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Top 10 Discoveries of 2023

The following is a “roundup of roundups.” Surveying more than 100 roundup posts written over the year, I have created a series of lists for what I consider to be most significant, beginning with the Top 10 Discoveries related to biblical archaeology. Our survey also recalls the most controversial stories of the year and other noteworthy reports from Jerusalem, Israel, and the broader biblical world. We have a section of top stories related to tourism, and for the first time, I am including a section of stories related to the antiquities trade and vandalism. As usual, we round up the best print and digital resources noted here over the year, as well as the deaths of influential figures. At the end, you can find links to other top 10 lists.

Top 10 Discoveries of 2023

1. A deep rock-hewn moat on the northern side of Jerusalem’s City of David dates to approximately the reign of King Joash (ca. 800 BC) and includes two sets of large channels, the purpose of which is yet unknown. Archaeologists also discovered a handprint carved into the stone.

2. Archaeologists excavating Tel Shimron in Galilee discovered a massive Middle Bronze monument that was 15 feet tall and covered the entire acropolis. Soon after its construction, it was filled in with gravel, thus preserving it for nearly 4,000 years.

3. Four Roman swords were discovered in a cave near En Gedi. Three are spatha swords, and all were likely stolen from Roman soldiers by Jewish rebels during the Bar Kochba revolt. The swords were discovered incidentally while doing multispectral imaging on a 7th-century BC inscription in the cave. The new reading of the inscription may include the word “salt.”

4. Archaeologists working on Mount Zion discovered, for the first time ever, destruction levels from the Romans and the Babylonians in the same space.

5. Excavations in front of the edicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher revealed the 4th century arrangement of the rotunda.

6. The 11th and final season at the Huqoq synagogue in Galilee wrapped up with the discovery of additional sections of the Samson mosaic panels along with a new mosaic section two inscriptions. The site will be developed into a tourist attraction.

7. Scientists identified, for the first time ever, ancient DNA from the bodies of Israelites who lived during the Old Testament period.

8. The oldest gate ever found in Israel was accidentally discovered near Kiryat Gat. The gate dates to about 2500 BC and has been reburied.

9. About 1,000 feet of the Upper Aqueduct bringing water to Jerusalem was discovered in a neighborhood south of the Old City. This is the longest section of this aqueduct ever discovered.

10. A recreational swimmer discovered a shipwreck that included a cargo of 44 tons of marble blocks headed to the Roman port of Ashkelon or Gaza for an elite building project.

Most Controversial Stories of 2023

Following the controversial purchase of a garden where the Pool of Siloam was located, archaeologists began work to expose the entire pool in order to open it to tourists. They found almost nothing.

Israeli archaeologists upset with ridiculous claims by Gershon Galil published an open letter.

An inscribed potsherd was discovered on the surface at Lachish, and after careful investigation and three scans, they announced it to be an authentic inscription read “Year 24 of Darius,” a reference to the Persian king who ruled over the land of Israel from 522 to 486 BC. The next day a professor reading the news report told the IAA that she had inscribed the potsherd in a demonstration to students.

The “curse tablet” from Mt. Ebal was published, but scholars are challenging its identification, date, and whether it is even inscribed at all.

Jericho was named a World Heritage Site “in Palestine.”

Noteworthy Stories from Jerusalem

A new study suggested that a 10th-century BC inscription discovered near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem may provide a link with the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon. Or not.

The oldest ceramic rooftiles discovered in Israel date to the 2nd century BC and were found in the Givati Parking Lot excavations in the City of David.

A rare gold bead was discovered by a teenage volunteer in excavations on the “Pilgrimage Road” leading from the City of David to the Temple Mount.

A 1st-century receipt was discovered in a 19th century excavation tunnel in Jerusalem.

Archaeologists discovered a Second Temple period stonemason’s workshop near Jerusalem.

Israeli scientists were mapping the movement of subatomic particles in order to map underground Jerusalem.

Noteworthy Stories from Israel

An excavation in Ashkelon revealed a 6,000-year-old copper fishing hook that may have been used for catching sharks.

Israeli archaeologists discovered the oldest hoards of silver, attesting to its use as currency some centuries earlier than previously thought.

Archaeologists discovered evidence of brain surgery in two brothers buried under a Late Bronze building in Megiddo.

A study claims that five sites in Judah demonstrate that Judah was expanding into the Shephelah already in the 10th century.

A large Israelite purple dye factory was discovered at Tel Shikmona near Haifa. This supplied the prestigious color to Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem from about 850 to 750 BC.

