“In a groundbreaking achievement that requires no actual breaking of ground, Israeli researchers have demonstrated the archaeological utility of a technology that acts like an ‘X-ray’ for the Earth, revealing hidden spaces beneath an ancient site in Jerusalem.” The scan of the City of David revealed previously undiscovered cavities. The underlying journal article is here.

A trove of nearly 100 gold coins from the end of the Byzantine era were discovered in the excavations at Hippos. The discovery “challenges some previous assumptions about life in Hippos” at this time.

Ancient grape varieties discovered in archaeological excavations in the Negev will be planted in the Shivta National Park, in a new vineyard plot currently being established among the remains of ancient Byzantine terraces.”

“Israeli authorities prevented what they described as a deliberate attempt by the Palestinian Authority to damage… the Biblical city of Gibeon.”

Nathan Steinmeyer explains the role that stables played at Megiddo during the time of the Northern Kingdom.

The Samaria Touring and Study Center in Shavei Shomron will be hosting visitors during Sukkot who want to sift earth from the recent excavations of Samaria.

A webinar series begins on Oct 27 with “The Middle Bronze Age in Canaan: Innovation, Society, and the Rise of Early Cities,” by Helena Roth (₪60).

Doron Spielman is on The Book and the Spade talking about his latest book on the City of David. The first of four episodes is now available.

On the Biblical World podcast, Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer continue their introduction to archaeology by discussing Albright, Wright, Kenyon, New Archaeoology, and questions of faith and history.

Shimon Gibson has written a positive review of Jodi Magness’s Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades.

The Feast of Tabernacles begins at sundown on Monday. An article in Israel My Glory looks at the feast during the time of Jesus.

BibleStock has just released a Christmas package for pastors and Bible teachers, with coaching videos and links to all of the photo and video resources. You can download all of the Christmas resources for free (with an email address). There’s a lot of great material here.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz

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Bryan Windle has begun a series of posts on Jericho and Joshua’s conquest based on his extensive research.

Pomegranates may be one of the seven species of the land of Israel, but right now it’s not economical to farm them and so production has plummeted.

Nathan Steinmeyer explains why the Jewish holidays appear to jump around from year to year.

The NY Times reports on the effect of the Gaza War on archaeological artifacts in the area (gift link).

Haaretz has a paywalled article about the future of the Rockefeller Museum.

Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer dive into the history of biblical archaeology on the latest episode of the BiblicalWorld podcast.

The 28th Annual Bible and Archaeology Fest will be held in Boston on Nov 21 to 23, with an online option available. Speakers include Aaron Burke, Eric Cline, Glenn Corbett, Erin Darby, William Dever, Pamela Gaber, Yuval Gadot, Mark Goodacre, James Hoffmeier, Ann Killebrew, Mary Joan Winn Leith, Jodi Magness, Eric Meyers, Carol Meyers, Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, Thomas Schmidt, William Schniedewind, and James Tabor.

Online on Oct 4: Jerusalem Seminary is hosting a free lecture by Noel Rabinowitz on “Jesus, Atonement and the High Holidays.” If you are registering for a semester course, you can write “Bible Places” in the “who referred you” field and the registration fee will be waived.

Available at a pre-pub discount on Logos: Faith-Affirming Findings: 50 Archaeological Discoveries That Validate the Historicity and Reliability of Scripture, by Paul D. Weaver (Kregel, $25)

Zach Miller recently hosted me on his What Your Pastor Didn’t Tell You podcast to discuss the Mesha Stele and how it relates to 2 Kings 3.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Joseph Lauer, Explorator

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The Pilgrims’ Road, leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount, was inaugurated this week, and visitors can now walk the full length.

A hoard of bronze coins found at Tel Huqoq in Galilee provides insight into the little-known Third Jewish Revolt against the Romans in AD 351.

“Over the course of millennia, inhabitants of the Levant used irrigation to mitigate the effects of climate change and maximize the production of olives and grapes, demonstrating resilience and ingenuity.” The underlying journal article is here.

Scholars at Tel Aviv University’s School of Computer Science have developed a new tool to analyze the writing on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Achia Kohn-Tavor is on The Book and the Spade to talk about the excavations at el-Araj/Bethsaida, including the recent fire.

Turkiye Today has a history of Israel’s requests that Turkey send the Siloam Inscription back to Jerusalem.

The latest issue of Near Eastern Archaeology is dedicated to Megiddo in the Iron Age. A subscription is required for access.

“After 800 years of silence, a pipe organ that researchers say is the oldest in the Christian world roared back to life Tuesday, its ancient sound echoing through a monastery in Jerusalem’s Old City.”

BibleStock has released a new teaching video for the Parable of the Sower which “includes links to some amazing drone footage of the fields around the northern shoreline of the Sea of Galilee.”

David M. Jacobson has posted some recent articles on Academia:

The Feast of Trumpets (aka Rosh Hashanah) begins Monday evening.

Tom and Joann Doyle hosted me on their Uncharted Ministries podcast (Spotify, Apple), and we had a fun time reminiscing about Israel, photography, teaching experiences, excavations, Isaiah, my family, my “legacy,” and more. This is the most personal interview I’ve ever done, and the experts at Uncharted loaded up the YouTube version with lots of photos.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

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A clay seal impression inscribed with a name mentioned in the books of Kings and Chronicles was discovered by the Temple Mount Sifting Project. It is possible, but not certain, that this is the same individual who served in King Josiah’s administration.

“A bronze coin minted in the fourth year of the Jewish Great Revolt against the Romans has been uncovered near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.” The story explains the differences between Year Four coins and those of earlier years.

