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“Neo-Assyrian reliefs in the provinces tend to present the sacred using standardized Assyrian court motifs. A recently discovered relief at Başbük, however, offers a rare depiction of local gods in Assyrian court style but with traditional Syro-Anatolian motifs.”

“After the recent massive earthquakes, Türkiye’s Hatay Archaeology Museum stepped up efforts to protect its valuable artifacts from aftershocks by employing an in situ protection formula for heavy items and sending smaller artifacts to another museum for safekeeping.”

Archaeologists excavating a 2nd century AD villa in Rome discovered two mosaics depicting Medusa. The article does not include photos of the mosaics.

A previously unknown palimpsest fragment of Matthew 11-12 in Old Syriac has been found in the Vatican Library.

Drawing on James Hoffmeier’s recent BAR article, Marek Dospěl provides an overview of the archaeological and geological evidence for Jeremiah’s travels to Egypt.

The most lavish Mesopotamian tomb ever discovered belonged to a woman.

The Greek Reporter has the oldest photo of the Acropolis of Athens, taken in 1842.

Kim Phillips: “The sale of Codex Sassoon raises questions about what’s real and what’s hype about this important manuscript.”

New release on Logos: Manna Bible Maps Plus: Maps, Timelines, and Movies to Help Students Visualize Their Study of the Bible ($63). I have not used these and cannot offer an opinion as to their value.

Zoom lecture on April 19: “Evidence for Judean Exiles in Babylonia, 572–474 BCE,” by Laurie Pearce. Free but registration required.

The Database of Religious History is “a massive, standardized, searchable encyclopedia of the current best scholarly opinion on historical religious traditions and the historical record more generally.”

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

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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

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A new study suggests that a 10th-century BC inscription discovered near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem may have been written in the Ancient South Arabian language, providing a possible link with the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon.

Gold jewelry discovered in a Roman-era tomb on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem in 1971 is now on display for the first time. The jewelry “bears the mark of the Roman goddess of the moon Luna.”

Ruth Schuster investigates the earliest Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land and how they knew were to go.

It’s a Passover tradition for journalists to write about the exodus, and Judith Sudilovsky’s article in The Jerusalem Post is not entirely negative.

You can find the full series of Passion Week devotionals written by Will Varner and illustrated with our photos here.

Megan Sauter considers the question of how Jesus’s tomb was sealed.

Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer discuss the archaeology of the Passion Week in a three-part series on the Biblical World podcast.

John DeLancey is on The World and Everything in It talking about the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (23:40; transcript at link).

Israeli police detained several individuals with lambs or goats near the Temple Mount.

Jordan Ryan’s recent BAR article, “Jesus in the Synagogue,” is excerpted online, including a list of 16 synagogues in Judea and Galilee that date before AD 135.

Ellen White writes about Israelite attitudes toward dogs.

Peter Lacovara attempts to explain why ancient ivory cosmetic spoons were made in the shape of a young girl swimming.

Archaeologists excavating the Hyksos palace at Tell el-Daba have discovered 12 severed hands.

“Researchers at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Ottawa, Canada are learning more about ancient graffiti and their amazing comparisons with modern graffiti as they produce a state-of-the-art 3D recording of the Temple of Isis in Philae, Egypt.”

New release: Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire, by Eckart Frahm (Basic Books, 528 pages, $35; Amazon).

New release: The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East: Volume IV: The Age of Assyria, edited by Karen Radner, Nadine Moeller, and D. T. Potts (Oxford, 1288 pages, $150; Amazon)

Turkish Archaeological News has a roundup of stories in the month of March.

Greek City Times has a survey of the (many) Greek theaters in Turkey.

“The Asia Minor Research Center is pleased to announce a new study program in Turkey for people in the Majority World.”

The Gospel of Matthew in the LUMO Project has been dubbed using a restored Koine Greek pronunciation.

WarGamer’s April Fool’s prank was about the world’s first trading card game.

The Oriental Institute is being renamed to the “Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia and North Africa.” Pretty catchy.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, A.D. Riddle, Andy Cook, Ted Weis, Gordon Dickson, Keith Keyser, Explorator

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“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

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Archaeologists have discovered the oldest pearling town on an island in the Persian Gulf.

Writing for Christianity Today, Mark Wilson recounts the history of Antioch on the Orontes, including its significant place in the early church and the numerous earthquakes it has suffered.

Jason Borges provides some essential information for visiting Antalya, a beautiful city on the southern coast of Turkey. I would add a day-trip recommendation for Termessos.

This 10-minute video explains the ancient craft of parchment-making, in the city which gave its name to parchment (Pergamum).

“The coveted metal copper and a sheltered location turned the Cypriot village of Hala Sultan Tekke into one of the most important trade hubs of the Late Bronze Age.”

“The exhibition ‘The colours of the Romans. Mosaics from the Capitoline Collections,’ on show in Rome’s Montemartini Museum, has been expanded to include a new section presenting 16 newly restored works dating from the late Roman period and never before shown in public.”

Entrance to the Pantheon in Rome will no longer be free.

The most expensive coin ever sold at auction was sold using false provenance and the owner of the auction house has been arrested.

“Governments, law enforcement officials and researchers have linked a mounting number of the Met’s relics to looters and traffickers.”

New release: The Public Lives of Ancient Women (500 BCE-650 CE), edited by Lucinda Dirven, Martijn Icks, and Sofie Remijsen (Brill, $143).

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

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The site of Horvat el-Bira, a Roman villa with a later Byzantine church, was cleaned up by local residents during the recent Good Deeds Day.

Ruth Schuster tells the story of Yodfat (Jotapata) in the Jewish Revolt of AD 66-70 and describes the archaeological evidence of its defeat.

Melanie Lidman follows up on the various mistakes that the IAA made in failing to identify the “Darius Ostracon” as a modern inscription.

UC San Diego Today tells the story of Neil Smith, from his days as a 19-year-old using GIS in Wadi Faynan to his work today in co-directing the Center for Cyber-Archaeology and Sustainability.

Israel Today is offering a free virtual tour of Hazor on April 16.

Aren Maeir is on The Ancients podcast to discuss the Philistines.

New release: The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel – Leviticus ($50). This volume “provides background scholarship for the book of Leviticus, including archaeology, flora/fauna, ancient Near East parallels, language cognates, historical, and geographical perspectives, to the sacrificial procedures, laws, and narratives of the book.”

New release: Ahab’s House of Horrors: A Historiographic Study of the Military Campaigns of the House of Omri, by Kyle R. Greenwood and David B. Schreiner (Lexham Press, $20).

Paleojudaica is celebrating 20 years of blogging. That’s a remarkable run well worth celebrating!

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

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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.

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