Israeli archaeologists excavated a large tomb with dozens of skeletons in a remote area in the Negev desert.

A Hellenistic burial cave in Jerusalem contained the remains of a young female courtesan along with a well-preserved bronze mirror.

Archaeologists working at Megiddo identified a small amphitheater that was used for “brutal combat training exercises.”

More than 120 tombs, including two rare lead sarcophagi, were discovered in the northern Gaza Strip.

New excavations at Hyrcania in the Judean wilderness revealed an inscription in Greek adapted from Psalm 86.

Excavations at el-Araj, possibly biblical Bethsaida, uncovered a 5th-century Byzantine basilica that was built over a “venerated wall” that did not belong to Peter’s house.

A 6th-century Byzantine church with beautiful mosaics was uncovered in Jericho.

Researchers created an AI program to translate cuneiform tablets written in Akkadian into English instantaneously.

Other Noteworthy Stories

The earthquake in southeast Turkey and northern Syria caused massive loss of life and devastation to property and antiquities. Antakya, ancient Antioch on the Orontes, was largely destroyed. The Gaziantep Castle and the citadel of Aleppo also sustained significant damage. Gobekli Tepe and Arslantepe Mound suffered little or no damage in the recent earthquake in southern Turkey.

An Iron Age temple in Khirbet Al Mudayna, possibly biblical Jahaz, was discovered with altars, bones, and animal figurines.

Two tablets written at least partially in the Amorite language prove that the language existed.

Part of an ancient gateway believed to have been constructed by Cyrus the Great was discovered near Persepolis.

Hundreds of 5,000-year old wine jars were discovered in the tomb of an influential woman in the royal court during the First Dynasty.

New rooms were discovered in the Sahura Pyramid.

Ruins of Nero’s theater were discovered in Rome.

The discoveries in Pompeii just kept coming, including a servant’s quarters in the house of a rich person, political graffiti, a fresco that looks like a pizza, a bakery that housed slaves, and more.

The oldest nearly complete Hebrew Bible, dating to approximately AD 900, was sold by Sotheby’s for $38.1 million. The Codex Sassoon is now on display at the ANU Museum in Tel Aviv. It has previously been digitized, is in the public domain, and is available online.

Top Stories Related to Tourism in Israel

The Israeli government approved spending more than $100 million in the next five years on various projects in Jerusalem, including on excavations in the Western Wall Tunnels and the City of David National Park.

A pedestrian suspension bridge crossing the Hinnom Valley was built (YouTube).

A seven-mile stretch of the Jordan River south of the Sea of Galilee was cleaned and developed for tourism.

An area in Caesarea underneath Herod’s palace is being billed as the prison of Paul.

Sussita National Park was opened to the public. The site, also known as Hippos, overlooks the Sea of Galilee on its eastern side.

The Israeli government approved an $8 million budget to restore and protect the ancient capital city of Samaria.

Among the sites opened this year after a period of renovation:

Top Stories Related to Tourism Outside Israel

Crowds at the Acropolis of Athens led to crowd control measures for the first time ever.

Italian authorities are working to reduce congestion at Pompeii. They are also installing solar panels at the site that look like terracotta tiles.

Several smaller museums were replaced by a new Izmir Museum in biblical Smyrna.

The James Ossuary went on display in the US for the first time ever.

Among the sites re-opened this year after renovation:

Top Stories Related to the Antiquities Trade and Vandalism

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced a two-week amnesty campaign, and thousands of people turned in antiquities.

The most expensive coin ever sold at auction was sold using false provenance and the owner of the auction house has been arrested.

A former director of the Citadel Museum in Amman, Jordan, was convicted of stealing 6,000 ancient coins and replacing them with forgeries.

The US returned to Lebanon a dozen looted artifacts valued at $9 million, including three from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

An American attacked several ancient Roman statues in the Israel Museum that he considered to be “blasphemous” and “in violation of the Torah.” He was acquitted of a crime, but sent to involuntary hospitalization.

The Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion was vandalized, damaging several grave markers including that of Bishop Gobat.

Roman sarcophagi at Tel Kedesh were vandalized. Criminals apparently believed that Deborah the prophetess’s tomb is located there.

Notable Resources of 2023: Books

14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible, by James F. Coakley(Moody, 208 pages; $15)

Ancient Persia and the Book of Esther: Achaemenid Court Culture in the Hebrew Bible, by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (Bloomsbury, 280 pages, $31; Amazon)

Ancient Synagogues Revealed 1981-2022, edited by Lee I. Levine, Zeev Weiss, and Uzi Leibner (Israel Exploration Society, 300₪)

Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire, by Eckart Frahm (Basic Books, 528 pages, $35; Amazon).

