“A rare coin depicting Queen Berenice II of Egypt that dates back to Jerusalem’s Hellenistic era was discovered in the City of David.” The 3rd-century BC gold coin, found in sifting of material excavated in the Givati Parking Lot, may challenge the scholarly view on Jerusalem’s importance at the time.
The discovery of a Byzantine-era mosaic medallion inscribed “Peace be with the elders” leads archaeologists working at Hippos to believe that they have discovered “the world’s oldest home for the elderly.”
“A lead weight bearing a Greek inscription about 2,150 years old was seized this week in an intelligence-based operation by the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit at an antique shop in Jerusalem.”
Golan Shalvi writes about the rise of the Israelite dye industry in light of discoveries at Tel Shiqmona.
According to a new study, “silver was used as currency in ancient Israel more than 1,000 years before the invention of the coin, and earlier than in Egypt and Greece.”
The Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical website is an educational resource that “preserves the historical legacy of plant use in this region, contributing to its conservation, research, and development.”
Charlie Trimm’s “A Virtual Walk Through the Land of the Bible” was released this week on Logos ($24).
Walking The Text’s latest recommended resource is Heart of the Holy Land, by Paul Wright.
Last week, I noted the open access availability of volume 1 of the Western Wall Plaza Excavation report; indeed, all of the volumes and all of the IAA Reports are available.
The Lanier Center for Archaeology at Lipscomb University is celebrating its five-year anniversary, and their press release provides various updates, including the hiring of our longtime friend and partner, Chris McKinny. Chris will be starting a new excavation of a New Testament site in Galilee. The LCA has 25 PhD students enrolled.
Alumni of the IBEX semester program are invited on a reunion tour next summer.
HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Alexander Schick, Arne Halbakken, Explorator