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Archaeologists working in southeastern Turkey believe they have discovered the “oldest narrative depiction in history.”

The recent discovery of several dozen bronze statues in Italy may affect how historians understand the relationship between the Etruscans and the Romans.

ScienceDaily: “Using advanced geochemical analyses, a team of scientists has uncovered new answers to decades-old questions about trade of tin throughout Eurasia during the Late Bronze Age.”

Ruth Schuster has written a well-illustrated article about how the “desert kites” mystery was solved.

Archaeologists used LIDAR to discover a Roman temple underneath a church in Croatia.

A 17-minute video produced by the British Museum explains what the Rosetta Stone actually says.

Tim Johnson writes about his visit to Syracuse, the “greatest Greek city,” and one that Paul briefly visited on his way to Rome.

“A number of looted artefacts returned to Turkey and Italy in the past three months have been revealed to be from the private collection of prominent American philanthropist Shelby White.”

George Smith, best known for his work on the Epic of Gilgamesh, is the subject of the latest episode on the Thin End of the Wedge.

Some Roman centurions and gladiators have been arrested after they threatened to beat up tourists at the Colosseum.

Discussion on a agreement between the British Museum and Greece to send the Elgin Marbles to Athens is “at an advanced stage.”

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Dickson, Keith Keyser, Explorator

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A lead sling bullet has been discovered in Yavne bearing an inscription showing that it may have belonged to a Greek soldier in the war against the Hasmoneans during the Hellenistic Period.”

The Times of Israel has more about the Roman road discovered in Galilee, with photos.

“In an unusual collaboration, archaeologists in Israel are working with police to analyze prints left on fifth- or sixth-century pottery shards.”

The Temple Mount Sifting Project recently had to “carry out excavations in landscaping terraces into which soil removed from the Temple Mount was placed for long-term storage about 15 years ago.”

Nava Panitz-Cohen explains what we know about various references in the Bible to pots, bowls, jugs, and other cookware.

In the latest video from Expedition Bible, Joel Kramer goes to Ketef Hinnom to look at the discovery of the oldest copy of Scripture.

Chandler Collins writes about the history of the discovery and significance of Robinson’s Arch in Jerusalem.

Meital Sharabi describes some of the sights to see in Nazareth.

Logos has Craig Evans’s “Jesus and Archaeology” mobile ed course on sale for $25.

John DeLancey is leading a tour next June that incorporates the “Gallelujah Festival” into its itinerary.

New release: An Accidental Archaeologist: A Personal Memoir, by Eric M. Meyers (Cascade, $30; Amazon).

The Institute of Biblical Culture has announced its 2023 Biblical Hebrew course.

ASOR webinar on Dec 15: “From Paganism to Christianity to Islam: The Transformation of Ancient Caesarea,” with Marsha Rozenblit, Yael Aron, Anna Iamim, and Jennifer Stabler.

Bryan Windle, who writes so many good posts at Bible Archaeology Review, is raising money so he can join next year’s excavation at Shiloh.

Carl Rasmussen shares photos from his recent visit to the theater/odeum at the Herodium.

In a well-illustrated post, Leen Ritmeyer explains why he believes that Jesus was born not in a cave but in the stable block of a large ancestral home in Bethlehem, possibly the “habitation of Chimham” mentioned in Jeremiah 41:17.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Dickson, Keith Keyser, Explorator

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“The ruins of an ancient Greek city [Skepsis] in Asia Minor have become visible for the first time in three decades due to a drought that has caused the water of the Bayramiç Dam to recede.”

“The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is implementing a project to restore the Great Hypostyle Hall in Karnak Temple in Luxor, in a bid to reveal the original colors of the Pharaonic inscriptions and subsequently draw more tourists and increase the country’s revenues.”

This year’s excavations have concluded at ancient Kition in Cyprus.

Egypt is calling on the British Museum to return the Rosetta Stone.

Ferrell Jenkins marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of King Tut’s tomb with several photos he took of the tomb in about 1978.

Jaafar Jotheri proposes reforms to the excavation license sections of the heritage law in Iraq.

The coins of “Roman emperor Sponsian” are still fake, says Koen Verboven. He gives seven reasons why.

The table of contents for the latest issue of BASOR is online.

Phillip Long has posted the biblical studies carnival for November.

The Appian Media team recently traveled to an authentic brick-making facility outside of Luxor, Egypt. They have released a completed scene of the “Out of Egypt” film for everyone to enjoy.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Paleojudaica

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A 3,000-year-old scarab – an ancient amulet and impression seal – was discovered during a school field trip to Azor, about seven kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv.”

