The Nash Papyrus is now online, thanks to the University of Cambridge. The Jerusalem Post article gives a new meaning to the word “second”: “It is the world’s second oldest known manuscript containing a text from the Hebrew Bible. The oldest are the Dead Sea Scrolls.”
This Jerusalem Post article suggests the Top 5 Christmas activities in Jerusalem.
The traditional King David’s tomb has been vandalized by a man desperate to get married.
If you missed last week’s Christmas broadcast of the Land and the Book radio program, you can listen to it in the archives.
Simcha Jacobovici is suing Joe Zias in an Israeli court because the warnings of the latter led the Discovery Channel and National Geographic to cancel the broadcast of films of the former. (Note: this article, like many cited on this blog, is on the Haaretz website. Free access to 10 articles per month is available with an easy registration.)
Mark Goodacre notes the publication of Archaeology, Bible, Politics, and the Media and he shares his article “The Talpiyot Tomb and the Bloggers.”
The Huffington Post has a slideshow of the year’s archaeological highlights. None are related to the biblical world.
The full-size replica of Noah’s Ark floats.
Officials are optimistic about the rainfall in Israel this winter. Amir Givati: “To see the Jordan River flowing at this time of year – that’s a phenomenon that takes place once every 20 years.”
Smuggling gangs in Iraq are using satellites to locate antiquities.
HT: Jack Sasson
2 thoughts on “Weekend Roundup”
A view of David’s Tomb taken ca. 1900
In the photo we see a pit surrounded by a stone barrier (deep?) being dug with the aid of a pulley and a donkey to pull up the debris. Located North and across the alley from the upper room.
Any idea what they are digging for? Is there a water cistern on the site today (Dormition courtyard)? Or perhaps looking for the cave under David's tomb??
Menachem Brody
[email protected]
The AP author of the ark article, Toby Sterling, couldn't resist "floating" the common strawman, "not big enough to fit every species on Earth … as described in the Bible," of course without actually citing a verse (note that his Twitter tagline is "Hardly ever serious"; par for the course in mainstream journalism).