Discovering the Bible inside your Bible: The Gospel of John, by Andy Cook (Experience Israel Now, 208 pages, $20)

Excavating the Land of Jesus, by James Riley Strange (Eerdmans, $30)

Hazor: Canaanite Metropolis, Israelite City, by Amnon Ben-Tor, expanded edition (Israel Exploration Society, 180₪)

The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East: Volume IV: The Age of Assyria, edited by Karen Radner, Nadine Moeller, and D. T. Potts (Oxford, 1288 pages, $150; Amazon)

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Science, Engineering and Technology, by Michael Denis Higgins (Oxford Academic, 360 pages, $35; Amazon)

A set of three Gateways from Biblical Backgrounds: Bible in its Land: The Land Between Concept; Bible in its Time: An Overview of 4000 Years; Bible in its Time: 500 Years of Israelite Kings

Notable Resources of 2023: Digital Resources

The New York Public Library made available Charles W. Wilson’s Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem (1865).

“Lessons from the Land: The Kings” is the latest series produced by Appian Media. The 13 episodes are about 5 minutes each.

An impressive video of a 3D model of Herod’s Temple was released by Bible Scenes. A second video tours 50 different areas of the virtual 3D model of Herod’s Temple Mount.

Reading the Bible Lands is a new Bible-reading program developed by Wayne Stiles and enriched by his excellent videos, photos, devotionals, and community.

Our team here at BiblePlaces.com created and released two new volumes in the Photo Companion to the Bible series: Ezra and Nehemiah.

Losses This Year

Yehoshua Ben-Arieh, professor of geography at The Hebrew University

Amnon Ben-Tor, professor of archaeology at The Hebrew University and director of excavations at Hazor

Weston Fields, managing director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation

Rafael Frankel, retired archaeologist from the University of Haifa

Dennis E. Groh, professor of humanities and archaeology at Illinois Wesleyan University

Heinz-Wolfgang Kuhn, one of the first to engage with the archaeological research of el-Araj

Amélie Kuhrt, professor of ancient Near Eastern history at University College London

Jaromir Malek, Egyptologist and creator of the Tutankhamun Archive

Robert D. Miller, professor of Old Testament at The Catholic University of America

Ilan Sharon, co-director of the excavations at Tel Dor

Jonathan Tubb, archaeologist and curator at the British Museum

Other Top 10 Lists

Gordon Govier writes about the top 10 stories in biblical archaeology for Christianity Today (subscription required).

Bryan Windle has compiled his top 10 discoveries in biblical archaeology of 2023.

Haaretz identifies top archaeology stories in 2023, with no attempt to rank them. They also link to top stories in world archaeology this year.

National Geographic listed “seven of the most exciting archaeological discoveries in 2023,” placing the Judean desert swords in the top spot. (The Times of Israel has an article about the story, if the paywall prevents access.)

Previous Years

You can revisit the top stories of previous years with these links:

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The Importance of Geography in the Bible

Peter Goeman invited me to join him on The Bible Sojourner podcast to talk about how understanding geography helps us to better understand Scripture. It was a fun episode, and I was able to share some of my favorite stories along with some new ones.

Peter has a lot of interesting guests and topics related to biblical studies in general, so you may want to add this podcast to your rotation (Spotify, Apple, etc.—full list here).

If you listen on YouTube or Spotify or another channel that has video, you’ll see some photos, maps, and plans that I use to illustrate our discussion.

Here are the time stamps for the YouTube video:

00:00 Introduction

1:20 Todd Introduces Himself

3:05 Background to Bibleplaces.com

6:30 How Does Todd Motivate Students to Care about Geography?

10:30 How Does Geography Impact the Ancient Israelite?

16:17 What are some Key Geographical Locations in Israel?

19:40 Are There Key Locations that Carry Religious Significance?

23:33 How do Archaeologists Determine Where an Ancient City Was?

32:41 What are some Interesting Biblical Examples of Geography in Scripture?

35:00 The Location of Nob

38:50 Esther and the City of Susa

43:16 Acts 12 and the Death of Herod Agrippa I

46:32 The Deliverance of the Demoniac in Mark 5 (in region of Gerasenes or Gadarenes?)

