fbpx

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A new study utilizing advanced remote sensing technology and data analysis has found it is unlikely that Rujm el-Hiri, an ancient stone megalithic structure in the Golan Heights, was used as an observatory.”

Aviva and Shmuel Bar-Am join the excavating archaeologist for a tour of the Mirsham Farmhouse, a little known Israelite-era four-room house in the southern Shephelah.

Chandler Collins surveys some notable contributions to Jerusalem’s history in 2024, including new history books, social media, excavation reports, conferences, and museums.

Jodi Magness discusses the tomb of King Herod on The Ancients podcast.

Hybrid symposium on May 17: “The Life of Jesus in History and Archaeology—A Public Symposium,” with R. Steven Notley, Jordan J. Ryan & James R. Strange; moderated by Glenn J. Corbett & Robert Duke (in-person $99; virtual $30)

On Mar Shiprim’s new YouTube channel, Eric Cline and Glynnis Fawkes discuss their collaboration in adapting 1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed book into a graphic history.

Brad Gray has begun a new series, this one on “Biblical Images of God.” The first episode is on living water.

Bible History Daily names the top ten biblical archaeology stories of last year, in no particular order.

Turkish Archaeological News has a roundup of major stories in the month of December. They also have a review of the top discoveries in 2024. Their list includes three new publications written by Izabela Miszczak:

  • Highlights of Ephesus
  • From Antalya to Alanya. Highlights of the Turkish Riviera
  • Byzantine Secrets of Istanbul

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A Byzantine monastery with a mosaic inscription from Deuteronomy 28:6 was discovered near Kiryat Gat in southern Israel.

A stash of rare coins with the image of Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus was found during an excavation project in the Jordan Valley.

Archaeologists found a small mikveh, apparently for private use, near an ancient drainage channel in the City of David. The Hebrew version includes to a short video.

Scholars have a new theory on why there are no cave drawings from the Stone Age in Israel.

Marion Fischel writes about the massive Herodian column that was abandoned in an ancient quarry in the Russian Quarter.

The Tel Dan Inscription is returning home after its brief tour in the US.

New Release: The Tel Aviv University Excavations in Ancient Jaffa , Volume I, by Meir Edrey, Boaz Gross and Ze’ev

New release: ‘Akko III: The 1991-1998 Excavations: The Late Periods. Part II, The Knight’s Hotel Site, the Messika Plot and Miscellaneous Studies, by Danny Syon and Ayelet Tatcher (IAA Reports; open-access).

Zoom lecture on January 16: “A Wise Woman and a Bearded Male: Excavations at Tel Abel Beth Maacah in Northern Israel,” by Nava Panitz-Cohen (Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society; free)

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on Feb 12: “The Hula Provides: Reconstructing Animal Economy and Provisioning under Empire at Kedesh,” by Alexander Dorr

Clinton Bailey, the world’s foremost expert on the Bedouin communities of Israel, died recently.

The latest Jerusalem in Brief compares two 19th-century photos of the Mount of Olives to a modern one, considers the neglect of the Mosque of the Ascension, and a recently discovered book on Jerusalem in the British Mandate period.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup

“A rare, nearly intact 1,500-year-old ceramic lantern was recently uncovered during conservation work” at Sepphoris in Galilee.

Solomon’s copper mines in the Timna Valley did not cause negative environmental and health impacts on the workers.

The Udhruh Archaeological Research Project has been studying a vast and intricate water harvesting system in use during the Roman period.

“A group of four suspected antiquities looters were ‘caught red-handed’ over the weekend attempting to break into an underground area at a Galilee archaeological site associated with olive oil production during the Hasmonian period.”

Turkey’s first underwater museum opened in Side. “It is a museum where 117 sculptures, determined as 5 different themes in the depths of the sea and made by Turkish sculptors, can be seen by diving into the sea.”

Work is underway to create an “Alexander the Great Cultural Route” in northwestern Turkey.

The latest issue of the Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies (subscription required) includes an article about radiocarbon dates at Gezer with many responses from everyone from Dever to Garfinkel to Levy, Maeir, Mazar, and Ortiz.

New on This Week in the Ancient Near East podcast: “Between Death and Taxes in the 8th Century BCE, or Hezekiah’s Beltway Politics.”

