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Weekend Roundup

“Excavations at the ancient city of Smyrna in central Izmir have uncovered a mosaic floor featuring a ‘Solomon’s Knot’ motif.”

Nathan Steinmeyer writes about the latest discoveries at the house believed to have once belonged to Nero’s second wife.

A new IAA research project plans to trace the origin of thousands of pottery vessels based on the mineral and chemical composition of the pottery kiln.

“The Huqoq Excavation Consortium will benefit from a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of State to the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research.”

Aren Maeir attended the Jerusalem and Samaria conference which included visits to Samaria and Mount Ebal. His beautiful photos fit with my observation that January is the best month for taking photos in Israel.

Protected archaeological sites have inadvertently become safe harbors for plants and animals.

BibleMapper’s latest audio-visual reading is of Joshua 17, illustrating the description of the tribal territory of Manasseh.

The Great Isaiah Scroll: A Voice from the Desert, edited by Marcell Fidanzio, was written to accompany the special Israel Museum exhibit on the scroll, which I’m told will go on display in late February.

Jerusalem Seminary is offering several free lectures in the coming weeks:

Jan 24: Baruch Haba: An Introductory Lesson in Biblical Hebrew
Jan 30: The Torah that Jesus Read – Insights into God’s First Words, by Baruch Kvasnica
Feb 7: Bethsaida: Discovering the Last Lost City of the Gospels, by Ethan Knapp

The British Museum is hiring a treasure hunter to recover its lost Greek and Roman artifacts.

Gabriel Barkay’s life is remembered by Zachi Dvira, Chandler Collins, the Jerusalem University College, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel.

HT: Jack Sasson, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Galilee, Italy, Lectures, Resources, Sad News, Technology, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Archaeologists working at the site of Abusir, one of the main burial grounds of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, have uncovered an extensive temple complex dedicated to the solar deity.”

A large, well-preserved mosaic from the 4th-6th centuries AD was discovered in Antakya (biblical Antioch) during rebuilding work following the 2023 earthquake.

Workers in Rome are using lasers and spending $1 million to clean the 154-foot-tall Column of Marcus Aurelius.

Hurriyet Daily News surveys Turkey’s top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2025. Daily Sabah gives a month-by-month review of top finds.

Turkish Archaeological News surveys the major stories in the month of December, including a new maritime exhibition area opening at the Troy Museum and some rare evidence of Phoenicians in ancient Anatolia.

National Geographic writes about 2025 archaeological discoveries related to the Bible (subscription required)

PaleoJudaica has posted its top ten list for 2025.

Bryan Windle identifies the top three reports in biblical archaeology for the month of December.

Daniel Justel writes about children in the ancient (and present-day) Near East. “He recently edited a special edition volume for the journal Childhood in the Past, entitled Children in the Ancient Near East.”

“Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has made public a rare historical intelligence document concerning Thomas Edward Lawrence, widely known in the West as ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ shedding light on how British intelligence activities were perceived and monitored in the late Ottoman and early Republican periods.”

Friends of ASOR webinar on Jan 21: “Experiencing Khirbet et-Tannur: The Story of a Nabatean Temple from the Second through 21st Century,” by Sarah Wenner

Owen Jarus identifies six ancient cities archaeologists have never found, including Akkad and Al-Yahudu.

Citizens and tourists are invited to visit the Jerash Archaeological Museum, the oldest in the country of Jordan.

The palace of Pella, where Alexander the Great was born and grew up, is now open to visitors.

Tehran Times has a short illustrated article on the ancient city of Susa.

“Archaeological artifacts should not be for sale in thrift shops. But putting them in a museum is harder than it sounds.”

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Lectures, Persia, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A ritual bath was discovered in excavations beneath the Western Wall Plaza. A sealed layer of ash indicates that the mikveh was in use until the Roman destruction in AD 70. The 2-minute video shows imagery of the large space being excavated underneath the prayer plaza.

An extraordinary stalactite cave has been discovered near Ofra in Samaria.

The Great Isaiah Scroll was originally two scrolls, written separately and then joined together. The break is between (what was later marked as) chapters 33 and 34.

“A new version of a bill whose purpose is to extend Israeli authority over antiquities and heritage sites in the West Bank, aims to include Areas A and B — where the Palestinian Authority has civilian control — under the scope of its applicability.”

Some very old cedar beams on the Temple Mount were left uncovered, provoking a protest.

The Times of Israel interviews Avraham Faust and Zev Farber about their new book, The Bible’s First Kings – Uncovering the Story of Saul, David, and Solomon. “The book brings together archaeology, anthropology, and biblical scholarship to support the thesis that the kingdom did exist and that findings from the ground offer evidence for it.”

The Biblical Archaeology Society has posted a list of excavation opportunities for 2026, including Azekah, Dan, el-Araj, En-Gedi, Hazor, Jerusalem, and Tel Shimron. They also are offering Dig Scholarships of $2,000 to qualified individuals. They are also accepting donations for scholarships.

The theme of the latest volume of ‘Atiqot is “Archaeological Perspectives on Water Use and Management.” All articles are available for download.

Zoom lecture on Jan 13: “Herod’s Many Faces as Reflected in His Art and Architecture,” by Orit Peleg-Barkat

Religion in Ancient Israel: Essays in Honour of John Day, edited by Katherine E. Southwood, Stuart Weeks, and H.G.M. Williamson (Bloomsbury, $87-106)

Accordance is selling many photo collections at 40-67% off, through Monday.

