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Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Recent excavations of a pyramid-like structure south of Masada suggest that it was a Hellenistic fortress that was later reused as a monumental tomb.

Excavations at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem have uncovered the presence of a garden in approximately the first century.

A monastery and farmhouse have been discovered and excavated at a site north of Beersheba. The underlying journal articles are published in ‘Atiqot.

“A 1,200-year-old clay jug painted in bright colors and ringed with camels and a mystery beast was unearthed by archaeologists at the Horvat Anim site in the Yatir Forest.” There are more photos here.

Aren Maeir visited Tel Ashdod to see the new excavations which will lead to a restoration of the six-chambered gate.

Scott Stripling explains what they have found in the favissa at Shiloh on Digging for Truth.

The IAA is not giving into the Western Wall Rabbi’s demand to return the 5-ton stone to its original location.

Zoom lecture on April 2: “Political Landscapes in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age,” by Andrea Titolo and Alessio Palmisano (Zoom link; recording will be available a few days later on YouTube)

Recently declassified CIA documents reveal that an experiment was conducted in 1988 to locate the ark of the covenant.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Jerusalem, Negev, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Underwater archaeologists have discovered infrastructure of an ancient port at Asini in Greece.

Archaeologists have excavated a “grand ancient Greek tomb site” near Corinth.

“A recent study offers new insights into the pigments used by ancient Roman artists in Pompeii, revealing how they mixed raw materials to achieve a wide range of color tones.”

Persepolis’s ancient underground channels prevented flooding and destruction during a severe rainstorm.

Restoration work on Jerash’s northern theater continues.

Artnet highlights three interesting artifacts discovered in the tomb of Thutmose II.

Turkiye Today describes seven must-see cuneiform tablets in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums.

The ASOR Punic Project Digital Initiative “will provide digital files of individual stelae that can be viewed on screen or 3D printed at any scale.”

New release: Against Moab: Interrogating the Archaeology of Iron Age Jordan, by Benjamin W. Porter. (Cambridge University Press, open access)

Hybrid lecture at Penn State on March 27, 5 pm (EDT): “In the Steps of a Babylonian King: A Scholar’s Adventures in Jordan and Lebanon,” by Rocío Da Riva (Zoom registration)

“After 1,700 years the first ancient Greek temple opened in Arcadia, Peloponnese over the weekend.” The Greek Church is not happy. The site manager defends the project: “There are tens of thousands of people in Greece and abroad who believe in their ancestral gods and do not have a place to worship.”

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lectures, Museums, Persia, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Archaeologists excavating Azekah found a new type of female figurine that comes expected forms with new elements.

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.

Ruth Schuster has written a lengthy article for Haaretz (subscription) about various interpretations of the iconography on the Magdala Stone, including the proposal that it depicts God’s chariot in the temple.

Bible Mapper Atlas has published a new poster map of the tribal territory of Zebulun, and the accompanying article explains why the map extends Zebulun’s border to the sea.

The Torah.com has posted an eight-part series on the Amarna Letters, written by Alice Mandell.

David Jacobson and Nikos Kokkinos’s 2022 paper on Agrippa II’s royal triclinium in Jerusalem further strengthens the case against those who want to move the temple to the City of David. I’m told that a book is forthcoming with the conference papers, but this article is already available on Academia.

The Biblical Archaeology Society is now accepting nominations for its 2025 Publication Awards.

New release: Megiddo VII, the Shmunis Excavations of a Monumental Middle Bronze Tomb and its Environs, edited by M.J. Adams, M.D. Cradic and I. Finkelstein (Eisenbrauns, $125)

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on April 16: “‘Trowel Blazers’ in the Archaeology of the Levant & Near East during the Early 20th Century,” by Kathleen Nicoll

The recently announced discoveries in the City of David of the big grooves and standing stone are the subject of the latest episode of This Week in the Ancient Near East.

Jerusalem Seminary is running a 10-day study tour in May entitled “Discovering Jesus in His Jewish Context.”

Bryan Windle summarizes the top ten archaeological discoveries related to Jeremiah in the latest episode of Digging for Truth.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Galilee, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Resources, Shephelah, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists working at Rome’s port city of Ostia discovered the oldest ritual bath (mikveh) known outside the land of Israel.

