Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Italian scientists have confirmed a large underground complex beneath the Giza Plateau using satellite data.

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

Reporters were invited to view renovation work in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Some areas will reopen in 2027.

The Times of Israel interviewed Thomas Levy in connection with the release of his graphic autobiography.

Ben and Ann Witherington are hosting a tour of Egypt in early 2027.

Appian Way has produced a 7-minute video explaining why the Madaba Map is so important for biblical studies.

New release: Jehu’s Tribute: What Can Biblical Studies Offer Assyriology?, edited by Jeffrey L. Cooley and Rannfrid I. Lasine Thelle (Eisenbrauns, $100, or cheaper at Amazon)

New release: Narrating Archaeological Sites and Places: Fifty Years of the Madaba Plains Project at Tall Hisban, Tall al-‘Umayri, and Tall Jalul, edited by Douglas R. Clark, Øystein S. LaBianca and Randall W. Younker (Equinox, $120; Amazon)

New release: Past Perfect? The Archaeologies of Mandate Palestine 1917-1948, by Raz Kletter (90 euros)

The Biblical Archaeology Society is offering several classes in 2026:

A seminar of Ancient and Medieval Middle East (AMME) at the University of Helsinki will feature two talks on ancient waste:

  • “Trash and Treasure: Con-textualizing Trash at Oxyrhynchus,” by AnneMarie Luijendijk (Zoom)
  • “Down the Drain: What Trash Reveals about Bathing Culture in Late Antique Jerash,” by Louise Blanke (Zoom)

The Ancient Near East Today lists the top archaeological discoveries of the year.

Archaeology Magazine identifies the top 10 discoveries of 2025.

The AP posts drone footage of the Colosseum of Rome.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Alexander Schick, Explorator

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Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Archaeologists have found remains of a royal palace on the northwestern slope of Alexandrium (Sartaba).

“Israel’s Civil Administration says it seized dozens of archaeological artifacts from a site north of Ramallah in Area B today and transferred them to the Museum of the Good Samaritan archaeological site in Area C.”

The top three reports in biblical archaeology last month were “about an Early Bronze Age winepress, a Late Bronze Age site, and Iron Age trade.”

Bryan Windle is on Digging for Truth to discuss the identity of the Magi.

Josephus Christianus is a new research project devoted “to studying the reception of Flavius Josephus’ works within the Greek Christian tradition from the second to fifteenth centuries CE.”

Online course from the Biblical Archaeology Society: “The Arameans and the Bible,” taught by K. Lawson Younger Jr., Feb 3 to March 12 ($319)

Westminster Books is the first I’ve seen to have available the Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 1: Joshua-Ruth, edited by Barry J. Beitzel ($34). They also have the set of the four available volumes on sale ($130). Amazon will have the book next week ($38).

HT: Agade, Alexander Schick, Ted Weis

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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

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Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A new study of the Masada siege system reveals that the “circumvallation wall stood to a height of 2–2.5 m and served several functions – as an obstacle, a means of psychological warfare, and a platform from which to mount counterattacks.” It also was built quickly.

Artifacts stranded outside of Gaza since the Hamas coup in 2007 are on exhibit in Paris, and strong interest has led to extending the exhibition.

“Ancient textiles from the Judean Desert reveal that many Roman-era ‘purple’ garments were not dyed with costly murex but with a clever blend of madder and woad.”

The Biblical Museum of Natural History is hosting a “culinary expedition into the unexpected corners of kashrut” on December 24.

Israel’s authorities over the West Bank are expropriating 445 acres of land around the ancient Israelite capital of Samaria.

An agreement has been reached for a 2026 theatrical release of Legends of the Lost Ark, starring Chris McKinny.

Jerusalem Dateline has a 20-minute special on Bethsaida (el-Araj) that reports on the recent wildfire and its effects on the archaeological excavations.

Biblical Archaeology Society interviews archaeologist Achia Kohn-Tavor on location at Chorazin.

On Digging for Truth, Thomas Schmidt reports on his research into Flavius Josephus and his connections with the high priests who executed Jesus and James.

New release: Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion against the World’s Mightiest Empire, by Barry Strauss (Simon & Schuster, $15-$25). This looks like a good one. (WSJ review here)

Andy Cook gives a year-end update about the work at BibleStock.

The latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes articles on Bethlehem, Khrbet al-Rai, Megiddo, and putting the Bible back in biblical Archaeology.

Walking The Text has been working for the last six years on a high-quality documentary on the Lord’s Prayer. The movie releases on Angel on Tuesday, and the video footage of the biblical world is spectacular! A companion book also releases on Tuesday, and you can pre-order now to receive bonus content (after purchase, fill out this form).

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

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Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Archaeologists in Gölyazı, Turkey, have uncovered a Greek inscription carved into a seat in a Roman-era theater, revealing the name of a female priestess who lived nearly two thousand years ago.”

“Examination of an ancient alabaster vase in the Yale Peabody Museum’s Babylonian Collection has revealed traces of opiates, providing the clearest evidence to date of broad opium use in ancient Egyptian society.”

Six archaeological artifacts were stolen in a burglary of the Damascus National Museum.

“One hundred years after Tutankhamun’s body was first unwrapped, the Griffith Institute at the University of Oxford launches a new database bringing together every archaeological record from the tomb’s discovery.”

Itiner-e is a new digital atlas of Roman roads. “Itiner-e aims to host the most detailed open digital dataset of roads in the entire Roman Empire. The data creation is a collaborative ongoing project edited by a scholarly community. Itiner-e allows you to view, query and download roads.” The Times of Israel and Gizmodo have stories about this new resource.

New release: Scenes from a Provincial Life: Memoirs of a Biblical Scholar, by David J.A. Clines  (Sheffield Phoenix Press, $30)

New release: Contacts of Languages and Peoples in the Hittite and Post-Hittite World, Volume 2, The 1st Millennium and the Eastern Mediterranean Interface, edited by F. Giusfredi, A. Matessi, S. Merlin and V. Pisaniello ($109; free pdf)

New article: “The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition: The 2023 and 2024 excavations at the Late Bronze Age cemetery of Hala Sultan Tekke,” by Peter M. Fischer and many others (free pdf).

The latest DigSight, a newsletter from the Southern Adventist University Institute of Archaeology, reports on the museum’s 25th anniversary, a study tour to Cyprus and Greece, the temple model from Khirbet Qeiyafa, and more.

The AP has many nice photos of the Parthenon without scaffolding.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis

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Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Israel has begun pumping desalinated water into the Sea of Galilee, making it the first such effort anywhere in the world. They expect the effort to raise the lake’s level by 0.2 inches per month. The lake is currently only 1 foot above the lower red line.

“A 4,300-year-old silver goblet featuring the earliest depiction of the Creation narrative from the Near East tradition echoes the struggle between chaos and order from the book of Genesis, a new study published on Thursday suggests.” The authors of the underlying journal article have written a short piece for ANE Today.

“Ivory from sub-Saharan Africa was imported to the Land of Israel between 1600- 600 BCE, overcoming geopolitical changes in both arenas, a new study analyzing over 1,500 artifacts and fragments excavated at 46 sites in the region has shown.”

A recent study analyzed hundreds of Chalcolithic cornets from Teleilat Ghassul and concluded that they were lamps used for ceremonial fire processions.

Lawrence Schiffman has written a short article for Ami Magazine explaining the significance of recent research on Masada, including the overturning of some common views.

Winners have been announced for the BAS 2025 Publication Awards.

I’ve learned that the exhibition of the Great Isaiah Scroll has been postponed due to issues of climate control and will now open in February 2026. Perhaps they will extend the exhibit into the summer to compensate.

A bill introduced in the Israeli parliament would transfer control of the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron to Israeli authorities.

Jerusalem University College has announced its lineup of spring online courses, including:

  • Biblical Archaeology II, taught by Kyle Keimer
  • The Book of Revelation and the Seven Cities of the Apocalypse, taught by Chris Vlachos
  • Cultural Backgrounds of the Bible, taught by Oliver Hersey
  • The Parables of Jesus and the Rabbinic Meshalim, taught by Steven Notley

Israel’s Good Name reports on a summer excursion to the Sharon Beach Nature Reserve.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Charles Savelle, Paleojudaica

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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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