris in Egypt. Collecting body parts was one ancient way of counting victims (cf. 1 Sam 18:25). Israeli scientists have developed a way to predict the location of sinkholes near the Dead Sea. Clay rods from the Neolithic period found years ago are not phallic symbols but were ancient matches for starting fires. A summary of the 13th season at Hippos/Susita has been released by the University of Haifa. There are more photos here. A large olive press from the 6th-8th centuries AD has been discovered in Hod HaSharon on Israel’s coastal plain. The National Project to Document Egypt’s Heritage has begun with the tombs of Beni Hasan. The Aleppo citadel has allegedly been damaged by shelling by the Syrian army. Eilat Mazar will be excavating more of the area between the Temple Mount and the City of David later this month. Nir Hasson has more on Sir Flinders Petrie, the archaeologist who lost his head. Wayne Stiles takes a closer look at Nebi Samwil and the neighboring Gibeon and concludes that they reveal similar spiritual lessons. Gordon Franz has obtained a copy of pseudo-archaeologist Robert Cornuke’s doctoral dissertation and finds that it’s a sham. Paul V. M. Flesher writes about the latest finds in the Galilean town of Huqoq. Leon Mauldin shares a photo of Mount Ararat with a rainbow. Haaretz has some tips for finding wifi in Israel. HT: Joseph Lauer, Jack Sasson A pile of hands used for counting the dead, depicted at mortuary temple of Ramses III in Medinet Habu (photo source)