December 11, 2012 - BiblePlaces.com

Sale: Guide to Places in the Bible

Eisenbrauns has a one-day special on The Uttermost Part of the Earth: A Guide to Places in the Bible, written by Richard R. Losch. Until about mid-day tomorrow, the book is marked down from $16 to $1.60 (90% off).

Here’s the publisher’s description of the 260-page book:

Richard Losch sets the stage with a brief history of the Holy Land from ancient times to the present. Writing clearly and vividly, he then offers alphabetically listed entries on dozens of locations found in the Old and New Testaments. He devotes considerable attention to the Roman Empire because of its prominence in the world of early Christianity. Also included are a number of places not specifically named in the Bible that nonetheless played significant roles in shaping biblical events.

I not read the book but a few minutes of flipping through suggests that it is a generally reliable guide to about 75 sites and regions mentioned in the Old and New Testaments.

HT: Daniel Wright

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Hasmonean Village Found in Jerusalem Neighborhood

From the Times of Israel:

Israeli archaeologists digging under a road in Jerusalem have uncovered the remains of an agricultural community that could yield new information on the lives of residents before and after the rise of the Hasmonean dynasty around 2,200 years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.
The excavation in the city’s modern-day Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood has yielded a perfume bottle, wine press, bread oven and the remains of houses and agricultural buildings, according to an IAA statement.
Archaeologists also found a hand-made lead weight with a letter carved on it — seemingly the letter “yod,” the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and the equivalent of the English letter “y.”
The community seems to have been active both before and after the Maccabees took Jerusalem and re-dedicated the Temple in 164 BCE, marking the beginning of Hasmonean rule, according to the IAA.
That victory is commemorated this week by the festival of Hanukkah.

The story continues here. Kiryat Hayovel is three miles southwest of the Old City.

HT: Joseph Lauer

Excavations in Kiryat Hayovel. Photo by Israel Antiquities Authority.

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Jerusalem