The end of the year marks a time to look back and reflect, and since our interest here is the biblical world, I am continuing our tradition of highlighting the most important discoveries and stories related to biblical archaeology this year.
Our survey begins with a ranked list of the top 10 discoveries of the year. Ranking discoveries is difficult and highly subjective and thus to be discouraged, but the attempt may be justified in the interest of provoking more consideration of what is most important and why.
In addition to the top 10, I have identified the most controversial stories of the year and other noteworthy stories from Jerusalem, Israel, Mesopotamia, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. Then we consider the top stories related to tourism and technology. Many significant books and digital resources were released in 2025, and some of those are noted. This annual roundup concludes by remembering scholars we lost this year and other top 10 lists of interest.
Top 10 Discoveries of 2025
1. A massive dam from the time of King Joash was discovered at the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. Chandler Collins has written an excellent summary and analysis. Aren Maeir notes that more announcements are forthcoming.
2. A fragment of an Assyrian tax notice from the time of Hezekiah is the first inscription found in Jerusalem attesting to Judah’s relations with the Assyrians.
3. A collection of ceramics was discovered at Megiddo that may be linked to Pharaoh Necho’s campaign through Israel (pdf here). Necho killed Judah’s King Josiah in 609 BC.
4. The cargoes of three superimposed shipwrecks dating to the 11th, 9th, and 7th/6th centuries BC have been retrieved from the ancient harbor of Dor.
5. A 7th-century cremation burial at Horvat Tevet contains an treasure that sheds light on Assyrian rule over northern Israel.
6. The largest winged bull ever found was discovered in the royal hall of Ashurbanipal’s palace in Nineveh.
7. The tomb of Thutmose II was the first royal tomb found in Egypt since King Tut’s tomb in 1922.
8. A clay seal impression inscribed with a name mentioned in the books of Kings and Chronicles was discovered in debris recovered from the Temple Mount.
9. Evidence of a 1st-century AD garden was discovered in excavations at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
10. A large section of the “First Wall” of Jerusalem, dating to the Hasmonean period, was uncovered on the grounds of the Tower of David Museum.
Most Controversial Stories of 2025
After the Israel Antiquities Authority placed a 5-ton Herodian stone from the Western Wall on display at Ben Gurion Airport, the Western Wall rabbi demanded that it be returned. Ultimately the parties agreed that all stones from the Western Wall will be treated as sacred relics and reburied and the site fenced off.
When an Israeli team began excavating the site of Samaria-Sebaste, claims were made of a hostile takeover of Palestinian heritage. The controversy intensified with reports that Israel’s authorities were expropriating 445 acres of land around the site.
A bill was introduced in the Israeli parliament that would transfer control of the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron to Israeli authorities.
A proposal to make the Israel Antiquities Authority responsible for all antiquities in the West Bank is controversial and rejected by the IAA itself.
An Egyptian court challenged the ownership of St. Catherine’s Monastery, leading to the monastery closing, the monks’ removal of the archbishop, and an agreement between the Greek and Egyptian governments on the monastery’s future.
Egypt’s “Grand Transfiguration Project” is adding hotels, eco-lounges, a visitor center and more to the area around St. Catherine’s Monastery, and not everyone is happy about it.
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.
Evangelical scholar Jeffrey P. Arroyo García suggested in an article in Christianity Today that Jesus was hung from the cross, not nailed. That resulted in pushback leading to an apology from Christianity Today.
Noteworthy Stories from Jerusalem
An announcement was made that a cultic site was discovered in 2010-2011 on the eastern side of the City of David, put out of use in the 8th century, possibly during the reign of Hezekiah.
Yosef Garfinkel completed excavations of Ophel’s “Water Gate” area, removing several Byzantine walls in order to highlight the Iron Age walls.
An ivory fragment depicting a woman’s head was discovered in a layer of 7th-century BC fill material near the City of David’s eastern wall.
A rare coin depicting Queen Berenice II of Egypt was found in the City of David, suggesting that Jerusalem was more important in the 3rd century BC than previously recognized.
A gold ring with a red gemstone dating to the Hellenistic period was discovered in the Givati Parking Lot excavations in the City of David.