“A team of researchers identified and mapped a vast network of irrigation canals near Eridu, considered the oldest city in history.”

“Artificial intelligence has discovered ancient civilizations over 5,000 years old hidden beneath some of the world’s largest deserts, including one in the heart of the Dubai desert, without the use of a single shovel.”

The recently renovated Side Museum in southern Turkey has more than 3,000 artifacts and 9,000 coins on display.

“The 2,000-year-old lighthouse in the ancient city of Patara, built by Roman Emperor Nero in CE 64, is set to illuminate once again after centuries, as restoration efforts reach their final stages.”

The excavation director at Pisidian Antioch wants artifacts taken to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum in the early 20th century to be returned.

A German tourist was arrested when he tried to leave Greece with an ancient Greek marble column hidden in his car.

The Greek Reporter suggests the top 20 archaeological sites in the country.

A portion of the famous Torlonia Collection, locked away for most of the 20th century, will be displayed in North America for the first time, beginning with Chicago and then heading to Fort Worth and Montreal. The 58 sculptures in the exhibition largely date to the Roman Imperial Period.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Greece, Italy, Mesopotamia, Museums, New Exhibits, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

An article in the latest issue of Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament suggests that the Rephaim Valley should be located not in the vicinity of Jerusalem but east of the Elah Valley.

Excavations at Khirbat an-Nahas reveal a marked improvement in technology of copper mining in the early 10th century BC.

Experts are joining forces to protect what may be the last wild olive trees in Israel, located on kurkar ridges south of Haifa.

In an expansive article for Haaretz (subscription), Elon Gilad explains how modern Hebrew addressed the problem of the lack of fish terminology in biblical Hebrew.

Walking The Text’s latest video explores how the Bible uses the metaphor of “bedouin host” for God.

A new study reveals that Greco-Roman statues were “enriched with fragrances.”

With Purim being celebrated this week, Bryan Windle wrote an excellent illustrated essay on the top 10 discoveries related to the book of Esther. Archaeology has done much to illuminate this book!

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged 10th Century, Galilee, Holidays, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Jordan, Persia, Shephelah, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A marble statue of Hermes from the Roman Imperial Period was found during the 2024 excavation season in the ancient city of Aspendos.”

Smithsonian Magazine runs a feature article from a forthcoming book by Joshua Hammer about the four-way mid-19th-century race to decode the Akkadian language.

Researchers at Cornell University and Tel Aviv University are developing methods to use AI in the deciphering of cuneiform tablets.

A. Bernard Knapp explores the relationship between Cyprus and Ugarit in the Late Bronze Age. His recent book on the subject is free to read online.

“The 2,000-year-old water channels of the ancient city of Smyrna in Izmir continue to function as they did centuries ago.”

“The British Museum has just unveiled the winning design in an international architectural competition for the substantial revamp of the so-called Western Range of the museum.” This article in the Greek City Times wonders whether this renovation includes a space for the Parthenon Marbles.

An archaeological display of 50 artifacts sponsored by the Associates for Biblical Research will be exhibited over Easter weekend at the Creation Museum in Kentucky.

Available next month: Archaeology and the Ministry of the Apostle Paul: A Visual Guide, by David A. deSilva (Baker Academic, $33)

Zoom lecture on March 17: “From Online Auction to JTS Special Collections: How Two Historic Bibles Were Reunited in the JTS Library,” by David Moster

Hybrid lecture at Harvard on March 26: “Murder, Poetry, and Scribes in Ancient Egypt,” by Margaret Geoga

Michael Danti and John MacGinnis are guests on Thin End of the Wedge to discuss “Nimrud: Post-conflict Archaeology in the Heartland of Assyria.”

“The Institute of Classical Studies, in collaboration with the Faculty of Linguistics and the Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of Oxford, will offer two free, online semi-intensive courses in Phoenician.” One course is at the elementary level, the second is intermediate, and both are on Zoom.

Turkish Archaeological News reviews the most important discoveries in the month of February.

Paul L. Maier, ancient history scholar and author of Pontius Pilate, The Flames of Rome, and numerous other works, died last month.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Keith Keyser, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis

Tagged Lectures, Mesopotamia, Museums, New Exhibits, Sad News, Technology, Turkey, Weekend Roundup