Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A final report on the Italian excavations in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher revealed a clear sequence: from stone quarry to farmland to cemetery to church. The final report requires subscription.

Authorities used a huge crane to lift a 25-ton Jewish ritual bath from the ground in Kiryat Gat in order to protect it from ongoing construction.

A four-year restoration of the traditional tomb of Jesse and Ruth at Hebron has been completed.

A new virtual exhibition, From Trash to Treasure: Nahal Omer“ highlights how the remains of everyday life in a remote desert settlement can illuminate long-distance trade and cultural connections across the medieval world.”

Elizabeth Shanks Alexander and Abigail Snyder write about four early rabbis you should know: Rabbi Akiva, Rabban Gamaliel, Rabbi Yohanan, and Resh Lakish.

ASOR Zoom lecture on Sept 30: “Current Research on the Holy Sepulchre and Faunal Remains,” by Luca Brancazi

New release: Aspects of Judean Life: Elephantine in Its Persian Imperial and Administrative Context, by James D. Moore (Eisenbrauns; open-access)

On Digging for Truth, Tim Lopez talks about a monumental building at Shiloh that he helped to excavate that may be the foundation of a permanent tabernacle structure.

We released 12 new volumes in the Photo Companion to the Bible series this week.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Explorator

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Weekend Roundup

During excavations of the agora at Smyrna, archaeologists discovered three rooms with wall paintings and mosaics.

“For nearly 180 years, archaeologists studying Nimrud in northern Iraq have focused on palaces, temples, and royal buildings. A new project is shifting attention to the vast lower city, where most of the Assyrian capital’s people lived.”

Archaeologists have discovered at Saqqara the tomb of a judge who heard the appeals of ordinary people.

“A scientific journal has retracted a study that claimed satellite radar could reveal hidden structures inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, finding ‘serious methodological flaws and statistical errors’ that undermined its conclusions.”

“The Egyptian Museum in Cairo completed restoration work on a stele of Ramesses II.”

Scientists are stomping grapes in an ancient reconstructed winepress in order to determine “whether ancient Judean winemakers let the juice flow directly into the adjacent collection vats to ferment, or instead left it to ferment on the treading floor itself.”

ASOR has teamed up with the Libyan Department of Antiquities to restore the archaeological site of Cyrene. The article includes many photos.

Turkish Archaeological News rounds up the top stories for the month of August.

The Museum Fine of Arts, Boston, is presenting the exhibit “Maverick Kings,” highlighting the reigns of three Egyptian rulers of the 18th Dynasty: Hatshepsut, Amenhotep III, and Akhenaten.

New release: The Animals of Ancient Egypt: Then and Now, by Richard Hoath and Salima Ikram (AUC Press, $22)

On Digging for Truth, Ted Wright discusses a panel from Sennacherib’s palace that may depict Jerusalem.

Friends of ASOR Webinar on Sept 24: “Digging into The Odyssey: An Epic Reimagined or a Misinterpretation of Epic Proportions?,” with Eric Cline, Kim Shelton, and Alex Joffe

Zoom lecture on Oct 6: “When Worlds Collide: Mediterranean Mercenaries and Israel’s Genesis,” by Aaron Burke (BAS Scholars Series, $10)

Writing for Bible History Daily, Robin Gallaher Branch explores the significance of Cornelius and his conversion.

Carl Rasmussen explains how to easily find images on his website.

The Friends of ASOR Tours is offering a 15-day tour of Tunisia, led by Andrew G. Vaughn.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Explorator

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Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Adramytteion in western Türkiye have uncovered an unusually personal trace of Roman domestic life: a cat and a dog depicted in a mosaic from the villa’s 2nd–3rd-century AD phase, accompanied by inscriptions giving their names.” Adramyttium is mentioned in Acts 27:2.

The AFP reports on archaeological discoveries in Lebanon in recent years.

The British Museum Blog looks at wigs and hairstyles in ancient Egypt.

On Digging for Truth, Bryan Windle gives an archaeological biography for Sargon II.

New release: Babel and Bible: The Impact of Mesopotamia on Biblical Studies 1872-1924, by Rannfrid I. Lasine Thelle (Bloomsbury; $76–$108)

Hybrid lecture on Sept 16 at the Albright: “The Site That Broke the Clock: Radiocarbon Dating, Pottery, and Rewriting the Early Bronze Age ‘Collapse’ in Jordan,” by James Fraser

Zoom lecture on Sept 23: “The Wondrous Phenomenon of the Artesian Spring – New Excavations at Tall Zirāʿa,” by Dieter Vieweger

An Italian man who constructed his own “ancient Greek theater” and charged tourists to see it is now in jail.

HT: Agade, Explorator, Paleojudaica

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Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“A team led by Israeli researcher Yoav Vaknin has developed a method to distinguish genuine clay artifacts from modern fakes by reading faint magnetic signals locked into the objects when they were fired thousands of years ago.”

A new study by UCLA professor Catherine Bonesho concludes that a copper ring once identified as Pontius Pilate’s—and then not—likely belonged to a slave involved in administrative work in Judea.

Aren Maeir visited the new excavations at Tel Qana, on the northern bank of the Yarkon River, and the Jerusalem Post published a video.

