Archaeologists working in the City of David have found a necklace pendant depicting the menorah that dates to the Late Byzantine period when Jews were not allowed to enter Jerusalem.
“A rare clay oil lamp from the Hasmonean era was uncovered at the Nebi Samwil archaeological site northwest of Jerusalem on Sunday evening, the first night of Hanukkah.”
The Times of Israel runs a story about the previously reported Assyrian-era tombs in the Jezreel Valley.
David Ramati writes about some of the more recent studies related to Masada.
The Times of Israel explains the importance of the Mount of Olives, including important people buried there and controversy over the building of a visitor center.
“A new computational tool developed at the University of Haifa is changing how archaeologists document and analyze ancient ruins, using drone imagery and machine learning to reveal architectural patterns that cannot be identified from ground level.”
“In an apostolic letter dated December 11, 2025, Pope Leo XIV has placed Christian archaeology at the core of the Church’s intellectual and pastoral mission.”
On The Book and the Spade, Joan Taylor makes a case against Bethlehem being a little town when Jesus was born.
Leon Mauldin shares a panoramic photo of the Sorek Valley and Zorah, taken from Beth Shemesh.
New release: Tel Miqne-Ekron 14/1: Objects and Material Culture Studies: Middle Bronze Age II Through Iron Age II, edited by Seymour (Sy) Gitin (Eisenbrauns, $98 with code NR26)
New release: Tel Nagila: The Amiran/Eitan Excavations, edited by Joe Uziel, David Ilan, Matthew Susnow, and Aren M. Maeir (De Gruyter, $220)
The Hasmonean palaces at Jericho (Tulul Abu el-Alayiq) will be open to visitors tomorrow and Monday, and funds have been allocated to develop the site as a heritage destination in the coming year.
After the IAA moved its headquarters to the new Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, discussions about the future of the Rockefeller Museum are taking place, including the possibility of turning it into a hotel.
HT: Agade, Alexander Schick, Andy Cook, Ted Weis, Explorator