Museums Archives - Page 55 of 102

Weekend Roundup, Part 3

Archaeologists have learned a lot in the first season of a renewed expedition to Masada, but they’re not saying much yet.

The tomb of an 18th-Dynasty goldsmith has been discovered on Luxor’s West Bank.

“Excavations at an ancient mound in the central Anatolian province of Kayseri shed light on writing from around 2,000 B.C.”

The Plutonium of Hierapolis is being restored so that it can be opened to tourists next year.

The ancient stadium of Laodicea is being restored.

Scholars are using new technology to read palimpsests at St. Catherine’s Monastery.

Israel’s Good Name describes two recent field trips to the Sorek Stalactite Caves and to Tel Burna.

After years of delay, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will open two months from today.

HT: Explorator, Agade

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations, Judah, Museums, Shephelah, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

An ancient cemetery has been discovered on the west bank of Luxor.

Jared Owen discusses the identity of a pharaoh’s head discovered in 1995 at Hazor.

A 2-minute video explains how Petra declined.

Underwater ruins of the lost Roman city of Neapolis, found off the coast of Tunisia, confirm its destruction by a 4th AD tsunami.

Haaretz: “Scientists have debunked the claim that prehistoric peoples living in central Turkey 8,500 years ago invented copper smelting, putting an end to one fierce controversy.”

A Turkish writer laments the situation in the land of the ancient Hittites with the lack of tourists, expulsion of German archaeologists, and deterioration of ancient sites.

The San Antonio Museum of Art examines in depth its statue of Antinous, a favorite of Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Carl Rasmussen has revised his interpretation of the “farmer’s sarcophagus.”

Most of the convictions of Raphael Golb for impersonating Dead Sea Scrolls scholars were upheld in appeals court.

The Jordan Times profiles the work of the Spanish Archaeological Mission in Jordan for the last 60 years.

Ferrell Jenkins notes the latest books published by Carta Jerusalem. All three look great!

HT: Ted Weis, Charles Savelle, Joseph Lauer, Agade

Tagged Egypt, Galilee, Jordan, Museums, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A Babylonian tablet contains a completely accurate trigonometric table more than 1,000 years before Pythagoras lived.

A donation to the Israel Museum has more than doubled the total number of gold coins on display in Israel.

James Davila has been doing a series on the Jordanian lead codices: Part 1 (the materials test); Part 2 (the inscriptions); Part 3 (the Abgar-Selaman epitaph).

Though most tour groups don’t make it to Eilat on the Red Sea, Wayne Stiles explains why it is important in the Bible.

David M. Weinberg argues that the Israeli government should fund the Temple Mount Sifting Project so that it can continue.

Carta has published some great new books (and maps) recently. I plan to recommend some of them here when I get a chance, but you can take a look at the latest offerings now.

Texas International Bible Institute has created a series of 360º videos on-site at various locations in Israel. You can start here and select from the list on the side.

Eisenbrauns has announced a forthcoming festschrift entitled Studies in the History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel in Honor of Israel Finkelstein (Nov 2017).

Eric Cline is on The Book and the Spade discussing his latest book, Three Stones Make a Wall.

The 20th Annual Bible and Archaeology Fest will be held this year in Boston.

The Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions is reviewed positively here (but it’s expensive; I don’t think I’ve seen a Kindle book for $408 before).

HT: Joseph Lauer, Agade

Tagged Forgery, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Temple Mount, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup

Archaeologists working in Shikhin, ancient Asochis. have discovered the 2nd-century AD house and workshop of an oil lamp maker who hailed from Judea. (Haaretz premium; 2013 story in the Jerusalem Post)

Ten jugs from the time of Eli and Samuel have been discovered in excavations at Shiloh.

The 7-year long excavation project of Carchemish has ended and the Karkamış Ancient City Archaeological Park is supposed to open May 12, 2018.

Israeli authorities arrested antiquity thieves near Tekoa who were making off with columns from a Byzantine church.

Chris McKinny has posted an overview of Week 2 at Tel Burna.

There were a lot of people digging at Gath last week. See the blog for daily reports.

If you’ve ever wondered how ancient walls are conserved, Leen Ritmeyer provides a very informative photo essay documenting the conservation process in the recent excavations of Shiloh.

Evangelical Textual Criticism posts a video which provides some details on the long awaited revelation of the first-century AD manuscript fragment of the Gospel of Mark.
Rami Arav responds to the PEF chairman’s explanation to why they cancelled the conference in Jerusalem.

“The European Union (EU) said on Thursday it would cut off financing for terror groups from the lucrative trade in priceless cultural artefacts stolen in war zones such as Syria and Iraq by imposing tough import controls.”

“Southwestern Seminary’s Charles D. Tandy Archaeological Museum was recognized with the 2017 Best of Fort Worth Award in the museum category.” The museum has been renovated in recent years and the collection expanded.