The latest Jerusalem Tracker lists “every new academic publication” that Chandler Collins “can find that is relevant for the study of historical Jerusalem,” including new books, excavation reports, articles, and book chapters.

Elon Gilad writes about another Jewish revolt, one between the Great Revolt and the Bar Kokhba Revolt, about which little is known.

Shmuel Browns, a tour guide in Israel, has begun a Substack that features his areas of interest: History & Archaeology, Hiking & Nature, Photography, and a Field Report.

Libby Backfish and Cynthia Shafer-Elliott are on the Biblical World podcast to discuss their recent book, Grounded Theology in the Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Cultural Context that Formed Ancient Israel.

The Badè Museum’s 2026–2027 online lecture series is entitled “Affordability in the Iron Age: Household, Regional, and Interregional Economies in the Levant.” The first lecture, on September 24, is by Erin Hall on “The Economy of the Northern Israelite Kingdom in the Iron Age II.”

Eric Cline asks (and answers) the questions of who the Sea Peoples were (there is no simple answer) and whether they caused the end of the Bronze Age (they have been set up as a scapegoat).

Bryan Windle reports on the top three archaeological reports for the month of August.

The latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes articles on a harbor town in the days of Israel’s judges, monumental tombs in the Kidron Valley, tombs in the Negev, gaps within the text of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and an advertisement for a new book (p. 65).

HT: Agade, Explorator, Paleojudaica

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Weekend Roundup, Part 3

Archaeologists uncovered a complete bath complex that was used for centuries in Port Said.

Archaeologists are planning to restore the ceremonial gateway to the ancient city of Parseh (Persepolis).

“The concept of zero began with Sumerian accountants, who first used a blank space to denote an absence in records.”

Now online: “New Insights on Nimrud,” hosted by The British Institute for the Study of Iraq, with talks by:

  • John MacGinnis: Recent Work at Nimrud
  • Nigel Tallis: Publishing the Nimrud Bowls
  • Dirk Wicke: Ivories from the Burnt Palace

The British Institute for the Study of Iraq honored Gertrude Bell who died one hundred years ago in Baghdad. The 2016 movie about her life, “Letters from Baghdad,” is available for rent on several platforms.

Polis is offering an online course in the Eblaite language.

“The French archaeological mission in Libya has concluded its 2026 field season, presenting the key results of its work, which included significant archaeological discoveries and studies at the sites of Apollonia, Lathron, and Leptis Magna.”

“A 1,500-year-old Madaba map of the Holy Land will reach a new generation through virtual reality (VR), interactive displays and traveling exhibitions under a new project at the University of Göttingen in Germany.”

“Italian divers have discovered an ancient Roman shipwreck off the coast of Sicily, believed to be more than 2,000 years old. The vessel was found piled high with hundreds of well-preserved containers, which were used to transport goods such as wine and olive oil.”

“Archaeologists have uncovered a second-century building with mosaics and frescoes near the Colosseum that may have been barracks used by ancient Roman firefighters.”

Archaeopress is hosting a Summer Sale: “For the next four weeks, more than 400 archaeology, heritage and ancient history titles are available at specially reduced prices, with discounts of 30–75% across a wide selection of our backlist.”

Archaeological Paths is offering an 8-day tour of Egypt during the time of the solar eclipse for a cool $20,000. An extra day at Alexandria is only $2,000. Tips not included.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Explorator, Paleojudaica

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Weekend Roundup, Part 1

One thousand female figurines have been found in Jerusalem, but until now no such mold has been discovered in the city. Archaeologists found one when sifting soil from the Kishle excavation south of the Tower of David Museum. Lauren K. McCormick gives more background on Judean Pillar Figurines, including some explanations for why so few molds have been found in Israel.

“A municipal employee searching for lost jewelry on the beach in Ashdod instead uncovered a rare 2,500-year-old coin from ancient Cyprus, which archaeologists say is the first of its kind ever found in Israel.”

A raid of a home of an antiquities thief in the Jordan Valley recovered “approximately 400 ancient coins, pottery fragments, several arrowheads, an antique dagger, and multiple seals and rings, all dating to the Persian, Hellenistic, Hasmonean, and Byzantine eras.”

Aren Maeir visited the excavations at Tel Shadud and Hazor.

“The top three reports in biblical archaeology in July 2026 featured evidence of Judahite idolatry, remains from the Babylonian destruction in Jerusalem, and the discovery of three, previously unknown Assyrian kings.”

Online lecture on Oct 6: “When Worlds Collide: Mediterranean Mercenaries and Israel’s Genesis,” by Aaron Burke (BAS Scholars Series, $10)

New release: Jewish Quarter Excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem Conducted by Nahman Avigad, 1969-1982, Volume X: Area M (The Peristyle House), by Ronny Reich (Israel Exploration Society, $111)

First time for sale on Kindle: Pax: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age, by Tom Holland (Basic Books, 2023; $1.99)

SBL Press is running a $5 flash sale through August 2 on three ebooks related to Phoenicia when you use code PHOENICIA:

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

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About the BiblePlaces Blog

The BiblePlaces Blog provides updates and analysis of the latest in biblical archaeology, history, and geography. Unless otherwise noted, the posts are written by Todd Bolen, PhD, Professor of Biblical Studies at The Master’s University.

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