Israel's Coast Archives - Page 4 of 32

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Excavations have uncovered an ancient farming system from the Middle Ages in the sand dunes next to Caesarea.

The Washington Post reviews the archaeological evidence for crucifixion.

In reporting on the recently published inscription from Jerusalem with possible ties to the Queen of Sheba, Bible History Daily notes some resistance by Christopher Rollston to the interpretation.

A new paper argues that Jews in the Roman army could have kept kosher.

Chandler Collins reviews proposed locations for Jerusalem’s Gennath Gate, often connected with the place of Jesus’s crucifixion and tomb.

A spring storm dropped snow on Mount Hermon and caused flooding that nearly cut off Eilat from the rest of the country.

In its Summer Institute this year, Jerusalem University College is offering three courses:

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Myth and Reality, taught by Adolfo Roitman, Curator and Director of The Shrine of the Book
Genesis 1-3 in its Ancient Near Eastern Context, taught by Oliver Hersey, President of Jerusalem University College
The Zionist Idea, taught by Jonathan Kaplan, Former Vice Provost of the Rothberg International School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

This month only, Accordance Bible Software is offering the full version of Accordance 13 to everyone for free.

New resource: 14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible, by James F. Coakley. Though only one chapter is directly about Bible geography, the whole of this book looks like an excellent guide to better reading (Moody, 208 pages; $15).

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Alexander Schick, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Lectures, Resources, Weather, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“A 6,000-year-old copper fishing hook, possibly used for catching sharks or other large fish, has been discovered during an Israel Antiquities Authority excavation in Ashkelon.”

Andy Cook posts a short video he just filmed in the drainage channel underneath the City of David.

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

Bible History Daily addresses the question of who lived in the ancient city of Hazor: commoners, elites, or a mix of the two. This issue is explored further in an article by Shlomit Bechar in the latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

Several dozen articles on the topic of “The Ancient Written Wor(l)d” have been published in the latest issue of ‘Atiqot (open access). One of the articles challenges the identification of the signet ring of Pilate.

“Jerusalem was named one of TIME magazine’s 50 most extraordinary travel destinations, as part of the publication’s third annual list of the World’s Greatest Places.”

“Caesarea was given awarded the ACTA Archeological and Cultural Award for the best foreign archeological site by GIST, Italy’s foremost tourism press agency.”

Chandler Collins will now be posting information about excavations and publications about Jerusalem on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

As Emily Master steps down after five years as Executive Director of the Friends of the Israel Antiquities Authority, she identifies three milestone projects completed in this time: a renovated Davidson Center, the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center, and the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel.

Aren Maeir’s latest publication is in a volume dedicated to Indiana Jones. (Despite the date of its posting, the book appears legitimate.)

New release: In the Shadow of the Wall: The Life and Death of Jerusalem’s Maghrebi Quarter, 1187–1967, by Vincent Lemire (Stanford University Press, $32; Amazon).

ASOR webinar on April 13: “New Perspectives on Jerusalem’s 7th Century BCE Elite,” by Yuval Gadot

Online lecture on April 27: “The Archaeology of Mount Zion in Jerusalem – Past, Present, and Future,” by Shimon Gibson. Registration is free and required.

On YouTube: “The Jewishness of the New Testament: An Interview with R. Steven Notley” (17 min)

Israeli authorities are forecasting severe heat waves this summer, with temperatures possibly reaching 120 degrees F (49 C).

The Infusion Bible Conference digital download of all 42 videos of “The Last Days of Jesus” is now on sale for $30 off. Purchase includes the pdf notebook with 170 pages of notes, resources, and recommendations.

Focus on the Family is celebrating Passion Week with a series of devotionals by Will Varner, illustrated with photos from BiblePlaces.com.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Alexander Schick, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Galilee, Holidays, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Lectures, Resources, Tourism, Weather, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

The Jerusalem Post has the story of a discovery that is potentially one of the top 10 of all time in biblical archaeology, if it is true. Gershon Galil, professor at Haifa University, claims that he has discovered and deciphered a couple of 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. My hesitation is based in part on the fact that the article cites no other scholars and Galil has made some dubious claims—seeing inscriptions where others do not—in the recent past. And I’m always suspicious when a dramatic claim confirms the scholar’s previous conclusions, whether liberal or conservative. Luke Chandler has some additional information from Galil’s peer-reviewed Facebook page.

