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Excavations at Metropolis in western Turkey have uncovered a Greek inscription honoring Gaius Fabius, the governor in 57/56 BC.

Officials have recovered 550 high-quality ancient artifacts from the earthquake rubble in ancient Antioch on the Orontes (modern Antakya).

“Archaeologists have excavated subterranean rooms and a tunnel under an early church in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.”

Archaeologists working in Pompeii have found a servant’s quarters in the house of a rich person.

“A 30-day exhibition on agriculture – with fruits grown and tools used in cultivation – in ancient Egypt is on at the Luxor Museum to celebrate Inundation Day.” The article includes several photos.

“For the first time, a group of researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick.”

“A team of Swiss and Greek archaeologists recently successfully completed the third season of a research program (2021-2025) on the famous wreck of Antikythera, which dates back to the first half of the 1st century BC.”

“Rare photographs of the excavations at the Greek Island of Delos from the 19th Century have come to light in a book by French archaeologists.”

Seth Sanders explores the question of who invented the alphabet.

“The electronic Babylonian Library (eBL) Project brings together ancient Near Eastern specialists and data scientists to revolutionize the way in which the literature of Iraq in the first millennium BCE is reconstructed and analyzed.”

An employee was fired and police are investigating after British Museum officials discovered that some of their artifacts were being sold on eBay. And now the director of the museum has resigned.

Zahi Hawass is imploring Arabs with British nationality to sign his petition to give the Rosetta Stone to Egypt.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Jason Borges, Ted Weis, Explorator

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Archaeologists working on Mount Zion have discovered, for the first time ever, destruction levels from the Romans and the Babylonians in the same space. Shimon Gibson believes that the evidence from the Persian period suggests that Nehemiah’s wall included not only the City of David but also the Western Hill.

“Ground-penetrating radar is revealing the secrets of a Roman legion camp near Tel Megiddo, including the ancient camp’s amphitheater for combat training.”

Chris McKinny and Joe Uziel write about “The Millo: Jerusalem’s Lost Monument” in the forthcoming issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. They discuss the subject in a video interview with Nathan Steinmeyer.

Bible Archaeology Report has created a list of the top ten discoveries related to the book of Isaiah.

Jerusalem Seminary has been given a grant to provide discounts on tuition for their fall courses. The grant also enables increased scholarships.

Jordan has a severe water crisis.

A rockslide at the waterfall in Nahal David at En Gedi led to the death of an 8-year-old boy and injuries to eight others. The Yonatan Bar David mentioned in the article is from Yad HaShmonah.

Amnon Ben-Tor, the director of excavations at Hazor since 1990, died on Tuesday at the age of 88.

An expanded edition has just been released of Amnon Ben-Tor’s Hazor: Canaanite Metropolis, Israelite City (Israel Exploration Society, 180₪)

Conference on Sept 11-12 at Ariel University: “Boundaries and Influences in the Archeology of Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean”

Ferrell Jenkins shares photos of carob pods like those that were eaten by the prodigal son.

The Bible Mapper Blog is now the Bible Mapper Atlas, with more than 150 maps freely available. You can find lists organized by historical event and by region here.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, John Black, Alexander Schick, Explorator

The recently collapsed section of the Roman aqueduct at Caesarea. Photo by Michael Schneider

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Bryan Windle’s report on “three things in Shiloh Samuel likely saw” includes discussion and photos of recent discoveries, including a building they think may be the tabernacle.

“Archaeologists working on a 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery discovered in Gaza last year have found at least 125 tombs, most with skeletons still largely intact, and two rare lead sarcophaguses.”

“A sword that was discovered by a diver off the coast of northern Israel in 2021 was likely lost overboard during a fierce naval battle between Crusaders and Muslim residents of coastal cities some 800 years ago.”

David Moster gives a video walkthrough of a beautiful 3D model of Herod’s Temple and Temple Mount.

The latest video from Expedition Bible looks at Jesus’s tomb, showing how strong the evidence is for the authenticity of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Scott Stripling talks about the New Testament excavations at Khirbet el-Maqatir on a recent episode of Digging for Truth.

A volunteer at the Abel Beth Maacah excavations describes what a typical day on the dig is like.

Hybrid lecture on August 10: “Excavations at Khirbet Summeily, 2011-2023: A Preliminary Report,” by Jeff Blakely

Carl Rasmussen shares some older photos of an Intermediate Bronze cemetery discovered at Dhahr Mirzbaneh (Ain Samiya).

Abigail Leavitt shares photos of tombs in Jerusalem she recently visited.

Ferrell Jenkins shares photos of vineyards at Lachish then and now.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Alexander Schick, Explorator

This is the “Holy Sepulcher ladder” of the Jewish Quarter. This temporary pedestrian bridge floating over the Western Wall plaza is nearly 20 years old now.

