Persia Archives - Page 5 of 11

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A new study authored in part by Chris McKinny and published in the Journal of Biblical Literature identifies the millo of Jerusalem with the fortifications around the Gihon Spring. The JBL article requires purchase, but Bible History Daily has a summary.

Henri Gourinard is writing a guidebook on the Emmaus Trail, and he provides a brief introduction to the trail for Bible History Daily.

A new Israeli reality TV show named “My Trip is Better” will pit five tour guides against each other in a five-day competition.

“Location, location, location” – Brad Gray explains the significance of geography in his “Lenses of Context” series for Walking the Text. The 20-minute episode includes many photos and maps.

Foreign archaeologists are returning to Gaza to restore archaeological sites and to train Palestinians in conservation (3-minute video).

“Thousands of rare antiquities were confiscated . . . in a complex pre-dawn operation in the Nablus area on Monday following a months-long undercover investigation.”

NY Times: “For 10 days, a photojournalist drove across Jordan from north to south, visiting several of the country’s most treasured sites. Here’s what he saw.”

The Bible Mapper Blog has just posted its 100th map. The latest free maps include:

I join Henry Smith on the latest episode of Digging for Truth to talk about Queen Esther in Susa (25 min). In this first part of a two-part series, I describe the excavations of Susa, the layout of the city, and highlights of my visit to Iran.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Explorator, Charles Savelle, Steve Ulrich, Keith Keyser

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Jordan, Judah, Persia, Samaria, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists working in the temple of Amenhotep III in Luxor have discovered remains of a pair of gigantic limestone colossi.

“A joint Egyptian-Italian Mission excavating near Aswan in Egypt has discovered a tomb from the Greco-Roman period containing twenty mummies.”

“Scientists found the first recorded example of a bandaged wound on a mummified body, which could offer more insight into ancient medical practices.”

“Scholars have concluded that King Tutankhamun was not murdered, after a lengthy investigation that seemed to refute popular theory.”

Joshua Berman says that marks of Egyptian culture in the Torah give evidence of the Israelites’ sojourn in Egypt.

Deb Hurn argues that the meteoric airburst theory for the destruction of Tall al-Hammam does not match various details in the biblical text for the destruction of Sodom.

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

“A new study has revealed that some 4,500 years ago the ancient Mesopotamians were the first to create a hybrid animal, producing an entirely new beast by mating two different species.”

New technology is allowing scientists to better determine the sex of ancient skeletons.

Candida Moss writes about the relationship that ancient Romans had with their dogs.

A Hellenistic necropolis near Naples is opening to the public for the first time.

Nimes is my favorite Roman city in France, and National Geographic reviews some of the highlights.

Michael Shutterly has written a brief guide to the coins of the Persian kings.

Carl Rasmussen shares photos of what’s new at Laodicea—“a two hundred foot long, 25 foot high Frescoed Wall.”

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Arne Halbakken

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Exodus-Conquest, Italy, Persia, Technology, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“An ancient seal thought to belong to a Hittite prince and an ancient cuneiform tablet, both dating back over three millennia, were discovered in Turkey’s southern Hatay province.”

“An iron face mask that would have been worn by an accomplished member of the Roman cavalry some 1,800 years ago has been unearthed in northern central Turkey.”

A study in the Temple of Hatshepsut reveals the production process for the reliefs, including the role of apprentices.

“Archaeologists conducting works at the Temple of Hatshepsut have made new discoveries in a subterranean tomb.”

Egypt has celebrated the reopening of the Avenue of the Sphinxes.

The Grand Egyptian Museum continues to receive artifacts, including 52 monumental pieces and 16 from King Tut’s treasures.

AramcoWorld has a series on spice migrations, including articles on ginger, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, and cinnamon.

Russia has begun the long process of restoring the ancient Arch of Triumph in Palmyra after it was destroyed by evil people.

A fortress from the empire of the Medes has been discovered in northeastern Iran.

Two spectacular gold Persian reliefs, once owned by the Shah of Iran, will be auctioned by Christies on December 8.

Greek City Times has a review of the 18 World Heritage Sites in Greece.

A 2,000-year-old mosaic that once belonged to Caligula and disappeared during World War II was recovered in New York City after it served as a coffee table for 50 years.

Italy has launched a cultural streaming platform.

The New Yorker has a feature story on the latest discoveries at Pompeii.

