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Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A Roman water tunnel, nearly as long as Hezekiah’s Tunnel, has recently been restored at biblical Gadara.

The Jordan Times has published a story about Khirbat as-Sar, possibly biblical Jazer.

“A trove of ancient curse tablets was made recently in Athens‘ downtown neighborhood of Kerameikos.”

“Through a recent excavation at Kouklia-Martsello in Palaepaphos, Cyprus, scientists have unearthed an ancient inscription in the Cypriot syllabary.”

Archaeologists working in Georgia have found an inscription with strange symbols unlike any known language.

“In the second phase of the restoration works, the facades of Hagia Sophia Mosque, the upper covering, and the Second Bayezid Minaret are in the focus of attention.”

Turkish Archaeological News rounds up the most important stories for the month of November.

A lecture by Christian Leitz overviews the restoration of the temple of Esna, with its “magnificent astronomical ceiling, colorful columns, and close to two hundred ink inscriptions previously undescribed.”

A meeting between the British and Greek prime ministers is raising speculation that an agreement may be in the offing for a loan of the Elgin Marbles to Athens.

New release: The Iron Age Town of Mudayna Thamad, Jordan; Excavations of the Fortifications and Northern Sector (1995–2012), by Robert Chadwick, P. M. Michèle Daviau, Margreet L. Steiner and Margaret A. Judd (BAR Publishing, £88). This site is potentially biblical Jahaz.

New release: Burning Issues in Classics, by Rhiannon Evans and Nicole Gammie (La Trobe University, free download)

Carl Rasmussen reports on his visit to Carchemish, a site he has long wanted to see.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Roger Schmidgall, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Greece, Jordan, Mediterranean Islands, Museums, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 3

Excavations began this year at Lystra, the hometown of Timothy and place where Paul was stoned and left for dead. They have already uncovered a third of a Byzantine church.

“An alabaster seal, believed to be from the Assyrian Empire and belonging to a nobleman, was discovered in the ancient Kef Fortress built by the Urartians.”

Archaeologists excavating under a Hellenistic theater in southwestern Turkey have discovered a sewage system large enough to walk in.

The Kestros Fountain at Perga in Turkey is operational after 1,800 years.

“A variety of reliefs, inscriptions, and grave stelae unearthed by archeologists help expand the understanding of gladiator history in the region of ancient Anatolia.”

The Luwian Studies Foundation wants to fill in a gap in the eastern Mediterranean around the year 1200 BC.

A 4-minute BBC video features an island off Turkey’s southern coast with underwater Roman cities, underwater Lycian tombs, and the oldest shipwreck in the world.

Over at BiblicalTurkey.org, Jason Borges describes his three-day visit to the historical sites of Cyprus.

Archaeological discoveries made during the construction of a subway line in Thessaloniki have been put on display at many of the subway stations.

Three books that caught my eye in the exhibit halls at ETS and SBL are:

The Topography of Ancient Jerusalem. 2nd Century BC – 2nd Century AD: Essays on the Urban Planning Record, Defences and Gates, by D. M. Cabaret (Peeters, 2022, $120)
The Realia Jesus: An Archaeological Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, by David Fiensy (Wipf and Stock, 2024, $10-$57)
The Odyssey of Marcus Panthera: A Journey to the Land of Israel in the First Century, by Makram Mesherky (Gesher, 2024, $20)

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

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Greece, Mediterranean Islands, Resources, Tourism, 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

Ancient prisons are hard to find in the archaeological record, but archaeologists have identified one in Corinth’s Roman forum, dating to the 4th-5th centuries AD, based on graffiti found on floor tiles. Prior to that the area served as a market, and according to a local guide, there’s a tradition that Paul’s shop was here, based on fresco remains still barely visible. The underlying journal article is available to subscribers and for purchase ($20).

New archaeological research has found evidence that Pompeii was destroyed not only by the volcanic eruption but by a powerful earthquake.

Turkiye Today reports on irregularities in an excavation in Tarsus. The story alleges high security for a dig where nothing of significance was found. And yes, there is a dead policeman.

An article in Smithsonian Magazine explains who looted ancient Egyptian tombs and how they did it.

The latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes four primary articles (subscription required):

“Jews of Arabia: Ancient Inscriptions Reveal Jewish Diaspora,” by Gary A. Rendsburg
“Gath of the Philistines: A New View of Ancient Israel’s Archenemy,” by Aren M. Maeir
“Letters to Pharaoh: The Canaanite Amarna Tablets,” by Alice Mandell
“Too Good to Be True? Reckoning with Sensational Inscriptions,” by Christopher Rollston

As Biblical Archaeology Review prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, it is asking its readers to share stories and memories.

ASOR has launched a new website for The Ancient Near East Today (ANE Today), their “open-access digital platform for public scholarship, disseminating the latest research, insights, and news about the ancient Near East and beyond.” You can read more about the changes and new features here.

With his archaeological biography on Ashurbanipal, Bryan Windle has written about all six Assyrian kings mentioned in the Bible.

HT: Agade, Mark V. Hoffman, Gordon Franz, Gordon Dickson, Arne Halbakken, Keith Keyser, Paleojudaica

Tagged Egypt, Greece, Italy, Mesopotamia, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup – Greece and Italy

A long, narrow public building excavated underwater at Salamis, Greece, may have been a portico.

“During a recent expedition at the site of the Antikythera shipwreck, marine archaeologists uncovered about 300 new objects, including 18 marble statue fragments, a previously undiscovered part of the vessel’s hull and the remains of a wooden ship.”

“A stunning mosaic from the Late Classical period depicting dancing Satyrs was discovered on the floor of an ancient house in Eretria, Greece.”

Denise Demetriou writes about Phoenician trade associations in ancient Greece.

John DeLancey has begun a new series entitled “Journeys with Paul.” The most recent episode was filmed on site at Corinth.

“Archeologists have been left stunned after finding an ancient mummy that has been perfectly preserved for thousands of years in Italy.”

“Roadworks in Rome have uncovered the remains of a portico and garden from the time of the emperor Caligula, which archaeologists believe was the site of a key moment in Jewish history.”

Archaeologists have apparently uncovered a Roman defensive wall that was built to trap Spartacus.

The perfume of Julius Caesar has been re-created. Unlike others, this one did not include the sweat of gladiators. It will go on sale in October.

In a new Walking The Text video, Bray Gray explores role of the Roman theater and how it provided background for some of Paul’s writings (25 min).

New release: A Map of the Body, a Map of the Mind: Visualising Geographical Knowledge in the Roman World, by Iain Ferris (Archaeopress, £16–45)

Queen Berenice, mentioned in Paul’s trial in Caesarea, is the main character of a new TV show.

We have photo collections for Greece, the Greek Islands, Italy and Malta, and Rome. Also of relevance are the Photo Companion volumes on Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Philippians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Steven Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Mark V. Hoffman

Tagged Discoveries, Greece, Weekend Roundup