53:03 The Connection between Geography and Modern Israel Life

1:00:50 How Can We Pursue a Further Study in Biblical Geography?

1:05:52 Conclusion

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Weekend Roundup, Part 1 (and the “Darius Ostracon”)

The most interesting story of the week is that of the “Darius ostracon,” but I need more space for that, so see below.

There are currently 80 archaeologists working on 14 active excavations in Jerusalem. This story is focused on the Pilgrimage Road excavation.

Moshe Gilad visits the Bar’am synagogue and notes that a very “complicated and significant restoration” is underway. The story is illustrated with some beautiful photos of the site.

Aren Maeir provides a translation of a public statement made by the Israel Archaeological Association about the effect of governmental changes upon archaeological sites and research.

Ilan Sharon, longtime co-director of the excavations at Tel Dor, died recently.

A trailer is out for “Quest for the Throne of God,” a movie that follows the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant, featuring Craig Evans and Scott Stripling, produced by Gesher Media.

Season 3 of “The Holy Land: Connecting the Land with Its Stories,” hosted by John Beck, has been released.

Now to the story of the week. On Wednesday, the Israel Antiquities Authority made a dramatic announcement: a visitor walking around Tel Lachish in December picked up a potsherd reading “Year 24 of Darius,” a reference to the Persian king who ruled over the land of Israel from 522 to 486 BC. It seemed incredible that an inscription would just be laying on the surface, never before noticed, so the archaeologists worked very carefully to confirm its authenticity.

After several months of investigation by the leading researchers of the IAA, press releases were crafted, a video was created, and the discovery was announced. There was no doubt, the experts concluded, that the inscription was genuine. According to The Jerusalem Post:

A few weeks later, [Eylon] Levy received a phone call from the authority’s Saar Ganor. He said he was “on his way from the Dead Sea Scrolls labs. We’ve put it through three scanners. This is authentic. No modern hand could do it, and it’s from two and a half thousand years ago, from before the story of Purim.”

Ganor analyzed Levy’s discovery with Dr. Haggai Misgav of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and they both confirmed that the artifact dated to the Persian royal administration at Lachish in the Achaemenid period, at the turn of the fifth century BCE.

Haaretz has this:

How confident are they in their interpretation? “Very,” Ganor answers, adding that the writing is so clear that Misgav could read it on the spot. Even so, the ostracon was of course handed over for restoration, during which process its authenticity was confirmed. The inscribed potsherd will be published in the Israel Antiquities Authority journal ‘Atiqot, vol. 110.

But on Friday someone reading about the discovery contacted the IAA to let them know that she had inscribed the potsherd in a demonstration to students. The piece was then tossed aside at the site, to be picked up several months later.

The IAA took full responsibility:

In terms of ethical and scientific practices, we see this as a very severe occurrence. Leaving the newly inscribed sherd on the site was careless.

Yes, indeed. And they are going to do something about it, working to “refresh proper procedures and policies with all foreign expeditions working in the country,” so that no one else dares leave a modern inscription at any archaeological site.

For my part, I will continue to put my full trust in the archaeological experts and their three scanners as long as we know the truth from other sources. As James Davila observes, “What are all those scans and laboratory tests worth if they can’t even identify a modern pedagogical showpiece that wasn’t intended to fool anyone?”

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Dickson, Ted Weis, Explorator

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Top 10 Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology in 2022

It’s that time of the year for the highly subjective exercise of determining the “top 10” of books, movies, news stories, and the rest. My contribution is my own subjective list of the most significant discoveries in the world of biblical archaeology in the last 12 months.

I spent this past year creating this list, first by culling through dozens of stories each week to identify the most important for the weekend roundups. This month I read through all of those roundups, with approximately 1,300 news items, to determine what is the best of the best. In all, it is clear that 2022 was a productive year in many ways.

I’ll note, as I usually do, that my own interests incline me to prioritize discoveries related to Israel and the Bible. The most important discoveries that didn’t make my top 10 are listed below as “noteworthy stories.” In addition, given my personal passion for guiding students throughout the biblical world, there are several sections for tourism stories and notable resources. As always, I am indebted to many fine journalists, especially those at The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post. I am grateful to those who pass on to me stories and links. At the end you will find links to other top 10 lists that may help you come up with your own Top 10 for 2022.

Top 10 Discoveries

1. Some 1,500 ivory fragments were discovered in the City of David, dating to the final decades of Judah’s monarchy. Only a few ivory pieces have otherwise been discovered in 150 years of excavations in Jerusalem. These beautiful ivories decorated the furniture of the wealthiest inhabitants of the capital city.

