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From earlier previews of the maps, illustrations, and study notes, I think that the ESV Study Bible will be a very useful resource for those interested in biblical geography and archaeology.  The Bible includes more than 200 full-color maps, and 40 stunning, up-to-date illustrations.  (For one example of “up-to-date,” look at the Pool of Siloam on the Jerusalem illustrations.) 

The Bible is due out on October 15, but the publisher wants everyone to know just how good this Bible will be before then.  To that end, they have just begun a blog.  I’d draw your attention to the post on the Gamla synagogue, with its outstanding reconstruction drawing (which you can download in high resolution).  Leen Ritmeyer gives his perspective on the illustration he helped to create here
If you want to know more about the Bible, there’s a 5-minute video overview that shows off some of the beautiful illustrations. 

One thing that I don’t think I’ll ever understand is how books like this can be so affordable ($31.50 online).

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A Roman temple from the 2nd century A.D. has been excavated at Sepphoris.  The temple was about 40 by 80 feet (12 x 24 m) and its facade faced the decumanus, the main east-west street of the city.  A church was later built over the temple.  The story is reported by ScienceDaily, Physorg, and the Jerusalem Post.  The first two links each have a photo.

Zondervan Academic has a new blog and they have, among other things, links to the online programs for the national meetings of AAR, ETS, and SBL.  I also liked John Walton’s post on bad things people do in teaching children the Bible

The JPost has a short article about “Genesis Land,” a tourist site that recreates patriarchal life midway between Jerusalem and Jericho.

Some people know General Charles Gordon because of his work in China and Sudan, and others for his popularization of “Gordon’s Calvary” or the Garden Tomb.  NPR has a five-part series on China and Sudan, in which Gordon’s influence is discussed in part one.

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From the Daily Democrat:

Soon, Yolo County residents won’t have to travel to Israel for a tour of the Holy Land. Locals will be able to stop by the Woodland Museum of Biblical Archaeology at Woodland United Fellowship, 240 N. West St., to visit a collection of artifacts from Biblical times.
The museum’s humble beginnings began in the foyer of Woodland United Fellowship a year ago.
Pastor Carl Morgan began a display case with a few juglets and lamps from archaeological digs he participated in, and the collection continued to grow.
“We live in a time when the Bible has come under a lot of criticism and attack as not being reliable or authoritative,” Morgan said. “Archaeology allows us to see the geography and historicity of the Bible is correct. Many times, we’ve been able to find a name or a city (on a dig) associated with a Biblical event, and we’re able to say to the critics, ‘They’re not myths. The Bible is accurate.’ It also helps build your faith.”
On the west wall of the museum artifacts from mainly the Middle Bronze Age (2200 BC to 1550 BC) will be displayed. Visitors will find sling stones, which were used as weapons and swung with a leather strap. They will also see swords from 2000 BC and a sacrificial knife from the time of Abraham.
There is pottery dated beyond 3000 BC and a battle-axe on display that dates at least 500 years before the time of Abraham.
“That’s the oldest piece of metal you’ll ever hold,” Morgan said.

The story continues here.  If they’ll let you hold it, they’ll probably let you take a picture of it as well. 

Which is something you won’t get at many other museums.  Woodland is 20 miles northwest of Sacramento.

HT: Joe Lauer

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From the archaeologists:

The co-directors of the Kabri Archaeological Project (KAP), Assaf Yasur-Landau and Eric H. Cline, would like to announce that a pdf of the preliminary results from the 2008 excavation season at Tel Kabri is now available at: http://digkabri.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/report-on-the-results-of-the-2008-excavation-season-at-tel-kabri1.pdf If the direct link does not work for some reason, go to http://digkabri.wordpress.com/ and click on the link there to download the pdf.   Links to the results of previous seasons (2005, 2006, and 2007) are also listed at http://digkabri.wordpress.com/ KAP Publications which have already appeared are:   E.H. Cline and A. Yasur-Landau, “Poetry in Motion: Canaanite Rulership and Aegean Narrative at Kabri,” in EPOS: Reconsidering Greek Epic and Aegean Bronze Age Archaeology: 157-165, S.P. Morris and R. Laffineur, eds.  Aegaeum 28.  Liège: Université de Liège.  2007.   A. Yasur-Landau, E.H. Cline, and G.A. Pierce, “Middle Bronze Age Settlement Patterns in the Western Galilee, Israel,” Journal of Field Archaeology

HT: Joe Lauer

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Excavations continue at the western end of the Western Wall prayer plaza, and as the work proceeds further into the ground, the more interesting it gets (at least to those of us interested in pre-Byzantine periods).  Peter Wong from Hong Kong was at the site this week and sent me a couple of photos. 

They show a remarkable level of preservation.

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For context, here’s a photo I took a few months ago that shows the excavation (at bottom) in relation to the prayer plaza.

Western Wall plaza excavations, tb051908178

I have not seen anything reported on this excavation recently, but when I do, I’ll make note of it.

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A “very formidable and rare olive press” was discovered recently in Western Galilee.  It is one of the largest known from Israel and dates to the 6th-7th centuries A.D.  From the Israel Antiquities Authority:

A unique and impressive complex for producing oil that dates to the Byzantine period, which is also one of the largest uncovered in the country so far, was discovered recently during trial excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in Moshav Ahihud, in the Western Galilee. The excavations are being carried out as part of a development plan to enlarge the village….
In the middle of the building a central crushing mill (a large round stone) was uncovered upon which a millstone (referred to as a memel) was placed. It was customary to harness an animal to the axle of the millstone which would turn the stone and thereby crush the olives.
After crushing and breaking them, the olive pulp was brought for pressing in aqalim (baskets woven of coarse fabric or ropes). The aqalim were squeezed in a press and the olive oil was extracted as a result of this action. The baskets served as a filter whereby the liquid dripped out leaving the pits and pulp waste behind in the baskets. 
Three screw type press beds and a stone weight that was originally connected to the end of a. beam were revealed at the site.

The rest of the story, and photographs, are here.

HT: Joe Lauer

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