Archaeologists discovered a section of Roman road from the 2nd century AD west of Tiberias in excavations along the Sanhedrin Trail.

“The Khirbet Midras pyramid is thought to be the largest and best preserved of a handful of pyramid-topped mortuary complexes dating back to the Second Temple and Roman eras in Israel.”

“Graffito from Beit She’arim cemetery confounded scholars for decades – until they figured out it was written in Aramaic using a Persian alphabet.”

“The Tower of David Jerusalem Museum’s citadel and exhibition rooms on its upper levels have become accessible to all for the first time after a five-year process.”

The headlines this month from the world of biblical archaeology included the discovery of a previously unknown Egyptian queen, a possible Judahite royal inscription, and an everyday item with big implications.”

“Tel Aviv University’s Archaeometallurgical Laboratory offers a limited number of student scholarships for participating in the upcoming excavations at Timna Valley (January 22nd – February 4th 2023). Those who wish to apply, please write directly to Mr. Yoav Vaknin ([email protected]) by January 1st 2023, and include your CV and a short reference letter.”

Hybrid lecture on Dec 7: “Recently Found Inscriptions from Israel / the Southern Levant,” by Jonathan Stökl. Registration required.

The “Spirit of Scholarship” conference will be held in Jerusalem (in-person) only on Dec 12-14. “The conference investigates the groundbreaking scholarship by Catholic priests in the burgeoning disciplines of ancient Near Eastern studies from the late-19th to the mid-20th centuries and also considers where these efforts have led to today.” The schedule and abstracts are posted at the website.

Leon Mauldin shares several springtime photos he took at Beth-shemesh.

Carl Rasmussen shares some photos and impressions of his recent visit to the Mount of Beatitudes.

Oliver Hersey and Chris McKinny discuss the cultural backgrounds to the book of Ruth in the latest episode of the BiblicalWorld podcast.

–>We have finished creating photo collections for every book in the New Testament. You can purchase the new Revelation volume with its 3,000 photos for only $79. But for a few more days, you can take advantage of the launch discount price of $49. Purchasing now is also a great way to support our work and help us to keep going.

Revelation-DVD-cover-3d-800

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Paleojudaica

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Archaeologists working at Saqqara discovered the pyramid of Queen Neith, a queen hitherto unknown in the historical record.

Archaeologists have found the earliest Egyptian tomb oriented to the winter solstice.

“A hoard of gold coins once thought to be fakes have been authenticated by researchers who say the artefacts reveal a long-lost Roman emperor.” The underlying journal article is here. Not all are convinced.

King Tut’s tomb was opened 100 years ago on Thursday.

BBC radio has aired “The Epic of Gilgamesh: A Quest for Immortality,” with Anmar Fadhil discussing the latest discoveries.

Hybrid lecture on Nov 29: “Trade in the Eastern Mediterranean of the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE—A Petrographic Perspective,” by Paula Waiman Barak. (Webex link)

The best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco are at the site of Volubilis.

New release: “‘Now These Records are Ancient’: Studies in Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical History, Language and Culture in Honor of K. Lawson Younger, Jr.,” edited by James K. Hoffmeier, Richard E. Averbeck, J. Caleb Howard and Wolfgang Zwickel (Zaphon, €128).

National Geographic asked scholars why Noah’s Ark will never be found.

Ben Witherington has several blog entries about his recent trips to Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.

Penn Museum has opened its new Eastern Mediterranean Gallery: Crossroads of Culture after an extensive renovation.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Jared Clark, Paleojudaica, Ted Weis

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Newly discovered Byzantine-era mosaics with four inscriptions have been discovered at Hippos. This Haaretz article by Ruth Schuster has many beautiful photos.

A new museum at the Armenian Monastery [in the Old City in Jerusalem] offers displays of stunning mosaics and artworks, artifacts and architecture, going back to Armenia’s 4th-century roots in the Holy Land.”

A Qumran cave will be opened to the public for the first time, with a path being created to lead from the site to Cave 61. (I do not have a link at this time.)

The search of a home of a man using a metal detector at an archaeological site revealed a trove of ancient coins including a rare coin of Antiochus Epiphanes.

Yonathan Adler suggests that “Judaism as we know it became a mass religion relatively late, possibly only when Judea was ruled by the Hasmonean dynasty” (subscription).

Michael Hasel is on The Book and the Spade discussing the ivory comb alphabetic inscription.

The program and abstracts for the 2022 ASOR meetings in Boston are online.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken

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