A new study concludes that the Roman siege ramp of Masada was never completed and thus was not used to conquer the site.


The Times of Israel has more on the latest discoveries at Omrit.

Syrian troops have recaptured Palmyra from ISIS and the latest damage is being assessed.

The site of the ancient temple of Artemis in Ephesus is suffering from neglect.

The Museum of Archaeological Excavations on Elephantine Island in Aswan has been re-opened after a six-year closure.

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo was opened to the public last week.

2,000 libraries around the world will receive true color photographs of the Sistine Chapel.

“A 19th-century view of the Egyptian temple complex of Karnak is to go on display at the British Museum for the first time this week.”

Wayne Stiles provides a brief history of the Temple Mount, with lots of photos.

John DeLancey of Biblical Israel Tours now has posts up for every day of his recent tour of Israel and Italy.

Gordon Govier interviews Randall Price about “Qumran Cave 12” on The Book and the Spade.

Gary Byers has written a well-illustrated post on the use of mudbricks in the Bible.

Steve Mason’s A History of the Jewish War, A.D. 66-74 is positively reviewed on the BMCR blog.

LandMinds interviews Guy Stiebel on his return to excavating Masada (40 min).

Eisenbrauns is offering 70-80% off dozens of feschriften, including The Fire Signals of Lachish (now
$21) and Exploring the Longue Duree (now $23).

The new issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes articles on Laodicea and a banquet hall near
the Temple Mount.

BAS has launched a new video streaming site, with a special introductory offer of 75% off.

David Rubinger, photographer of the iconic scene of Israeli paratroopers at the Western Wall, has
died at the age of 92.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Paleojudaica

The Vatican and the Jewish community of Rome are collaborating on a new exhibition on the menorah.

Whenever Mosul is liberated from ISIS, a strategic plan will be in place for restoring its heritage.

Restoration work is underway on a colossal statue of Rameses II that once stood in the Karnak Temple.

Israeli border officials caught a Palestinian smuggler bringing in 53 ancient coins from Jordan.

Digital Giza is a virtual 3D model of the Giza Pyramids, and includes information about the history and archaeology of the site.

In an excerpt from his latest book, Eric Cline compares the archaeology of Masada with Josephus’s report and identifies discrepancies. Among his conclusions is that Josephus made up the story of the mass suicide to protect the Romans.

The updated Appian Media website has all 5 free episodes of “Following the Messiah” as well as a new subscription area with additional video clips and photographs.

Wayne Stiles visits the famous Cave of Machpelah in Hebron to see what it teaches about life, death, and God’s promises.

Ferrell Jenkins posts on several interesting ossuaries. See also a link in the comments to two of Tom
Powers’s articles on another ossuary probably related to the New Testament.

HT: A.D. Riddle, Charles Savelle, Joseph Lauer, Mike Harney, Ted Weis, Agade

The New York Times recounts the recent destruction of Palmyra and reviews a new online exhibit by The Getty Research Institute, “The Legacy of Ancient Palmyra.”

The search for hidden chambers in King Tut’s tomb continues this year.

A Japanese team has discovered the tomb of a royal scribe of Amenhotep III.

Ferrell Jenkins has posted on an attractive display of ossuaries at the Hecht Museum in Haifa.

Seth Rodriquez explains what happened to Judah after they were exiled.

Thomas Kiely of the British Museum reviews The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of the Levant c. 8000-332 BCE in the Oxford Handbooks in Archaeology series.

On the ASOR Blog, Anna-Latifa Mourad argues that the Hyksos were foreigners but not invaders.

Since 1833 there has been no mosque in Athens. Until this year.

Daniel Falk will be lecturing on “The Myth of the Dead Sea Scrolls” at Baylor University on Tuesday, February 21.

Alexander Schick will be lecturing at The Jordan Museum in Amman on Thursday, February 23, 5:00 pm, on “Uncovering the Scrolls: The Early and Late History of the Dead Sea Scrolls.” All are welcome.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Mark Hoffman, Ted Weis, Charles Savelle

In light of the recent revival of the half-shekel temple tax, John Delancey looks at the biblical background of this coin.

Wayne Stiles shows how the Hinnom Valley is not only a picture of evil, but also one of redemption.

And, as usual, he shares some great visuals.

