Antiquities Trade Archives - Page 4 of 29

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

According to Haaretz, the recent excavations have found no traces of the Pool of Siloam.

Chandler Collins investigates “artificial platforms of massive proportions [that] altered Jerusalem’s landscape while also destroying or concealing remains of former times.”

Google Arts & Culture’s collections include a story on the Holy Places of Jerusalem, with many large, beautiful photographs.

Bible History Daily summarizes a recent study that argues that it is very unlikely that a ring bears the name of Pontius Pilate.

Daily Mail tells the story of the Shellal Mosaic, discovered by ANZAC soldiers near Tell el-Farah (South) during World War I.

Haaretz profiles the research of Guy Bar-Oz in his efforts to study the cultural history of trees in Israel.

As Adolfo Roitman nears retirement as curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Shrine of the Book, Israel21c reports on how he ended up in the position, with no museum experience or expertise in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

New episode on This Week in the Ancient Near East: “New Jerusalem Inscription Points to (Previously Known) Iron Age Spice Trade, Or, Solomon and Sheba Get Spicy?”

Hybrid conference on May 21-23: “Epigraphy in Judah: The Second International conference of the Roger and Susan Hertog Center for the Archaeological Study of Jerusalem and Judah”

The Oxford Centre for Hebrew & Jewish Studies is offering free Modern Hebrew Ulpanim courses on Zoom.

Bible Mapper continues to produce and release free maps of the biblical narrative and world:

If you have not entered the drawing for more than 30 prizes of the Photo Companion to the Bible, you have until tomorrow to do so. Everyone who enters receives the new “Top 50 Sites from Dan to Beersheba” PowerPoint.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Mark Hoffman, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Jerusalem, Lectures, Museums, Resources, Tomb of Jesus, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists have discovered the oldest pearling town on an island in the Persian Gulf.

Writing for Christianity Today, Mark Wilson recounts the history of Antioch on the Orontes, including its significant place in the early church and the numerous earthquakes it has suffered.

Jason Borges provides some essential information for visiting Antalya, a beautiful city on the southern coast of Turkey. I would add a day-trip recommendation for Termessos.

This 10-minute video explains the ancient craft of parchment-making, in the city which gave its name to parchment (Pergamum).

“The coveted metal copper and a sheltered location turned the Cypriot village of Hala Sultan Tekke into one of the most important trade hubs of the Late Bronze Age.”

“The exhibition ‘The colours of the Romans. Mosaics from the Capitoline Collections,’ on show in Rome’s Montemartini Museum, has been expanded to include a new section presenting 16 newly restored works dating from the late Roman period and never before shown in public.”

Entrance to the Pantheon in Rome will no longer be free.

The most expensive coin ever sold at auction was sold using false provenance and the owner of the auction house has been arrested.

“Governments, law enforcement officials and researchers have linked a mounting number of the Met’s relics to looters and traffickers.”

New release: The Public Lives of Ancient Women (500 BCE-650 CE), edited by Lucinda Dirven, Martijn Icks, and Sofie Remijsen (Brill, $143).

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Italy, Mediterranean Islands, New Exhibits, Persia, Resources, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Andy Cook was at the Pool of Siloam excavations on Thursday, and he interviewed an archaeologist working there about what’s next.

“The recently renovated Davidson Center Archaeological Garden in Jerusalem’s Old City opened an exhibition on Monday featuring a number of rare and ancient artifacts related to the Temple Menorah.”

Joe Zias looks at some unknown inscriptions on the “Tomb of Absalom” in Jerusalem and suggests renaming the monument the “Tomb of Zacharias,” father of John the Baptist.

A Herodian wall and Second Temple period burial caves at Samaria-Sebaste has been destroyed by road construction.

“Military officials intercepted an antiquities-smuggling ring in the West Bank.” The Jerusalem Post story reports on several other recent antiquities busts.

A seven-mile stretch of the Jordan River south of the Sea of Galilee is being cleaned of its pollution and developed for tourism.

Aren Maeir recounts his two-day trek in eastern Samaria, including a climb up Sartaba.

Adam Montefiore, known as the English voice of Israeli wines, looks at the history of winemaking in the land of Israel.

Seetheholyland.net has added a page for the newly discovered tomb of Salome.

Phillip J. Long writes about the traditional location of the Garden of Gethsemane and the nearby grotto.

Accordance is offering 40-74% off on many graphics resources, including several of our photo collections. Ends Monday.

HT: Agade

Pool of Siloam excavations, March 16. Photo by Andy Cook (Experience Israel Now)

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Excavations, Jerusalem, Jordan Rift, Museums, New Exhibits, Photo Resources, Shephelah, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Scholars have long wondered if an Amorite language existed, until the discovery of two tablets written at least partially in the language.

“An archeological site at Girsu, in modern-day south-central Iraq, a major city in the ancient Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer, has been unearthed revealing a palace and a temple that date back over 4000 years.”

Egyptian police discovered a fake tomb created to defraud antiquities traffickers.

Kim Phillips addresses questions of what’s real and what’s hype in the sale of Codex Sassoon.

