Archaeologists found two well-preserved marble busts from the Roman era in a Byzantine winepress near the coastal town of Binyamina.

Ariel David writes about the recently published mother-of-pearl seal found at Tel Hadid. Zev Stub reports on the artifact for The Times of Israel.

Avraham Faust has proposed that a massive cultic stone (massebah) at Tel ‘Eton was toppled as part of Hezekiah’s reforms.

Abigail Van Huss reports on the final week of excavations this year at Shiloh.

Lauren K. McCormick writes about the 1st-century synagogue at Tel Rekhesh in Galilee.

This week’s Jerusalem Tracker identifies the latest blog posts, digital resources, developments, and upcoming events.

David Begoun describes his first visit to see the Madaba Map.

Clinton Moyer gives an overview of Lawrence H. Schiffman’s BAR article on the temple in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The second international “Archaeology and Site Conservation in Judea and Samaria” conference was more controversial than the first one.

Conference at the Albright on July 7-9: “The Eleventh Century CE: Archaeology and History: An International Conference.” Register here.

On the Biblical World podcast, Jason Borges talks with Chris McKinny about his book, Christian Life in the Greco-Roman City.

On Digging for Truth, Ted Wright discusses ancient creation myths.

Following the death of a US citizen, his family returned to Egypt “a granite sphinx head, a bronze hippopotamus figurine, a double bronze statue of a king, and a bronze statue of the Egyptian deity Sobek.”

“The Israeli government on Tuesday approved designating Route 60 — the highway stretching from Nazareth in the north to Beersheba in the south and passing through some of the most significant sites in history—as the ‘Biblical Highway.’” This includes the ridge route known to students as the “Road of the Patriarchs.” When looking for more information, I found a 2023 movie entitled “Route 60: The Biblical Highway.” It’s curious to me that the trailer never once shows any part of the ancient route.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken

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A 7th-century BC mother-of-pearl stamp seal discovered at Tel Hadid depicts a moon standard, a worshiper, and a possible altar.

Early residents of Moza, near Jerusalem, used a sophisticated plaster technology that “bears on a long-standing puzzle in geology known as the ‘dolomite problem.’”

A 12-year-old boy discovered an ancient gemstone while excavating at Korazim.

Abigail the Archaeologist reports on week two of the Shiloh excavations.

“A new exhibition from the University of Haifa opened last weekend at the Silk Road Virtual Museum, an international initiative that tells the story of the Silk Road through dozens of heritage sites and archaeological finds from across the region.

Jeremy D. Smoak writes about the function of the Ketef Hinnom amulets in ancient religious practice. The article appears to be based on his book.

New release: The Oxford Handbook of Josephus, edited by Kenneth Atkinson ($208; Amazon)

All Israel News has posted a 7-minute video about the Great Isaiah Scroll exhibit.

Bible Mapper Atlas has added slideshows and virtual walking tours of many biblical locations. For one example, see the links below the map of Jesus’ Ministry beyond Israel.

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

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An impressive 50-meter long tunnel, of unknown date and purpose, was discovered near Ramat Rahel south of Jerusalem. The tunnel is well-built with a staircase and entrance, and it probably dates to the Roman period or earlier.

An 8-year-old boy found a Roman-era statuette fragment while on a family hike in Makhtesh Ramon.

The Great Isaiah Scroll exhibition re-opened to the public yesterday and will be on display for the next four months.

Two rare and ancient coins allegedly smuggled out of Israel were returned by the US this week. The Persian-era tetradrachm is only the second known of its kind.

Adele Berlin writes about Psalm 122’s perspective of ancient Jerusalem.

Danny Jones discusses new research on the origins of the Philistines on Digging for Truth.

New release: The Names of Jerusalem: Jewish, Christian and Islamic Traditions, by Aaron Demsky, Christophe Rico, Iraj Sheidaee (Polis Institute, $32)

Westminster Books is running a sale on the five available volumes of the Lexham Geographic Commentary. (One volume is yet to come.) They are excellent.

First time on sale for Kindle: The Realia Jesus: An Archaeological Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, by David A. Fiensy ($2.99; paperback $34; Logos $22)

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken

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Bible Archaeology Report lists the top ten discoveries related to Ezra and Nehemiah. Every discovery is illustrated by at least one photo, and the post has 27 footnotes pointing to additional resources.

Don Binder gives a little history of the Nea Church in Jerusalem, its excavation in the 1970s, and its inaccessibility ever since.

Bible Mapper has released a clickable, searchable Hebrew calendar that includes festivals and seasonal activities.

Lauren McCormick summarizes a recent article by Mark Wilson that argues that the Ethiopian eunuch may have been a Jewish administrator.

“Bread baked according to an ancient Roman recipe was sold for the first time in 2,000 years at Pompeii.”

According to a new study, the stadium at Perga was repurposed into a gladiatorial and execution arena, and five “Gates of Death” were designed to release animals into the combat area.

A exhibition on Troy will open in June at the Colosseum in Rome.

Significant changes are being made at four temples in Luxor to improve the visitor experience.

Three 18th-dynasty tombs in Luxor are being reopened after conservation work.

A new theory proposes that 16 ramps were used to build the Great Pyramid of Khufu in a period of as little as 14 years.

Christopher Rollston is on The Book and the Spade talking about Dead Sea Scrolls research related to the current exhibit at the Museum of the Bible.

The Vanderbilt Divinity Library is soft launching the new Art in the Christian Tradition website.

HT: Agade, Explorator, Roger Schmidgall

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Turkish Archaeological News rounds up the top stories for the month of March.

Owen Jarus asks what happened to the Minoan civilization.

Bryan Windle reviews the top three reports in biblical archaeology in the month of March.

Why did the Israelites make a golden calf? John Drummond gives a good answer.

New release: Phoenician Inscriptions, by Robert D. Holmstedt, Aaron Schade, Philip C. Schmitz (SBL Press, 396 pages, $70; Amazon)

Baker Academic is offering 40% off new books with code BARSPRING26, including:

Gordon Govier writes about the Dead Sea Scrolls now on display at the Museum of the Bible. The museum also extended its exhibition of the Megiddo Mosaic through December.

HT: Agade, Alexander Schick, Explorator

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The Israel Museum will open to visitors on Monday, but the Great Isaiah Scroll exhibition is temporarily closed. Holy sites in Jerusalem re-opened this week.

Haaretz reports on the Great Isaiah Scroll exhibit that lasted not four months but four days. The article gives the history of the scroll since its discovery in 1947.

Legends of the Lost Ark, a docudrama with Chris McKinny, is in theaters for only three days: April 12, 14, and 15. Click here for showtimes in your area, tickets, and a link to the trailer.

Ran Silberman writes about the search for the ark of the covenant, and he asks if new technology might help to locate it underneath the Temple Mount.

Jerusalem Tracker 14.2 identifies the latest resources about Jerusalem in blogs, audio, video, and more.

New release: Jacob: The Story of a Family, by Jonathan Grossman (Koren, 769 pages, $35; Amazon)

Online lecture on April 23: “Hidden Treasures: Cryptic Cherubim in the New Testament,” by Chris McKinny. Chris will also be teaching a summer online course entitled “The Ark of the Covenant: A Biography.”

Zoom lecture on April 29: “New Excavations at Nessana, Negev: Late Antique Pilgrimage Hub on the Desert Fringe,” by Yana Tchekhanovets

Sy Gitin’s The Road Taken: An Archaeologist’s Journey to the Land of the Bible has dropped in price from $30 to $11.

HT: Agade, Alexander Schick, Explorator

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