Archaeologists found a small mikveh, apparently for private use, near an ancient drainage channel in the City of David. The Hebrew version includes to a short video.
A stone mug found in the Mount Zion excavations has a very unusual inscription.
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 limestone capital from the Jerusalem area and dating to AD 600 is decorated with menorahs.
Dozens of ancient stone quarries in Jerusalem were mapped in a major geological and archaeological survey.
Noteworthy Stories from Israel
Remains of four donkeys that were ritually sacrificed in the Early Bronze Age were discovered at Gath.
The earliest evidence for wine production in the land of Israel was uncovered at an Early Bronze Age winepress near Megiddo.
The earliest evidence for bronze production in Israel and its surrounding regions was uncovered at the Israelite site of el-Ahwat.
A well-preserved Late Bronze Age burial complex was discovered at Yavneh-Yam, providing evidence of Canaanite funeral practices.
The excavators of Shiloh announced that they found a multi-chambered gate complex where Eli died.
A royal purple dye was being produced at Tel Shiqmona at industrial levels during the time of the Israel’s monarchy, according to a new study.
An 8th-century BC royal olive oil production center was excavated in Beit Aryeh and provides evidence for ancient Israel’s economic strength.
Archaeologists found remains of a royal palace on the northwestern slope of Alexandrium (Sartaba).
A scholar believes that he has cracked Cryptic B, a rare alphabet known only from two uses in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
A three-year excavation of the famous cave of Caesarea Philippi uncovered no evidence of Herod’s temple in front of that cave.
A new study of the Masada siege system reveals that the purpose of the circumvallation wall and that it was built quickly.
A Bar Kochba-era papyrus documents a “tax-evasion scheme involved the falsification of documents and the illicit sale and manumission, or freeing, of slaves — all to avoid paying duties in the far-flung Roman provinces of Judea and Arabia.”
A four-line Aramaic inscription discovered in a cave in the Judean wilderness may have been written by Jewish rebels during the Bar Kochba Revolt.
Archaeologists working at the Roman cemetery at Legio near Megiddo uncovered the jaws of thirteen pigs in what they believe was remains of a funerary banquet.
Archaeologists discovered a Late Roman period boundary stone at Abel Beth Maacah with a Greek inscription that “provides critical information about land ownership, taxation, and rural administration during this period.”
A beautiful marble sarcophagus depicting a drinking contest between Dionysus and Heracles was discovered in Caesarea.
A Byzantine monastery with a mosaic inscription from Deuteronomy 28:6 was discovered near Kiryat Gat in southern Israel.
Archaeologists uncovered “the largest [ancient] Samaritan site outside of the Samaritan homeland,” including colorful mosaics, two ritual baths, and lots of coins and oil lamps.
The discovery at Hippos of a Byzantine-era mosaic medallion inscribed “peace be with the elders” may given evidence of “the world’s oldest home for the elderly.”
Archaeologists uncovered an ancient synagogue in the Golan Heights.
A rare silver ring discovered at Huqoq in Galilee may depict the temple in Jerusalem. It possibly was one of a group that was a precursor to late-medieval Jewish wedding bands.
Radiocarbon dates for the Huqoq synagogue place its construction in the late 4th or early 5th centuries AD, lending support to those who advocate a late date for Galilean-type synagogues.
Discoveries were reported in excavations at Tel Ether and Hyrcania.
Rescue excavations along Route 60 north of Jerusalem uncovered a sophisticated ancient water system that includes “six water springs, a 200-meter-long channel, and, most recently, a large wall.”
Israel’s war with Iran interrupted many, but not all, of the summer excavations in Israel and Jordan. Shiloh’s excavation team was one of those who chose to evacuate when the war began. The Israel Antiquities Authority reported that no damage was caused to archaeological sites or antiquities.
The Gaza War had some effect on archaeological artifacts in the area.
A fire along the shore of the Sea of Galilee cleared the overgrowth at el-Araj (possibly Bethsaida), exposing piles of stones which may be ancient buildings.
Noteworthy Stories from Mesopotamia, Jordan, and Egypt
Archaeologists uncovered portions of a monumental relief of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in the throne room of his palace in Nineveh.
