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Archaeologists have discovered a large Early Bronze site on the outskirts of Beit Shemesh.

“Israeli researchers have posited a possible scientific explanation for the Christian ‘miraculous catch of fish.’”

A new study suggests that the faience head discovered at Abel Beth Maacah was “probably meant as a votive offering that depicted the person who was making the offering to the deity represented by the standing stone.” While the identity of that person has not been determined, they suggest it was either a king or a noble, but it is not clear if this individual was from Israel, Aram, Tyre, or Sidon.

Aren Maeir took a small team out to Gath for a one-week fall season.

A severe drought in Israel has led to a poor olive harvest this year.

Matthieu Richelle’s views of literacy in ancient Israel and Judah is the subject of an article in The Jerusalem Post. The academic article on which it is based may be found here.

Wayne Stiles is hosting a live Zoom walk-through on sites in the Old City of Jerusalem on November 4. Register here.

The 100th episode of This Week in the Ancient Near East looks at the question of how long Hezekiah reigned given evidence from tiny seal impressions.

Now on Digging for Truth: Isaiah: The Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries, with Bryan Windle

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on Dec 7, 5:00 pm local time, 10:00 am EST: “Staying on the Surface at Qadas,” by Rafi Greenberg (Zoom)

Over the past year, Hans Kristensen has written a number of well-documented articles on The Bible, Archaeology, and History blog, including:

For sale on Kindle: Ultimate Guide to the Holy Land: Hundreds of Full-Color Photos, Maps, Charts, and Reconstructions of the Bible Lands. I don’t know anything about this book beyond what is online, including that there are “more than 500 full-color maps, images, photos, and reconstructions.” The book is 1,260 pages long, no author is listed, and the sale price (today only?) is $6.55. The book may look nice on the new color Kindle.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Wayne Stiles, Joseph Lauer

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Archaeologists have found a hidden tomb underneath the Kazneh in Petra, and unlike other tombs, this one was filled with ancient artifacts and remains of 12 individuals.

A team excavating in Anemurium in southern Turkey uncovered a 2nd-century AD inscription honoring a wrestler.

Archaeologists have discovered one of the oldest church buildings in the world in Armenia.

478 artifacts were uncovered during an excavation expedition in the historic province of Babylon.”

The planting of ancient seeds discovered in the Judean wilderness produced Commiphora, a plant not known to have existed in Israel. Despite hopes, it turns out not to be the legendary afarsimon, but it may be the biblical plant known as tsori. And perhaps it was used as stock for afarsimon.

Antiquities thieves were caught looting Kh. Umm a-Ros in the Shephelah.

The latest issue of Jerusalem in Brief looks at “the construction of Herod’s Temple Mount, maps and plans from Charles Warren, and a reflection on the Gennath Gate.”

Alan Rosenbaum recreates what a pilgrim’s journey to Jerusalem during Sukkot in the first century would have been like.

Norma Franklin writes about the “etrog, a royal Assyrian aromatic purifier.”

The Jerusalem Post has a story about Jordan D. Rosenblum’s new book, Forbidden: A 3,000-Year History of Jews and the Pig.

On Digging for Truth, Scott Stripling considers connections between the Nuzi Tablets and the book of Genesis.

Zoom lecture on Nov 1: “Eye-paints in the Hebrew Bible: Looking for Meaning,” by Dr. Susannah Rees.

Just released: A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000–323 BC, 4th ed, by Marc Van De Mieroop (Blackwell History of the Ancient World, $37-$46)

Manfried Dietrich, founder of “Alter Orient und Altes Testament” and “Ugarit-Forschungen,” and Ugarit-Verlag, died earlier this month.

Experience Israel Now has just released Andy Cook’s new book, The King of Bethlehem. The book is loaded with full-color photographs and important historical and cultural background.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Mark Hoffman, Wayne Stiles

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Archaeologists have uncovered the burial chamber of a governor’s daughter in Asyut, Egypt.

Bryan Windle explains the archaeological evidence for Pharaoh Necho II on Digging for Truth.

A professor has donated his papers describing the process of deciphering Linear B.

Cosmote Chronos is a free Apple smartphone app designed for the acropolis of Athens. “It combines the capabilities of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with the capabilities of the 5G network to make exploring the archaeological site and learning its history immersive, realistic and fun.”

Kiosk is a free and open source integrated iPad recording platform and browser-based data manager for field archaeology.”

Hybrid lecture on Oct 15: “1177 B.C. and After: The Survival of Civilizations,” by Eric Cline (Zoom registration)

New release: Enuma Elish: The Babylonian Epic of Creation, by Johannes Haubold, Sophus Helle, Enrique Jiménez, and Selena Wisnom (Bloomsbury, $32-$90; open access)

Randy Smith explains macellum and restaurants in the latest episode in the Life in the Roman Empire series on Walking The Text.