A wooden box containing 15 silver coins from the Maccabean period that was discovered earlier this year in the Judean Wilderness will go on display at the Hasmonean Museum. The IAA produced a 2-minute video of the discovery.

“A rare, half-shekel coin from the Great Revolt from 66 CE to 70 CE during the Second Temple period has been discovered in Jerusalem’s Ophel excavations south of the Temple Mount.”

“The Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem recently unearthed dozens of bronze and iron arrowheads dating from around the time of the Maccabees.” They were found in a cardboard box sitting behind the air conditioner.

More than 60 tombs from the Roman period have been discovered in an ancient cemetery in the Gaza Strip.

The NPR’s “picture show” on the shrinking Dead Sea includes a number of striking photos.

Alan Rosenbaum describes his recent tour of the Western Wall Tunnels excavations, including an Israelite four-room house, the Great Bridge, and a mikveh.

Tom Powers recommends a new book entitled Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City, by Matthew Teller.

Israel expects to have 2.5 million tourists visit this year.

The Dan Pearl Hotel, opened near the Jaffa Gate in 1996, will be demolished to make way for a new hotel.

“Plans for a large recreational park in the Negev in southern Israel, an expected tourism hotspot likened to Israel’s answer to EuroDisney, are inching closer to the construction pipeline.”

Israel has been ranked the fifth safest country in the world for tourists to visit.

My university’s magazine has an article about my use of photographs in the classroom (page 48; or a simpler web version here). The short version: I think it’s a good idea.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Wayne Stiles, Charles Savelle, Keith Keyser, Gordon Dickson, Explorator

Tagged Dead Sea, Discoveries, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Judah, Museums, Negev, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“A 3,000-year-old scarab – an ancient amulet and impression seal – was discovered during a school field trip to Azor, about seven kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv.”

Archaeologists discovered a section of Roman road from the 2nd century AD west of Tiberias in excavations along the Sanhedrin Trail.

“The Khirbet Midras pyramid is thought to be the largest and best preserved of a handful of pyramid-topped mortuary complexes dating back to the Second Temple and Roman eras in Israel.”

“Graffito from Beit She’arim cemetery confounded scholars for decades – until they figured out it was written in Aramaic using a Persian alphabet.”

“The Tower of David Jerusalem Museum’s citadel and exhibition rooms on its upper levels have become accessible to all for the first time after a five-year process.”

“The headlines this month from the world of biblical archaeology included the discovery of a previously unknown Egyptian queen, a possible Judahite royal inscription, and an everyday item with big implications.”

“Tel Aviv University’s Archaeometallurgical Laboratory offers a limited number of student scholarships for participating in the upcoming excavations at Timna Valley (January 22nd – February 4th 2023). Those who wish to apply, please write directly to Mr. Yoav Vaknin ([email protected]) by January 1st 2023, and include your CV and a short reference letter.”

Hybrid lecture on Dec 7: “Recently Found Inscriptions from Israel / the Southern Levant,” by Jonathan Stökl. Registration required.

The “Spirit of Scholarship” conference will be held in Jerusalem (in-person) only on Dec 12-14. “The conference investigates the groundbreaking scholarship by Catholic priests in the burgeoning disciplines of ancient Near Eastern studies from the late-19th to the mid-20th centuries and also considers where these efforts have led to today.” The schedule and abstracts are posted at the website.

Leon Mauldin shares several springtime photos he took at Beth-shemesh.

Carl Rasmussen shares some photos and impressions of his recent visit to the Mount of Beatitudes.

Oliver Hersey and Chris McKinny discuss the cultural backgrounds to the book of Ruth in the latest episode of the BiblicalWorld podcast.

