Resources Archives - Page 5 of 137

Weekend Roundup

A new study claims that the Romans built the siege wall and ramp at Masada in 11-16 days and the siege as a whole took not more than a few weeks. The Romans’ motivation was not ideological but economic: the holdouts were a threat to balsam production in En Gedi. The underlying journal article is available here.

Archaeologists working in Egypt have discovered the oldest astronomical observatory ever found.

“On the Italian island of Pantelleria, located between southwestern Sicily and the coast of Tunisia, a team of archaeologists . . . has discovered a ‘tesoretto’ of 27 Roman silver coins.”

An article by Kathleen Abraham explores how to recognize Hebrew names “in cuneiform garb, what they might reveal about their bearers, and some of the challenges involved in this process.”

Italy’s Via Appia (Appian Way) has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Tel Dan Inscription will be on display in Oklahoma from September 22 to November 25.

Sotheby’s is auctioning a Hebrew Bible from AD 1312, and they have created a beautiful video about it (4 min).

The W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research has opened applications for 2025-2026 fellowships and awards.

New release: The Neo-Assyrian Empire. A Handbook, by Simonetta Ponchia and Giovanni Battista Lanfranchi (De Gruyter, $182)

New release: Luxor Illustrated, Revised and Updated, with Aswan, Abu Simbel, and the Nile, by Michael Haag and Aidan Dodson (AUC Press, $25)

Mark Wilson has just finished a second updated edition of Biblical Turkey. Purchasers of previous editions can find the new material in a pdf on Mark’s academia page.

The latest episode of Biblical World podcast addresses a recent proposal about locating Sennacherib’s war camps in Judah.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Franz, Alexander Schick, Joseph Lauer

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Judah, Museums, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

New Map: Land of the Messiah

Gesher Media has just created a beautiful new map illustrating the “Land of the Messiah.” The 18” x 24” full-color map features a primary panel showing the land of Israel and Transjordan during the time of Jesus, with locations marked and events depicted. Two smaller inset maps provide greater detail for the two primary places of Jesus’s ministry: the Sea of Galilee and the city of Jerusalem.

Purchase of the map (now on sale for $30) includes access to five videos in which Chris McKinny explains how the map works and what it depicts. This is a unique resource that combines aesthetic appeal with biblical accuracy.

While I’m writing, I want to also recommend to you other materials produced by Gesher Media. This is a relatively new organization, and they have already created a number of valuable resources:

Why Jerusalem Matters (episode 1) – free on YouTube
The Single Gospel of Christ – a Gospel harmony arranged in a novel-like typesetting
Quest for the Throne of God – a documentary series under development
Gesher Gallery – “an expanding collection of images from a wide variety of museums and locations,” all indexed and available for individual purchase or by subscription
Store – they stock a number of books you can otherwise find for sale only in Israel

Keep an eye on Gesher for more resources that help to bridge our world with the Bible.

Tagged Resources

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A Roman battering ram found at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea was used during an epic battle that unfolded more than 2,200 years ago.”

“Ancient Babylonians attributed prescient meaning to celestial events, a study published this month argues, shedding fresh light on the Mesopotamian people of the second millennium BC.”

Marilyn Perkins asked experts to explain why so many Roman statues are headless.

Konstantine Panegyres explains why modern facial reconstructions are not necessarily accurate.

For part 3 of Walking The Text’s “Life in the Roman Empire,” Randall Smith talks about gladiators and beast hunts and Paul’s use of this imagery in his writing.

New release: Crossing Borders between the Domestic and the Wild: Space, Fauna, and Flora, edited by Mark J. Boda and Dalit Rom-Shiloni (Bloomsbury, $76-$84)

Available for pre-order on Logos: T&T Clark Handbook of Food in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel, edited by Janling Fu; Cynthia Shafer-Elliott; Carol Meyers ($157 but now 83% off: $26). The table of contents looks quite interesting.

Friends of ASOR webinar on Sept 18: “How to plan your funeral in ancient Assyria,” by Petra Creamer

“A stone quarry in Jerusalem, a rare Roman prison in Corinth, and a stunning First Temple-era seal were the top three reports in biblical archaeology from August 2024.”

HT: Agade, Wayne Stiles, Gordon Dickson, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis

Tagged Discoveries, Italy, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A seal discovered south of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount depicts a winged figure in Assyrian style and is inscribed “for Yeho’ezer son of Hosh’ayahu.”

