A Japanese team is excavating Tel Rekhesh, a city that may be biblical Anaharath.

Wayne Stiles explains what the apparently contradictory lessons of suffering and glory that Jesus revealed on the slopes of Mount Hermon mean for us today.

Muslims are conducting unauthorized excavations on the Temple Mount, again. The Temple Mount Sifting Project has more links.

Another view on ISIS and antiquities: “Actual examples of ISIS-looted antiquities on the market are slim to none.”

Popular Archaeology has a feature story on the new exhibition on King Midas at the Penn Museum.

The city of Knossos was larger in the early Iron Age than archaeologists previously believed.

Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira post a summary of their efforts to use crowd-funding to support the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

Carl Laney identifies his five favorite Bible atlases.

Bill Schlegel has posted a short flyover video of the Philistine city of Gath.

Who were the idols that the Thessalonian believers used to worship? Ferrell Jenkins shares photos from the museum in Thessaloniki.

HT: Charles Savelle, Joseph Lauer, Agade, BibleX

Our most liked photo this week on Facebook was this image of the Ecce Homo arch, standing in Jerusalem since the year 130.

Jerusalem Ecce Homo arch, pcm02696

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient road in Tarsus, not far from the Cleopatra Gate.

A new study suggests that the Romans contributed to an increase in human parasites, despite their advances in sanitation technology.

Wayne Stiles draws spiritual application out of a gate in Jerusalem that is blocked to prevent the Messiah’s arrival.


Washington Post: How 3D printers can help undo the destruction of ISIS

Lawrence H. Schiffman shares insights about Jews and Judaism that he gained from reading the New Testament.

Last week I was on The Book and the Spade with Gordon Govier discussing the top ten stories in biblical archaeology. This week we’re discussing upcoming excavations in Israel in 2016.

Penn Museum explains how to make cuneiform tablet cookies.

Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv has opened a new exhibition on discoveries from Tel Rehov.

Israel’s underwater treasures need protecting, according to a recent post on the ASOR Blog.

Haaretz reports on the significance of the recently discovered seal impression of Hezekiah, son of
Ahaz, king of Judah.

Visits to the Temple Mount by non-Jewish and non-Muslim tourists has been going down every year since 2010.

A new video shows how a small excavation at Ein Lamur/Ein Limon is being used to strengthen the community.

Luke Chandler shares a video on volunteers excavating at Lachish.

The Review of Biblical Literature has been moved behind a paywall.

Helmut Koester died on New Year’s Day at the age of 89.

HT: Agade, Charles Savelle, Joseph Lauer

A 12th-century BC inscription from Lachish is shedding light on the
development of the alphabet.

The BASOR article is available through JStor (subscription required).

The New York Times reports on questions raised by the Magdala Stone.

The city of Beit Shemesh has discarded plans to build a neighborhood near Khirbet Qeiyafa.

The Temple Mount Sifting Project is seeking suggestions for the significance
of a design
incised on an ancient potsherd.

A golden medallion with a depiction of a menorah is on display at the Israel
Museum for the first time.

The latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes articles on upcoming excavations, a Jewish building in Turkey, and the Jerusalem model’s 50th anniversary.

The latest Near Eastern Archaeology is a special issue on “Crime and Punishment in the Bible and the Near East.”

Carl Rasmussen recommends some websites he checks each day.

Ginger Caessens is teaching Historical Geography of Jordan this summer. This is the best way to learn about “the other half” of the biblical lands.

The Palestine Exploration Fund Blog is beginning a series on Duncan
Mackenzie’s work at Beth Shemesh
.

Wayne Stiles shows how a Bible story at Ein Kerem helps us to wait
on God
.

New Inscriptions and Seals Relating to the Biblical World, edited by Meir
Lubetski and Edith Lubetski is positively reviewed in the RBL.

Amazon is offering 25% off any one book (up to $10 off), good through Sunday.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Ted Weis

Archaeologists have found another ancient olive press at Shiloh.

The oldest known artifact of smelted lead has been discovered in a burial cave in the Negev.

George Athas provides some analysis of the Hezekiah seal impression.

Hoards: The Hidden History of Ancient Britain,” an exhibit at the British Museum, illustrates the action of the parable in Matthew 13:44.

