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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Archaeologists have made some discoveries at Heracleopolis, the ancient capital of Upper Egypt’s 20th nome.

Hanan Charaf and Martine Francis-Allouche write about the history of Byblos for The Ancient Near East Today. The article includes recent research from maritime Byblos as well as many photos.

Zoom lecture on June 13: “Individuals, Households, Families, and the Law in Ancient Egypt,” by Brian Muhs

New release: Urban Life and Form in Ancient Egypt, by Nadine Moeller (Elements in Ancient Egypt in Context; Cambridge University Press; open-access until June 24).

New episode on This Week in the Ancient Near East: “Sennacherib’s Throne Room of Doom, or Hezekiah Can See His House from Here”

“The new official guide to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii accompanies the reader on a discovery of one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in the world.”

HT: Agade, Explorator

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An almost-complete ancient Egyptian funerary set was discovered during excavations of Heliopolis.

The exhibition “Lives and Literacy in Ancient Egypt” is on display at the University of Texas at Austin until August 3. “A highlight of the exhibition is one of the world’s earliest New Testament fragments—the St. John’s Fragment (P52)—on view in the United States for the first time. Additionally, visitors can see early adaptations of The Odyssey by Homer, as well as early writing palettes, and panel paintings.”

“Excavations at the ancient city of Olympos on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast have uncovered a monumental tomb containing a richly decorated sarcophagus believed to belong to an aristocratic woman from the Roman period.”

Turkish Archaeological News lists the top stories in the month of May, including:

Terry Madenholm has written a lengthy and interesting article in Haaretz about taxes and tax evasion in the Roman empire.

New article by Mark Wilson, “The Archaeology of Biblical Sites in Asia Minor: Its Symbiosis with Archaeobiblical Tourism.” Religions 17, no. 3 (2026). Open-access.

HT: Agade, Explorator

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Archaeologists using 3D laser scanning have discovered several blocks from one of the Ramesseum’s gates buried under the sand.

Arkeonews has an article about the massive stone sarcophagi built for the sacred Apis bulls and placed in the Serapeum of Saqqara.

A new study reveals that the reason why the Great Pyramid of Khufu has withstood strong earthquakes is because pressure-relieving chambers dampened seismic movement.

After viewing a silver trumpet from King Tut’s tomb now on display in the Grand Egyptian Museum, Gary A. Rendsburg writes about the silver trumpets of Numbers 10.

An Egyptologist ranks 27 Egyptian pyramids built for pharaohs (70 mins).

Zoom lecture on June 10: “Iron Age Religion in the ‘Great’ City of the Ammonites,” by Joel S. Burnett

Archaeologists working in Nicaea (Iznik) have discovered a 3rd-century fresco depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

Turkey now has nearly 700 museums, an increase of 270 in the past decade.

“One of the human casts found nearly 65 years ago in Pompeii’s Garden of the Fugitives was a doctor caught amongst the fleeing crowd with a case of medical equipment.”

In a two-part interview with The Book and the Spade, David deSilva discusses the archaeological evidence related to Paul’s ministry.

HT: Agade, Mark Hoffman, Explorator

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“Egyptian authorities have unveiled a plaster blocking wall from King Tutankhamun’s tomb in Luxor, an artefact described as unparalleled due to its survival from ancient looters.”

Tombs belonging to Amenhotep and his son Samut have been opened following extensive restoration.

Gary Urie explains the significance of Egyptian scarabs on Digging for Truth.

“Iraq is restoring the Ziggurat of Ur, one of the world’s oldest surviving temple structures, using locally made bricks and traditional building methods.”

Pigeons have been domesticated since at least 1400 BC, according to a new study (gift link).

“The new AI tool ‘Palaeographicum’ is revolutionizing research into the cultures of the Ancient Near East: It identifies individual variations of cuneiform signs—a huge step forward for academia.”

The Epigraphic Institute is offering online courses in Safaitic and Ancient South Arabian next month.

New release: The 2008 Season at Tall al-’Umayri and Subsequent Studies, edited by Larry G. Herr, Douglas R. Clark, Lawrence T. Geraty, and Monique Roddy (Eisenbrauns, $140; save 30% with code NR26; Amazon)

HT: Agade, Explorator

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“Archaeologists working in Egypt have discovered a remarkable combination of Homeric epic and Egyptian ritual: a 2,000-year-old mummy with a papyrus fragment of the “Iliad” sealed in a clay packet outside its wrappings.” (gift link)

“An Alexandria archaeological discovery in the Muharram Bek district has uncovered a rare circular public bath from the late Ptolemaic period and a Roman villa decorated with mosaic floors.”

“A collection of artifacts dating from the Ptolemic to the Byzantine period were discovered during excavations in the Muharram Bek neighborhood of Alexandria.”

“A sixth century mass grave located in the Jordanian city of Jerash has been identified as the oldest genetically confirmed plague-related burial and the first of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

Jason Borges writes about the tombstone of Abercius, the “longest and most explicit early Christian inscription.” The 22-line autobiographical text was written in AD 190.

ManuscriptShop sells museum-grade replicas of the earliest surviving biblical manuscripts, including 𝒫46, 𝒫52, and 𝒫66.

The Atlantic: “How did $65 million of allegedly stolen antiquities wind up in two of the world’s greatest museums?” (subscription)

HT: Agade, Alexander Schick

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