Eric Cline explains how the recently discovered evidence of a drought in 1198-1196 adds to our knowledge of the collapse of the Hittite Empire and other societies.

France 24 shows drone footage of the earthquake damage to Turkey’s Gaziantep castle.

“It’s still an open question among scholars whether Mycenaeans participated in long-distance metallurgical trade in the Bronze Age. The mythological narratives found in Greek literary tradition suggest they did.”

“The UK is working on a new arrangement with Greece through which the Parthenon Sculptures could be seen both in London and in Athens.”

Greece has announced a four-year renovation project of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Online lecture on Feb 28, 10am: “Excavations at Nineveh and Nimrud in 2022.” Join by Zoom here, or watch the recording a few days later here.

New York tells the story of Michael Steinhardt and the investigation of his antiquities collection.

New release: The Most Extraordinary Life: Discovering the Real Jesus, by Bob Rognlien. Also on Kindle.

My colleague William Varner has just published his latest work, The Preacher and the Song: A Fresh Look at Ecclesiastes & Song of Songs.

HT: Agade, Explorator, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Dickson, Alexander Schick, Ted Weis

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Bryan Windle highlights the top three reports in biblical archaeology in January 2023.

Expedition Bible’s latest video considers whether the archaeological evidence supports the authenticity of the traditional tomb of Lazarus in Bethany.

Carl Rasmussen shares some musings from his recent tour of Israel.

In preparing a map for the Bible Mapper Blog, David Barrett identified the hill of Ammah in the pool of Gibeon story (2 Sam 2) with el-Qubeiba, which has also been identified as the Emmaus of Luke 24.

Antiquities police caught a couple of thieves at the bottom of a pit, after they had already caused irreversible damage to a 1st-century winepress in western Galilee.

Antiquities thieves who had discovered an ancient sarcophagus at the site of Samaria were caught by authorities.

Aren Maeir has collected a number of videos where he discusses the Philistines and his excavations of the city of Gath.

The Israel Antiquities Authority has begun moving into its new home at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of the Land of Israel in Jerusalem.

The Great Isaiah Scroll arrived at what is now known as the Albright Institute on February 19, 1948. To celebrate the 75th anniversary, Marcello Fidanzio will be lecturing on Qumran Cave 1 and the Great Isaiah Scroll on February 21 at the Israel Museum.

“The Tel Shimron Experience is a 5-day, 6-night archaeological excursion in Israel where you will have the opportunity to participate in a real archaeological dig.” The price is similar to a 3-week half-season, so you are effectively paying for the privilege of a shorter commitment.

A heygo tour of “The Colosseum Inside” is planned for tomorrow morning.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Excavations, Galilee, Italy, Jerusalem, Lectures, Philistines, Samaria, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Archaeologists have now finished a chronological mapping of Megiddo, with radiocarbon dates for the two dozen layers of habitation from the Early Bronze Age to the end of Iron II.

Archaeologists excavating a deep rock-hewn moat along the northern side of Jerusalem’s Old City walls have discovered a handprint carved into the stone.

Not all scholars agree that the name of David is on the Mesha Stele.

The Technion and the University of Haifa’s School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures have launched a joint initiative to support cooperation between the two institutions in archaeological sciences, especially microarchaeological research.

“Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly promised King Abdullah II that the status quo on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem will be preserved.”

“Jerusalem’s Tower of David was never built to be accessible.” The Times of Israel gives the backstory on the ingenuity required to make the ancient fortress accessible to those with disabilities.

Chandler Collins writes about a significant geographical feature in Jerusalem that he calls the “Fortress Saddle.” This was the city’s most vulnerable area on its most vulnerable side.

The Mardigian Museum has opened in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter, documenting the community’s history and serving as a memorial to the Armenian Genocide.

“A riveting new exhibition, titled ‘Peace and War: The Assyrian Conquest of Lachish,’ will open on January 30 in the Lynn H. Wood Archaeology Museum on Southern Adventist University’s campus.” I’m not sure how much “peace” was involved in the Assyrian conquest.

Excavations at ancient Capitolias, a city of the Decapolis in modern Jordan, are shedding light on the production of glass in the Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad periods.

A former director of the Citadel Museum in Amman, Jordan, was convicted of stealing 6,000 ancient coins and replacing them with forgeries.

Oded Lipschits will be giving a series of lectures in the UK in honor of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society’s Diamond Jubilee between February 20 and March 6. One of them will be online: “New Light on Jerusalem and its Surroundings during the Reign of King Manasseh,” on March 2. Registration required.

Preserving Bible Times has released The Bible: Its Land and Culture, Session 4, including Galilee aerial videos, cultural vignettes, and biblical culture.

Nathan Steinmeyer gives advice on finding the right archaeological dig to join. This is also the topic of an OnScript Biblical World podcast with Steinmeyer, Chris McKinny, and Kyle Keimer.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Explorator

Excavations at the Pool of Siloam this week; photos by John Black

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Jordan, Lectures, Museums, New Exhibits, Resources, Temple Mount, Tourism, Weekend Roundup