A new one-minute video provides a fly-through animation of the fortress of Khirbet el-Maqatir (Ai?).

Shmuel Browns took a bike ride out to Ein Henya, a traditional location for Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch.

Israel’s Good Name reports on a Bar Ilan University field trip to Latrun, Abu Ghosh, and Latrun.

Ferrell Jenkins reflects on the stork, both in the Bible and in the Bible lands.

Brandon Marlon has written about the “Rivers of Israel” (including the rivers in Jordan).

Wayne Stiles learns lessons about God’s will at Kadesh Barnea.

Logos is selling a video course on Jesus and Archaeology.

Kindle deal: NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible ($3.99).

New book from Wiley-Blackwell: A Companion to Assyria, edited by Eckart Frahm (hardcover $200, e-book $44; Amazon).

If you have used Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, here’s a way you can help.

HT: Joseph Lauer, Agade, Paleojudaica, A.D. Riddle

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Excavations, Judah, Museums, Philistines, Samaria, Shephelah, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup

Jodi Magness keeps digging up cool mosaics in the Late Roman synagogue at Huqoq. (Unfortunately, they seem to have released only two photos.)

A manuscript with a medical recipe from Hippocrates has been discovered in restoration works of the library of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai.

The first week of excavations has concluded at Gath, and Aren Maeir has posted a daily summaries and photos from the week.

Chris McKinny has posted a summary of Week 1 at Tel Burna.

The first aquarium in Jerusalem will open later this month next to the Biblical Zoo.

A study of ancient sea walls has found that the Romans used a volcanic ash in construction because it was strengthened by its contact with sea water.

“Iraq’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has accelerated its efforts to finish by the end of 2018 the Virtual Museum of Iraq, which will create a comprehensive database of Iraqi archaeological heritage online.”

Hobby Lobby will pay a fine and return artifacts to settle a lawsuit brought by the US government.

The Federalist argues that the US government should allow Hobby Lobby to retain the artifacts because doing so will ensure their preservation and study.

John DeLancey has posted an 11-minute video showing a hike up Mount Arbel. He has several dozen teaching videos on his website here.

The Bible and Interpretation has posted a review article by Aren M. Wilson-Wright, “Hebrew or
Not?: Reviewing the Linguistic Claims of Douglas Petrovich’s The World’s Oldest Alphabet.”

Lawrence Schiffman writes about a recent conference of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars on the history and archaeology of the Temple Mount.

Wayne Stiles: “Have you noticed how often hymn writers use the Jordan River as a metaphor for transitions in the spiritual life? That may be because the Bible does the same.”

Ferrell Jenkins asks, “Did Philip baptize the Ethiopian at ’Ain ed-Dirweh?”

Scott Stripling is the guest this week on The Book and the Spade, discussing the first season of ABR excavations at Shiloh.

Tom Powers investigates celebrations of the 4th of July held by the American Colony in Jerusalem.

HT: Ted Weis, Charles Savelle, Agade, Joseph Lauer

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Excavations, Galilee, Jerusalem, Jordan Rift, Judah, Museums, Samaria, Shephelah, Temple Mount, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 4

A mosaic discovered near Nicosia, Cyprus, depicts scenes from a chariot race.

Archaeologists working in Rome discovered a 3rd-century building that apparently burned down with a dog inside.

One artist has envisioned the ancient Roman road system as a modern metro map. But see Mark Hoffman’s quibbles.

The Spatial History Project at Stanford University is documenting how Rome has changed over the centuries.

Carl Rasmussen recently visited Miniatürk, a park that displays 131 models of structures in Turkey.

The “gateway to hell” at Hierapolis has “moved” in recent years. Carl Rasmussen explains.

Mark Hoffman notes that Athens has now received photo-realistic 3D treatment in Google Earth.

A first-century AD statue of Zeus Enthroned will be returned by the Getty Museum to Italy.

The Vatican Apostolic Library has released the first issue of a new newsletter, “Online Window into the Library.”

“Noah’s Beasts: Sculpted Animals from Ancient Mesopotamia” is a new exhibit at the Morgan
Library and Museum in NYC.

Liberty Museum’s Biblical Museum has added to its collection the armor of a Roman soldier used in Ben Hur and Julius Caesar.

The tables of contents are online for the May issue of BASOR and the June issue of Near Eastern Archaeology. The former includes an article on the Philistine cemetery of Ashkelon, while the latter
issue is focused on early sites in Jordan.

The latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes articles on Macherus, Pilate, and the four-
room house.

HT: Joseph Lauer, Charles Savelle, Agade, Ted Weis, Alexander Schick

Tagged Greece, Italy, Mediterranean Islands, Museums, Turkey, Weekend Roundup