The Ultra-Orthodox are upset that the French government won’t allow entrance into the Tomb of the Kings in Jerusalem. The French claim that they have renovated the site and with the right assurances, they will open it to the public.

A long tunnel has been covertly dug underneath the “Tomb of David” on Mount Zion and now some people are mad.

The large number of tourists visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem has led to the development of an app that will handle reservations.

“The inauguration ceremony of Egypt’s new Greco-Roman Museum [in Alexandria] will be held by the end of 2019.”

Three ancient cities in Crete are the focus of an exhibit at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, Greece.

Harvey Mudd College is giving its Cypriot artifacts to the University of Cyprus.

Don McNeeley shares a report on the 2018 annual meeting of the Near East Archaeological Society.
You can join the society here.

The video is now online for the 2018 Plenary Address for the ASOR Annual Meeting: “Between Looters, Private Collectors, and Warlords: Does Archaeology Stand a Chance?” by Hélène Sader, Professor of Archaeology, American University of Beirut.

Tali Erickson-Gini is on The Book and the Spade talking about the Timna Park excavations and the opportunity for the public to volunteer.

Wayne Stiles compares Peter’s boast in the Upper Room to his failure in the Garden of Gethsemane to find application today.

That “ark of the covenant” in the church in Ethiopia—it’s a replica.

Rick Lanser believes he has evidence that supports the birth of Jesus on Nisan 1, 6 BC.

Ferrell Jenkins’s favorite photos this week include Hasankef, the Roman road near Saglikli, and Riblah.

Justin Taylor interviews the filmmaker who has created “The Chosen,” the first-ever multi-season drama about the life of Christ.

HT: Joseph Lauer, Agade, Ted Weis

The discovery of a cuneiform fragment at Tel Mikhmoret recorded a slave sale and revealed physical evidence of the presence of Babylonians in biblical Samaria.”

Authorities have recovered from antiquities thieves a Neolithic stone ritual mask that comes from the Hebron hills.

Archaeologists have found evidence for trephination in a Late Bronze tomb at Megiddo (Haaretz premium).

“In one of the largest tombs ever found in Luxor, Egypt, archaeologists have discovered a sarcophagus holding the mummy of a woman named Pouyou who lived during the 18th dynasty.”

Egyptian officials announced that treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun will tour ten cities in the world prior to the 2020 opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. The exhibit is currently in Los Angeles and then heads to Paris. The other cities have not yet been announced.

“Inside the Cloak-and-Dagger Search for Sacred Texts” is in this month’s issue of National Geographic. As you would expect, the text is engaging and the photos beautiful.

“National Geographic has commissioned leading British indie production company, Caravan to produce The Bible from Space, a two-part documentary special which reveals the truth behind the biggest, most incredible stories from the Old Testament.” You can be sure that any TV production which promises to “reveal the truth” does not.

Carl Rasmussen is having second thoughts about the route of Paul’s ship from Chios to Miletus.

Luke Chandler is leading a tour of Israel in June, with the option to stay longer and join an archaeological excavation.

SourceFlix has released a 4-minute video about Tel Dibon, including footage of an early-morning fly-over. Ferrell Jenkins writes about the same site and provides some nice photographs.

A board game dating to the time of Abraham, the Royal Game of Ur, is making a comeback in Iraq.

The online Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled “Biblical Archaeology: The Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Judah” begins on Wednesday.

The Institute of Biblical Culture is offering your choice of a free class.

If you’re not a subscriber to the BiblePlaces Newsletter, you can sign up in a few seconds. We send about three issues a year, with one coming next week.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Charles Savelle

Appian Media has released a trailer for their new series, “Searching for a King.” They have some impressive footage. They also are asking for some quick help with a survey.

“At the annual meeting this week of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Denver, Colorado, scholars will discuss whether to rechristen the 118-year-old society on the grounds that its moniker is irrelevant and racist.” There’s more here.

Mary Shepperson recounts the “turbulent life” of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq. The article includes some interesting photos.

Iraqi technicians are restoring ancient Babylon under a U.S.-funded project, with the goal of making the site worthy of UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

New book: Archaeogaming: An Introduction to Archaeology in and of Video Games, by Andrew Reinhard.

Mosaics looted from Turkey and sold to Bowling Green State University are now being returned.

Lawrence Schiffman explains how Dead Sea Scroll forgeries were exposed by high-tech tests.