Jerusalem Seminary is offering a new course on “Journeying with Paul,” and the instructors explain why they are excited about it.

HT: Agade, Craig Dunning, Gordon Franz, Paleojudaica

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Archaeologists working south of Jerusalem discovered a major royal administrative center from the time of Ahaz or Hezekiah. 180 inscribed jar handles provide insights into the organization of agricultural production.

Today is Yom Kippur, and Noga Ayali-Darshan explains “the scapegoat ritual and its ancient Near Eastern parallels.”

“A helmet found in the ruins of the famous Roman city wiped out by a volcano eruption a few years after the destruction of Jerusalem depicts a palm tree, a symbol of Judea.”

“An exhibition of archaeological finds from Gaza has gone on display in Geneva this week.”

Alex Winston writes about the importance of Mount Scopus throughout history.

Friends of ASOR Webinar on Oct 23: “‘And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam’ (I Sam 17:6-7): Weaponry, Weaving, and Broken Similes in the Duel between David and Goliath,” by Laura Mazow (registration is free but required)

New release: Community Archaeology in Israel/Palestine, edited by Raz Kletter, Liora Kolska Horwitz, and Emanuel Pfoh (Equinox, $55-$115)

Expedition Bible’s latest video is about Bethel. In this 25-minute video, Joel Kramer visits Burj Beitin, the location of a Byzantine church.

In the Biblical World podcast, “Chris and Kyle continue their series on the book of Judges, looking at the Ephraimite conquest of Bethel in Judges 1:22-26. They cover problems in the archaeology of Bethel, and they discuss the identity of the “Hittites” in this same passage.”

The feature-length documentary, “Following the Footsteps,” is now streaming on Amazon Prime and YouTube (free). Those who want to go deeper can take advantage of Bob Rognlien’s The Most Extraordinary Life and a video study guide (available here).

HT: Agade, Craig Dunning, Gordon Franz, Paleojudaica

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The Getty Museum has released a beautiful 5-minute video of a virtual reconstruction of Persepolis that was created for their 2022 Persia exhibition. Another option is to tour through the virtual reconstruction through the Getty website. It’s fantastic.

A trailer for Gladiator II raises the question: did gladiators ever fight rhinos?

The Institute for Creation Research will be hosting a Biblical Archaeology Conference in Dallas on November 9. The topic is “Unearthing the Historical Jesus.” The event is free, but registration is required.

One result of Sudan’s civil war is that artifacts looted from the nation’s museums and archaeological sites are now being sold on eBay.

“The Louvre is set to open a new Byzantine and Eastern Christian Art department in 2027, with Greece playing a central role.”

Zoom lecture on Oct 11: “Levantine Seals between the Material, Sensory, and the Social: Archaeological, Iconographic, and Exegetical Perspectives on Beauty, Power, and Dress,” by Bruno Biermann. Registration is required.

The latest podcast episode on This Week in the Ancient Near East is on “How to Dye a Fabric in the Middle Bronze Age.”

New release: Understanding Syria through 40 Monuments, by Ross Burns (Bloomsbury, $19-$63)

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Steven Anderson

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Excavations in central Turkey have uncovered more than 50 Hittite seal impressions from royal family members.

The Times of Israel reports on the sword engraved with the name of Ramses II that was recently discovered in ancient military barracks in the Nile Delta.

An ancient papyrus fragment is the earliest petition from a Jew to an Egyptian king.

Restoration work at the Temple of Edfu has enabled researchers to identify “traces of gold leaf, colorful painting remnants and graffiti.”

Recent articles at Bible History Daily introduce the Amarna Letters and the Amarna Revolution.

“Ancient frescoes like that of the Greek monkeys on Santorini suggest Europe and south Asia had trade links as long as 3,600 years ago.”

The latest episode in Walking The Text’s current series is about brothels and pubs in the Roman world.

“The Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East now has a public searchable database for its collections. The museum cares for over 40,000 items, including pottery, cylinder seals, sculpture, coins, and cuneiform tablets.The database is a work in progress and will be augmented periodically.”

Hybrid lecture on Oct 16 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston: “Rediscovering Sculptures of King Menkaure at the Giza Pyramids,” by Mark Lehner. Advance registration is recommended: online or in-person.

Now available: The Treasure of the Egyptian Queen Ahhotep and International Relations at the Turn of the Middle Bronze Age (1600- 1500 BCE), edited by Gianluca Miniaci and Peter Lacovara (Golden House, free pdf)

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken

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