An exquisite golden ring and a pair of earrings dating to the Roman period (1st-3rd centuries CE) have recently been unearthed during archaeological excavations at the Sussita (Hippos) National Park.”

“A team of archaeologists has made a groundbreaking discovery in Israel, uncovering the remains of four donkeys that were ritually sacrificed over 4,500 years ago.” The underlying journal article is here.

The excavations of Shiloh believe they have found a multi-chambered gate complex where Eli died.

“Israeli researchers have harvested 1,500-year-old Byzantine-era grape varieties from a restored vineyard in the Negev Desert, part of an effort to recreate a renowned ancient wine that was once exported throughout Europe.” The underlying journal article is here.

“A rare manufacturing workshop for Canaanite blades — distinct flint tools primarily used for agricultural tasks — has been uncovered at Nahal Qomem, near the southern Israel city of Kiryat Gat.”

The archaeologist excavating Tel Azekah believes that Micah’s hometown of Moreshet Gat was Azekah and that we should understand the book of Micah very differently. The Haaretz article notes some of the problems with the proposal.

Israel’s Good Name reports on his outing to lookouts in western Samaria.

Craig Evans is on Digging for Truth to discuss Jesus and the 10th Roman Legion with relation to Mark 5.

Bryan Windle surveys the top three reports in biblical archaeology in the month of June.

Jerusalem Seminary has announced its full lineup of online courses for the fall and spring semesters.

Andy Cook has released a new BibleStock coaching video on the Jordan River. His goal is to help pastors and Bible teachers to use videos to help their audiences, and he explores how “place” and “story” are always connected.

BibleMapper has created an audio-visual reading of Joshua 18, visually walking the read through the tribal territory of Benjamin.

A Persian leopard at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo killed a zooworker yesterday.

Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av, begins tonight. This article explains the day’s significance.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Joseph Lauer, Explorator

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Researchers have uncovered graffiti from the Middle Ages in the traditional Upper Room in Jerusalem.

Bryan Windle has written an archaeological biography for Caiaphas the high priest.

Leen Ritmeyer shares photos of the cave of Gethsemane where Jesus may have spent the night with his disciples.

Jeffrey P. Arroyo García wonders whether Jesus was hung from the cross, not nailed.

On a double episode on Digging for Truth, Dr. Jonathan Moore discusses the anatomy of crucifixion and especially how their feet were positioned on the cross.

Biblical Backgrounds has announced the “Gospel Companion,” a 44-page book with unique 3D maps and interactive map marking illustrating the Way of the Cross. They also have released new wall maps.

The latest episode of This Week in the Ancient Near East looks at the recent excavations at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Ynetnews suggests five excursions in Israel that recall the twelve tribes’ departure from Egypt.

A royal purple dye was being produced at Tel Shiqmona at industrial levels during the time of the Israel’s monarchy, according to a new study.

A new article “examines how vassal kingdoms, elite consumption, and imported luxury goods shaped Iron Age Lachish and Jerusalem.” And I’m not sure what’s going on at The Jerusalem Post, when the headline on the article, now more than a week old, misspells Jerusalem.

The NY Times runs a story on the recently deciphered Bar Kochba-era papyrus that documents a “tax-evasion scheme involved the falsification of documents and the illicit sale and manumission, or freeing, of slaves — all to avoid paying duties in the far-flung Roman provinces of Judea and Arabia.”

Jacob Sivak addresses two frequently asked questions about Roman-era synagogues: how were Jews able to thrive under Roman oppression, and why were the synagogues decorated with pagan iconography?

“Hezekiah” is a new documentary miniseries, and its first episode premieres this weekend.

In Jerusalem in Brief, Chandler Collins writes about two pools that have been filled in and two books of interest.

Archaeologists have discovered a quarry that may have supplied the construction of Darius’s palace in Susa.

Reconstruction of the 87-foot tall Roman lighthouse at Patara has been completed. AI was used to identify the original locations of the 2,500 stones.

Construction will begin next year on an Alexander the Great theme park at Amphipolis in northern Greece.

Italian authorities levied $22 million in fines on ticketing agencies for buying up tickets for the Colosseum to resell to tourists.

A new study suggests that the gears of the Antikythera Mechanism jammed frequently, making the device not very useful.

Aaron Burke writes about avoiding the ethnicity trap in a new article entitled “The Amorites: Rethinking Approaches to Corporate Identity in Antiquity.”

A new exhibition opened this week at the ISAC Museum: “Staging the East: Orientalist Photography in Chicago Collections”

Members of the American Oriental Society have voted to change the society’s name to “American Society for Premodern Asia” (ASPA).

John Van Seters, a biblical scholar known for his minimalist approach, died last week.

HT: Agade, Keith Keyser, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

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An article in the latest issue of Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament suggests that the Rephaim Valley should be located not in the vicinity of Jerusalem but east of the Elah Valley.

Excavations at Khirbat an-Nahas reveal a marked improvement in technology of copper mining in the early 10th century BC.

Experts are joining forces to protect what may be the last wild olive trees in Israel, located on kurkar ridges south of Haifa.

In an expansive article for Haaretz (subscription), Elon Gilad explains how modern Hebrew addressed the problem of the lack of fish terminology in biblical Hebrew.

Walking The Text’s latest video explores how the Bible uses the metaphor of “bedouin host” for God.

A new study reveals that Greco-Roman statues were “enriched with fragrances.”

With Purim being celebrated this week, Bryan Windle wrote an excellent illustrated essay on the top 10 discoveries related to the book of Esther. Archaeology has done much to illuminate this book!

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

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