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Lecture Series at Bible Lands Museum

The Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem has a special lecture series running through April 2007. The topic is “The Bible: A View from the 21st Century – Literary Genres,” and it is advertised as addressing these questions:

How did ancient Israel’s law resemble that of its neighbors? Who was a false prophet? What makes the writing of history in Ancient Israel unique? And more… Join us as leading Bible scholars will analyze the various literary genres of the books of the Bible, their content and their form.

The lecture schedule posted so far is as follows:

November 15, 2006
Lecture I in the Hebrew series “The Bible, A View from the 21st Century – Literary, Genres”:
The Bible – Beginning of the Jewish “Big Bang”
Prof. Yair Zakovitch, Hebrew Univ.
Lecture in Hebrew

November 22, 2006
A Chalcolithic Cemetery in Palmachim: Features of a Peripheral Site in the Center?
Amir Gorzalczany, IAA
Lecture in Hebrew

November 29, 2006
Lecture I in the English series “The Bible, A View from the 21st Century – Literary, Genres”:
The Bible – Beginning of the Jewish “Big Bang”
Prof. Yair Zakovitch, Hebrew Univ.
Lecture in English

December 6, 2006
Lecture II in the Hebrew Series “The Bible, A View from the 21st Century – Literary Genres”:
Teachings and Commandments; Laws and Statutes: Features of Biblical Law
Dr. Baruch Schwartz, Hebrew Univ.
Lecture in Hebrew

December 13, 2006
Antiochus IV and the Levant: the Wider Context of the Macchabean Revolt
Dr. Gerald Finkielsztejn, IAA
Lecture in Hebrew

December 27, 2006
Lecture II in the English Series “The Bible, A View from the 21st Century – Literary Genres”:
Teachings and Commandments; Laws and Statutes: Features of Biblical Law
Dr. Baruch Schwartz, Hebrew Univ.
Lecture in English

January 3, 2007
Lecture III in the Hebrew Series “The Bible, A View from the 21st Century – Literary Genres”:
History Writing in Israel: Scope, Origins, Forms, and View
Prof. Sarah Japhet, Hebrew Univ.
Lecture in Hebrew

The lectures are free with museum entrance.

Tagged Jerusalem, Lectures

Finds from the Temple Mount

Yesterday afternoon I took my archaeology students to help with the on-going sifting operation from the Temple Mount debris. They have made some remarkably discoveries in the two years that they have been methodically sifting the material.

The archaeologist in charge is Gabriel Barkay, who has been involved in Jerusalem archaeology for the last 40 years. He suggested yesterday that the current project may take him the rest of his life. They have searched less than half of the debris so far.

Last week a major find from the same material was announced in the journal of the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research. An inscription from a monumental arch with the name of the Roman general Silva was discovered by the Muslims during the earth’s removal, but it only became known to a few archaeologists several years ago. The inscription is about 3 feet long by 2 feet high and, according to Barkay, was part of a hence unknown Roman triumphal arch in the vicinity of the Temple Mount. Haaretz has more details.

For more about the project, see the Temple Mount Archaeological Destruction website. The author, Zachi Zweig, tells me that a new website is coming with up-to-date information.

Tagged Jerusalem, Temple Mount

Holy Land Satellite Atlas and CD

Sunday Software has a special on the Holy Land Satellite Atlas, volume 1, with a fly-over CD, produced by Rohr Productions (Richard Cleave). The atlas itself is splendid and hard to find. This is the atlas to get if you want to see the land of Israel and Jordan. The maps are very detailed (1:275,000, 1:150,000, and 1:100,000) and includes both satellite images and layer-tint views (see the book cover for an example of each). Gorgeous and instructive!

The CD is even more difficult to find. I’ve seen various editions of this CD and am not sure exactly which one is for sale here, but I think the following adjectives apply to all of the versions I’ve seen: unique, beautiful, and buggy. For those who use Google Earth, it should be noted that this CD is not as easy to navigate and the resolution is not as high as GE (contrary to what Sunday Software says). But there are some close-up shots of biblical sites which you don’t get on GE.

