Egypt Archives - Page 92 of 94

Weekend Roundup

For the first time in 30 years, the scaffolds have been taken down at the Parthenon of Athens. Take your photos before they return in September.

A “Brief Summary” of the 2009 Season at Tell es-Safi/Gath is now available online.

The recent fire at Gamla apparently did not harm the synagogue or any of the antiquities.

Researchers are using nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques on coins from 1st century Judea in order to more precisely establish their dates and place of origin. One discovery: copper apparently came from certain mines a century earlier than previously thought.

BAR has a look at the face of Herod Philip from a rare coin (Luke 3:1).

Der Spiegel has a fascinating profile of Zahi Hawass, “Secretary General of the Supreme Council of
Antiquities” of Egypt. (Compare that title with the “Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority” and you’ll be prepared for some of the pomposity related in the story.)

The Jerusalem Post features a travel article on Acre (Acco, Ptolemais).

The Italian professor who originated the theory that Har Karkom in Israel is the true Mount Sinai now claims that his view will soon be adopted by the Vatican. Anati’s arguments are summarized here.

Apart from the potential acceptance by the Vatican, I am not aware of any scholars who agree with
Anati’s proposal. Among the problems: he has to date the book of Exodus to 1,000 years earlier than the Bible indicates (cf. 1 Kings 6:1). Among the pluses: his Mt. Sinai is a shorter drive from Tel
Aviv.

The current issue of World Archaeology is devoted to “Turkey’s Treasures.” Myra gets a lengthy article (cf. Acts 27:5), Perge gets one page, and Laodicea and Ephesus are also featured. Arycanda reminds me of Termessos, both stunning sites located in the scenic mountains of southern Turkey.

The magazine article is currently available for viewing online, with many beautiful photographs. It reminds me why I consider Turkey to be one of the most picturesque and interesting countries I have visited.

I am sometimes asked how I get photos of biblical sites without swarms of people. I have a few tricks. One is to be the group leader so you are first on the scene. Another is to go in February when few tourists are visiting. If you have Photoshop and a tripod, there’s another ingenious way.

HT: Biblicalist, Dr. Mariottini, Paleojudaica, Explorator, Joe Lauer

Tagged Egypt, Golan, Greece, Philistines, Technology, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Recent Discoveries in Egypt

The Global Arab Network has posted a number of articles on discoveries in Egypt, as noted by Joe Lauer.

1. A new tomb was discovered by an SCA mission at Tell el-Maskhuta [biblical Succoth] in the Ismailia governate (Egypt). The tomb dates to the 19th Dynasty (1315-1201 BC), is constructed of mud brick and consists of a rectangular room with a domed ceiling made of stone, and a deep square-shaped shaft.

2. The Head of Antiquities of Lower Egypt Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud said that archaeological missions working in North Sinai have unearthed Tharu, an ancient fortified city, a move which stressed the importance of this area as the eastern gate of Egypt.

3. A collection of 14 Graeco-Roman tombs dating to the third century BC have been found in a cemetery in the Ain El-Zawya area of the town of Bawiti, in Bahariya Oasis.

The first and third articles have photographs of the finds.

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations

Ptolemaic Coin Hoard Found in Egypt

From the AFP:

Archaeologists have uncovered bronze coins bearing the image of ancient Egyptian ruler King Ptolemy III in an oasis south of the capital, the culture ministry announced on Thursday.
Also found by the Egyptian team were necklaces made of ostrich eggshell, it said.
The 383 items dating back more than 2,250 years were found near Lake Qarun in Fayum oasis, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) from Cairo, the ministry said in a statement, adding that they were in excellent condition.
The coins weighed 32 grams (1.12 ounces) each, with one face depicting the god Amun and the other the words “king” and “Ptolemy III” in Greek along with his effigy, the statement said.

You can see a photo of all the coins, stacked but uncleaned, here. Middle East Online has a photo of the discovery site.

HT: Joe Lauer

Lake Qarun, near location of discovery

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt

Conference: Israel in Egypt and in Canaan

From the ANE-2 List:

International Conference for Biblical Archaeology in Germany

Israel in Egypt and in Canaan: In Search of the Historical Environment of Exodus and Conquest

Location: Christian Gästezentrum Württemberg, Schwäbisch Gmünd (near Stuttgart, Southern Germany), October 1-3, 2010

Early or Late? Did the Biblical Exodus Really Occur and When Did It Happen?
Who was the Pharaoh of the 10 Plagues and the Exodus?
How Can Excavations on the Eastern Border of Egypt Help Determine the Exodus Itinerary?
Israel’s Ethnogenesis
Do We Find Evidence of the Israelite Tribes in Egypt?
The Earliest Inscription Referencing Israel in Canaan?
Do the Destructions at the End of the Late Bronze or Middle Bronze Ages Yield Evidence of the Israelite Conquest?
Archaeological Exhibition on Jericho
Plenum Discussions

Lecturers:*

Dr John J. Bimson
Prof. Dr James K. Hoffmeier
Prof. Dr Manfred Görg
Dr Thomas Tribelhorn
Dr Peter van der Veen
Richard Wiskin
Prof. Dr Uwe Zerbst
Prof. Dr Wolfgang Zwickel

* Translation in English and German will be provided for German and English lectures

For more information and for registration, see the English language flyer (pdf).

Tagged Egypt, Lectures

Weekend Roundup

You never know what will start a riot in Israel. In this case, it was the government’s adding two historical sites to a list of 150 that should be restored. Today Israeli police forces entered the Temple Mount in order to remove 20 masked protesters who were throwing objects at tourists.

G. M. Grena notes that BAR has posted a good photograph of the Qeiyafa Ostracon.

Egypt has announced the discovery of a large red granite head of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in his mortuary temple on Luxor’s West Bank.

Tom Powers has followed up the “Under the Temple Mount” post here with some beautiful watercolors of the same areas on his blog.

If you’re looking for more reaction to Eilat Mazar’s “10th century” “wall” announced last week, take a look at this roundup by John Hobbins. I expect to post more on the matter this coming week.

Today is Purim and in honor of this festive holiday, the Israel Antiquities Authority has posted an online exhibit of “Masks, Rattles and Purim Customs.” Some images are available in high resolution here (zip).

Tagged Egypt, Jerusalem, Shephelah, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

King Tut’s Death, Parents Revealed

Tut’s tomb was more glorious than his life, according to a genetic analysis published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He apparently hobbled all of his life and then died from a broken leg, or complications thereof. His mom was his aunt and his dad was his uncle, and he died after a nine-year rule at the age of 19. The AP has a summary of the JAMA article.

Egypt’s famed King Tutankhamun had a cleft palate and a club foot, which probably forced him to walk with canes, and died from complications from a broken leg exacerbated by malaria, according to the most extensive study ever of his more than 3,300-year-old mummy.
The findings are based on two years of DNA testing and CT (computed tomography) scans on 16 mummies, including those of Tutankhamun and his family, said the team that carried out the study. An article on the findings is to be published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study establishes the clearest family tree for Tut, indicating for the first time that he was the child of a brother-sister union.
The study says Tut’s father was probably Akhenaten, a pharaoh who tried to revolutionize ancient Egyptian religion and force his people to worship one god. The mummy shown by DNA to be that of Tut’s mother turned out to be a sister of Akhenaten’s, although she has not been identified.

You can read the full AP article (with nice slideshow) here or here or read a brief Q&A with Zahi Hawass here. Or you can see how this study proves that Tut’s family are not aliens. CNN has a 1:20 video report with lots of photos of the king’s treasures.

Sandals found in King Tutankhamun’s tomb

Tagged Egypt