Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Israeli archaeologists have found that early Muslim coins and vessels were inscribed with menorahs.

Scholars have discovered more than 1,000 seal impressions from the 2nd-3rd centuries AD in southeastern Turkey.

“An Egyptian-European archaeological mission working in Luxor Governorate uncovered a collection of 27 fragmented statues of the lioness goddess Sekhmet.”

The gate of Amenemhat I is being moved from north Cairo to the Grand Egyptian Museum.


Haaretz (premium) reports on a new study of the decoration of the Temple Mount by Orit Peleg-Barkat. Leen Ritmeyer considers her work on the Royal Stoa and proposes another plan.

On Academia: Yosef Garfinkel argues for the identification of Khirbet Qeiyafa as an Israelite site.

The excavations of the Galilean synagogue of Huqoq are summarized following a recent lecture by Jodi Magness.

Shmuel Browns shares a beautiful photo of a supermoon rising over the Dead Sea this week.

Now released: The second and third videos of Wayne Stiles’s new series, “The Promise That

Changed the World: A Journey through the Birth of Christ.”

Barnes & Noble has a 25% off coupon, good in store or online (GETGIFTING), valid through Sunday. Here are four recommendations:

HT: Joseph Lauer, Agade, Rodger Young, Steven Anderson

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Appian Media has released a trailer for episodes 6–10 of Following the Messiah. You can get further updates on their Facebook page.

See the Holy Land has created a mobile app that provides a guide to 110 sites in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. The Android-only app is available for free from seetheholyland.net or for $0.99 from Google Play.

Philippe Bohstrom considers new evidence from ancient mining operations in discussing whether David and Solomon’s kingdom ever existed.

“The British Library last week launched a new website showcasing 1,300 Hebrew manuscripts, ranging from ancient Torah scrolls and prayer books to philosophical, theological and scientific works.”

“The newly opened Louvre Abu Dhabi has been accused of displaying looted antiquities.”

Egyptian authorities are working to stop the illegal exporting of antiquities.
Some interesting discoveries were made during a recent excavation season at Gird-î Qalrakh in northern Iraq.

The Times of Israel provides some of the background of the making of the “Spoils of Jerusalem” relief that is now exhibited in the Arch of Titus exhibition at the Yeshiva University Museum.

Eisenbrauns has published a festschrift in honor of Israel Finkelstein: Rethinking Israel: Studies in the History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel in Honor of Israel Finkelstein, edited by Oded
Lipschits, Yuval Gadot, and Matthew Adams.

Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport may need to add a massive tent to accommodate travelers.

Chaim (Harold R.) Cohen died recently. A list of some of his publications is posted here.

HT: Joseph Lauer, Mike Harney, Agade

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Archaeologists working at el-Araj (Bethsaida?) discovered a lioness relief in a pile of debris.

A mosaic from a Georgian church or monastery has been excavated in Ashdod-Yam, leading archaeologists to believe they may have finally discovered the Roman-Byzantine city of Ashdod-Yam.

“Rock art in Saudi Arabia showing what appears to be Israel’s national breed depicts vivid scenes of man’s earliest known use of canines in taking down prey.” Science shares a video.

Three Roman shipwrecks were discovered this week near Alexandria.

A ancient temple of Isis was discovered in excavations in Banha City in Egypt.

A new video shows an ancient fortress under the waters of Turkey’s Lake Van.

A new study of the cemetery of Qumran strengthens the argument that the site was inhabited by celibate men.

Elad has been granted the right to run the Davidson Center archaeological park south of the Temple
Mount (Haaretz premium).

Tourists can now enjoy virtual reality experiences when visiting  Caesarea, Acco, and the underwater observatory in Eilat.

A colleague visited the Museum of the Bible for its opening weekend and offers some initial impressions.

If you’re looking for a unique gift for a lover of the ancient world, check out the Museum Shop (The Suq) at the Oriental Institute.

HT: Charles Savelle, Lois Tverberg, Joseph Lauer, Agade

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup

Noam Chen has produced a photo essay of the “hidden gems of Jerusalem,” including the Kishle, Siebenberg House, the Italian Synagogue, Jason’s Tomb, Helena’s Well, Little Western Wall, Church of St. John the Baptist, and the Mamluk Halls inside the Western Wall Tunnels.