2. A seven-word inscription on an ivory comb discovered at Lachish and dated to about 1600 BC is the earliest Canaanite sentence ever found. “The inscription is a plea, a wish, or a desire that the small comb be successful in getting rid of the irritating lice.”

3. Archaeologists excavating el-Araj discovered a mosaic in the Byzantine church that mentions the “chief and commander of the heavenly apostles,” further strengthening the site’s claim to be Bethsaida, the hometown of the apostle Peter.

4. The first known depictions of Deborah and Jael were discovered in a mosaic in the Jewish synagogue of Huqoq dating to about the 5th century AD. This same synagogue has already produced mosaics depicting the tower of Babel, Noah’s Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, Samson, Daniel’s four beasts, and Alexander the Great.

5. The ancient language of Linear Elamite has been almost completely deciphered, about a century after its discovery.

6. The discovery of bullae in Jerusalem indicates that at the time of Hezekiah there were two central treasuries, one a temple treasury and the other the royal treasury of Judah located at the “Royal Building” in the Ophel excavations.

7. Imported vanilla used to flavor wine was discovered in residue on 6th-century BC jugs in Jerusalem, suggesting widespread trade connections near the end of Judah’s monarchy.

8. Archaeologists uncovered 250 colorful sarcophagi and 150 small bronze statues of gods and goddesses and other antiquities at Saqqara in Egypt.

9. A first-century villa with its own ritual bath was discovered near the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem.

10. The first Roman military amphitheater ever found in Israel was uncovered at Megiddo.

Noteworthy Stories from Jerusalem

According to a new theory, Hezekiah’s Tunnel was fitted with a sluice gate to allow water to flow into the Siloam Tunnel and Round Chamber.

An analysis of remains found under a toilet south of ancient Jerusalem reveals that the people who used it were infected with a variety of parasites.

Gershon Galil claimed he deciphered a stone tablet discovered in Jerusalem with a curse against the city’s governor. The claim has been challenged.

Gershon Galil recently posted on Facebook that he discovered and deciphered several inscriptions in or near Hezekiah’s Tunnel that identify Hezekiah as the maker of the tunnel, give the very day of its construction, and describe other accomplishments of the king that agree with the biblical account. We now await evidence to support his extraordinary claims. (This recent public statement by archaeologists was likely motivated in part by Galil’s Facebook scholarship. See also this follow-up story by The Times of Israel.)

Excavations at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher have uncovered rock layers of a stone quarry used for the construction of Constantine’s 4th-century church.

Excavations revealed that part of Jerusalem’s Old City wall was built without a foundation.

Rocco Buttliere built a model of Jerusalem in the 1st century using 114,000 Legos.

Noteworthy Stories from Israel

A massive Roman column base was discovered near the foot of Mount Hermon.

Archaeologists found 44 pure gold coins hidden in a wall at Banias. They date to the last two Byzantine emperors before the Muslim conquest in AD 635.

Byzantine-era mosaics with four inscriptions were discovered at Hippos.

Archaeologists have uncovered a Hellenistic farmstead in eastern Galilee that was abandoned in haste. They also found a significant agricultural settlement dating to the time of David and Solomon.

Some evidence has emerged for a first-century synagogue at Chorazin.

A tomb marker for “Jacob the proselyte” was discovered in the Jewish necropolis at Beit Shearim. This inscription from the 4th century AD is rare evidence for a convert to Judaism at this popular ancient cemetery.

Archaeologists claim they have discovered a tiny Hebrew curse inscription on a folded lead tablet discarded on Mount Gerizim. This artifact has not been published, and so I can’t tell if it qualifies as a “top 10” discovery yet. For more, see the original press conference, an overview by Nir Hasson, comments by Christopher Rollston, Aren Maeir, Shawn Zelig Aster, James Davila, and Bryan Windle. (See, again, the recent public statement by archaeologists against sensational claims made absent peer review.)

Archaeologists found what they believe to be the door of a gate complex at Shiloh.

Excavations began at Kh. Tibnah, possibly Joshua’s city of Timnath-heres.

Archaeologists discovered an intact burial cave from the 13th century BC on the Palmachim Beach south of Tel Aviv. Unfortunately, the cave was plundered while it was being excavated.

Scientists have identified the earliest use of opium in a 14th century BC burial pit at Tel Yehud.

A beautiful Byzantine mosaic floor was discovered in the Gaza Strip.

