Jerusalem Archives - BiblePlaces.com

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“A new geological and archaeological study has mapped dozens of ancient stone quarries hidden beneath today’s Jerusalem.” You can find the underlying article and map here.

Aren Maeir notes that more announcements are forthcoming related to the Pool of Siloam excavations.

An elaborate Byzantine mosaic discovered west of Beersheba has been conserved and relocated and is now on public display.

In part 3 of his series on the latest research on Jericho, Bryan Windle shows that the pottery discovered at the site indicates that Jericho was inhabited at the time of Joshua’s conquest.

“The ancient Jewish prutah of Hasmonean Judaea and the modern American penny share far more than their diminutive size and copper heritage; they reflect timeless tensions between intrinsic value, symbolic meaning, and practical utility.”

Hybrid lecture at the Museum of the Bible on Dec 7: “Explore the Sacred Symbolism of the Magdala Stone,” by Marcela Zapata-Meza ($15-40)

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on Dec 15: “Our Life in Light: Ancient Lamps, Faith, and Festivals of Illumination,” by Benyamin Storchan

Zoom lecture on Dec 10: “Building God’s House: Synagogues, Churches, and Intercommunal Relations in Late Antique Palestine,” by Zeev Weiss

“A new initiative using the National Library of Israel’s digital Hebrew manuscript database will enable automatic transcription of the entire Cairo Genizah, making the world’s largest trove of medieval Jewish texts searchable and accessible worldwide.”

“The Lord’s Prayer” feature film released this week. This new website has links to the trailer, the movie, the book, and how you can get involved. (I watched it last night, and it is one jaw-dropping scene after another.)

William Varner, a long-time colleague, and David Hegg, the senior pastor at the church where both Will and I serve, have just released Matthew’s Messiah: His Jewish Life and Ministry, an exposition of the Gospel with special focus on the Jewish backgrounds. This study has been a passion of Dr. Varner’s for many years, and the full-color volume is illustrated with many of my photographs. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m told the book is beautiful. Here is a link to the book on Amazon, but the publisher has a lower price right now.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Andy Cook, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Jerusalem, Jordan Rift, Lectures, Movies, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A Roman sarcophagus was discovered in Hungary, “untouched by looters and sealed for centuries … with its stone lid still fixed in place, secured by metal clamps and molten lead.”

“Five theatrical mask reliefs have been discovered during excavations in the theater area of Kastabala, an ancient city in Osmaniye, southern Türkiye.”

Excavations at Ugarit have resumed after a 14-year hiatus.

Remember the Jordan Lead Codices? A new scientific analysis provides some answers about their dating. (James Davila gives some background.)

“A stunning replica of an ancient trireme will be displayed as the centerpiece of the new Greek Underwater Archaeology Museum” in Piraeus, opening next year.

The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition opens at The Museum of the Bible this weekend. “The exhibition will feature biblical texts and scrolls from the community at Qumran, as well as hundreds of artifacts that reveal details about life and Judaism during the Second Temple period.”

“More than 40 precious artifacts from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem are currently on display at the Frick in New York City.”

The Metropolitan Museum of Art just launched a virtual reality tour of the 1st-century BC Egyptian Temple of Dendur.

New release: Assur 2024: Continuing the Excavations in the New Town and Other Research across the Site, edited by Karen Radner and Andrea Squitieri. Exploring Assur 2. (PeWe-Verlag; 59 €; open-access)

New release: Excavating Ancient Egypt: Fifty Years of Archaeological Memories, by Jeffrey Spencer (Archaeopress; £16-£32)

In the latest episode on the Biblical World podcast, Mary Buck explains the importance of the Achaemenid Empire, including figures like Cyrus and Darius.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Alexander Schick, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Explorator

Tagged Dead Sea Scrolls, Discoveries, Egypt, Jerusalem, Jordan, Mesopotamia, Museums, Persia, Resources, Syria, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“A 5,000-year-old wine press has been unearthed next to the iconic archaeological site of Tel Megiddo, providing the earliest evidence of wine production in the Land of Israel.” There are more photos here.

After years of survey work, a couple of Israeli archaeologists identified the probable location of the ancient synagogue in the Syrian village of Yehudiya in the Golan Heights. Then they confirmed it with excavations.

Archaeologists discovered red fox tracks in the fresh plaster of a Byzantine wall at Bethsaida (el-Araj).

Chandler Collins has written an excellent summary and analysis of the newly discovered “Siloam Dam” in Jerusalem.

Work is underway on a Visitor Education Center on the Mount of Olives. The story includes other details about the area, such as the cost of a burial plot in the cemetery.

The entire Great Isaiah Scroll will be on display at the Israel Museum to mark the museum’s 60th anniversary.

Iran is not happy about the British Museum’s plan to loan the Cyrus Cylinder to the National Library of Israel. [EDIT: This story is from early 2024. The Cyrus Cylinder has not been in Israel since this story was written, as far as I know.]

New from IAA Reports: Khirbat ‘Amra: A Rural Site from the Hellenistic to Early Islamic Periods in the Beʼer Sheva‘ Valley, by Itamar Taxel and Noé D. Michael (open-access).

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on Dec 3: “The Legacy of Hansen House in Jerusalem,” by Susan Kennedy-Arenz. “This talk will describe the living conditions of Jerusalem’s leper community prior to the establishment of the first leper hospice in the mid-19th century.”

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on Dec 10: “The Rise of Christianity in Galilee: A Perspective from the Jewish Cities of Sepphoris and Tiberias,” by Shulamit Miller

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on Dec 17: “Albright 2025: The Year in Review,” by Director James Fraser

Preserving Bible Times is streaming Digging Deeper I (The Great Commission) and Digging Deeper II (The Jewish Mind of Jesus’ Day), free on YouTube.

