Jordan Archives - Page 6 of 36

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Behind the Bible (Gesher Media) has released its premiere episode in the Vanished Views series (6 min). Chris McKinny explores a fascinating photo taken in the village of Zerin (biblical Jezreel).

Excavations at Tell Zira’a in northern Jordan point to the presence of an elite class in the Late Bronze Age.

“An International Colloquium on the ancient city of Zoara (also known as Zughar) in the Ghor Safi was inaugurated in Athens on Wednesday.”

“Archaeologists trying to reconstruct an ancient site bulldozed by Daesh terrorists discovered extraordinary 2,700-year-old rock carvings in the ruins in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul.”

The Faida Archaeological Park has opened, and this 1-minute video gives a preview.

“Enheduanna, a Sumerian 3rd millennium BC high priestess, is the focus of an exhibit on the lives of women in Ancient Mesopotamia at The Morgan Library & Museum.

A three-day international symposium on “Yahwism under the Achaemenid Empire” will be held at the University of Haifa on December 20-22.

Zoom lecture on Nov 9: “On Nimrud Bowls and Nimrud Ivories,” by Dirk Wicke

Turkish archaeologists believe that they have discovered the tomb of Saint Nicholas underneath a church in Demre (biblical Myra).

Ferrell Jenkins shares photos of the sacred pool at Hierapolis and the Valley of Lebonah.

Harvard Magazine has a profile of George Reisner, excavator of Samaria and 23 archaeological sites in Egypt and Sudan. Harvard naturally calls Reisner out for not being ahead of his time in his colonialist attitude.

Full transcripts of all episodes from the Thin End of the Wedge podcast are now available.

HT: Agade, Charles Savelle, Arne Halbakken, Alexander Schick, Ted Weis

Tagged Egypt, Jordan, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A team excavating in Luxor has uncovered a mummy in a wooden sarcophagus that dates to 1600 BC.

“Archaeologists have discovered a shrine in a temple in Egypt that describes a ritual never seen before.”

Six thousand artifacts taken from the Kerak Castle will be displayed in the city museum.

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

“New mosaics with various figures were unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis, which is called the ‘Zeugma of Black Sea.’”

“Archaeologists may have found the sanctuary of the Samian Poseidon while they were conducting excavations at the Samicum Acropolis in Greece.”

The British Institute for the Study of Iraq is hosting an online international conference to mark the 100th anniversary of Sir Leonard Wooley’s first season of excavations at Ur.

Shai Gordin and Avital Romach explain the benefits of using computers to study ancient cuneiform texts.

New release: A Companion to the Hellenistic and Roman Near East, edited by Ted Kaizer (Wiley, £159; Amazon).

International Archaeology Day on October 22 will be celebrated at the Nashville Parthenon with a number of activities.

“An American tourist knocked over two ancient Roman busts in the Vatican Museums after he was told he couldn’t meet with Pope Francis.”

Our team has been working on a special little project, and we look forward to sharing that this week. By way of preview, I will say that it is a powerfully beautiful celebration of one of the most loved passages in all the Bible.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lectures, Museums, Resources, Syria, Technology, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Egyptian archaeologists do not often find a complete sarcophagus in its original tomb, but they did recently while National Geographic cameras were rolling. The tomb of Ramses II’s treasurer was discovered at Saqqara at the bottom of a 25-foot shaft that was filled with sand.

“Hieroglyphics: Unlocking Ancient Egypt” is a new exhibition at the British Museum.

“The mode of writing used in Ancient South Arabia, the legendary realm of the Queen of Sheba, was especially unique. The Sabaeans and their neighbours did not write on common materials such as leather or papyrus but rather on something surprisingly simple: branches of fresh wood just cut off the tree.”

Zoom lecture on Oct 11: “The Jordan Museum: More Than 10,000 Years of Human Resilience and Innovation,” by Ihab Amarin.

Excavation work on the Sardis synagogue is complete after 60 years, and all major finds will be displayed in the Manisa Museum.

Archaeologists discovered a Roman-era gymnasium north of Konya (biblical Iconium). The Laodicea mentioned in the article is not the same one mentioned in the New Testament.

Turkish Archaeological News has a roundup of stories for September.

A statue of Hercules from the 2nd century AD has been discovered in excavations at Philippi.

Mercenaries were an important part of Greek armies in the 5th century BC, a fact ancient Greek historians fail to mention.

“Archaeologists are using Apple’s iPad Pro to gather data, analyze objects, create a database and come to conclusions about the ancient site of Pompeii.”

“Entertainment among the Romans” is a new exhibition at the Lugdunum Museum in Lyon, France.

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

Tagged Arabia, Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Lectures, Museums, New Exhibits, Technology, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Hundreds of hieroglyphics have been discovered in a tunnel in Hattusa. There are more photos in these articles in the Turkish press.

“Zahi Hawass recently said that he is certain that a mummy he is currently studying will turn out to be that of Queen Nefertiti.”

The arrest of three antiquities thieves near ancient Memphis resulted in the discovery of ancient tunnels leading to two New Kingdom rooms engraved with hieroglyphics.

Egyptian archaeologists are seeking to have the role of Egyptians recognized in the discovery of King Tut’s tomb and the deciphering of the Rosetta Stone.

