The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World is hosting a new exhibit, “When the Greeks Ruled Egypt: From Alexander the Great to Cleopatra.” The official website is here and the NYTimes covers it here.

Reuters has more about the Museum of the Bible planned for Washington, DC.

Hershel Shanks is no longer sure that the ivory pomegranate inscription is authentic.

A newly restored glass plate found in Spain and dating to the 4th century provides an unusual portrait of Jesus.

The remains of Burgin are now open to the public. This site in the Shephelah was inhabited by Jewish exiles returning from Babylon.

Marc Turnage provides a window into the Bible through four artifacts from the New Testament world in this 3-minute video.

Wayne Stiles: “This wilderness area of southern Israel lets you see far—in more ways than one.”

The 46th anniversary of the transfer of the Abu Simbel temples was celebrated last week.

The Times of Israel: “Matching indigenous grapes with archaeological finds, Elyashiv Drori hopes to
recreate the drinks enjoyed by King David.”

The National Library of Israel has opened up some of its prized holdings for the first time ever.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has posted a preliminary list of 2015 excavations. If you prefer to avoid the summer, there is one in February.

Now online: The lecture schedule for the 17th Annual Bible and Archaeology Fest in San Diego next month.
The BAR Archive DVD 1975-2012 is on sale for 35% off for a limited time.
HT: Ted Weis, Mike Harney, Agade
Horvat Burgin view southwest from Achzib, Khirbet Beida, tb030407730
Horvat Burgin from Achzib
Photo from Judah and the Dead Sea
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The scandal of the Roman road to Emmaus is detailed by Nir Hasson in Haaretz. This historic treasure on the outskirts of Jerusalem is not only ignored by the authorities, but they permit cemetery dumps and sewage deposits to foul it. Wherever you locate the Emmaus of Luke 24, whether at Moza or Latrun, this was the ancient route that Jesus and the two disciples traveled.

In honor of Sukkot, we took a walk along the ancient pilgrims’ route to Jerusalem, known as the Roman Ascent.

The road, about two kilometers long, begins at the complex known as the Red House at the bottom and ends outside the Givat Shaul industrial zone. It once led from Emmaus (in the Latrun area) via Abu Ghosh to the Old City. Until a few decades ago it could still be seen and was a popular hiking trail.

Today, it’s not so easy to follow. The trail begins at an ancient pool apparently used until Ottoman times. Accompanied by Israel Antiquities Authority architect Shahar Puni, we started out along the unpaved road, and after a few dozen meters found our way blocked by weeds and trees that had fallen during last winter’s snowstorm. To continue, we had to climb over the wide sewage pipe laid along the way, sometimes right over the ancient road. Twenty years ago the pipe burst higher up the ascent, washing away the soil and a good many of the paving stones. Some 700 meters higher up, we spot curbstones for the first time, and perhaps some paving stones under the dirt.

The rest of the article is worth reading.

Roman road to Moza, possible Emmaus, tb030803361
Roman road to Emmaus
Photo from Pictorial Library of Bible Lands
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From the Jerusalem Post:

Using an innovative three dimensional technology, researchers have now made the Timna Valley Park the first setting in Israel where a large-scale rock engraving was scanned.
The project was headed by a team from the Computerized Archaeology Laboratory in the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The laboratory combines advanced mathematics and computing methods with modern, high-precision scanners to provide digital three dimensional models of archaeological finds. Dr. Leore Grosman directed the project by in collaboration with Assaf Holzer and the Timna Valley Park team, who provided important help and support.
The researchers’ first goal in scanning the engraving was to create a durable, long-lasting and accurate 3D model in case of future damage to the original. Their other goal was to create a precise model that will allow an objective study of the engraving, in order to gain a better understanding of the people who made it.

The full article includes an image of the 3-D model.

Timna Chariots engraving, adr1305175955
Chariots engraving at Timna Valley
Photo by A.D. Riddle
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From The Times of Israel:

Archaeologists working in the hills outside of Jerusalem uncovered an ancient ritual bath that offers not only remnants of Second Temple-era life in the area, but also those of Australian soldiers who visited the site while passing through during World War II.

“The finds from this excavation allow us to reconstruct a double story: about the Jewish settlement in the second century CE, probably against the backdrop of the events of the Bar Kochba revolt [132-135 CE], and another story, no less fascinating, about a group of Australian soldiers who visited the site” many centuries later “and left their mark there,” excavation director Yoav Tsur said.

During a dig at the Elah junction south of Beit Shemesh, archaeologists found “fragments of magnificent pottery vessels,” such as lamps, a jug and cooking pots, that helped them date the use of mikveh, or ritual bath, back to the time of the Second Temple, but the evidence indicates that residents stopped using it as a ritual bath during the second century CE, “perhaps in light of the Bar Kokhba revolt,” according to Tsur.

After the site ceased to be used as a mikveh, residents of the area enlarged the otzar — or water collecting vat for the mikveh — and continued to use it as a cistern for collecting drinking water.

Nearly 2,000 years later, as fighting again raged in the region, two Australian soldiers left their names, ranks and identification numbers carved into the rock at the site during World War II.

The full story is here.

HT: Charles Savelle

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by Chris McKinny

Aren Maeir has just released an announcement that the Ackerman family of South Africa will now be funding 20 fellowships for this upcoming summer season at Tell es-Safi/Gath. This is great news for anyone interested in participating in an archaeological investigation!

Announcement:

Thanks to the generous funding of the Ackerman family of South Africa, we hereby are happy to announce an exciting new fellowship for students from all over the world, to assist in participation in the 2015 season of excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel.The fellowship (approximately 20 will be awarded), will cover the R&B costs for the entire 2015 season at the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath. Fellows will have to cover their travel expenses to and from Israel, and all expenses in Israel incurred not during the excavation itself (including costs of weekends during the dig).

You can read about the rest of the details here. This is a rare opportunity to spend a summer at one of the most important Bronze and Iron Age sites in Israel!  

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A Digital Reconstruction of the Northwest Palace at Nimrud, Assyria is a 3-minute video posted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s very good.

Steve Green’s museum in Washington, DC now has a name: museum of the Bible.

Some of Josephus’s works are available in audio format for free.

Shimon Gibson and James D. Tabor summarize their 2014 excavations on Mount Zion.

The Times of Israel: “Beneath the houses of Old Jerusalem’s Cotton Market neighborhood, a massive series of ancient buildings excavated by Israeli archaeologists is set to open to the public.”

ArtDaily: “The huge flat-topped rock on which the ancient Parthenon sits in the centre of Athens is starting to give way.”


Haaretz reports on large-scale animal sacrifice related to the Early Bronze temples at Megiddo.

Science 2.0: The enemy of archaeology is not people, it’s salt.

A Polish team has begun a new archaeological project near Tafilah in southern Jordan.

Filming has begun for a movie about four women whose lives intersect in the siege of Masada. “The Dovekeepers” is being produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett and is based on a historical novel by Alice Hoffman.

HT: Ted Weis, Agade, Joseph Lauer

Tafileh, possible Tophel, from north, tb061404220
The area of Tafileh, Jordan
Photo from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands
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