Excavations at Khirbat an-Nahas reveal a marked improvement in technology of copper mining in the early 10th century BC.
Archaeologists working in southern Jordan believe that they have discovered the lost city of Tharais, depicted on the Madaba Mosaic Map.
Italian scientists have confirmed a large underground complex beneath the Giza Plateau using satellite data.
A previously unknown pyramid from circa 2000 BC was discovered by quarry workers in the Dahshur area.
A new study using two radiocarbon dates puts Ahmose’s reign later than previously believed and places the Thera eruption 60-90 years earlier.
A new DNA study of King Tut’s mummy reveals that his premature death was caused in part by malaria.
Archaeologists working at the Ramesseum have made various discoveries recently, including “several tombs dating back to the Third Intermediate Period, storage areas, weaving and stonework workshops, kitchens, and bakeries.”
Twenty-two massive stones from the Lighthouse of Alexandria have been recovered from the seafloor.
Archaeologists discovered a complete hieroglyphic version of the Canopus Decree of Ptolemy III.
Noteworthy Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Italy
A massive, well-preserved Roman mosaic was found by a farmer in eastern Turkey.
Excavations began at Colossae, and archaeologists found 60 Hellenistic-era tombs.
Excavations at Philippi have uncovered a large public building, workshops, residences, and bathhouses.
Archaeologists discovered a large Greek tomb site near Corinth.
Archaeologists found the longest known inscription in Linear A script during excavations at Knossos.
Archaeologists working in Pompeii exposed “one of the largest private thermal complexes” found in the city to date.
The oldest ritual bath (mikveh) known outside the land of Israel was discovered at Rome’s port city of Ostia.
Top Stories Related to Tourism in Israel
Visitors can now walk the full length of the Pilgrims’ Road, leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount.
The Roman period gate beneath Damascus Gate in Jerusalem re-opened and now features a new exhibit.
A new exhibit in the departure hall of Ben Gurion airport entitled “Eternity of Israel” includes archaeological finds that have never before been publicly displayed.
The six-chambered Iron Age gate at Ashdod was re-excavated so that it can be conserved and opened to the public in a new Israeli national park.
The Sassoon Codex, the oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible, has been put on display in Tel Aviv.
An impressive Byzantine mosaic with 55 richly detailed medallions is now on display in the Negev near where it was discovered.
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve was severely damaged in a flash flood and closed for restoration.
Top Stories Related to Tourism Outside Israel
Tourism to ancient Babylon is increasing, and restoration work on one of its temples and the city’s walls is nearing completion.
Jewish tourists returned to Syria and were delighted to see the 3rd-century Dura-Europos synagogue paintings well-preserved in the National Museum of Damascus.
After 20 years and $1 billion, the Grand Egyptian Museum officially opened.
The tomb of Amenhotep III has been re-opened after a 20-year restoration.
Another 20-year project came to completion when the renovated Colossi of Memnon were unveiled in Luxor.
Reconstruction of the 87-foot tall Roman lighthouse at Patara was completed. They plan to illuminate the lighthouse once again.
Restoration work was finished on Laodicea’s Hellenistic theater.
The Side Museum was reopened and now has more than 3,000 artifacts and 9,000 coins on display.
The Manisa Museum is open once again after being closed in 2000.
The Hellenistic theater at Assos has been restored.
With the installation of lighting system, Ephesus is now open to visits until midnight.
The Parthenon in Athens was not obstructed by scaffolding for the first time in 20 years.
Greek authorities plan to carry out major enhancements for visitors to the acropolis of Athens. They have already implemented measures to help summer tourists deal with the heat.
The palace of Knossos set a new record in 2024 with more than one million visitors.
Officials in Rome unveiled a new piazza around the Mausoleum of Augustus.
A hidden imperial passage at the Colosseum was opened to tourists for the first time ever.
Italian authorities levied $22 million in fines on ticketing agencies for buying up tickets for the Colosseum to resell to tourists.
The Johns Hopkins University Archaeological Museum re-opened after a three-year renovation.
