This conference has already started (Jan 13-16), but the program (pdf) may be of interest to those not in Jerusalem.  The full title of the conference is “Jewish Views of the After Life and Burial Practices in Second Temple Judaism: Evaluating the Talpiot Tomb in Context.”  This is the Third Princeton Symposium on Judaism and Christian Origins, and it looks like James Charlesworth will likely edit a book from the proceedings, similar to his Jesus and Archaeology, which came out of a conference in Jerusalem in 2000.  Presenters or panel participants include Kloner, Vermes, Magnes, Meyers, Gibson, Lemaire, Zias, Tabor, Barkay, Netzer, and many others.

HT: Yehuda News

Ehud Netzer, the archaeologist who discovered Herod’s tomb and excavated most of Herod’s other sites throughout Israel, is lecturing (in Hebrew) this Thursday at Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem. 

The details are:

Lecture: The Discovery of King Herod’s Tomb at Herodium (in Hebrew) with Ehud Netzer

Location: HUC/JIR, 13 King David Street

Date: Thursday, Dec 27, 2007 at 5 PM

Website:  http://www.huc.edu/events/07/12/JE.shtml

HT: Joe Lauer

Those interested in the goings-on at the ASOR meeting in San Diego should look at the LMLK Blogspot of George Grena. In his first post, he discusses some of the scholars he met and the first session which was on Ramat Rahel. I’m in town for another conference but opted to not to go the ASOR meetings because of the high admissions fee (and the Biblical Archaeology Society conference was even more outrageously priced). You can see the ASOR program schedule here. Other highlights of the day that Grena noted in a posting to the ANE-2 list are:

2) Interesting ruffling of feathers between attendees at Chang-Ho Ji’s paper on Khirbat ‘Ataruz (Ataroth?) regarding the interpretation of 2 male figures (homosexual deities?) on a cult statue.

3) A heated exchange between the excavators of Beth Shemesh & Yosef Garfinkel & Saar Ganor of the IAA after their consecutive papers. The former pointed out the lack of evidence for an 8th-century earthquake, but suggested that a burnt layer relates to 2Kings 14:11-2; the latter identified Khirbet Qeiyafa as Biblical Azekah.

4) A 6-line ink-inscription ostracon found at Tall Jalul, presented by Randall Younker–note that this was a surprise change from the topic originally planned–you won’t find it in the abstracts program book.

5) A strong protest by Aren Maeir following the Zayit Abecedary session.

The 52nd Annual Archaeology Lecture Series is underway at Wheaton College, entitled “Ashkelon and the Ports of the Mediterranean.” The remaining lectures are:

Wednesday, Oct 31, 6:30pm

Brian Brisco, “The Persian Period at Ashkelon”

Billy Graham Center, Room 140

Wednesday, Nov 7, 6:30pm

Tracy Hoffman, “The Byzantine and Islamic Periods at Ashkelon”

Billy Graham Center, Room 140

The following lectures are free, open to the public, and held in the Breasted Hall of the University of Chicago, Oriental Institute.  

Wednesday, Nov 7, 7pm-9pm

Allison Thomason, “Banquets, Baubles and Bronzes: Material Comforts in Neo-Assyrian Palaces”

Wednesday, Dec 5, 7pm-9pm

Scott Branting, “Mapping the Past”

Wednesday, Jan 9, 7pm-9pm

Harald Hauptmann, “Neolithic Revolution of the Ancient Near East”

Wednesday, Feb 6, 7pm-9pm

Terry Wilfong, “Anxious Egyptians: Personal Oracles as Indices of Anxieties in the Later Periods”

Wednesday, Mar 5, 7pm-9pm

David Schloen, “Excavations at Zincirli”

Wednesday, Apr 2, 7pm-9pm

Nadine Moeller, “Tell Edfu, Egypt”

Wednesday, May 7, 7pm-9pm

Larry Stager, “Excavating Ashkelon, Sea Port of the Phillistines”

Wednesday, Jun 4, 7pm-9pm

Stuart Tyson Smith, “Death at Tombos: Pyramids, Iron, and the Rise of the Nubian Dynasty”

The American Jewish University (formerly University of Judaism) is hosting the 18th and final series of lectures on biblical archaeology at their Los Angeles campus starting next week.  The lectures are on Monday evenings, beginning at 8:00 p.m., and with a cost of $25 each.  The lecture dates, topics, and speakers are:

October 15

Jerusalem in the Days of David and Solomon: What Do We See in Excavations and What Does It
Actually Mean?

Jane M. Cahill

October 22

Archaeology, History and the Patriarchs

Gary Rendsberg

October 29

The Exodus from Egypt and the Conquest of Canaan in Archaeology, Egyptology and the Bible:
What Do We Know for Certain?

James K. Hoffmeier

November 12

Death Styles of the Rich and Famous and of the Kings of Israel: An Archaeologist Examines the
Evidence and Arguments

Jodi Magness

November 19

Two Temples Stood in Zion: How New Excavations, Old Photographs, Recent Observations and
Ancient Texts Enable Us to See the Temples of Solomon and Herod

Leen Ritmeyer

November 26

The First Synagogues and Churches: What Can We Learn from Newly Excavated Sites About the
Beliefs, Organization and Origins of Early Christian and Jewish Groups?

Steven Fine

December 3

Cosmos from Chaos: the Creation of Heaven and the Search for Divine Presence in Israelite Religion

Ziony Zevit


This really is an outstanding program and if I didn’t have to jump on an airplane to attend, I would
go.  If you have limited time or funds, the four that would be of most interest to me are Cahill,
Hoffmeier, Magness, and Ritmeyer.  The last three have great books on their subjects which I
recommend to all.  (Perhaps they would sign it if you brought it.)  Those books are Hoffmeier, Israel 
in Egypt ($30); Magness, Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls ($15); Ritmeyer, The 
Quest ($60).