It’s apparently not OK for American tourists to break into the Colosseum at night to drink beer.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Charles Savelle, Explorator

Tagged Egypt, Greece, Italy, Museums, Persia, Syria, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Archaeologists in Egypt have found proof that they are excavating a rare ancient sun temple, the third ever found and the first to be uncovered in 50 years.”

After a ten-year closure, Egypt has begun plans to restore the Aswan Museum on Elephantine Island.

Saudi Arabia has opened the Nabatean site of Hegra to foreign tourists for the first time ever. This detailed article about Petra’s little sister includes many beautiful photos.

“Four known Mycenaean corbel arch bridges in the vicinity of Mycenae and Arkadiko villages in Greece are considered to be some of the world’s oldest bridges. Two of them are still in operation and have been so for at least 3,000 years.”

Lina Zeldovich has written the best article I’ve ever read on bathroom practices of ancient Romans.

Now online: “Propaganda, Power, and Perversion of Biblical Truths: Coins Illustrating the Book of Revelation,” by Gordon Franz

It is interesting to see the Tehran Times run a story about Susa without ignoring its role biblical history. (The Bible is effectively outlawed in Iran, and all websites related to the Bible, including this one, cannot be accessed.)

The Biblical Archaeology Society has announced its 2021 Publication Awards Winners.

“Holly Beers and David deSilva discuss life in the first century with Biblical World host Lynn Cohick. Holly and David both wrote novels that explore life on the ground in Ephesus, giving readers a unique opportunity to experience Paul’s world in a very personal way.”

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Keith Keyser, Andy Cook

Tagged Arabia, Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Museums, Persia, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Many finds have been made during the course of excavations required by the Marmaray project, a railway tunnel connecting the Asian and European sides of Istanbul.

Archaeologists excavating at Istanbul’s Haydarpaşa Train Station have made a number of discoveries spanning three millennia.

New stone ram heads have been discovered in Luxor during the restoration of an ancient road.

“Egypt is using an international award it recently won for restoring the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue in Alexandria to promote tourism.”

“Slaves were primarily for credit, not for labor,” write Ella Karev and Seth Richardson in a piece entitled “Rethinking Slavery in the Ancient Near East.”

The Oxford School of Rare Jewish Languages is offering free courses in 12 Jewish languages, including Yiddish, Ladino, and Judeo-Arabic.

A 12-minute video of the British Institute of Persian Studies’s contribution to Iranian archaeology of the 1960s and 1970s was recently screened at the Institute’s 60th anniversary and is now online.

A trailer is online advertising a documentary about Susa that will be available on BBC Select.

“The 7 Churches of Revelation: Times of Fire” will be a “virtual cinema event” beginning on October 26.

The Amarna Letters are the subject of the latest podcast episode on the Biblical World, with Mary Buck and Chris McKinny.

Two new books on coins:

Guide to Biblical Coins, 6th edition, by David Hendin
The Origins of Money in the Iron Age Mediterranean World, by Elon D. Heymans (Amazon)

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Joseph Lauer, Charles Savelle, Ted Weis

Tagged Egypt, Excavations, Movies, Persia, Resources, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a collection of ancient tools that were used in religious rituals from the Temple of the Pharaohs (Boto) in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate north of Cairo.

The tomb of King Djoser in Saqqara has been reopened after restoration.

“A mass grave uncovered in Sidon, Lebanon, has shed new light on the Crusades and on the cruelty of medieval warfare.”

The United Nations announced that a 3,500-year-old tablet containing the Epic of Gilgamesh was returned this week to Iraq.

Most of Iran’s 746 museums have reopened after being closed due to Covid.

Istanbul’s Hisart Live History Museum covers a wide range of historical periods and features a large collection of diorama art.

“A team of Polish archaeologists in Nea Paphos, Cyprus have unearthed a 1,500-year-old two-sided amulet depicting a palindrome inscription written in ancient Greek.”

A digital interactive guide has been launched to provide visitors with information about the 205 archaeological museums in Greece.

Zoom lecture on Oct 6: “Alexander the Great: His Career, Character, and What Made Him ‘Great,’” by Jennifer Tobin.

Zoom webinar on Oct 13-15: “Work/Life: Institutions, Subjectivities and Human Resources in the Roman World,” hosted by the NYU Center for Ancient Studies.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Charles Savelle

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Lectures, Museums, Persia, Turkey, Weekend Roundup