The regular price for both is $70, and it’s $5 off until Thanksgiving (Nov. 23). Unfortunately Sunday Software does not carry volume 2 and I can’t tell you where to get it. Rohr Productions has been consistent for years in producing some of the best materials for studying the Holy Land and then making it nearly impossible to buy them. (Sunday Software says you can contact Rohr directly about buying volume two; good luck in getting a response.)

There are a lot more details about the atlas and software at Sunday Software’s site. They also carry a set of beautiful posters of the Holy Lands. If you’re in a rush to get them though, you’ll be disappointed. It took over a month for my set to arrive (to a US address).

Tagged Resources

Valuable Maps of Israel

Unless you’re in the Israeli military, the best maps of the country are those produced by the Survey of Israel in the 1:50,000 series. The 20 maps cover the land from Dan to Eilat and cost about $20 each. The maps are very detailed and include all the dirt roads and hiking trails, making it ideal for 4x4ers and backpackers. They are in Hebrew only, but if you can read the Hebrew alphabet, the maps are useful. I love ’em and use them all the time. No GPS needed!

A couple other maps worthy of mention from the same website:
Israel-Jordan (1;400,000) – believe it or not, this is the best map of Jordan available anywhere. In English.

South Sinai (1:250,000) – another Israeli map that is better than anything produced by the country itself. In English.

Road Atlas – the easiest one for use when driving around in a car. Not as detailed as the 1:50,000, but if you’re staying on paved roads, this will suffice. It’s a spiral-bound book, similar to the Thomas Guides or Rand McNally atlases. In English.

Two other resources worth noting:

Survey of Western Palestine – maps from the 1870s, at a scale of 1:63,000. Considered the best source for knowledge of the country before the modern population explosion. Available as part of an 11-volume set for $4,000 here, or in electronic format from us for $35.

Maps of British Mandatory Palestine – maps from the 1940s, showing the current status of Arab and Jewish settlements. We’re not sure if these are available for sale anywhere, but BiblePlaces.com is working on publishing an electronic version of them. If you’re impatient, contact us directly.

If you’re looking more for maps to use in teaching contexts, see our review of “Electronic Maps for Bible Teaching, Part 1.” Part 2 has not yet been completed.

Tagged Resources

Encyclopedia Judaica (Almost) Ready

I mentioned this some months ago, but the 2nd edition of the Encyclopedia Judaica will soon be available for purchase. The 22-volume work includes 21,000 entries in 17,000 pages at a cost of $1,995. One entire volume is on Israel, and the Holocaust is the second longest entry. The Jerusalem Post has more details, or you can see the official website (one page only at this point), or pre-order it at Amazon. It’s due out December 8.

Tagged Resources

Temple Mount Debris summary

The sifting of debris removed from the Temple Mount continues under the direction of Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Tzachi Zweig, and Haaretz provides the latest update from the work there. Many artifacts have been revealed in the project.

The oldest artifacts found are remnants of tools like a blade and scraper dating back 10,000 years. Some potsherds and shards of alabaster tools date from the Bronze Age – the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C.E. (the Canaanite and Jebusite eras). Only a handful of potsherds were found from the 10th century B.C.E. (the reigns of King David and King Solomon), but numerous artifacts date from the reigns of the later Judean kings (the 8th and 7th centuries B.C.E.), such as stone weights for weighing silver.

The most striking find from this period is a First Temple period bulla, or seal impression, containing ancient Hebrew writing, which may have belonged to a well-known family of priests mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah.

Many other findings date from the Persian period (Return to Zion), Hasmonean, Ptolemaic and Herodian periods, as well as from Second Temple times. Second Temple finds include remains of buildings: plaster shards decorated a rust-red, which Barkai says was fashionable at the time; a stone measuring 10 centimeters and on it a sophisticated carving reminiscent of Herodian decorations; and a broken stone from a decorated part of the Temple Mount – still bearing signs of fire, which Barkai says are from the Temple’s destruction in 70 C.E.

The Hebrew version of the article also includes a photograph of a bronze pendant and Roman and Babylonian arrowheads.

For background on where this all came from, see the photos and explanation here.

Tagged Jerusalem, Temple Mount