All of the artifacts from King Tut’s tomb will be displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum, expected to open in November.

“Discovering King Tut’s Tomb” opened a few weeks ago in Las Vegas, and the exhibit includes animations, virtual reality pods, and more than 300 replicas of artifacts. Elsewhere in town the National History Museum houses the King Tut exhibit formerly displayed at the Luxor Hotel & Casino.

Leon Mauldin notes the 200th anniversary of the decipherment of the Rosetta Stone that occurred a few days ago.

Egypt has passed a new law imposing penalties on those entering archaeological sites or climbing antiquities without a permit.

Djémila in Algeria has some of the best preserved ruins from the Roman empire.

Sites in Iraq are opening to tourists after destruction by IS forces.

Discover Magazine reviews our lack of knowledge about the hanging gardens of Babylon.

Tom Metcalfe asks, “What’s the world’s oldest civilization?”

Opinion piece: “Some US museums will overlook the dubious origins of acquisitions if it suits their purposes.” The focus is on a group of statuary discovered in southwestern Turkey in 1967.

Five ancient sundials have been discovered in Jordan, and a professor is seeking to raise awareness of their use in antiquity. The professor who authored a study on it believes that the situation would be improved with the establishment of a dedicated astronomy museum.

Bryan Murawski offers four tips for preaching geography-heavy texts. (Anybody else suspect that he has never heard of the Photo Companion to the Bible?)

The Babylon Bee reports that archaeologists have found the red pens used to write the words of Christ in the New Testament.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Charles Savelle, Explorator, George Grena

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Jordan, Mesopotamia, Museums, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

The University of the Holy Land has announced trips for next summer, including Historical Geography of the Bible: Jordan, with Dr. Ginger Caessens. This is a unique trip that covers the “other side” of the biblical lands in more depth than you’ll find anywhere else. I’ve participated myself and have recommended this study program many times in the past.

“A new exhibition titled ‘The Journey of the Holy Family’ – covering the voyage through Egypt taken by Jesus, Mary and Joseph as they sought refuge from King Herod – has been unveiled at Tell Basta Museum in the governorate of Sharqia[in Egypt].”

A study of King Tut’s sandals has revealed special foot straps to aid in walking, possibly related to foot deformities.

U.S. Customs seized the lid of an ancient Egyptian canopic jar when it arrived by post in Memphis, Tennessee.

“Greece has struck a complex deal for the eventual return from a US billionaire’s private collection of 161 top quality ancient Greek artifacts dating from more than 4,000 years ago.”

“Greek archaeologists are calling on Unesco to protect the Hagia Sophia, the religious and cultural site in Istanbul, Turkey.”

“The drop of the water levels in recent years has uncovered many archaeological and ancient sites that were submerged beneath the two historic rivers in Syria, Iraq and Turkey.”

“Dropping water levels revealed a massive complex of Roman ruins in Spain as Europe continues to struggle under a record-breaking drought.”

“An international research team led by Lund University in Sweden has developed a method that can accurately date human remains that are up to 10,000 years old by analyzing DNA with the help of AI.”

Leon Mauldin shares a couple of beautiful photos of Colossae.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Wayne Stiles

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Mesopotamia, Technology, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 3

Two ancient Egyptian sarcophagi were opened live at a press conference.

Restoration work has been completed on the gold shrine at the mortuary temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu.

Chelsey Cook discusses three mysteries about Egypt’s ancient pyramids (how were they built, what’s inside, and why they stopped).

A newly discovered letter by Alan Gardiner indicates that Howard Carter stole artifacts from King Tut’s tomb before it was officially opened.

Mattias Karlsson writes for the ASOR Blog about relations between the Neo-Assyrian empire and Egypt, especially in the 7th century BC.

Some researchers believe that typhoid fever and plague were contributing factors in the collapse of the Old Kingdom of Egypt and the Akkadian empire.

Zoom lecture on August 26: “Unpacking Tutankhamun’s Wardrobe,” by Rosalind Janssen

New release: Egypt and the Classical World: Cross-Cultural Encounters in Antiquity, edited by Jeffrey Spier and Sara E. Cole (Getty Publications, 2022). Free pdf download (open right sidebar for other options).

Brent Nongbri argues that Codex Sinaiticus dates not to AD 360 but to anytime between the early 4th and early 5th centuries AD, making it an ideal candidate for radiocarbon analysis.

Assaf Kleiman has written an extensive piece on Hazael’s oppression of Israel. (My take is a bit different—and longer.)

The Jordan Times provides a brief summary of papers presented at the 15th International Conference on the History and Archaeology of Jordan.

“Ancient Abila, located about 12km northeast of Irbid, [Jordan,] is a case study for scholars who want to track pilgrim itineraries in the Late Antiquity.”

John DeLancey has posted a 360-degree video of the walk up Macherus and a visit of the ruins.

Analysis of animal and plant remains is allowing archaeologists to identify the season in which a site was destroyed. The underlying journal article is here.

Accordance has many Carta works on sale through today, including The Sacred Bridge, The Raging Torrent, The Quest, Eusebius’s Onomasticon, and the “Understanding” Series.

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

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Jordan, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Resources, Technology, Tourism, Weekend Roundup