–>We have finished creating photo collections for every book in the New Testament. You can purchase the new Revelation volume with its 3,000 photos for only $79. But for a few more days, you can take advantage of the launch discount price of $49. Purchasing now is also a great way to support our work and help us to keep going.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Paleojudaica

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations, Galilee, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Lectures, Museums, Photo Resources, Shephelah, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

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.” The press release is here, and the underlying journal article is here.

Christopher Rollston: “Restorations are *not* a Good Foundation for Dramatic Proposals: Reflections on the New, So-called, “Hezekiah” Inscription.”

Two episodes have been released in Legio 2022, a documentary series about one of the excavations in the Jezreel Valley Regional Project.

Museum of the Bible and DIVE are hosting a virtual tour of Caesarea on December 7 ($20).

“A new multi-faceted project by the Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies introduces the Samaritans to a wide and varied audience, and explores how they have managed to survive for millennia despite efforts by conquering powers to erase them.”

The Tel Burna Excavation Project has unveiled their 2023 season poster.

Yuval Gadot will give this year’s Howard Lecture at the University of Georgia on November 14 on “New Revelations from Zion: the Archaeology of Jerusalem from the Great Age of Reform.”

Mordechai Aviam will lecture on “Finding Bethsaida: From Biblical Jewish Village to the Church of the Apostles” on November 15, 7 pm, in New York City.

“Jerusalem: City of Change: New Archaeological Work, New Views, New Issues” is the title of a conference to be held at Boston University on November 16.

Friends of ASOR webinar on Dec 1: “Something from the Time of Jesus? Tourists, Souvenirs, and Buying the Holy Land,” with Morag M. Kersel ($12).

Jodi Magness will be giving the Schweich Lectures on Biblical Archaeology at The British Academy on December 5, 6, and 8, on the subject of “Ancient Synagogues.” The lectures will be recorded and posted and will also be published in book form.

New from Eisenbrauns: Tel Miqne 10/1: Tel Miqne-Ekron Excavations 1994–1996, Field IV Upper and Field V, The Elite Zone Part 1: Iron Age IIC Temple Complex 650, by Seymour (Sy) Gitin, Steven M. Ortiz, and Trude Dothan (30% off with code NR22).

The ASOR Blog has preliminary results of the Academic Genealogies of Near Eastern Scholars (AGNES) Project.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Joseph Lauer, Jared Clark, Wayne Stiles, A.D. Riddle, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Galilee, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Lectures, Resources, Samaria, Shephelah, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A fragment of a monumental inscription discovered in Jerusalem may preserve the name of Hezekiah and a reference to a “pool.”

“Archaeologists in Israel discovered the base of a massive [limestone] Roman column [base] at the foot of Mount Hermon” during a salvage excavation in a Druze village.

Who needs pottery typology when you have archaeomagnetic dating? A new study by Israeli scientists and archaeologists argues that this new technique will provide secure dating for archaeological material previously difficult to date. This is especially useful for the Hallstat Plateau (800-400 BC) when radiocarbon techniques are less helpful. The TAU press release is here.

A one-minute film shot at the Jaffa Gate in 1897 has been restored and colorized with AI.

David Moster created a video showing Jews from around the world reading biblical Hebrew. Some of the readers were born in the 1800s.

Daily Bread has released a new 7-minute video, “Mt. Hermon: Getting God Completely Wrong by Mistake,” with Jack Beck.

Webinar on Nov 22 jointly sponsored by The Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society and British Friends of The Hebrew University: “Recent Advances in DNA Technology and Their Contribution to Archaeology in Israel.”

Christian Locatell, Chris McKinny, and Itzhaq Shai recently published an article on “The Tree of Life Motif, Late Bronze Canaanite Cult, and a Recently Discovered Krater from Tel Burna.” The article is available to subscribers to the Journal of the American Oriental Society or by purchase.

“In October 2022, the top three reports in biblical archaeology were about a stunning mosaic in Syria, a suspected synagogue at Chorazin, and a new geomagnetic study that affirmed biblical battles.”

After a writing hiatus, Israel’s Good Name returns with an illustrated post of the wetlands of the Poleg Marshes.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Alexander Schick

Tagged Discoveries, Galilee, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Lectures, Shephelah, Technology, Weekend Roundup