An intact 2,400-year-old ancient Greek shipwreck, believed to be the world’s oldest, has been found at the bottom of the Black Sea.
The Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. announced that independent testing revealed that five of its Dead Sea Scroll fragments “show characteristics inconsistent with ancient origin and therefore will no longer be displayed at the museum.” Kipp Davis, who initially questioned their authenticity, thinks that more fragments held by American institutions will be proven to be forgeries.
Haaretz (premium) has an article on the new excavations at Tel Shimron, a biblical site that is three times larger than Megiddo.
At least 19 people were killed when a flash flood swept away a group of students touring on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea.
The Smithsonian magazine looks at the work of Virtual Wonders in using drone and other advanced technology to create extremely detailed 3D models of Petra. The article includes a video preview of their work.
“For a video game that includes bloody mercenaries, extraterrestrial beings, and time travel, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is shockingly faithful to our contemporary historical understanding of what Ancient Greece looked like during its golden age.”
Leon Mauldin shares photos and descriptions of Troas and Gamla.
Two new books on ancient Israel:
- A History of the Kingdom of Israel, by E. Lipinski (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 275)
- Archaeology and History of Eighth-Century Judah (Ancient Near East Monographs), edited by Zev I. Farber and Jacob L. Wright (hardback, paperback, free pdf)
HT: Ted Weis, Keith Keyser, Charles Savelle, Agade
