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Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A tiny house full of exquisite frescos has been discovered in the ancient city of Pompeii.”

“Thessaloniki offers visitors 2,300-plus years of history, tremendous shopping, and a Jewish story like no other in Europe.”

“A recent British Museum video reveals that the ‘oldest map of the world in the world’ on a clay tablet from Babylon was deciphered to reveal a surprisingly familiar story.

Despite claims to the contrary, ancient peppermint was not found in the Giza Pyramids.

Bryan Windle surveys the top three reports from biblical archaeology in the month of October.

Bible History Daily remembers Donald B. Redford.

In the latest episode of Thin Edge of the Wedge, Simo Parpola reflects on his career and the State Archives of Assyria project.

Friends of ASOR Zoom webinar on Nov 6: “Beyond the Museum Walls: Engaging with Archaeology and New Media,” with panelists Michael Zimmerman, Sarah Beckmann, Deidre Brin, and Adam Aja

New release: To Eat or Not to Eat: Studies on the Biblical Dietary Prohibitions, by Peter Altmann and Anna Angelini (Mohr Siebeck, €94; open access)

New release: Knossos: Myth, History and Archaeology, by James Whitley (Bloomsbury, $22-$81)

The American Center of Research in Amman, Jordan, has announced a number of fellowships for the coming year.

Carl Rasmussen shares photos from his two visits this year to Antakya, Turkey (biblical Antioch on the Orontes). The city was largely destroyed by earthquake in February 2023.

The Zoom seminar video is now available for “Reading the Bible as an Insider,” with Lois Tverberg and Milly Erema.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Wayne Stiles, Joseph Lauer

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A portion of a purple tunic discovered in a royal tomb in Vergina may have belonged to Alexander the Great.

Archaeologists have found a submerged Nabatean temple near Naples.

“In Turkey, a team of archaeologists discovered the tomb of a Roman gladiator dating back to the third century B.C., with the remains of 12 individuals inside.”

“A team of archaeologists and scientists has made a discovery that could restart the search for Noah’s Ark in the mountains of eastern Turkey.”

A section of the Grand Egyptian Museum opened last week, “with the rest of the facility to be inaugurated when authorities deem the time is right.”

Scientists are studying ancient Roman concrete in hopes of improving our own.

Brad Gray explains land and sea travel in the latest episode of the Life in the Roman Empire series.

Artaxerxes I, Persian king in the time of Nehemiah, is the subject of Bryan Windle’s latest archaeological biography.

Webinar on Oct 29: “The Top 10 Monuments of Ancient Rome,” by Rocky Ruggiero

New release: Yahwism under the Achaemenid Empire, edited by Gad Barnea and Reinhard G. Kratz (De Gruyter, $142, open-access pdf and epub)

New release: Motherhood and Early Childhood in Ancient Egypt: Culture, Religion, and Medicine, by Amandine Marshall (AUC Press, $70)

New release: The Underwater Basilica of Nicaea: Archaeology in the Birthplace of Christian Theology, by Mark R. Fairchild (IVP Academic, $32). The first chapter is available at the publisher’s website.

Mark Fairchild is on The Book and the Spade to discuss the findings in his new book.

HT: Agade, Wayne Stiles, Gordon Franz

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Persia, Resources, Weekend Roundup

Ancient prisons are hard to find in the archaeological record, but archaeologists have identified one in Corinth’s Roman forum, dating to the 4th-5th centuries AD, based on graffiti found on floor tiles. Prior to that the area served as a market, and according to a local guide, there’s a tradition that Paul’s shop was here, based on fresco remains still barely visible. The underlying journal article is available to subscribers and for purchase ($20).

New archaeological research has found evidence that Pompeii was destroyed not only by the volcanic eruption but by a powerful earthquake.

Turkiye Today reports on irregularities in an excavation in Tarsus. The story alleges high security for a dig where nothing of significance was found. And yes, there is a dead policeman.

An article in Smithsonian Magazine explains who looted ancient Egyptian tombs and how they did it.

The latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes four primary articles (subscription required):

“Jews of Arabia: Ancient Inscriptions Reveal Jewish Diaspora,” by Gary A. Rendsburg
“Gath of the Philistines: A New View of Ancient Israel’s Archenemy,” by Aren M. Maeir
“Letters to Pharaoh: The Canaanite Amarna Tablets,” by Alice Mandell
“Too Good to Be True? Reckoning with Sensational Inscriptions,” by Christopher Rollston

As Biblical Archaeology Review prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, it is asking its readers to share stories and memories.

ASOR has launched a new website for The Ancient Near East Today (ANE Today), their “open-access digital platform for public scholarship, disseminating the latest research, insights, and news about the ancient Near East and beyond.” You can read more about the changes and new features here.

