Norma Franklin asks, Why was Jezreel so important to the kingdom of Israel? Her claim that “there is no mention in the biblical narrative” of an Israelite palace is incorrect (1 Kings 21:1).

Another story on the excavations of Carchemish reports that the Japanese offered a million dollars for the opportunity to dig there.

The pigs in ancient Israel allegedly came from Europe.

Five historical monuments have been destroyed in Syria’s civil war. The photos show the damage.

How did ancient Greek music sound? The BBC reports on the research of Armand D’Angour.

How do you avoid losing what you learned on your trip to the Holy Land? Wayne Stiles suggests seven ways. My favorite is #4: Share with people what you have learned and experienced.

Leon Mauldin is doing a series on the cities of refuge. So far, he’s visited Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron.

All of the entries from Skyview’s 2013 Creative Shot Contest are online.

The Batchelder Conference of Biblical Archeology at the University of Nebraska is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday.

Haaretz profiles the Mormon campus on the Mount of Olives, with details about the campus architecture and the “Non-Proselyting Agreement.”

HT: Jack Sasson