Top Stories Related to Technology
Scholars at Tel Aviv University’s School of Computer Science developed a new tool to analyze the writing on the Dead Sea Scrolls.
One study dates some of the Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts earlier than previously believed. Of particular interest is 4Q114 which preserves Daniel 8-11, now dated to 230–160 BC.
Israeli researchers unveiled new technology that has already revealed hidden spaces under the City of David.
A new AI system “accurately read an ancient Hammurabi tablet with 98% precision.”
Scholars using a new AI tool to fill in missing words in ancient inscriptions.
Continued deciphering of the carbonized papyri from Herculaneum has led to new information about Zeno, the founder of Stoicism.
Notable Resources of 2025: Books
The Moody Bible Atlas, by Barry J. Beitzel (3rd edition; $37)
Thutmose III and Hatshepsut, Pharaohs of Egypt Their Lives and Afterlives, by Aidan Dodson (AUC Press, $35)
Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists Are Re-creating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations, by Sam Kean (Little, Brown and Company, $33)
Ritual and Power in Northern Israel. The Late Bronze and Iron Ages, by Erin Hall (Zaphon, €68)
Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 1: Joshua–Ruth, edited by Barry Beitzel (Lexham, $38)
The Bible’s First Kings: Uncovering the Story of Saul, David, and Solomon, by Abraham Faust and Zeev I. Farber (Cambridge University Press, $50; Amazon).
Triumph and Betrayal: Assyria’s Path to Empire, 935–745 BC, by Alexander Johannes Edmonds (DeGruyter Brill; $189; open access)
Against Moab: Interrogating the Archaeology of Iron Age Jordan, by Benjamin W. Porter (Cambridge University Press, open access)
Slavery and Honour in the Ancient Greek World, edited by David Lewis, Mirko Canevaro, Douglas Cairns (Edinburgh University Press, $140, open-access)
Judea under Greek and Roman Rule, by David A. deSilva (Essentials of Biblical Studies; Oxford University Press, $25)
Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion against the World’s Mightiest Empire, by Barry Strauss (Simon & Schuster, $15-$25)
Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ, by T. C. Schmidt (Oxford University Press, $130; free download).
Matthew’s Messiah: His Jewish Life and Ministry, by William Varner and David Hegg (Fontes, $65)
Bringing Heaven Here, by Brad Gray and Brad Nelson (Thomas Nelson, $15-$25)
After the Tomb: The Unexpected Encore, by Stephen Austin (ScrivInspire; $5/$15)
Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul: A Visual Guide, by David A. deSilva (Baker Academic, $33)
Ancient Mediterranean Incarceration, by Matthew D. C. Larsen and Mark Letteney (UC Press, $13, open-access)
Populus: Living and Dying in Ancient Rome, by Guy de la Bédoyère (University of Chicago, 500 pages, $24)
Reconfiguring the Land of Israel: A Rabbinic Project (Brill; $175; free download)
The Itinerarium, written by the anonymous Piacenza Pilgrim circa 570 and translated by Andrew S. Jacobs
The Victorians and the Holy Land: Adventurers, Tourists, and Archaeologists in the Lands of the Bible, by Allan Chapman (Eerdmans, $35)
Readers of the Lost Ark: Imagining the Ark of the Covenant from Ancient Times to the Present, by Kevin M. McGeough (Oxford University Press, $35; Amazon)
When the Stones Speak: The Remarkable Discovery of the City of David and What Israel’s Enemies Don’t Want You To Know, by Doron Spielman (Center Street, $24)
Bring Them into the Land: Studies in Honor of R. Steven Notley, edited by Jeffrey P. Arroyo Garcia, Daniel Machiela, Chad Pierce and Benjamin Wold (Wipf & Stock, $68; Kindle: $10)
The Excavations Beneath Wilson’s Arch, Volume 1, edited by Joe Uziel, Avi Solomon, and Tehillah Lieberman (Eisenbrauns, $120)
Kiriath-jearim: The Shmunis Family Excavations, by Israel Finkelstein and Thomas Römer (Eisenbrauns, $100)
Narrating Archaeological Sites and Places: Fifty Years of the Madaba Plains Project at Tall Hisban, Tall al-‘Umayri, and Tall Jalul, edited by Douglas R. Clark, Øystein S. LaBianca and Randall W. Younker (Equinox, $120; Amazon)
Ethics in Archaeological Practice, edited by Sarah Kielt Costello and Sarah Lepinski (Annual of ASOR 78, $30-$75)
The Boomer Archaeologist: A Graphic Memoir of Tribes, Identity, and the Holy Land, by Thomas Evan Levy (Equinox, $40).