Yosef Garfinkel’s recent lecture at the Lanier Theological Library is now online, and Carl Rasmussen recommends it. The library has also made available many seminar videos from 2012 to present.

Artofthe.Bible is a new catalog of 5,800 works of art from wikimedia arranged in 116 Bible stories.

“A Biblical Spice Rack” was published in Bible Review in 1997 and is now available online through Bible History Daily.

Robert Alter has completed his translation of the entire Hebrew Bible. It will be released in time for
Christmas. (An Amazon coupon code good through today will save $5 off purchase of $20 or more: NOVBOOK18.)

HT: Joseph Lauer, Agade, Ted Weis, Mark Hoffman, Charles Savelle, Chris McKinny

The nymphaeum in downtown Amman has reopened to the public.

A Palestinian was caught trying to smuggle 70 ancient coins from Jordan into the West Bank.

Another man was arrested for trying to smuggle two tetradrachm from the time of Alexander the Great out of Gaza.

The Guardian posts a review of the “I am Ashurbanipal” exhibit that opened this week at the British Museum.

The British Museum Shop offers a number of interesting items related to the Ashurbanipal exhibit.

The Vatican Museums are considering putting a daily cap on the number of visitors.

A new festschrift honors Aren Maier: Tell it in Gath: Studies in the History and Archaeology of Israel.

Ada Yardeni’s final book, The National Hebrew Script, is now available for pre-order at Carta.

New from Baylor University Press: Magdala of Galilee: A Jewish City in the Hellenistic and Roman Period, edited by Richard Bauckham.

The Land and the Book audio program visits the Oriental Institute Museum.

Scott Stripling, Scott Lanser, and Henry Smith discuss “Relating the Bible to Archaeology” in the latest episode of Digging for Truth.

Flash floods in Jordan killed 12 and forced the evacuation of 4,000 in Petra. Here’s another video and several more showing the deadly torrent.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Charles Savelle, Ted Weis, Paleojudaica, Alexander Schick

An archaeological team working at Hatnub in Egypt has discovered the ancient system used to transfer stone blocks from the quarry.

Egyptian archaeologists have discovered parts of a booth with a seat from the time of Ramses II.

“Archeologists at the University of Toronto are in advanced negotiations with Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism to establish an archeological park at Tell Tayinat.”

Over 2 million tourists visit Pamukkale in Turkey annually, but many of them never see the impressive remains of Hierapolis next door. Ferrell Jenkins shares a beautiful photo of the Pamukkale springs.

“Lawrence of Oxford” is a new exhibition at the Magdalene Libraries and Archives that focuses on the early life of the man later known as Lawrence of Arabia.

The Harvard Semitic Museum Youtube channel offers various short videos as well as lectures.

A relief from Persepolis valued at $1.2 million was stolen a couple of times before researches at the

Oriental Institute helped provide evidence that led to its seizure and repatriation.

A rare, 3,000-year-old Assyrian relief sold for $31 million, tripling the pre-sale estimate of $10 million.

New book: A. Lichtenberger & R. Raja, eds., The Archaeology and History of Jerash. 110 Years of Excavations.

HT: Ted Weis, Charles Savelle, Agade, A.D. Riddle

An intact 2,400-year-old ancient Greek shipwreck, believed to be the world’s oldest, has been found at the bottom of the Black Sea.

The Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. announced that independent testing revealed that five of its Dead Sea Scroll fragments “show characteristics inconsistent with ancient origin and therefore will no longer be displayed at the museum.” Kipp Davis, who initially questioned their authenticity, thinks that more fragments held by American institutions will be proven to be forgeries.


Haaretz (premium) has an article on the new excavations at Tel Shimron, a biblical site that is three times larger than Megiddo.

At least 19 people were killed when a flash flood swept away a group of students touring on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea.

The Smithsonian magazine looks at the work of Virtual Wonders in using drone and other advanced technology to create extremely detailed 3D models of Petra. The article includes a video preview of their work.

“For a video game that includes bloody mercenaries, extraterrestrial beings, and time travel, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is shockingly faithful to our contemporary historical understanding of what Ancient Greece looked like during its golden age.”

Leon Mauldin shares photos and descriptions of Troas and Gamla.

Two new books on ancient Israel:

HT: Ted Weis, Keith Keyser, Charles Savelle, Agade