Todd Bolen, Author at BiblePlaces.com

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Archaeologists have found the skeleton remains of a man and a woman at the ancient site of Pompeii — the woman carrying a small cache of treasure — who died as they sought refuge during the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.”

Cuneiform tablets discovered more than a century ago have been translated, describing how “some lunar eclipses are omens of death, destruction and pestilence.”

AI is proving quite useful in reconstructing the missing portions of the Epic of Gilgamesh and discovering new segments.

Nathan Steinmeyer reviews a recent proposal that questions whether a building in Dura-Europos is the world’s oldest house church.

To really understand the ancient city of Antioch on the Orontes, one must look not to archaeology by to early Christian writers.

NY Times: US federal investigators raided the home of the 84-year-old wife of a deceased archaeologist on suspicion that some antiquities in her collection were looted.

The Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society has a YouTube channel with a number of recent video lectures by top scholars, including:

Ken Dark, “Archaeology of Jesus’ Nazareth”
David M. Jacobson, “The Beginnings of Judaean Coinage”
Steven Ortiz, “Searching for Solomon’s City: Recent Excavations at Tel Gezer”
Ronny Reich, “The Jewish Character of Jerusalem of the Early Roman Period as Attested by the Archaeological Record”
Christopher Rollston, The Schooling of a Scribe in Ancient Israel
Cynthia Shafer-Elliott, “No Place Like Home; Ancient Israelite Households in Context”

Walking The Text explains the imagery of stadium and chariot races that were well-known to Paul and his readers.

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

Tagged Discoveries, Italy, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Turkey, 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

Weekend Roundup – Greece and Italy

A long, narrow public building excavated underwater at Salamis, Greece, may have been a portico.

“During a recent expedition at the site of the Antikythera shipwreck, marine archaeologists uncovered about 300 new objects, including 18 marble statue fragments, a previously undiscovered part of the vessel’s hull and the remains of a wooden ship.”

“A stunning mosaic from the Late Classical period depicting dancing Satyrs was discovered on the floor of an ancient house in Eretria, Greece.”

Denise Demetriou writes about Phoenician trade associations in ancient Greece.

John DeLancey has begun a new series entitled “Journeys with Paul.” The most recent episode was filmed on site at Corinth.

“Archeologists have been left stunned after finding an ancient mummy that has been perfectly preserved for thousands of years in Italy.”

“Roadworks in Rome have uncovered the remains of a portico and garden from the time of the emperor Caligula, which archaeologists believe was the site of a key moment in Jewish history.”

Archaeologists have apparently uncovered a Roman defensive wall that was built to trap Spartacus.

The perfume of Julius Caesar has been re-created. Unlike others, this one did not include the sweat of gladiators. It will go on sale in October.

In a new Walking The Text video, Bray Gray explores role of the Roman theater and how it provided background for some of Paul’s writings (25 min).

New release: A Map of the Body, a Map of the Mind: Visualising Geographical Knowledge in the Roman World, by Iain Ferris (Archaeopress, £16–45)

Queen Berenice, mentioned in Paul’s trial in Caesarea, is the main character of a new TV show.

We have photo collections for Greece, the Greek Islands, Italy and Malta, and Rome. Also of relevance are the Photo Companion volumes on Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Philippians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

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

Tagged Discoveries, Greece, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup – Turkey

We are up to part four of a six-part roundup after my summer disappearance. Today’s focus in Turkey, tomorrow we’ll go to Greece and Italy, and the final post will cover everything that didn’t neatly fit in one of the categories.

What may be the world’s oldest calendar has been discovered on a stone pillar at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Carl Rasmussen provides some explanation and photos.

Archaeologists excavated a Roman harbor facility in Parion, Turkey, that may have been used by the military.

Archaeologists found a pot of gold in a 3rd century BC house in Notion, Turkey.

A necropolis has been discovered in front of the Tokalı Church (Buckle Church) in Cappadocia.

“Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient tablet with an early form of writing that preserves a furniture shopping list from around 3,500 years ago.”

Archaeologists discovered a Hittite seal with the inscription, “Whoever breaks this will die.”

“A pair of 1,500-year-old lady’s sandals with a sweet message in Greek was discovered during a dig in Istanbul.”

A temple of Mithras was discovered in southeastern Turkey.

New release: Antioch on the Orontes: History, Society, Ecology, and Visual Culture, by Andrea U. De Giorgi (Cambridge, $190)

John Drummond explains why Paul’s message was such a threat to the silversmiths in Ephesus.

CNN explains why Termessos, not far from Antalya, is well worth the drive up the mountain.

Turkey is so large and important that we have separate photo collections for Western Turkey (including the Seven Churches of Revelation) and Eastern and Central Turkey. If you prefer the verse-by-verse approach, integrating museum and historic photos, check out the Acts or Revelation volumes in the Photo Companion to the Bible.

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

Tagged Discoveries, Resources, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup – Egypt, Jordan, Mesopotamia, Persia

“An ongoing excavation in Damietta, Egypt, has uncovered 63 tombs from more than 2,500 years ago, alongside a trove of gold artifacts, coins and pottery.”

“During a diving expedition in the Nile River, archaeologists in Egypt discovered rock carvings featuring depictions of several ancient Egyptian pharaohs, along with hieroglyphic inscriptions.”

A new theory proposes that the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids using “a hydraulic lift device that would have floated the heavy stones up through the middle of Egypt’s oldest pyramid using stored water.”

“Scientists have used state of the art 3D imaging technology to piece together the life—and probable death—of a 2.2 meter-long crocodile mummified by the ancient Egyptians.”

Smithsonian Magazine has a feature story on the ancient Egyptian port of Berenike and the latest discoveries.

Women have played an important but largely unrecognized role in Egyptology, writes Kathleen Sheppard. She has written an article for the BBC, looking at three female travelers who visited Egypt in the 1800s.

Twenty-six years after first retiring, Egyptologist Donald Redford has retired again.

Konstantinos Politis writes about Ghor al-Safi, the location of biblical Zoar.

A new Mesopotamian board game called Akkad is now raising support on Kickstarter.

You can play the Royal Game of Ur online.

Various theories have been proposed to identify a creature depicted on the staircase at Persepolis.

Bryan Windle is on Digging for Truth to discuss the archaeological evidence for Belshazzar.

BiblePlaces.com has created photo collections for Egypt, Jordan, and Persia (but not Mesopotamia). We do have a Photo Companion volume for Daniel, which includes both Babylonian and Persian material.

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

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Jordan, Mesopotamia, Weekend Roundup