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Questions To Ask of Sensational Stories in Biblical Archaeology

Every now and again a sensational story related to biblical archaeology hits the headlines. (This week it was this one.) It’s not long before I receive emails asking about the authenticity of the alleged discovery. To help my readers better discern whether they are dealing with a potentially legitimate discovery or not, I suggest that the following questions be asked as you read the report.

Does this discovery sound too good to be true? If so, it’s probably bogus.
It is reported by a news source you’ve never heard of? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Does it cite archaeologists that you’ve never heard of before and don’t appear on a Google search? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Does the report avoid getting input from known experts in the field? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Does the alleged discovery require a radical reinterpretation of the Bible? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Does the article use language such as, “This definitively proves…” or, “This is irrefutable evidence that shows…”? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Does it relate to newly discovered physical remains related to the crucifixion of Jesus? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Does the article mention Ron Wyatt, Robert Cornuke, or Indiana Jones? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Is it first announced in a TV special about the time of Easter/Passover? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Does the discovery relate to Noah’s Ark or the Ark of the Covenant? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Is it reported on a website with links to stories about Bigfoot, UFOs, and conspiracy theories? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Does the website name begin with www.world….? If so, it’s probably bogus.
Did I ignore it on this blog? If so, it’s probably bogus.

Did I miss some important questions? Feel free to suggest additional ones in the comments below.

Tagged Analysis, Pseudo-Archaeology

Live-Streamed Lecture: Eric Cline on 1177 BC

When we post notices of lectures on this blog, we know that most of our readers live outside of the geographical area and won’t be able to attend. Tonight’s lecture by Eric Cline is different in that way because it will be live-streamed for free.

The topic of the 7:00 pm (Eastern) lecture is 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, the same as his recent book. The lecture is being hosted by the Explorers Club in New York City. The website has more information, and you can go here at the appointed hour to watch the live-stream.

HT: Joseph Lauer

Tagged Lectures

Trial Begins in Jacobovici’s Lawsuit Against Zias

Simcha Jacobovici’s lawsuit against Joe Zias opened in court in Israel today. Jacobovici alleges that Zias gave false information to National Geographic with the result that the channel refused to air Jacobovici’s film on the “Jesus Tomb.”

From the Jerusalem Post:

In October 2011, Jacobovici filed a defamation suit against his harshest critic, former Antiquities Authority official Joe Zias, claiming damage of NIS 8.57 million and demanding NIS 3.5m. The case was brought before Lod District Court Judge Ya’acov Sheinman.
The filmmaker claims that while others have disparaged his ideas in a reasonable manner, Zias went beyond legitimate debate and defamed him by initiating a broad-based campaign to directly sabotage lucrative contracts he had already signed and was executing.
Zias’s “tip-off” about some of Jacobovici’s alleged conspiracies came from Joanna Garrett, a woman who was originally a big supporter of Jacobovici’s theories, but who then fell out with him.
Jacobovici said that Zias contacted his broadcaster, National Geographic, his publisher, Simon & Schuster, as well as others, and defamed him with a wide array of false accusations, such as elaborate forgery, paying off people, and manipulating people and events to try to build his credibility.

The full story is here.

HT: Joseph Lauer

Tagged Jerusalem, Tomb of Jesus

Weekend Roundup

Tales of gold are fueling a surge of looting in Jordan.

Jordan wants the Mesha Stele back from the Louvre. The story doesn’t mention that the French saved it after locals tried to destroy it.

LiveScience reports on David Kennedy’s study of the huge stone circles in Jordan.

A temple of Thutmose III was discovered by an Egyptian digging underneath his house.

The Washington University School of Medicine recently did CT scans on three Egyptian mummies.

This week at The Book and the Spade: Part 2 of Mary Magdalene and Magdala with Steven Notley.

The Phaistos Disk has not been deciphered, despite recent claims in a TEDx talk.

This week Wayne Stiles shares 4 Views of Jerusalem Every Visitor Should See.