Ferrell Jenkins has created an index of his articles on the Romans and Jesus’s ministry.

If you’ve ever wondered what the building looked like from which Eutychus fell out of the window, Carl Rasmussen has an idea.

Where did Jesus speak the words of John 15-17? Leon Mauldin looks at the options.

Juliette Desplat describes the history of the Philae island and temple that were partially submerged for years before the temple was relocated.

The Met has moved its large image collection from OASC to public domain.

Free article from BASOR this week: “Back to Solomon’s Era: Results of the First Excavations at
“Slaves’ Hill” (Site 34, Timna, Israel),” by Erez Ben-Yosef.

HT: Ted Weis, Agade, Joseph Lauer, Paleojudaica

Gordon Govier lists his top 10 discoveries in biblical archaeology in 2016.

The Biblical Archaeology Society has selected its top 10 biblical archaeology discoveries of the year.

LandMinds has a one-hour video podcast discussing the list.

Haaretz provides a list of the best archaeological finds in Israel in 2016.

Live Science suggests the 9 biggest archaeology findings of 2016. And they identify 5 big archaeology stories to watch for in 2017.

Brandon Marlon writes about 18 interesting sites that most tourists to Israel miss.

ASOR is offering a free e-book of the “5 Most Popular Biblical Archaeology Articles from The Ancient Near East Today” to subscribers to the weekly newsletter.

Recent excavations in Paphos, Cyprus, have discovered fortifications and a thick layer of crushed murex shells. “Team leader Maria Iacovou noted that this is the first time that archaeological evidence for the production of the highly valued purple dye from murex shells has been found in
Cyprus.”

A marble sculpture of a Roman noblewoman was discovered by a farmer in Crete following a recent storm.

Twelve tombs from the 18th Dynasty have been discovered in Gebel el Silsila.

A study of a toy Roman chariot reveals that ancient charioteers affixed an iron strip to the right wheel in order to improve their chances of winning.

As tourism in Egypt continues its lull, officials are trying new ways to attract visitors.

There is only one archaeobotanist in Egypt, but he is hoping this will change.

Ongoing work at Laodicea has uncovered the sacred agora.

This May: Archaeology and History of Lydia: From the Early Lydian Period to the Late Antiquity (8th century B.C.-6th Century A.D.): An International Symposium.

Robert Alter will be lecturing in Nashville on January 30.

The Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society has a lecture series scheduled for the coming months.

HT: Ted Weis, Agade, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Paleojudaica

A stone bowl inscribed with the name “Hyrcanus” was discovered in the City of David. Since the name was common in the Hasmonean period, it is not clear if it belonged to one of the two rulers with this name. High-res images are available here.

A bronze coin with the image of Antiochus Epiphanes was discovered during maintenance work in the Citadel of David Museum in Jerusalem.

Mary Shepperson, a free-lance archaeologist working on five projects in Iraq, describes work in the new excavations of Charax Spasinou.

Archaeologists have discovered a large “lost city” about 150 miles north of Athens.

The Center for Ancient Middle Eastern Landscapes (CAMEL Lab) at the Oriental Institute of the
University of Chicago would like to announce that a substantial subset of its digital holdings of maps and geospatial data are now available for online public search and download.”

The Temple Mount Sifting Project is asking readers to Name That Find!

The IAA has completed a detailed survey of the village of Lifta ahead of its planned replacement by a new neighborhood.

Before and after photos reveals the significant war damage in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Ferrell Jenkins recounts his 2002 visit to Aleppo and its museum.

New research suggests some ancient Egyptians believed a deceased woman had to briefly become male in the afterlife in order to be reborn. Reader Ted Weis notes that this theory corresponds with saying #114 in the Gospel of Thomas.

Egypt is trying to stop the auctioning of Egyptian relics around the world.

A stolen relief of Queen Hatshepsut has been restored to Egypt.

Bricks of ancient Babylon have been used in rebuilding houses in the area.

The Tower identifies “seven fascinating discoveries Israeli archaeologists made in 2016.”
Kudos to Dr. Chris McKinny!

Carl Rasmussen describes an “unknown” Christmas site near Bethlehem.

We wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! We’ll be traveling for several weeks and roundups will return when we do.

HT: Joseph Lauer, Agade, Charles Savelle, Ted Weis