“Last week, a five-year-old child accidentally broke a rare Bronze Age clay vessel on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa, but ended up being invited back, along with his family, for a special tour of the museum.”

“Wall paintings discovered in 1,700-year-old vaulted tombs situated in the vicinity of Ashkelon’s marina are currently being made accessible to the public.”

Aaron Goel-Angot writes about the historic importance of Tel Jezreel.

Uzi Leibner does a “show and tell” presentation on-site of a Herodian cornice discovered near the Temple Mount.

Orit Peleg-Barkat and Uzi Leibner review last year’s Ophel excavations and preview this year’s (25 min).

Bible History Daily introduces Christopher Rollston’s recent article on three sensational inscriptions that are not what they were claimed to bel.

Chandler Collins’s Jerusalem Tracker has links to the latest academic articles, books, popular media, podcasts, videos, 3D models, new developments, and upcoming events related to Jerusalem.

HT: Agade, Wayne Stiles, Gordon Dickson, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis

Tagged Discoveries, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Museums, Resources, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Archaeologists working in the drainage channel under the Siloam Road have announced the discovery of a “complete tableware set of Jerusalem’s residents” and “a delicate glass vial, nearly perfectly preserved, several small oil lamps with soot still in them from use, various coins and beads, and a collection of ceramic vessels used to hold perfume and oil.”

A very rare bronze coin minted under Emperor Hadrian’s successor was discovered in the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

Chandler Collins’s latest Jerusalem in Brief “highlights the Hinnom Valley in the 19th century, an original guide to Avi-Yonah’s Jerusalem model, a correction to a previous post, and upcoming events on historical Jerusalem.”

The Jerusalem Post is reporting on Jodi Magness’s new book on Jerusalem.

There is no evidence that the Mazor Mausoleum was the tomb of John the Baptist.

Jacob Sivak argues on the basis of a coin hoard and other evidence that Jewish independence in the land of Israel did not end in AD 70,

A new archaeological journal entitled “CARMEL” has been launched by The School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa.

Joel Kramer’s latest video (with already 600k+ views!) is a witness stone mentioned in Joshua 24:26 and discovered at Shechem.

In a 30-minute video filmed on location at Gath, Nathan Steinmeyer talks with Aren Maeir about discuss the Philistines. This accompanies an article that Maeir wrote for the latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

Leen Ritmeyer is impressed with a recently released 3D video on Herod’s Temple.

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

Tagged Discoveries, Jerusalem, Philistines, Resources, Samaria, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup – Wrapup

Bryan Windle highlights the top three reports in biblical archaeology in the month of July.

Experience Israel Now, led by Andy Cook, is preparing to launch a website and app to make using video imagery of biblical sites easy.

Nathan Steinmeyer reflects on the significance of the journeys of two ancient artifacts in modern times.

Lesley A. Gregoricka asks whether it is ethical to excavate the dead in the ancient Near East.

In the British Museum’s Curator’s Corner series, Irving Finkel discusses an artifact that may be the oldest map of the world (18 min). Tom Hale has written more about the map here.

Preserving Bible Times has posted a couple of teachings by the late Doug Greenwold: (1) Jesus heals the demoniac; (2) Jesus and the leper.

Zoom lecture on Aug. 14: Louise Hitchcock will be speaking on “Piracy and the Late Bronze Age Collapse” ($10)

The Bible & Archaeology Fest XXVII will be held in San Diego on Nov. 22-24 with 15 experts in biblical archaeology. A livestream option is available, and there is a discount for early registration.

The Biblical Language Center is offering a number of live video classes for beginning Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek.

New release: The Oxford Handbook of First and Second Kings, edited by Steven L. McKenzie and Matthieu Richelle (Oxford University Press, $178; $132 on Kindle). Aren Maeir has posted photos of the table of contents.

New release: Greek and Roman Medicine at the British Museum: The Instruments and Accoutrements of Ancient Medicine, by Ralph Jackson (British Museum, free download).

New release: What’s in a Divine Name? Religious Systems and Human Agency in the Ancient Mediterranean, edited by Alaya Palamidis and Corinne Bonnet (De Gruyter, $165; free download)

Ferrell Jenkins has shared photos recently of Ramoth Gilead, choppy waters at the Sea of Galilee, and musht fish.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Steven Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Mark V. Hoffman

Tagged Lectures, Resources, Weekend Roundup