HaDavar Biblical Museum is now under construction in Hong Kong.

The Associates for Biblical Research have cancelled their Winter Dig for this year and are considering postponing next summer’s excavation.

PEF and the Early Exploration of the Holy Land is the title of a conference being held at the University of Haifa in December.

The Mount Carmel forest fire led to the discovery of a farming community from the first century.
‘Atiqot 83 is now online.

Wayne Stiles explains the providential irony in the discovery of the Tel Dan Inscription.

The government is appealing the transfer of the Davidson Center Archaeological Park to management by Elad.

ASOR will be posting some of the presentations from the Annual Meeting on their website.

Andy Naselli recommends the Jerusalem IMAX movie, now on DVD. I agree.

CBD is running a big sale on Craig Keener’s 4-volume commentary on Acts through Monday ($138; Amazon: $192).

A free (pdf) book from HCSB: Exalting Jesus in Exodus (requires email address).

Logos Bible Software is also giving away a free book a day during Advent.

Happy Hanukkah!

HT: Agade, Charles Savelle

An 8-year-old boy discovered the head of an Iron Age figurine while visiting the site of Beth Shemesh.

A mosaic with an inscription from Isaiah 65 has been discovered near Adana, Turkey.

Archaeologists have found a “giant fence” at Tell ed-Daba that dates to the time of the Hyksos’ invasion.

The Algemeiner: “Hamas forces seized a chest full of Ottoman-era gold coins discovered in Gaza.”

Police arrested an antiquities dealer near Beth Shean with a collection of more than 3,000 illegally obtained coins.

Google is adding Petra to its “Street View.” The queen of Jordan contributed by writing the company’s blog post. I’m impressed.

Fadi Shawkat Haddad has released A Christian Pilgrimage Journey in Jordan. Haddad is a Christian tour guide in Jordan whom I worked with many years ago. The book covers 80 sites and costs $20 plus postage.

The Summer 2015 issue of DigSight is now available in pdf format. This issue includes a report on the season at Lachish, the Ishbaal inscription from Khirbet Qeiyafa, and upcoming events.

Charles E. Jones has expanded his bibliography of autobiographies of archaeologists and given it a new home.

A team of researchers is learning more about how vellum was produced for pocket Bibles in the medieval period.

Premier Exhibitions recently had a media preview of its King Tut exhibition. It features more than
1,000 precisely crafted replicas, arranged in the exact manner found by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922.

Qedem Reports is now accessible online through JSTOR. In the future, all Qedem volumes will be available.

The Biblical Archaeology Society is running a Thanksgiving sale with discounts up to 85%.

The future of archaeology is non-invasive and non-destructive technologies.

This week on the Land and the Book: Bible Exploration Tech Tools with Scott Lindsey from Logos Bible Software.

Here’s more on the new papyrus of the Gospel of John.

BibleX has an interesting post on Paul and Bedbugs.

Israeli archaeologist Yoram Tsafrir died on Monday.

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

The Mountain to Valley Relay is a 215 km relay race in northern Israel. Registration opens in January.

A beautiful mosaic from the Roman and Byzantine periods excavated in Lod went on display this week.

A hoard of 3rd century Roman coins has been found in Switzerland.

You can now visit every gallery in the British Museum with Google Street View.

Reuters revisits Rujm el-Hiri in the Golan Heights.

Wayne Stiles observes the irony that a “seat of Moses” was discovered at Chorazin.

An ornately decorated 1st century A.D. basilica once used by a pagan cult is now open to tourists in Rome.

Now on pre-pub pricing for Logos: AR151 Archaeology in Action: Jesus and Archaeology, with Craig Evans.

The Ancient Semitic Languages Youtube Channel has a reading of the Mesha Stele in Moabite.

Urban Legends of the New Testament is on sale for $4.99 for Kindle.

Ferrell Jenkins has announced his 50th Anniversary Tour to Israel.

I’ve never heard of a modern-day “tour of Palestine,” but Felicity Cobbing reports on her annual tour to sites in the West Bank.

Leen Ritmeyer responds to the recent Popular Archaeology claim that the Jewish people are praying
at the wrong wall.

HT: Ted Weis, Vik Menon