Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists working at Knossos, Crete, have discovered the longest known inscription in Linear A script.

Archaeologists have discovered defensive structures and military housing at Tell Abu Saifi in northern Sinai.

Scholars have confirmed that one of the Herculaneum papyri as a work written by the Greek philosopher Philodemus.

A scholar claims that he has discovered previously unidentified hieroglyphics on an Egyptian obelisk located in Paris.

A treasure hunter claims to have discovered the actual location of the Council of Nicaea and is willing to disclose it for payment of $50 million.

“The painstaking restoration of glass and ceramic artifacts from the Hatay Museum damaged during the devastating earthquakes in February 2023 earthquake in Turkey is underway.”

“Starry paintings found on ancient Egyptian coffins and tombs indicate that the sky goddess Nut was closely associated with the Milky Way galaxy, according to a new study by an astronomer.”

“Jordanian authorities evacuated hundreds of tourists from the ancient city of Petra on Sunday after heavy rains caused flash floods.” Here’s another video.

“A National Endowment for the Humanities grant to create the first scholarly edition of one of the great classics of biblical literature, the Psalms” has been cancelled.

Turkish Archaeological News surveys major stories from the month of April, including:

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

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Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“Israel on Monday began long-delayed renovation and maintenance work at the Little Western Wall, a lesser-known section of the Western Wall located in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.”

A flash flood on Sunday caused severe damage to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. The park is now closed for restoration.

Also on Sunday, a brushfire broke out at Tell es-Safi/Gath.

Ruth Schuster has written a lengthy article about the excavations at Chorazin, including the “pay to dig” opportunity that’s been running there for more than a decade now.

Newly released: Bet Shean V: Hellenistic Nysa-Scythopolis Part 1: Stratigraphy and Architectureand Part 2: The Finds and Conclusion (IAA Reports; free download)

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on July 2: “Amorites, Their Origins, and Their Legacy,” by Aaron A. Burke

“A leading archaeology journal [Palestine Exploration Quarterly] has effectively barred submissions by Israelis on Judea and Samaria unless they ‘have cooperated with the relevant Palestinian authorities.’”

Bryan Windle interviews Joan Taylor in the latest installment of the “Scholar’s Chair” series. Among other things, she discusses her new book, Boy Jesus.

The Biblical Museum of Natural History sells archaeology-themed board games and a kosher box of locusts.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

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Weekend Roundup

A limestone capital from ca. AD 600 discovered in the Jerusalem area is decorated with menorahs.

Greek authorities dismantled a smuggling ring on the island of Crete.

The Sassoon Codex, the oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible, will be going on display in Tel Aviv on Sunday.

Bryan Windle discusses archaeological discoveries related to Darius the Great on Digging for Truth.

Bible Archaeology Report highlights the top three stories from the month of April.

The first volume of Archaeology of Western Anatolia is now online.

New release: The World of Middle Kingdom Egypt (2000- 1550 BCE). Contributions on Archaeology, Art, Religion, and Written Sources – Vol. III, edited by Gianluca Miniaci and Wolfram Grajetzki (Golden House, free pdf)

New release: Triumph and Betrayal: Assyria’s Path to Empire, 935–745 BC, by Alexander Johannes Edmonds (DeGruyter Brill; $189; open access)

Available for pre-order from Logos: Jesus and the Remains of His Day: Studies in Jesus and the Evidence of Material Culture, by Craig A. Evans

Zoom lecture on May 14: “The Queens of Nimrud’s Northwest Palace: Beauty, Power, and Presence in the Neo-Assyrian World, c. 865–705 BCE,” by Amy Gansell

The BAS Summer Seminar this year will focus on “Fakes, Mistakes, and Media Misrepresentations in Biblical Archaeology,” with Eric Cline, Jennie Ebeling, Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, and Chris Rollston. You can attend the conference in DC or register to watch online.

Mary Buck is hosting a new series about the Second Temple period on the Biblical World podcast.

BibleStock has released a new coaching video, this one focused on how to use a lesson from Psalm 121 for Mother’s Day.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz

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Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Archaeologists in southern Jordan have uncovered a hieroglyphic inscription bearing the royal cartouche of Pharaoh Ramesses III.”

Egyptian authorities “announced the discovery of the tomb of Prince Weser Khaf Ra, son of King Userkaf, the founding monarch of Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty, in the Saqqara necropolis.”

“A California research collective known as Noah’s Ark Scan says it will begin the first controlled excavation of the Durupınar Site on Mount Ararat’s southern flank.”

The NY Times has posted a beautiful photo essay of the mostly open Grand Egyptian Museum.