Notable Resources of 2025: Digital Resources
BibleStock provides pastors and Bible teachers with immersive, ready-to-play videos, all indexed by Bible verse, location, and keyword ($10/mo).
Bible Mapper Atlas has published a new poster map of the tribal territory of Zebulun, a poster map of the tribe of Manasseh (west of the Jordan), and more. All are free.
ReferenceMapper is a new, free tool “that will fetch all related Bible Mapper maps and articles for each Bible reference on your page and link them to a map icon next to the Bible reference.”
“The Lord’s Prayer” feature film takes viewers on an immersive beautiful exploration of Jesus’s famous prayer in its Middle Eastern context.
“YodAlpha is a search engine exclusively dedicated to Religious, Theological, and Biblical Studies. Its index is built from crawling the websites of various academic institutions that support open access scholarship.”
The Israel Antiquities Authority Publication Portal is a new resource hosting more than 10,000 “open access excavation reports and studies published in journals, books, conference proceedings and monographs.” That includes ‘Atiqot, Qadum, and IAA Reports. The site includes lists of the most popular papers and the latest additions.
The “Israel National Archaeological Database” is a free digital resource that makes available “over 3.9 million records, close to one million artifacts, more than 1.2 million images, over fifteen thousand 3D models, and a wealth of excavation reports, publications, and archival documents.” There is a drop-down button at the top left corner to change the language to English.
Itiner-e is a new digital atlas of all roads in the Roman empire. The Times of Israel and The NY Times have more information.
We at BiblePlaces.com released three new volumes in the Photo Companion to the Bible: Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs ($39 ea.)
Losses This Year
Leslie C. Allen, longtime professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary
Walter Brueggemann, a widely published OT scholar
Edward “Ted” Campbell, biblical scholar and field director of the excavations at Shechem in the 1960s
Michael V. Fox, a well-known biblical scholar
Gordon Franz, archaeologist, teacher and author
Leonard J. Greenspoon, best known for his work in Septuagint and Jewish Bible translations
Avi Hurvitz, longtime professor of Ancient Semitic Languages at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Kenneth Kitchen, renowned Egyptologist
Yehudah Landy, rabbi, tour guide, and author
Nancy Lapp, archaeologist and curator of the Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology
Paul L. Maier, ancient history scholar and author of Pontius Pilate, The Flames of Rome, and numerous other works
Patrick McGovern, the “Indiana Jones of ancient alcohol”
Stephen Pfann, Dead Sea Scrolls scholar and co-founder of the University of the Holy Land
Bezalel Porten, professor emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
John Van Seters, a biblical scholar known for his minimalist approach
Other Top 10 Lists
Bryan Windle at Bible Archaeology Report lists his top 10 list in descending order, with a paragraph description for each. The #8 item (Moabite inscription unearthed at Jericho) should be noted as it is not on any other lists I’ve seen but reflects Bryan’s greater knowledge of the research at Jericho. A Digging for Truth episode based on this top 10 has just been released.
Chris McKinny identifies his top 10 in a 10-minute video. His tenth item is of a yet-unannounced discovery of a graffiti of a ship and a net at Bethsaida (el-Araj).
Gordon Govier writes about the ten most striking stories for Christianity Today (requires subscription).
Bob Cargill presents his top 10 biblical archaeology discoveries in a 15-minute video.
Ruth Schuster links to the top biblical archaeology stories reported in Haaretz as well as to the top Christian archaeology stories of the year.
The Ancient Near East Today lists their top archaeological discoveries of the year.
Archaeology Magazine identifies its top 10 discoveries of 2025.
Previous Years
You can revisit the top stories of previous years with these links:
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