Leon Mauldin shares several photos of the ancient city of Jokneam.

Logos subscribers can purchase Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical Geography: Reading the Land, by Paul H. Wright, for about $8.

Alumni of Jerusalem University College are invited to an alumni gathering in Boston during the Annual Meetings.

Wayne Stiles is hosting an advanced tour of Israel next year, with visits to places that most groups never visit (including Dothan, Samaria, Solomon’s Pools, Bethany, Temple Mount, an optional 10-mile hike and river rafting, and more).

The new Job volume in the Photo Companion to the Bible includes 1,600 photos. The introductory sale ends in a few days.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator, Paleojudaica

Tagged Dead Sea Scrolls, Galilee, Golan Heights, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Lectures, Museums, Photo Resources, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A system of tunnels has been discovered under the Gan Hashlosha National Park, used during the Mamluk period for sugar mills.

The Temple Mount Sifting Project’s find of the month is a bronze crotal bell with an iron chain attachment.

On Digging for Truth, Abigail Van Huss reports on her research into Israel’s settlement in the hill country.

“What happened to the ark of the covenant?” is the topic of Chris McKinny’s conversation with Gordon Govier on The Book and the Spade.

Ami Nadir graduated with his PhD in archaeology from Ben-Gurion University at age 81.

Stephen Pfann, Dead Sea Scrolls scholar and co-founder (with his wife Claire) of the University of the Holy Land, died recently.

New release: A Prophet to the Nations: Archaeological and Historical Perspectives on Jeremiah 46–51, edited by Jordan Davis and Benedikt Hensel (Vetus Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; EUR 140; digital is open access)

The latest issue of Tel Aviv is fully open access. It includes articles on Hazor, Horvat Tevet, and more.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Alexander Schick, Arne Halbakken, Charles Savelle, Explorator

Tagged Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Resources, Sad News, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A fragment of an Assyrian tax notice from the time of Hezekiah was discovered in Jerusalem. The inscribed potsherd mentions “a delay in payment, the first day of the month of Av, and the title of an Assyrian officer.” This is the first time “written evidence of the relations between the Assyrian Empire and the Kingdom of Judah has been discovered” in Jerusalem.

A 7th-century cremation burial at Horvat Tevet contains an “unparalleled” burial treasure that sheds light on Assyrian rule over northern Israel.

Aren Maeir wrapped up a mini-season of excavations at Gath/Tell es-Safi.

Frank Turek interviews Titus Kennedy about “12 biblical archaeological discoveries you’ve never heard of before.” Comet (see below) just gave me a quick summary (and saved me 45 minutes of watching), and I’ve heard of all of them.

The latest episode of Digging for Truth is about this summer’s season at Shiloh and the team’s evacuation when the Israel-Iran War began.

Kristine Garroway has written an article about the death of children in ancient Israel that is based on her new book.

Zoom lecture on Nov 12: “American Archaeology through the Lens of Albright’s Work at Tel Beit Mirsim, and Beyond,” by Igor Kreimerman, Michael Freikman, and Rachel Hallote

Free ebook for a limited time: Between Yahwism and Judaism: Judean Cult and Culture during the Early Hellenistic Period (332–175 BCE), by Yonatan Adler (Elements in The Archaeology of Ancient Israel; Cambridge University Press)

Ebook available to read online, in Hebrew: A History of the Israel Exploration Society, by Lina Dar and Raphael Kitron

Available for pre-order on Logos: The Archaeology of the Bible, by James K. Hoffmeier ($14)

The Wall Street Journal says that the Perplexity browser (Comet) is currently the best, and I’ve been happy with Perplexity.ai for the last year (its strength is citing its sources). If you are a student or teacher, you can sign up for a free year of Perplexity Pro, and if you use this link, I’ll get an extra free month ($4.99 value).

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Gordon Franz, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Galilee, Jerusalem, Resources, Samaria, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A new study of 100 inscribed potsherds found at Tel Arad provide insights into how 6th-century Judahites kept track of time.

“Archaeologists have uncovered a well-preserved Late Bronze Age burial complex near the ancient coastal port of Yavneh-Yam in Israel, yielding rare evidence of Canaanite funeral practices and elite connections with Egypt around 3,300 years ago.” The underlying journal article is here.

Thomas E. Levy, Gilad Shtienberg, and Assaf Yasur-Landau describe the latest technological advances in marine archaeology.

Chandler Collins explains the major features of Jerusalem depicted on the Medeba Map.

Ory Amitay writes about the fictional stories surrounding Alexander the Great’s alleged visit to Jerusalem. He will be speaking on the topic on October 29. And his book on the subject was recently published by Oxford University Press.

“What was Canaan?” In a 25-minute video, Dig looks at the term, Mari, Alalakh, Mari, Ugarit, the Amarna Letters, and more.

Jerusalem University College has announced its lineup of online courses for the spring:

Biblical Archaeology II – Dr. Kyle Keimer
Biblical Hebrew II – Dr. Ellie Paley
The Book of Revelation and the Seven Cities of the Apocalypse – Dr. Chris Vlachos
Cultural Backgrounds of the Bible – Dr. Oliver Hersey & Nicole Ottavi
Hebrew Readings in the Later Prophets – Dr. Eldon Clem
The Parables of Jesus and the Rabbinic Meshalim – Dr. Steven Notley

Jerusalem in 1920s on YouTube: “I colorized, restored, and created a sound design for this 1925 footage of Jerusalem, featuring panoramic views from the surrounding hills, including Mount Scopus, the Mount of Olives, the Old City, and the new city.”

Here is another colorized video with both Jerusalem and Nazareth.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Alexander Schick, Explorator

Tagged Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Lectures, Negev, Technology, Weekend Roundup