Israel’s Good Name recently participated in an excavation of the Upper Aqueduct south of Jerusalem.

“More than half a dozen lost Bronze Age cities have been tracked down in Turkey through a mathematical analysis of the accounts left on 12,000 clay tablets by ancient Assyrian traders.” (Registration required.)

“An international seminar about the recently discovered gap in the Great Pyramid of Giza will be held in the upcoming period.”

Golden sheets from Tutankhamun’s tomb will be on display for the first time ever at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. There are more photos here.

An exhibition of the photographs of the excavation of King Tut’s tomb has opened at The Collection in Lincoln, UK.

Michael Press challenges the notion that Palestine was “desolate” in the 19th century. (I observe that his essay does not include any photos.)

For those who have long been wondering: eggplant arrived in Jerusalem just over 1,000 years ago.

Excavations at Ein Hatzeva, home of the “Biblical Tamar Park,” are summarized.

What can we learn from the cities of refuge?

The Museum of the Bible is now open and The Times of Israel gives some highlights. The Washington Post calls it “an up-to-date version of an old-fashioned museum.” World Magazine reviews some of the controversy associated with the museum.

New release: Walking through Jordan: Essays in Honor of Burton MacDonald, edited by Michael Neeley, Geoffrey Clark, and P. M. Michèle Daviau (Equinox, 2017).

Accordance has a big sale going on now in conjunction with the annual meetings of ETS/ASOR/SBL.

Karl Katz, founding curator of the Israel Museum, died this week.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup

Seven inscriptions were discovered in three Byzantine churches excavated in Galilee this summer. Haaretz (premium) also covers the story. Archaeologists have discovered a Hellenistic-era gymnasium in the Fayoum province of Egypt. A recently discovered Assyrian tablet provides the first-known diagnosis to determine infertility. An intact sundial from the Roman period has been discovered in the excavation of a theater near Mount Cassino in Italy. A year-long mysterious excavation with high security in Tarsus ended with no explanation of what they found or why they were excavating. A gemstone discovered in Pylos, Greece, from the 15th century BC is a “masterpiece of miniature art.” Megan Sauter describes the Terra Sancta Museum, a new stop on the Via Dolorosa. Wayne Stiles’s post this week on Lachish includes some new drone video footage he shot recently. The Museum of the Bible is the topic of discussion this week on The Book and the Spade. Israel welcomed its 3 millionth tourist of 2017 this week. A new Biblical Archaeology Review Archive provides every article from 1975 to 2016 and is on sale for $130. Or you can subscribe to All-Access Membership for $35/year. HT: Jared Clark, Agade, Charles Savelle

Share:
Leave a comment

Weekend Roundup

Volume 8 of The Israel Museum Studies in Archaeology is available online. Several articles address a monumental Herodian Ionic capital from Jerusalem.

Detailed site plans and other materials from the Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) excavations are now available online.

The exhibition “Nineveh – Heart of an Ancient Empire” has opened at the National Museum of Antiquities in the Netherlands.

The full lecture schedule for the Bible and Archaeology Fest XX has been posted.

Mount Nemrut in southeastern Turkey has attracted more than 50,000 tourists so far this year.

David Kennedy has identified nearly 400 mysterious ancient stone structures in Saudi Arabia using Google Earth.

“Is the Bible a True Story?” Nir Hasson wants you to think that there is “no evidence” for anything (Haaretz premium). Brent Nagtegaal responds here.

The September 2017 Newsletter of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities is online.

William Dever’s latest book, Beyond the Texts: An Archaeological Portrait of Ancient Israel and Judah, will be released on Friday.

Apparently there is a “Land of the Bible Park” in the Ramot forest near Jerusalem.

JewishPress.com reports on the excavations at Magdala. And Richard Bauckham is editing a book on Magdala (forthcoming fall 2018).

“Is there no balm in Gilead?” Wayne Stiles tackles this one.

HT: Charles Savelle, Agade

Share:
Leave a comment
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.

Links
Notice

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. In any case, we will provide honest advice.