Israel’s Good Name reports on his visit to the Israel Aquarium in Jerusalem.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator, Paleojudaica

Tagged 10th Century, Dead Sea Scrolls, Discoveries, Excavations, Jerusalem, Lectures, Photo Resources, Resources, Samaria, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists have discovered a luxurious pleasure barge from the Ptolemaic era in the harbor of Alexandria.

A 20-year renovation project of the Colossi of Memnon has been completed. These two giant alabaster statutes in Luxor depict Amenhotep III.

“Italian authorities said on Friday they had arrested 34 ‘tomb raiders’ suspected of looting treasures from archaeological sites in Sicily and the neighboring region of Calabria.”

The NY Times writes about the contribution of Itiner-e, the new dataset of all roads in the Roman empire (gift link).

A rainstorm turned waters draining into the Persian Gulf blood red.

BAS Dig Scholarship winners share their experiences excavating at el-Araj (Bethsaida), Azekah, Antiochia ad Cragum, Iklaina, Sanisera, and Keros.

A three-month exhibition entitled “Nefertari: Reviving the Beauty of the Most Beautiful: The Tomb and Its Story” is on display at the (old) Egyptian Museum.

New release: Persia’s Greek Campaigns: Kingship, War, and Spectacle on the Achaemenid Frontier, by John O. Hyland (Oxford University Press, $140; Amazon)

All nine volumes of Die Bibel in der Kunst | Bible in the Arts are available online. Some of the articles are in English.

“The Guardian of Amphipolis” is a 15-minute documentary about the kid who discovered the famous tomb of Amphipolis and spent his life protecting archaeological treasures in the area.

On Digging for Truth, Bryan Windle examines the evidence for the claim that the Christmas holiday has pagan roots. If you prefer a text version, you can find that here.

HT: Agade, Alexander Schick, Ted Weis, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations, Greece, Holidays, Italy, Museums, New Exhibits, Persia, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

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 rare clay oil lamp from the Hasmonean era was uncovered at the Nebi Samwil archaeological site northwest of Jerusalem on Sunday evening, the first night of Hanukkah.”

The Times of Israel runs a story about the previously reported Assyrian-era tombs in the Jezreel Valley.

David Ramati writes about some of the more recent studies related to Masada.

The Times of Israel explains the importance of the Mount of Olives, including important people buried there and controversy over the building of a visitor center.

“A new computational tool developed at the University of Haifa is changing how archaeologists document and analyze ancient ruins, using drone imagery and machine learning to reveal architectural patterns that cannot be identified from ground level.”

“In an apostolic letter dated December 11, 2025, Pope Leo XIV has placed Christian archaeology at the core of the Church’s intellectual and pastoral mission.”

On The Book and the Spade, Joan Taylor makes a case against Bethlehem being a little town when Jesus was born.

Leon Mauldin shares a panoramic photo of the Sorek Valley and Zorah, taken from Beth Shemesh.

New release: Tel Miqne-Ekron 14/1: Objects and Material Culture Studies: Middle Bronze Age II Through Iron Age II, edited by Seymour (Sy) Gitin (Eisenbrauns, $98 with code NR26)

New release: Tel Nagila: The Amiran/Eitan Excavations, edited by Joe Uziel, David Ilan, Matthew Susnow, and Aren M. Maeir (De Gruyter, $220)

The Hasmonean palaces at Jericho (Tulul Abu el-Alayiq) will be open to visitors tomorrow and Monday, and funds have been allocated to develop the site as a heritage destination in the coming year.

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.

HT: Agade, Alexander Schick, Andy Cook, Ted Weis, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Holidays, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Jordan Rift, Museums, Philistines, Resources, Samaria, Shephelah, Technology, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Italian scientists have confirmed a large underground complex beneath the Giza Plateau using satellite data.

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

Reporters were invited to view renovation work in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Some areas will reopen in 2027.

The Times of Israel interviewed Thomas Levy in connection with the release of his graphic autobiography.

Ben and Ann Witherington are hosting a tour of Egypt in early 2027.

Appian Way has produced a 7-minute video explaining why the Madaba Map is so important for biblical studies.

New release: Jehu’s Tribute: What Can Biblical Studies Offer Assyriology?, edited by Jeffrey L. Cooley and Rannfrid I. Lasine Thelle (Eisenbrauns, $100, or cheaper at Amazon)

New release: 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)

New release: Past Perfect? The Archaeologies of Mandate Palestine 1917-1948, by Raz Kletter (90 euros)

The Biblical Archaeology Society is offering several classes in 2026:

“Women in the New Testament and Early Christianity,” taught by Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
“Historically Confirmed Figures in the Hebrew,” by Lawrence Mykytiuk
“Ancient Texts and Scribes,” by Alice Mandell

A seminar of Ancient and Medieval Middle East (AMME) at the University of Helsinki will feature two talks on ancient waste:

“Trash and Treasure: Con-textualizing Trash at Oxyrhynchus,” by AnneMarie Luijendijk (Zoom)
“Down the Drain: What Trash Reveals about Bathing Culture in Late Antique Jerash,” by Louise Blanke (Zoom)

The Ancient Near East Today lists the top archaeological discoveries of the year.

Archaeology Magazine identifies the top 10 discoveries of 2025.

The AP posts drone footage of the Colosseum of Rome.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Alexander Schick, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Italy, Jordan, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup