Egypt Archives - BiblePlaces.com

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A team from Johns Hopkins believes they have identified alphabetic writing that dates to 2400 BC.

Israel Finkelstein and Tallay Ornan have published an article in Tel Aviv (open-access) of recent finds at Tall adh-Dhahab al-Gharbi, and they suggest that the site is biblical Mahanaim. (They locate Penuel at the adjacent site to the east, the reverse of how I would identify them based on the sequence in Genesis 32.) In any case, this is an important study on a pair of neglected sites. The article is summarized by Israel365 News.

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities denies that the Great Pyramid is being destroyed.

Scientists have discovered hallucinogenic residue in a 2,000-year-old Egyptian vase.

Jaafar Jotheri, professor of geoarchaeology, shares his thoughts on the past, present, and future of archaeology and Assyriology in Iraq.

Zoom lecture on Dec 17: “Visual Strategies in the Art and Archaeology of the Achaemenid Empire,” by Pierfrancesco Callieri

The second Digital Ancient Near Eastern Studies Conference will be held as a virtual event on December 5 and 6.

J. Cheryl Exum, longtime professor at the University of Sheffield, died recently.

Colin Renfrew, founding director of McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, died recently.

Bryan Windle reviews the top three biblical archaeological reports for the month of November.

Apparently, not everything in Gladiator II is historically accurate.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Persia, Sad News, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A new study of DNA extracted from the bones inside Pompeii’s famous plaster casts has largely debunked long-held assumptions based solely on the physical appearance and positioning of the casts.”

The Pompeii Archaeological Park is now limiting the number of daily visitors to 20,000 and using timed personalized tickets with the visitors’ full names.

In a new program sponsored by Airbnb, some tourists will be chosen to participate in a mock gladiatorial fight inside Rome’s Colosseum.

An amulet depicting the “prophet Solomon” was discovered in Karabük, Turkey.

The earring holes on King Tut’s famous golden mask indicate that it was originally created for a female or child.

“Scientists at Chicago’s Field Museum are studying Egyptian mummies using a mobile CT scanner.”

Ellie Bennett tells the story of one of the “Queen of the Arabs” mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions.

“On Sunday, November 17, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, followed by a keynote from 6:00-7:30 PM, the George Washington University Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations & the Capitol Archaeological Institute will co-host an international symposium focused on the Amarna Letters, a collection of 14th-century BCE diplomatic correspondence which offers a rare insight into the political dynamics of the ancient Near East.” Register here for the full day, or here for the keynote.

Virtual tour on Nov 20: “Rome’s Legendary Emperors: Nero, Hadrian, and Constantine”

Available for preorder on Logos: Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul: A Visual Guide, by David A. deSilva ($28). This is the first of three planned volumes.

New release: The Labors of Idrimi: Inscribing the Past, Shaping the Present at Late Bronze Age Alalah, by Jacob Lauinger (SBL Press, $58-$78; open-access ebook).

New release: The Archaeology of the ‘Margins’: Studies on Ancient West Asia in Honour of Peter M.M.G. Akkermans, edited by Bleda S. Düring and Jo-Hannah Plug (Sidestone, €15+; read online for free)

Barbara Aland, former director of the Institute for New Testament Textual Research, died earlier this week.

Dan Diffendale has posted many thousands of photos, organized by albums on Flickr. He has written a short guide to using them.

“Biblical Field Studies are funded study trips to biblical sites in Turkey for Bible scholars and teachers in the Majority World. The program is designed to equip Christian teachers and professors who work in the Majority World by introducing them to the geographical, historical, and social contexts of early Christianity. The 2025 trip (June 11–18, 2025) will visit the sites related to the Seven Churches of Revelation and the Seven Ecumenical Councils.”

There will be no roundup next weekend. If you will be attending ETS or SBL, stop by the BiblePlaces booth and say hi.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Mark Hoffman, Ted Weis, Wayne Stiles, Paleojudaica

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Lectures, Museums, Photo Resources, Resources, Sad News, Technology, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A tiny house full of exquisite frescos has been discovered in the ancient city of Pompeii.”

“Thessaloniki offers visitors 2,300-plus years of history, tremendous shopping, and a Jewish story like no other in Europe.”

“A recent British Museum video reveals that the ‘oldest map of the world in the world’ on a clay tablet from Babylon was deciphered to reveal a surprisingly familiar story.

Despite claims to the contrary, ancient peppermint was not found in the Giza Pyramids.

Bryan Windle surveys the top three reports from biblical archaeology in the month of October.

Bible History Daily remembers Donald B. Redford.

In the latest episode of Thin Edge of the Wedge, Simo Parpola reflects on his career and the State Archives of Assyria project.