New on Thin End of the Wed podcast: “Christopher Jones: Court Politics in the Neo-Assyrian Empire”

Online seminar on Jan 11, hosted by Jerusalem University College: “War & Peace in the Holy Land: Biblical and Modern Perspectives,” with presentations by Elaine Phillips, Charlie Trimm, Matt Lynch, and Jon Kaplan. A recording will be made available to all registrants.

Aaron Reich looks at three places in Jerusalem proposed to be the site of Jesus’s tomb: Talpiyot, Holy Sepulcher, and Garden Tomb.

The James Ossuary is now on display at Pullman Yards in Atlanta.

I will be posting a “top 10” list on Monday, but there will be no roundup next weekend.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“New evidence shows that the well-preserved Roman Imperial Highway crossing the Golan was constructed in the second half of the second century CE.” The underlying journal article is here.

A new study claims that Bar Kochba only joined the revolt named after him in the middle of the insurrection. The underlying journal article is here.

The oldest inscription with the Ten Commandments sold for $5 million to a buyer who plans to donate it to an Israeli institution.

The Tel Dan Inscription is on display at the Jewish Museum in New York City until January 5.

The latest Jerusalem in Brief explores the conflicting accounts of the surrender of Jerusalem in 1917.

Applications are now open for $2,000 dig scholarships offered by the Biblical Archaeology Society.

Biblical Archaeology Society has also posted this year’s excavation opportunities, including summer projects at Hippos, Azekah, and Dan.

New Release: The Capture of Jerusalem by the Persians in 614 CE by Strategius of Mar Saba, by Sean W. Anthony and Stephen J. Shoemaker (University of Chicago; $35; open access)

Ze’ev Meshel, longtime archaeology professor at Tel Aviv University, died last week at the age of 92.

Lois Tverberg explains why she likes our photo collections.

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

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Excavations have identified a 2nd-century BC military fortress at Ashdod-Yam.

“Researchers have discovered 50 rare cave pearls, some of which contain ancient Greek artifacts from the Hellenistic era, in an underground water system near Jerusalem.”

Some scholars are questioning whether the oldest copy of the Ten Commandments—scheduled to be sold next week at auction—is authentic.

In a short video, Eitan Klein shows how a band of antiquities thieves were caught in the act, robbing a cave in the Shephelah.

Expedition Bible’s latest video looks at the archaeological evidence for the location of Jesus’s crucifixion.

John DeLancey filmed on location at the Ketef Hinnom tombs in Jerusalem.

Appian Media has released a new short film entitled “Explore Petra” (12 min). I’m curious how they got the drone footage.

Christopher Rollston explains why the Megiddo Mosaic is important on The Book and the Spade.

“New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary held a 10th anniversary celebration for its Museum of the Bible and Archaeology” last week.

Eliezer Oren, longtime Professor of Bible, Archaeology, and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, died this week.

Jerusalem University College has announced its online semester courses for the spring, including:

  • Archaeological Methods and Theory, taught by Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer
  • Introduction to the Modern Middle East, taught by Oded Yinon
  • Jewish Thought and Practice, taught by Rabbi Moshe Silberschein
  • The Book of Revelation and the Seven Cities of the Apocalypse, taught by Chris Vlachos

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

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Recent excavations at Caesarea Philippi (Banias) indicate that Herod Agrippa II repurposed the sacred cave “into a nymphaeum-triclinium, a venue for Roman-style banquets in which water flowed around a central dining area and out through an aqueduct.”

“A recent excavation on Mount Zion in Jerusalem unearthed a fragment of a 16th-century Chinese porcelain bowl with ‘the earliest known Chinese inscription in Israel.’”

The Temple Mount Sifting Project is again dealing with a funding shortfall that may cause it to shut down.

Rabbi Avraham Stolik lectured on the discoveries related to the Pilgrimage Road leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount (50 min).

Zoom lecture on Dec 8: “Women of Prominence and Power in First Temple Period Hebrew Inscriptions,” by Christopher Rollston ($10)

The latest issue of Israel Exploration Journal includes an article that suggests a “revolutionary reading” of the Tel Dan Inscription. (Available only to subscribers)

The latest issue of DigSight includes articles on the ivory comb from Lachish, recent conferences and lectures, and upcoming events.

In the latest episode of Biblical World, Kyle Keimer and Chris McKinny discuss the fundamentals of biblical archaeology. “If you wondered what biblical archaeology is and why you should care – this is the episode for you.”

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Roger Schmidgall, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Share:
Leave a comment
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.

Links
Notice

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. In any case, we will provide honest advice.