HT: Charles Savelle, Agade

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Galilee, Jerusalem, Jordan, Museums, Weekend Roundup

CORONA Atlas of the Middle East

(Post by A.D. Riddle)

I recently discovered a mapping resource hosted by the University of Arkansas, the CORONA Atlas of the Middle East. The CORONA Atlas is not a brand new website (it was reviewed in 2012), but it says it is still in BETA stage. Simply put, the CORONA Atlas of the Middle East overlays CORONA satellite imagery over Google Earth imagery.

What is CORONA imagery?

During the Cold War, CORONA was a codename for one of the United States’ top-secret satellite missions created to capture high-resolution imagery. The first mission was launched into space in 1960, and the program continued until 1972. The imagery was declassified in 1995, making it available to the public.

What is the value of CORONA imagery?

From the CORONA Atlas of the Middle East:

In regions like the Middle East, CORONA imagery is particularly important for archaeology because urban development, agricultural intensification, and reservoir construction over the past several decades have obscured or destroyed countless archaeological sites and other ancient features such as roads and canals. These sites are often clearly visible on CORONA imagery, enabling researchers to map sites that have been lost and to discover many that have never before been documented.

For example, in 1998, James Hoffmeier and his team were able to locate additional sections of Egypt’s east frontier canal in northern Sinai thanks to CORONA imagery.

What has the University of Arkansas done with the imagery?

First, even though CORONA imagery is in the public domain, there are costs associated with digitization of the original film and acquisition of the files. The University of Arkansas has purchased much of this imagery and made it available for researchers. Second, the University of Arkansas corrected the spatial geometry of the photos for distortion (orthorectification) and has positioned the imagery in real geographic space (georectification). This allows the CORONA Atlas to overlay the CORONA imagery on top of other imagery that is positioned in the same geographic space.

How can the CORONA Atlas of the Middle East be used?

Recently, I was trying to locate the site of Samsat in Turkey. Samsat is believed to be ancient Kummuḫ, capital of a Neo-Hittite kingdom by the same name. (In the Hellenistic period, it was replaced by the kingdom of Commagene.) The problem with finding Samsat today, however, is that it now lies at that bottom of Lake Atatürk Dam. It is very hard to find a tell in a lake. The Atatürk Dam was built on the Euphrates River and was completed in 1990. The reservoir flooded the valley of the Euphrates River and its tributaries, and the lake today covers approximately 320 square miles. The CORONA Atlas of the Middle East allows me to see Samsat (and the Euphrates River) before it was submerged, and to locate it with precision in Google Earth, because you can adjust the transparency of the CORONA imagery. The CORONA atlas also has tools for measuring, obtaining coordinates, and capturing imagery for other uses.

Here is a comparison of images taken from the CORONA Atlas of the Middle East. On the left is the Google Earth imagery, in the center is the CORONA imagery with some transparency over Google Earth, and on the right is the CORONA imagery.

The tell of Samsat is located in the center of the right photograph. Here is a close-up.

Head on over and poke around. It took my internet service several moments to load imagery, so it may require you to have a little patience.

Tagged Resources, Technology

Artifacts of the Month: Ketef Hinnom Silver Amulets

(Posted by Michael J. Caba)

These two small scrolls are known as the Silver Scrolls. They contain the oldest known copies of biblical passages. Written about 600 BC, they were discovered in 1979 in Jerusalem at a place outside the Old City known as Ketef Hinnom. The Hebrew language text on the scrolls is taken from Numbers 6:24-26 which reads, “May Yahweh bless you and keep you; May Yahweh cause his face to shine upon you and grant you peace.” The scroll to the left is roughly 4″ long and the one to the right is about 1.5″ long. Both scrolls are now located in the Israel Museum.

For those interested in Biblical studies, the scrolls speak to the antiquity of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (i.e., the Christian Old Testament). Some critical theories postulate a late date of composition for these texts, say, the 6th-5th BC, but the earlier existence of these scrolls—and their Biblical passages—weighs to some extent against this theory.

For information on similar artifacts related to the Bible, see Bible and Archaeology – Online Museum.

(Photos: BiblePlaces.com. Significant resource for further study: Gabriel Barkay, et al., “The Challenges of Ketef Hinnom: Using Advanced Technologies to Recover the Earliest Biblical Texts and their Context,” Near Eastern Archaeology, 66/4 [Dec. 2003]: 162-71.)