With his archaeological biography on Ashurbanipal, Bryan Windle has written about all six Assyrian kings mentioned in the Bible.

HT: Agade, Mark V. Hoffman, Gordon Franz, Gordon Dickson, Arne Halbakken, Keith Keyser, Paleojudaica

Tagged Egypt, Greece, Italy, Mesopotamia, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup – Greece and Italy

A long, narrow public building excavated underwater at Salamis, Greece, may have been a portico.

“During a recent expedition at the site of the Antikythera shipwreck, marine archaeologists uncovered about 300 new objects, including 18 marble statue fragments, a previously undiscovered part of the vessel’s hull and the remains of a wooden ship.”

“A stunning mosaic from the Late Classical period depicting dancing Satyrs was discovered on the floor of an ancient house in Eretria, Greece.”

Denise Demetriou writes about Phoenician trade associations in ancient Greece.

John DeLancey has begun a new series entitled “Journeys with Paul.” The most recent episode was filmed on site at Corinth.

“Archeologists have been left stunned after finding an ancient mummy that has been perfectly preserved for thousands of years in Italy.”

“Roadworks in Rome have uncovered the remains of a portico and garden from the time of the emperor Caligula, which archaeologists believe was the site of a key moment in Jewish history.”

Archaeologists have apparently uncovered a Roman defensive wall that was built to trap Spartacus.

The perfume of Julius Caesar has been re-created. Unlike others, this one did not include the sweat of gladiators. It will go on sale in October.

In a new Walking The Text video, Bray Gray explores role of the Roman theater and how it provided background for some of Paul’s writings (25 min).

New release: A Map of the Body, a Map of the Mind: Visualising Geographical Knowledge in the Roman World, by Iain Ferris (Archaeopress, £16–45)

Queen Berenice, mentioned in Paul’s trial in Caesarea, is the main character of a new TV show.

We have photo collections for Greece, the Greek Islands, Italy and Malta, and Rome. Also of relevance are the Photo Companion volumes on Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Philippians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Steven Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Mark V. Hoffman

Tagged Discoveries, Greece, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Philippe Bohström provides a primer on the Nuzi Tablets and their parallels to the Bible.

The painting on an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus lid depicts 12 high priestess each representing an hour of the day surrounding a woman who looks uncannily like Marge Simpson.

“An amateur brewer in Utah gathered rare figs and a strain of yeast from 850 B.C. to make a sour, fruity concoction inspired by ancient Egyptian recipes.”

Bryan Windle has written an illustrated archaeological biography for the Assyrian king Esarhaddon.

In a new book, Courtney Friesen looks at the relationship of Christians and Jews to the ancient theater.

Some former students and colleagues have written obituaries for Alan Millard.

Gabriel Barkay celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday. Many friends and colleagues honored him with a festschrift entitled Gabriel: Tell This Man the Meaning of His Vision: Studies in Archaeology, Epigraphy, Iconography and the Biblical World in Honor of Gabriel Barkay on the Occasion of His 80th Birthday. Robert Deutsch has posted one of the articles, including the book’s table of contents, on his Academia page.

Carl Rasmussen is leading a tour in October to all the important places in Turkey most tours don’t go to, and at a very reasonable price. I’d like to be on this one…

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis

Tagged Egypt, Greece, Syria, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Scientists believe they have found evidence of treatment for brain cancer in an skull found in Egypt.

A 14-minute video explains why the ancient Egyptians were obsessed with cats.

New release: Archaeology and Geology of Ancient Egyptian Stones, by James A. Harrell (Archaeopress, £16-125)

New release: Five New Kingdom Tombs at Saqqara, by Maarten J. Raven (442 pages, €20-150; free to read online)

The NY Times has posted an obituary for Egyptologist Barry Kemp.

Dura Europos and its sister city are the subject of the latest episode of This Week in the Ancient Near East podcast.

Ancient Anatolia Day will be celebrated online and in person at Wolfson College, Oxford, on June 17.

A temple of the emperors (Sebasteion) has been uncovered in the agora of Nicopolis.

Archaeologists working at Pompeii have found charcoal drawings of gladiators apparently made by children watching the contests in the city’s amphitheater.

New release: The Village in Antiquity and the Rise of Early Christianity, edited by Alan Cadwallader, James R. Harrison, Angela Standhartinger, L. L. Welborn (T & T Clark, $140). The book covers Israel, Galilee, Egypt, Galatia, Lycus Valley, Ephesus region, Corinth region, and more.

Peter Herdrich writes about the challenges, opportunities, and best practices of digitizing cultural heritage.

HT: Agade, Frank McCraw, Gordon Franz, Gordon Dickson, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Keith Keyser

Tagged Egypt, Greece, Italy, Mesopotamia, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup