Jordan Rift Archives - Page 3 of 13

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Marine archaeologists working near Caesarea have discovered a gold ring with a green gemstone depicting the “Good Shepherd,” a red gemstone depicting a lyre, and a hoard of Roman coins. A 2-minute video announcing the discoveries has been produced by the IAA.

“New research suggests that the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate is the one that built the Biar Aqueduct, the most sophisticated ancient aqueduct of the Jerusalem area” and the main one supplying Solomon’s Pools (Haaretz premium). The underlying journal article is available on Academia.

“Archaeologists say discovery at Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley is first known instance of alcohol being imbibed inside a community in the ancient Middle East.”

Authorities found the lid of a Roman sarcophagus in a garbage dump in Ashkelon.

The Jerusalem Post runs a brief story on the legend of the ark of the covenant being brought to Ethiopia.

The Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem has added a number of new programs and educational opportunities in the last year.

This Week in the Ancient Near East podcast: “Even More New Amazing Iron Age Finds from a Cult Site West of Jerusalem, or, To Gaze Upon the Knees of God”

A recent video of the Temple Mount shows the interior of the Golden Gate now furnished as a mosque.

The Conversation provides an explainer on what it is like to volunteer on an archaeological excavation.

The second episode in the “State of Jerusalem” miniseries by The Times of Israel looks at the Christian community in the city.

The Israeli government has again cancelled Christmas in the Holy Land for most, but not all, tourists.

Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer discuss the history and archaeology of Christmas on the Biblical World podcast.

Andy Cook at Experience Israel Now has created a two-part special entitled “The Journey to Christmas.” Part One came out a few days ago, and Part Two will be released tomorrow. The videos include drone footage of the route that Joseph and Mary took from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

We’ll have a part 2 for this roundup on Sunday.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Alexander Schick, Charles Savelle, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Holidays, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Jordan Rift, Judah, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A gold ring with an amethyst stone was discovered at an excavation of a 7th-century winepress at Yavne.

A recent study reveals much about the lives of four individuals who died in a burning building in Azekah around 1200 BC. The underlying journal article is available for purchase here.

More people have surreptitiously visited the caves underneath the Machpelah of Hebron than is widely known. Some of the history and findings given in Noam Arnon’s doctoral thesis is reported in Israel HaYom. A previously published diagram is here. If anyone has access to the thesis, let me know.

The Daily Mail has some beautiful photos of the impressive mosaic floors at Hisham’s Palace in Jericho.

Meir Edrey, Adi Erlich, and Assaf Yasur-Landau write about the 1972 discovery of the Shavei Zion figurine assemblage, found underwater north of Acco.

Erez Ben-Yosef argues that the search for archaeological evidence for David’s kingdom needs to shift from looking for magnificent buildings to looking for a tent-dwelling population. A related journal article by the author is here.

Rosella Tercatin provides a minor update on the renovations at Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum. A previous version of this story posted earlier this week contains additional details.

Detailed satellite imagery of Israel is now publicly available, though Google Earth/Maps does not seem to have updated to it yet.

Andy Cook of Experience Israel Now provides subscribers to the “Photo of the Day” with images and maps of biblical sites and recent discoveries.

Andrew Lawler reviews some of the archaeological background to the religious conflict in Jerusalem.

Luke Chandler likes the latest additions to the Photo Companion to the Bible series.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken

Tagged Discoveries, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Jordan Rift, Judah, Museums, Negev, Shephelah, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A fragment of an ancient Canaanite deity has been discovered in the temple at Moza, providing some explanation for why high places in Judah were condemned by the biblical writers.

A fortress in the French Hill neighborhood of Jerusalem is being renovated. This fortress is believed to have protected the city during the time of Judah’s kings.

After a $12 million renovation project, a beautiful mosaic is about to open to the public at Hisham’s Palace in Jericho.

The debate continues as to whether Herod’s Galilean temple was located at Caesarea Philippi or at Omrit, and a permanent exhibit including a large column from Omrit is now on display at Tel Hai College.

Eight antiquities thieves digging for buried gold were nabbed in the act.

“Hear, O Israel: The Magic of the Shema” is a new exhibit at the Israel Museum open through April 2022.

Hicham Aboutaam shares his six favorite pieces in the Israel Museum.