A new study suggests that the mining operations in the Timna Valley and Faynan thrived in the 10th century because of good management.

A very rare papyrus fragment with paleo-Hebrew writing from the time of King Josiah and his sons was returned to Israel several decades after it was sold to an American tourist. There are questions about its authenticity.

A new study by Israeli scientists and archaeologists argues that archaeomagnetic dating will provide secure dating for archaeological material previously difficult to date. This may be especially useful for the Hallstat Plateau (800-400 BC) when radiocarbon techniques are less helpful.

Other Noteworthy Stories

Egyptian archaeologists working in Saqqara made the unusual discovery of a complete sarcophagus in its original tomb, one that belonged to the treasurer of Ramses II.

One of the iron daggers in King Tut’s tomb apparently came from a meteor that landed in Syria.

Syria announced the uncovering of a large, remarkable 1,600-year-old mosaic depicting scenes of the Trojan War.

Extraordinary 2,700-year-old rock carvings were discovered in Mosul.

Seven very fine wall reliefs from the time of King Sennacherib were discovered in Nineveh.

Archaeologists found the VIP seats of the ancient amphitheater of Pergamum.

In recent years, work has been carried out in about 40 theaters in Greece.

Remains of a bridge over the Tiber built by Emperor Nero have been exposed by historically low levels of the river.

Top Stories Related to Tourism in Israel

After 10 years of work, the alleyways in Jerusalem’s Old City are now accessible to wheelchairs and another system for the visually impaired has been installed.

A $40 million renovation project was completed this year at Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum.

The plan to build a cable car to Jerusalem’s Old City is moving forward after numerous petitions against it were rebuffed by Israel’s supreme court.

The first bicycle tunnel in Israel was built as part of the Jerusalem Ring Path encircling the capital city.

A new visitors center being built at the Armon Hanatziv Promenade south of Jerusalem’s Old City will incorporate some impressive technology.

A Byzantine-era mosaic floor from a Christian basilica in Nahariya has been restored and will be opened to the public.

A renovation project on an ancient Samaritan priestly residential compound is the first step in making the Mount Gerizim archaeological park more welcoming to tourists.

A brush fire cleared the overgrowth at Tel Gezer but did not cause damage to the archaeological ruins.

With the return of its featured mosaic, the Shelby White & Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center was dedicated.

A facelift to the Ashkelon National Park included reconstruction of fifty massive marble columns, the return of five marble statues, and the display of several magnificent 4th-century AD Roman sarcophagi.

Israel plans to build hotels, guest villas, and a conference center on manmade islands in the Dead Sea.

Plans to build a red heifer farm for Christian tourists were furthered with the arrival in Israel of five perfectly red heifers.

Top Stories Related to Tourism Outside Israel

Jordan is planning to spend $100 million to develop the baptismal site at the Jordan River, including construction of a biblical village, restaurants, and a museum.

Cyprus opened its first underwater archaeological park, giving scuba divers a look at one of the best-preserved harbors from the ancient world.

The world’s largest mosaic is now open to the public underneath the newly built Antakya Museum Hotel (in biblical Antioch on the Orontes).

Restoration work on the ancient Greek theater at Laodicea was completed.

Hierapolis’s Plutonium (aka “gate to hell”) opened to tourists for the first time. The vapors are still deadly, but visitors can approach the gate “from a safe distance” to peek into the portal to the underworld.

Major progress has been made in the project to recreate a harbor for ancient Ephesus.

Notable Resources of 2022: Books

Women and the Religion of Ancient Israel, by Susan Ackerman (Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library)

Encyclopedia of Material Culture in the Biblical World: A New Biblisches Reallexikon, edited by Angelika Berlejung (Mohr Siebeck)

Under the Yoke of Ashur: The Assyrian Century in the Land of Israel, by Mordechai Cogan (Carta)

Connecting the Dots: Between the Bible and the Land of Israel, by John DeLancey (Stone Tower)

Tiglath-Pileser III, Founder of the Assyrian Empire, by Josette Elayi (SBL Press)

The Ishtar Gate of Babylon: From Fragment to Monument, by Helen Gries (Schnell & Steiner)

Excavating the Evidence for Jesus: The Archaeology of Christ and the Gospels, by Titus Kennedy (Harvest House)

Paul and Asklepios: The Greco-Roman Quest for Healing and the Apostolic Mission, Christopher D. Stanley (The Library of New Testament Studies)

King of the World: The Life of Cyrus the Great, by Matt Waters (Oxford University Press)

Rose Guide to the Feasts, Festivals, & Fasts of the Bible, edited by Paul H. Wright (Rose)

Notable Resources of 2022: Digital Resources

The Sacred Thread released an initial episode of a forthcoming series, created by Walking The Text and EvolveStudios, that “explores the original context and culture of the Bible.”

