If choosing a favorite museum related to the biblical world is difficult for you, consider yourself blessed. There are outstanding museums for the Bible student and teacher in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, the UK, Germany, France, the US, and beyond. (If you haven’t seen our list of U.S. museums, take a look sometime.) But for now your task is this: choose one and only one, and tell us why. We’ll share the results on Thursday.
The discovery of hundreds of olive pits in the Beth Shean Valley dated to 5000 BC are prompting a reevaluation of ancient irrigation practices.
Some antiquities have been discovered in the garden of the American Consulate in Alexandria.
The majority of smuggled artifacts seized in Syria and Lebanon are fakes.
Nir Hasson provides a fascinating review of the legal and cultural challenges of excavating bones, skeletons, and cemeteries in Israel (Haaretz premium).
The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem is opening a new exhibit next week entitled “In the Valley of
David and Goliath.” The Haaretz (premium) article has more details.
Carl Rasmussen shares an interesting photo from Pompeii that sheds light on the Acts 19 riot in
Ephesus.
The W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research is accepting applications for a number of funded fellowships.
The Bornblum Eretz Israel Synagogues Website continues to be updated with descriptions, plans, photos, and bibliographic references.
Gordon Govier and Clyde Billington report on some of the latest discoveries in biblical archaeology on The Book and the Spade.
Aren Maeir notes a forthcoming volume on Iron Age archaeology in the Shephelah.
Ferrell Jenkins shares photos this week of the Pamphylian coast and the lilies of the field.
Logos and Accordance both have a 60%-off sale on Carl Rasmussen’s Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (revised edition), now for $12.99. (That’s a great deal on a great resource!)
HT: Charles Savelle, Joseph Lauer, Agade
- Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations, Italy, Jordan Rift, Museums, New Exhibits, Weekend Roundup
A stunning (!) 36-foot mosaic floor depicting scenes of ancient chariot races in the hippodrome has been revealed outside Nicosia in Cyprus.
Human skeleton remains of a teenage boy dating back to 11 BC have been found on Mt. Lykaion, a site honored as the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus.
The discovery of some rare artifacts in Perge has led to the creation of a special room in the Antalya Museum in Turkey.
After two years of occupation by ISIS, previously unknown Assyrian artifacts in the Syrian city Tal
Ajaja, or ancient Shadikanni have been found looted or destroyed.
A report by Live Science documents the death of children killed as a result of looting in Egypt.
A statue of Zeus lost in the 5th century has been re-created using a 3D printer.
Cal Thomas recommends the new “Ben Hur” movie, opening on Friday.
Ben-Hur the video game is available for free download for Xbox One.
Todd Hanneken has received a $325,000 grant to fund his use of Spectral RTI for the Jubilees Palimpsest Project.
“The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) is proud to announce the completion of our digitization project at the National Library of Greece (NLG).”
Wayne Stiles considers the value of biblical geography for apologetics.
HT: Joseph Lauer, Ted Weis, Agade, Charles Savelle
Mosaic depicting chariot races excavated in Cyprus
Photo by the Associated Press
Photo by the Associated Press
- Tagged Greece, Mediterranean Islands, Movies, Museums, Syria, Technology, Turkey
In work to construct a mikveh in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered a Roman bathhouse and below that a cistern connected to the aqueduct from Bethlehem.
Hundreds of Roman fresco fragments from a large building, dating to the 2nd century, have been excavated in Zippori National Park (Sepphoris).
A journalist gets a rare chance to visit Mount Ebal and its “altar.”
A site proposed as one of the Gilgals of the Bible is in danger because of the establishment of a new garbage dump.
Nadav Shragai asks why the media ignores illegal Muslim activity on the Temple Mount.
A new music video by Michael W. Smith was filmed entirely in Israel and includes some beautiful drone footage.
The Baptist News interviews a zooarchaeologist who excavated in the Philistine cemetery of Ashkelon.
A collection of Dead Sea Scroll fragments owned by the Museum of the Bible have been published in a book edited by Emanuel Tov, Kipp Davis, and Robert Duke.
It’s not just the words, but where they were spoken, argues Wayne Stiles.
Dan Warner is on the Book and the Spade this week talking about his excavation of the Canaanite water system at Gezer.
Seth Rodriquez appreciates the support he received for his trip to teach biblical backgrounds at the
Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe and he reports on his time there.
HT: Joseph Lauer, Ted Weis, Agade, Charles Savelle
Proposed altar on Mount Ebal
Photo by Bill Schlegel
Photo by Bill Schlegel
Archaeologists working in Manisa in western Turkey have discovered a dinner set that dates to 150 BC.
Philippe Bohstrom profiles the Phoenicians and their contributions to civilization.
A map of all of Egypt’s archaeological sites and museums has been created, with a digital version to be released online next month.
“An underwater Roman era basilica found only 20 meters off the shore of Lake İznik in the northwestern province of Bursa will be revived for tourism, as an “underwater museum” project at the site is underway.”
The Bolton Museum is planning to spend millions of pounds to create a new Eternal Egypt Gallery.
Michael Harbin looks at the Bible, archaeology, and modern patterns to understand what an agricultural community in the time of the Judges might have looked like.
The World Video Bible School has released the first five of a scheduled 20 programs. These include
Jerusalem, Jesus’s northern ministry, Dan, the Mount Gilboa region, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
HT: Joseph Lauer, Agade
A youth group working alongside archaeologists in Ibillin in northern Israel have uncovered a Canaanite fortress.
A pottery workshop from the Roman period has been excavated in western Galilee. High-res photos are available here.
After a four-year break, excavators are back at work at Tel Dan.
Jodi Magness provides an update on this summer’s excavations of Huqoq on The Book and the Spade.
Israel’s only mummy is now on display in a special exhibit at the Israel Museum that opened this week.
A project featuring ten mosaic replicas was unveiled in Jerusalem’s Cardo this week. A Jerusalem Post article indicates that the project will take a year to complete.
A group of Israeli archaeologists was attacked when touring the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount Sifting Project has a firsthand report.
Israel’s High Court is allowing the transfer of the ancient library at the Rockefeller Museum to the new IAA headquarters.
The Temple Mount Sifting Project is looking for help in identifying some of their finds.
Wayne Stiles explains the King’s Garden in Jerusalem, past and present.
CBD has a good deal going on the New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Get the original four volumes for $148, or get all five for $260. The update volume is available separately as well for $111. (Used sets at Amazon are a little more and new are $400+228.)
HT: Joseph Lauer, Agade
- Tagged Egypt, Galilee, Jerusalem, Museums, Temple Mount