An online course on Joshua’s Altar Site begins on Sunday with the 5-lesson study featuring Shay Bar, Scott Stripling, Ralph Hawkins, Zvi Koenigsberg, and Aaron Lipkin.

The Urim and the Thummim are the subject on the latest episode of the Biblical World podcast, with Doug Bookman joining host Mary Buck to share his research.

Bryan Windle’s top three reports in biblical archaeology this month are all likely to end up in the year’s top 10 list.

This week we released Paul’s Epistles in our Photo Companion to the Bible series. The sale price ends soon.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Charles Savelle, Daniel Wright, Paleojudaica, Ted Weis

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Galilee, Jerusalem, Jordan Rift, Judah, Museums, New Exhibits, Photo Resources, Samaria, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Excavations at Itamar in the West Bank have uncovered a sealed cistern with tools and vessels from the Second Temple period, an olive press, a mikveh, and a coin with the image of Mount Gerizim.

A new study claims that Tall el-Hammam was destroyed by a cosmic airburst circa 1650 BC. Biblical archaeologists are not convinced that this proves the site is Sodom.

Rossella Tercatin interviews Yuval Gadot about recent archaeological discoveries in the Jerusalem area in a 25-minute Zoomcast.

Archaeology sheds light on how Jews celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in the 1st century.

Mark Janzen and Kyle Keimer interview Eric Cline on the Biblical World podcast.

Isabel Cranz surveys royal illness in the Bible and the ancient Near Eastern texts.

ASOR members in the US can purchase several recent archaeological publications for $25 each through the end of the month.

The purpose of HIERAX software is “to enhance the legibility of papyri for text edition and publication. It consists of an image processing tool and an image viewer.”

I predict that Bryan Windle’s “Top Ten Discoveries Related to Moses and the Exodus” will become one of his blog’s most popular posts.

The early bird discount for the Infusion Bible Conference ends on Thursday.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Charles Savelle

Tagged Discoveries, Exodus-Conquest, Holidays, Jerusalem, Jordan Rift, Resources, Samaria, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Researchers investigating a perfectly circular structure submerged under the Sea of Galilee are considering a possible connection to the tomb of Aqhat in Ugaritic mythology. The underlying journal article is here.

Mark Hoffman writes about the new “Timelapse in Google Earth,” with a couple of suggested views to check out.

Chris McKinny is on the Out of Zion podcast discussing the biblical and geographical backgrounds related to crossing the Jordan River.

Wendy Slaninka continues the fascinating story of her grandfather, James Leslie Starkey, excavator of Lachish.

Sudarsan Raghavan writes about the latest discoveries at Saqqara for the Washington Post.

“Pharaonic history provides us with well-documented cases of condemnation of the memory of specific individuals – what we today call damnatio memoriae.”

A project using artificial intelligence has determined that the Great Isaiah Scroll was written by two scribes, not one (Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, Haaretz premium, journal article).

New: Babylon: The Great City, by Olof Pedersén (Zaphon, 2021). Available in hardcover (44 €) and pdf (free).

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Ferrell Jenkins, Keith Keyser, Explorator, G. M. Grena

Tagged Egypt, Galilee, Jordan Rift, Mesopotamia, Resources, Shephelah, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Analysis of soil from Herod’s palace garden in Jericho reveals that he raised “lush bonsai versions of pines, cypresses, cedars, olives and other trees.”

There is more here about the police bust of a major antiquities ring in central Israel.

Israel21c runs an interesting piece on the value and conservation of ancient mosaics in Israel.

With the mines removed, worshipers were able to celebrate Epiphany near the Jordan River for the first time in more than 50 years.

Roger D. Isaacs adds to the lists of top 10 Bible discoveries of 2020.

Because of travel restrictions, Jerusalem University College is offering for the first time ever its full slate of classes online, including courses on physical settings, cultural background, parables of Jesus, and history of the Second Temple period.

New: Heart of the Holy Land: 40 Reflections on Scripture and Place, by Paul H. Wright (and on Kindle)

New: Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels, by Cyndi Parker

New: Archaeology and Ancient Israelite Religion, edited by Avraham Faust. Hardback for purchase or free pdf. Individual essays are available here.

The Israel Film Archive has some short film clips of historic interest. They are in Hebrew, but visually interesting even if you don’t know Hebrew.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, A.D. Riddle, Arne Halbakken, Explorator, Alexander Schick

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Jordan Rift, Lectures, Resources, Weekend Roundup