Gesher Media released the first episode from its new documentary series, “In Those Days: The Ark Chronicles.”

This was a productive year for my team at BiblePlaces.com as we released seven new volumes in the Photo Companion to the Bible series: 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, Jude, 1, 2, & 3 John, and Revelation (finishing the New Testament!). We also released a music video for Psalm 23.

Losses This Year

Joseph Aviram, long-time director of the Israel Exploration Society

Ghazi Bisheh, excavator of many sites in Jordan

Joseph Blenkinsopp, prolific biblical scholar

Amanda Claridge, archaeologist and author of Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide

Bruce Cresson, director or co-director of excavations at Aphek-Antipatris, Dalit, Ira, Uza, Radum, and Malhata.

Richard Freund, excavator of et-Tell (“Bethsaida”)

Norman Gottwald, Old Testament scholar

Emanuel Hausman, founder of Carta Jerusalem Publishing House

Michael Homan, theologian, archaeologist, and author

Martha Sharp Joukowsky, excavator of the Great Temple in Petra

Burton MacDonald, surveyor of Jordan

John P. Meier, author of the multi-volume A Marginal Jew

Rivka Merhav, pioneer curator of Neighboring Cultures at the Archaeology Wing of The Israel Museum

Robert Miller, archaeologist working throughout the Middle East

Other Top 10 Lists

Gordon Govier counts down his top 10 discoveries in an article for Christianity Today.

Bryan Windle’s top discoveries list at Bible Archaeology Report provides a detailed list of his criteria and explanation for each selection.

Writing for Haaretz, Ruth Schuster identifies some major “Biblical Jewish archaeology” stories of the year, as well as a separate list of “Christian archaeology” stories.

Nathan Steinmeyer lists the top ten biblical archaeology stories of 2022, in no particular order.

Greek City Times lists some significant Greek archaeological discoveries of the year.

Greek Reporter proposes the top 10 discoveries in Greece in 2022.

Art News has selected their top 12 discoveries from all over the world.

CNN lists 15 of the most exciting art and archaeology discoveries of the year.

Gizmodo rounds up the archaeological discoveries from around the world that were the “most significant, bizarre, or just plain fun in 2022.”

Business Insider identifies 12 fascinating discoveries from the ancient world.

The Archaeologist presents their top 10 most fascinating archaeological discoveries in the world in 2022 in video format.

I will add other lists here as I become aware of them.

Previous Years

You can revisit the top stories of previous years with these links:

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New Article: Isaiah 7:14 and the Virgin Birth

The second of my three articles published recently belongs to an issue (pdf) in The Master’s Seminary Journal devoted to the Messiah in the Old Testament. My article is entitled “The Messiah in Isaiah 7:14: The Virgin Birth” (on Academia, or direct link here).

Some may roll their eyes at the idea that there is anything left to be said on a subject debated for a couple of thousand years now. I have, however, endeavored to break new ground, particularly in my first section. There I argue that the greater context (Isaiah 1-12) is all about the coming of God to be with his people after judgment. I don’t recall this argument being clearly articulated before with respect to the interpretation of Isaiah 7:14. My logic is that if Isaiah consistently presents Israel’s hope as lying beyond the exile, then it is most natural to expect that a “God-with-us” child was never intended to give hope to a wicked Ahaz but was for a future generation. If a woman gave birth in a dramatic sign in Isaiah’s own day, it would contradict Isaiah’s message in chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11.

In the second section, I try to show why hermeneutical efforts to see two fulfillments are textually illegitimate. Here I cite a number of conservative Christian writers who believe the text demands an 8th-century fulfillment, but who are compelled by Christian confession to affirm that Jesus was somehow also related to the passage. In my opinion, the only valid hermeneutical options are (1) the Jewish view, in which the prophecy was fulfilled in Ahaz’s day, or (2) the traditional Christian view, in which the prophecy was fulfilled only in the birth of Jesus.

In the third section, I make the case that the details of Isaiah 7 decisively preclude the birth of the child in the 8th century. If one accepts that almah means virgin, then the case is closed. (This, of course, is why some conservatives have labored so strenuously to insist that almah can signify a non-virgin.) But even were I to be wrong on that matter, an 8th-century fulfillment is impossible. Here’s how I summarized this argument in the article’s abstract.