A new genetic study reveals that the people of Carthage were not significantly related to the Phoenicians.

Brent Nongbri writes about the recently discovered mikveh at Ostia as well as some of the Jewish material on display in the Ostia Museum.

Smithsonian magazine asks if “Talos, the bronze automaton who guarded the island of Crete in Greek myth [was] an early example of artificial intelligence.”

Leon Mauldin has posted some recent photos of Istanbul’s ancient water system.

New release: Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul: A Visual Guide, by David A. deSilva (Baker, 320 pages, full-color, $33; also on Logos)

New release: Populus: Living and Dying in Ancient Rome, by Guy de la Bédoyère (University of Chicago, 500 pages, $24)

New release: The Aegean and Cyprus: Interaction Between Two Distinct Cultural Mediterranean Areas from the Third Millennium to ca 1200 BC, by Giampaolo Graziadio (free download)

New release: The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and Scribal Scholarship in Antiquity: Studies in Honor of Arie van der Kooij on the Occasion of his Eightieth Birthday, edited by Wilson de Angelo Cunha, Martin Rösel, and Michael N. Van der Meer (Peeters, 65 euros, free download)

The WSJ reviews Toby Wilkinson’s new book, The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra ($29 at Amazon).

Leslie C. Allen, longtime professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary, died on April 10.

Bible Passages has just released two short videos (7 min ea):

  • Secrets of the Arch of Titus – goes beyond the well-known menorah and table of showbread to investigate scenes of military conquest, dedicatory inscriptions, and the depiction of a deified emperor.
  • Erastus: Did Paul Get It Right? – considers the inscription for its insight into the social and economic standing of early Christians as well as how this archaeological discovery supports the historicity of Romans 16:23.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Keith Keyser, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator, Paleojudaica

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Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Archaeologists have discovered the tomb of an unknown Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the Second Intermediate Period.

“An Egyptian archaeological mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) has discovered the tomb of a high-ranking military commander dating back to King Ramses III, along with a collection of mass and individual graves from the Greek, Roman, and Late Periods at Tell Roud Iskander in the Maskhouta area.”

A new study by Nicholas Brown of Yale University argues that clay trays found near the sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun were used for libations in the Osirian funerary rite.

The presence of iron shackles at an Egyptian gold mine suggests that some of the workers in the Ptolemaic period were slaves.

A team using radar technology claims that they have discovered a vast underground city more than 6,500 feet beneath the Giza pyramids. Egyptian authorities deny this is true.

Joel Kramer (Expedition Bible) has posted a new video about the tomb of Amenhotep II, the possible pharaoh of the exodus.

The Antalya Archaeology Museum will be reconstructed on its current site, with its completion scheduled for the end of 2026.

The Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum presents the history of the church and Istanbul, including artifacts never before displayed.

Jay Jean Jackson imagines what the ancient Greek pilgrimage along the Sacred Way to the temple of Apollo in Didyma would have been like.

The exhibition “Gobeklitepe: The Mystery of a Sacred Place” in Rome’s Colosseum has attracted 5 million visitors so far.

Archaeologists found four fragments of the Book of the Dead in the archives of a museum in Italy.

Smithsonian Magazine runs a feature story on Rome’s underground aqueducts.

The assassination of Julius Caesar was reenacted on location on the Ides of March.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Explorator

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Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Underwater archaeologists have discovered infrastructure of an ancient port at Asini in Greece.

Archaeologists have excavated a “grand ancient Greek tomb site” near Corinth.

“A recent study offers new insights into the pigments used by ancient Roman artists in Pompeii, revealing how they mixed raw materials to achieve a wide range of color tones.”

Persepolis’s ancient underground channels prevented flooding and destruction during a severe rainstorm.

Restoration work on Jerash’s northern theater continues.

Artnet highlights three interesting artifacts discovered in the tomb of Thutmose II.

Turkiye Today describes seven must-see cuneiform tablets in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums.

The ASOR Punic Project Digital Initiative “will provide digital files of individual stelae that can be viewed on screen or 3D printed at any scale.”

New release: Against Moab: Interrogating the Archaeology of Iron Age Jordan, by Benjamin W. Porter. (Cambridge University Press, open access)

Hybrid lecture at Penn State on March 27, 5 pm (EDT): “In the Steps of a Babylonian King: A Scholar’s Adventures in Jordan and Lebanon,” by Rocío Da Riva (Zoom registration)

“After 1,700 years the first ancient Greek temple opened in Arcadia, Peloponnese over the weekend.” The Greek Church is not happy. The site manager defends the project: “There are tens of thousands of people in Greece and abroad who believe in their ancestral gods and do not have a place to worship.”

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, 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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