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Archaeologists are making progress in their second season of renewed excavations at Nimrud (ancient Calah), including the discovery of a depiction of Ishtar in a temple dedicated to her.

Royal tombs full of artifacts dating to 1500-1300 BC have been discovered near Hala Sultan Tekke on Cyprus. The site was discovered using magnetometers.

A 2,500-year-old Phoenician shipwreck has been found underwater in the southeastern Spanish region of Murcia.”

MutualArt surveys the results of excavations and repatriations in Egypt this year.

Yigal Levin writes about the city of Dibon and the single reference to Dibon-Gad in the book of Numbers.

Marek Dospěl gives an overview of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Adam E. Miglio considers the similarities between the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Book of Genesis.

Jessica Nitschke, the new editor of The Ancient Near East Today, explains her vision for the future of the website and newsletter.

New release: Ancient Egyptian Gold: Archaeology and Science in Jewellery (3500–1000 BC), edited by Maria F. Guerra, Marcos Martinón-Torres & Stephen Quirke (McDonald Institute Monographs; Cambridge; open access)

The Bible Mapper Blog continues to create helpful maps for Bible readers. Here are the latest:

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Explorator

The best museum in the Old City is now the Terra Santa Museum on the Via Dolorosa. Though it is not yet finished, it displays hundreds of impressive artifacts from around the country.

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“Israeli archaeologists have been left scratching their heads over the discovery of a large tomb containing dozens of skeletons, many of them women, who were buried more than 2,500 years ago in the midst of the Negev desert, at an ancient crossroad far from any known settlements at the time.”

According to Yosef Garfinkel, five sites in Judah indicate that Judah was expanding into the Shephelah already in the 10th century. The underlying journal article is here.

Chris McKinny provides an overview of all of the excavation areas at Tel Burna after their first week of their 13th season.

The Greek Reporter has a well-illustrated story on the Bird Mosaic and the sigma-shaped glass-gold table found in Caesarea.

Martine van den Berg reports on the first-ever “Friends of ASOR Tour to Israel and the Palestinian Territories.” They had quite a few experiences that the average tourist doesn’t get.

After a three-year renovation, Solomon’s Quarries/Zedekiah’s Cave has reopened to visitors. It now includes a multimedia show. The article includes a video report by i24 News.

Ron Simkins discusses “Creation and Ecology in Ancient Israel” on the Biblical World podcast.

Lisa LaGeorge gives a good answer to the question, “What difference does it make if I go to Israel?”

Ferrell Jenkins shares a photo of a beautiful view that he took in the Judean hill country between Bethlehem and Hebron.

Zoom lecture on July 12: “The King is Dead, Long Live the King: Murder, Poetry, and Scribal Culture in Ancient Egypt,” by Margaret Geoga ($7)

The NY Times reports on Christian tourism to Saudi Arabia, though the reporting seems limited to a single tour group.

A large Roman-period mosaic discovered near Homs, Syria, depicts Greek soldiers in the Trojan War as well as the god Neptune and forty of his mistresses.

A conference will be held at Oxford on July 5 entitled “The Aramaeans B.C.: History, Literature, and Archaeology”

The oldest completely hand-sewn boat in the Mediterranean dates to the Iron Age I and is remarkably well-preserved.

A fresco newly discovered at Pompeii looks like a pizza but is more likely a focaccia covered with fruit.

Bryan Windle reports on the top three stories in biblical archaeology for the month of June.

What do real archaeologists think of Indiana Jones?

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis

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Andy Cook was at the Pool of Siloam excavations on Thursday, and he interviewed an archaeologist working there about what’s next.

“The recently renovated Davidson Center Archaeological Garden in Jerusalem’s Old City opened an exhibition on Monday featuring a number of rare and ancient artifacts related to the Temple Menorah.”

Joe Zias looks at some unknown inscriptions on the “Tomb of Absalom” in Jerusalem and suggests renaming the monument the “Tomb of Zacharias,” father of John the Baptist.

A Herodian wall and Second Temple period burial caves at Samaria-Sebaste has been destroyed by road construction.

“Military officials intercepted an antiquities-smuggling ring in the West Bank.” The Jerusalem Post story reports on several other recent antiquities busts.

A seven-mile stretch of the Jordan River south of the Sea of Galilee is being cleaned of its pollution and developed for tourism.

Aren Maeir recounts his two-day trek in eastern Samaria, including a climb up Sartaba.

Adam Montefiore, known as the English voice of Israeli wines, looks at the history of winemaking in the land of Israel.

Seetheholyland.net has added a page for the newly discovered tomb of Salome.

Phillip J. Long writes about the traditional location of the Garden of Gethsemane and the nearby grotto.

Accordance is offering 40-74% off on many graphics resources, including several of our photo collections. Ends Monday.

HT: Agade

Pool of Siloam March 20232635b

Pool of Siloam excavations, March 16. Photo by Andy Cook (Experience Israel Now)

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