Analysis of Isaiah 7:14–17 reveals that an 8th-century fulfillment is impossible given the nature of the sign, the meaning of almah, the syntax of the announcement, as well as the child’s name, role, diet, and character. A closer look at the timeline in Isaiah 7:16–17 shows that Immanuel could only be born after the land of Judah was laid waste, a reality that did not occur in the 8th century.

In other words, the greater context of Isaiah aligns with the particular details of the Immanuel prophecy. Those who wish to identify the Immanuel child with Maher-shalal-hash-baz necessarily ignore many details in the text, including the child eating curds and honey in a time of exile.

Here is the concluding paragraph of the article:

The best understanding of Isaiah 7:14 agrees with the interpretation of Matthew and the view of the church for most of its history. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, Isaiah prophesied judgment against him and his kingdom. Like most other prophecies against Israel, this one had a silver lining. A special child would be born during the time of exile and would be called “Immanuel.” This prophecy could not have been fulfilled in the time of Isaiah because the conditions did not match the prophecy, and it was fulfilled once and only once in the person of Jesus the Messiah. The historical-grammatical interpretation of Isaiah 7 eliminates the need for hermeneutical liberties, fits the greater context of Isaiah, and corresponds with the fulfillment recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. The prophecy of the virgin birth heralded the earth-shaking tidings of the coming of God to live with his people as a man, making him qualified to atone for their sins and rule over God’s kingdom in righteousness.

My desire is that this article will help students of the Word to think more clearly about this most debated passage. If you know someone interested in the subject, please pass the article on them.

In fact, I recommend the entire issue and believe it will be quite valuable in strengthening the church’s understanding and appreciation of the unity of God’s Word, the divine origin of Scripture, and the need for hermeneutical integrity.

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New Article: The Date of the Davidic Covenant

I mentioned in a recent roundup the strange quirk of publication timing that saw three of my articles published in one week. None of the three are about biblical archaeology or geography, but all are subjects I’ve been studying for some years, and all are very important to me. (Might that go without saying?) I’ll introduce the first one today, and save the second and third for the coming weeks.

My article on “The Date of the Davidic Covenant” was published in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (65.1). In this article, I argue that the Davidic Covenant was made with David early in his reign. This may sound obvious to one reading the narratives of 2 Samuel (where it occurs two chapters after his coronation in Jerusalem) or 1 Chronicles (also early in the narrative), but I haven’t been able to find one scholar in the last thirty years who has defended that view.

The chronology of David’s life was flipped in a proposal made by Eugene Merrill in the 1980s. He argued that since the rule of Hiram king of Tyre only overlapped with the final years of David’s life, he must have built David’s palace in those final years (2 Sam 5). Since the palace was built before the ark was transferred to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6), and the ark was transferred before the eternal covenant was made with David (2 Sam 7), all of these events occurred within a few years prior to David’s death. This quickly became the consensus view among conservative historians and commentators.

My article challenges this view by showing two things. First, the biblical text demands that the palace-ark-covenant events occurred early in David’s reign. It is not just one or two indicators, but multiple indicators that all consistently place these events soon after David conquered Jerusalem.

Second, I explain that the only evidence that provides the dates for Hiram’s reign is found in Josephus, a historian who lived 1,000 years later. I try to show why this data is insufficient to overturn the testimony of the biblical text.

I will be interested to see if my argument is deemed persuasive by the experts in the field. In circulating an earlier draft, I received positive feedback from Eugene Merrill and several other scholars.

Why does this matter? And why am I so passionate about it, particularly when teaching a course on the Psalms? The first thing is that I want to interpret the biblical text accurately. Second, I believe that it affects how you read David’s writings. If David received God’s promise to raise up a son to reign on his throne near the end of his days, he had relatively little time to reflect on that covenant. But if he was promised an eternal dynasty early on, it is most reasonable to expect that he wrote songs about his coming son and for his coming son. This chronology is an important basis for seeing a significant messianic component in many Davidic psalms, including Psalms 2, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 69, 101, 109, 110, 144, and others.

Members of ETS can view the entire issue online here, and others can view my article via my Academia page (or with this direct link).

Comments are appreciated, either here or by direct correspondence.

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About the BiblePlaces Blog

The BiblePlaces Blog provides updates and analysis of the latest in biblical archaeology, history, and geography. Unless otherwise noted, the posts are written by Todd Bolen, PhD, Professor of Biblical Studies at The Master’s University.

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