Friends of ASOR Zoom webinar on Nov 6: “Beyond the Museum Walls: Engaging with Archaeology and New Media,” with panelists Michael Zimmerman, Sarah Beckmann, Deidre Brin, and Adam Aja

New release: To Eat or Not to Eat: Studies on the Biblical Dietary Prohibitions, by Peter Altmann and Anna Angelini (Mohr Siebeck, €94; open access)

New release: Knossos: Myth, History and Archaeology, by James Whitley (Bloomsbury, $22-$81)

The American Center of Research in Amman, Jordan, has announced a number of fellowships for the coming year.

Carl Rasmussen shares photos from his two visits this year to Antakya, Turkey (biblical Antioch on the Orontes). The city was largely destroyed by earthquake in February 2023.

The Zoom seminar video is now available for “Reading the Bible as an Insider,” with Lois Tverberg and Milly Erema.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Wayne Stiles, Joseph Lauer

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A portion of a purple tunic discovered in a royal tomb in Vergina may have belonged to Alexander the Great.

Archaeologists have found a submerged Nabatean temple near Naples.

“In Turkey, a team of archaeologists discovered the tomb of a Roman gladiator dating back to the third century B.C., with the remains of 12 individuals inside.”

“A team of archaeologists and scientists has made a discovery that could restart the search for Noah’s Ark in the mountains of eastern Turkey.”

A section of the Grand Egyptian Museum opened last week, “with the rest of the facility to be inaugurated when authorities deem the time is right.”

Scientists are studying ancient Roman concrete in hopes of improving our own.

Brad Gray explains land and sea travel in the latest episode of the Life in the Roman Empire series.

Artaxerxes I, Persian king in the time of Nehemiah, is the subject of Bryan Windle’s latest archaeological biography.

Webinar on Oct 29: “The Top 10 Monuments of Ancient Rome,” by Rocky Ruggiero

New release: Yahwism under the Achaemenid Empire, edited by Gad Barnea and Reinhard G. Kratz (De Gruyter, $142, open-access pdf and epub)

New release: Motherhood and Early Childhood in Ancient Egypt: Culture, Religion, and Medicine, by Amandine Marshall (AUC Press, $70)

New release: The Underwater Basilica of Nicaea: Archaeology in the Birthplace of Christian Theology, by Mark R. Fairchild (IVP Academic, $32). The first chapter is available at the publisher’s website.

Mark Fairchild is on The Book and the Spade to discuss the findings in his new book.

HT: Agade, Wayne Stiles, Gordon Franz

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Persia, Resources, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists have uncovered the burial chamber of a governor’s daughter in Asyut, Egypt.

Bryan Windle explains the archaeological evidence for Pharaoh Necho II on Digging for Truth.

A professor has donated his papers describing the process of deciphering Linear B.

Cosmote Chronos is a free Apple smartphone app designed for the acropolis of Athens. “It combines the capabilities of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with the capabilities of the 5G network to make exploring the archaeological site and learning its history immersive, realistic and fun.”

“Kiosk is a free and open source integrated iPad recording platform and browser-based data manager for field archaeology.”

Hybrid lecture on Oct 15: “1177 B.C. and After: The Survival of Civilizations,” by Eric Cline (Zoom registration)

New release: Enuma Elish: The Babylonian Epic of Creation, by Johannes Haubold, Sophus Helle, Enrique Jiménez, and Selena Wisnom (Bloomsbury, $32-$90; open access)

Randy Smith explains macellum and restaurants in the latest episode in the Life in the Roman Empire series on Walking The Text.

Jerusalem Seminary is offering a new course on “Journeying with Paul,” and the instructors explain why they are excited about it.

HT: Agade, Craig Dunning, Gordon Franz, Paleojudaica

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Lectures, Resources, Technology, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Excavations in central Turkey have uncovered more than 50 Hittite seal impressions from royal family members.

The Times of Israel reports on the sword engraved with the name of Ramses II that was recently discovered in ancient military barracks in the Nile Delta.

An ancient papyrus fragment is the earliest petition from a Jew to an Egyptian king.

Restoration work at the Temple of Edfu has enabled researchers to identify “traces of gold leaf, colorful painting remnants and graffiti.”

Recent articles at Bible History Daily introduce the Amarna Letters and the Amarna Revolution.

“Ancient frescoes like that of the Greek monkeys on Santorini suggest Europe and south Asia had trade links as long as 3,600 years ago.”

The latest episode in Walking The Text’s current series is about brothels and pubs in the Roman world.

“The Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East now has a public searchable database for its collections. The museum cares for over 40,000 items, including pottery, cylinder seals, sculpture, coins, and cuneiform tablets.The database is a work in progress and will be augmented periodically.”

Hybrid lecture on Oct 16 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston: “Rediscovering Sculptures of King Menkaure at the Giza Pyramids,” by Mark Lehner. Advance registration is recommended: online or in-person.

Now available: The Treasure of the Egyptian Queen Ahhotep and International Relations at the Turn of the Middle Bronze Age (1600- 1500 BCE), edited by Gianluca Miniaci and Peter Lacovara (Golden House, free pdf)

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken

Tagged Egypt, Italy, Lectures, Museums, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup