Todd Bolen, Author at BiblePlaces.com

Status of Summer Excavations in Israel

We’ve commented previously on the summer excavations at Hazor, Gezer and Gath. There’s more information now on the status of other summer digs. Ironically, this was the first summer in quite some time in which everyone thought the violence had abated and there were no obstacles to a full program. Unfortunately, a decade without a war in Israel seems impossible.

The big dig wrap-up is provided by the Biblical Archaeology Society, with brief summaries by the archaeologists at the sites of Bethsaida, Yavne, Apollonia, Dan, Dor, Hazor, Megiddo, Tel Kabri, and Hippos. You can also read a local newspaper report about the excavation at Dan, pre-evacuation.

Another article reports on the completed season at Gezer (and another here). In the south of the country, the Gath dig continues full speed.

Archaeology Magazine – Limited Time Offer

The most popular archaeology magazine for biblical discoveries is Biblical Archaeology Review. Another magazine that covers similar topics is Bible and Spade. Produced by the Associates for Biblical Research and edited by Dr. Bryant G. Wood, Bible and Spade has a much more conservative perspective than BAR. I recommend a subscription (sample pdf issue here).

This week Galaxie Software announced an electronic collection of all back issues of Bible and Spade. All 31 years (1972-2005) are available for $80, but until July 31, there is a special of $50.

So for the cost of a 3-year subscription, you get all 31 years. And the electronic edition is of course much better. To get the deal you have to order it from this page and enter code 5454. Not later than July 31.

Tagged Resources

Christians Doubt Cornuke Has Found Noah’s Ark

Recent claims that Robert Cornuke discovered the Ark of Noah in Iran are questioned by several people who believe that the flood of Noah was a historical event, but doubt that Cornuke has found evidence of it.

Dr. John Morris of the Institute for Creation Research comments on the “petrified wood” that Cornuke believes is from the ark. The article is brief and worth reading in full. Among other things, Morris notes:

The claim is made that the material is petrified wood, and it may be. But petrified wood is found in thousands of places around the world. Finding it here means nothing. Perhaps the ark is petrified, but this would necessitate conditions and a sequence of events which hardly seem likely here. Wood is best petrified when buried in volcanic ash, but the team have asserted that the region of their discovery is not volcanic. Without precise maps and study, it would be impossible to refute this claim.

Rick Lanser of the Associates for Biblical Research has written a much more detailed article, questioning in particular the Iranian location of Cornuke’s find. He concludes:

For the above and other reasons which space does not allow me to deal with, it appears that Bob Cornuke’s “filters” have prevented him from dealing fairly with much information which does not fit into his “Ark in Iran” hypothesis. When such data is considered, it raises great doubt that he has found anything related to Noah’s Ark on Takht-e Suleiman. I would love to see his find hold up to close scrutiny so it can be used as a witness to the world of the trustworthiness of the Bible, but if I – who, as a brother in Christ, am “on his team” – can come up with this many problems in identifying the find on Mount Suleiman with the Ark, we can be sure that an unfriendly, secular world full of dyed-in-the-wool skeptics will find many more reasons to reject it. The best I think he can hope for is that many will want to hear his story as an adventure tale – but that may be enough for him, an expected benefit of the aggressive promotion of the site at the beginning. I just hope that in view of the many problems that have come to light, he presents his audiences with the FULL story, warts and all.

Tagged Analysis

Tour de Beth Shemesh

Here’s an announcement of competitive and fun bike rides next week:

An invitation to residents, riders, visitors….

Come watch Israeli’s top Competitive Road-racing Cyclists compete in Beit Shemesh! Races begin at 7:00 am; Elite long-distance riders start at 10:30 a.m.

Then, take advantage of closed roads for a Public Ride – fun for the whole family! (6.5 km).

WHEN: Friday, July 21st

To register, go to www.bikeisrael.com and click on the Tour de Beit Shemesh banner at the top
of the page (the banner is in Hebrew). Enter each registrant separately.

COST: 30 NIS per person until July 18th. (Special rates for more than 4 family members.) All pre-registered riders (by July 18th) receive a bottle of water, t-shirt, medallion, and certificate of participation.

Riders who do not pre-register may register at the race site on the day of the race. Cost is 40 NIS (but does not include t-shirt, certificate, or a medal.)

Payment for ALL riders is on-site (next to the Beit Shemesh Memorial for Fallen Soldiers on Sderot Ben Gurion, across from the Fire Station), from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. All riders (pre-registered and unregistered) must check-in before 11:15 am.

Riders under 12 MUST be accompanied by an adult rider. All riders MUST wear helmets.

Competitive riders (ICF insured and with completed health permit), should go to www.shvoong.co.il for more information.

Middle Bronze gate, Beth Shemesh, January 2006

Tagged Travels

Hazor excavations update

With all of the rockets falling, I was wondering how the Hazor excavation team was getting along. Several of my friends are digging there, but I hadn’t heard from them and a check on one of their blogs revealed nothing. Today part of the team showed up where I live and so I got a report.

They were digging away at 8:30 Thursday morning when they heard some loud noises and saw plumes of smoke about a mile south of the tell. The excavation director decided that they should take an “early second breakfast” and by the end of that, they were headed back to the hotel to grab some things. They spent the night in Tiberias, which today has been hit a number of times as well. There is no word yet on whether digging will proceed next week, but I’ll tell you – not a chance. Not necessarily because of real danger, but because of liability. In the case of Hazor, the complete lack of guidance system on these Hezbollah missiles hurts the excavators. If the terrorists could aim the things, they surely wouldn’t be aiming for a tell (and one of the Palestinians’ ancestors, to hear the late Yassir Arafat tell it).

As far as excavation results, this season seems to have been much better than last. There are some good finds particularly coming out of Area M (map here). Unfortunately, unlike Tel Gath, I don’t know of anything online about this year’s excavation.

Hazor Area A, May 2006

That Megiddo “Church”

The ancient “church” at Megiddo is slated to be opened to tourists next spring, reports Haaretz. Within 4 years the prison itself should be entirely relocated so that the site can become a “tourist center.” I think they might be over-estimating the site’s importance with plans such as these:

The building in which it is located, which dates back to the British Mandate, will be turned into a center for tourists interested in ancient Christianity and the nearby airfield will be expanded to allow for pilgrim flights.

Do they really think that pilgrims are going to fly in just because they found an old “church”?

Wouldn’t Christians find slightly more interesting things places like, oh, the synagogue at Capernaum, the well of Jacob near Sychar, or the Mount of Olives?

Of greater interest is some new information on the “church” itself, and its date:

The oldest known Christian prayer sites date back to the middle of the fourth century, but experts who have visited the Megiddo site believe it goes back to the start of that century.

The date is based on shards and coins found at the site, as well as three Greek inscriptions on the mosaic floor of the church.

The Antiquities Authority describes the site not as a church but as a “prayer house” since it was apparently located inside a Roman officer’s private home, according to one of the inscriptions. Christianity became a legal religion in the Roman empire in the year 313.

Other findings that are indicative of early Christian rites are the central symbol of the fish, found in the mosaic, (later changed to a cross) and the fact that in one of the inscriptions, Jesus is referred to as “the lord Christos,” a term which later disappeared.

So it’s no longer a “church” but a Christian home. That sounds like sufficient reason to expand the airport.

Tagged Discoveries