Resources Archives - Page 106 of 145

Weekend Roundup

Paleobabble posts a report on the Noah’s Ark fraud by one who knows the Turkish guides involved.

The report probably contains some of the true story, but it is obscured by a liberal dose of speculation and hearsay. Confidence in the author is further eroded by her lack of experience in the field, her photos of herself in conservative eastern Turkey, and her forthcoming book entitled Climbing Mount Ararat: Love and Betrayal in Kurdistan.

Eisenbrauns’ Deal of the Weekend is Ancient Place Names in the Holy Land: Preservation and History, by Yoel Elitzur. It is marked down from $65 to $26.

Ferrell Jenkins summarizes his survey of the Babylonian kings in the Bible, concluding yesterday with Belshazzar.

What did Jerusalem look like in Jesus’ days? A brief article at the Jerusalem Post describes the Herodian Quarter (Wohl Museum).

Archaeologists in Egypt have begun restoring a second boat buried next to the pyramid of Cheops (Khufu).

Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, gives a 20-minute presentation at TED on the “biographies” of the Cyrus Cylinder. He believes this artifact is a major player today in the politics of the Middle East.

Eilat Mazar is warning that the antiquities on the Temple Mount are in danger because of plans to unite all of the mosques into one large one.

The seventh season of excavations at Tall el-Hammam concluded this week. According to email newsletters, the major discovery this year was a monumental gateway dated to the Middle Bronze period (2000-1550 BC).

The fifth edition of The Carta Bible Atlas (formerly The Macmillan Bible Atlas) is apparently more than just a cover re-design (as was the fourth edition). According to the publisher, “The Carta Bible
Atlas has been enriched by the addition of 40 new maps. Anson F. Rainey added maps and discussion on contemporary subjects surrounding the biblical narrative and R. Steven Notley revised and expanded the New Testament section. Prof. Notley further enhanced this volume by extending its historical reach to include the map of Palestine at the end of the third century as recorded by Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea.” Eisenbrauns has this updated classic in stock.

HT: Joseph Lauer, Jack Sasson

Tagged Egypt, Jerusalem, Museums, Pseudo-Archaeology, Resources, Temple Mount, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Wednesday Roundup

The Travels through Bible Lands Collection (15 vols.) is available until Friday noon for $20. I recommended this set of books by Tristram, Layard, Merrill, Jessup, and others some time ago, but sufficient orders have been placed and this Logos software deal is now closing.

The Israel Museum is being criticized for not allowing photographs to be taken of their artifacts.

Wikipedia says these items belong to the world. The Israel Museum wants to make money by selling their own photographs. Jim Davila suggests that the world has changed and the Israel Museum should reformulate its policies.

Leon Mauldin has written a helpful and illustrated article about Azazel, the Scapegoat.

Tom Powers discusses the new visitor center in the City of David and some misinformation in the reporting.

A rabbi says that selling stones from the Western Wall on eBay is akin to embezzlement from God.

On the edge of the “Grand Canyon of Israel,” Mizpe Ramon is struggling to find its way.

I’ve always thought that the chief “dynamic” of the Jordan River was as a barrier (cf. Josh 22; Judg 12). Wayne Stiles makes a good case that we should think of it as a place of “transitions.”

Jordan River

Tagged Jerusalem, Museums, Resources

Archaeological Resources from AJA

The American Journal of Archaeology has a useful collection of “Resources for Students.” Of course, many of these same resources are valuable for professors, teachers, pastors, and enthusiasts.

General Archaeological Resources: a suggested place to start with links to introductions and site-specific websites

Academic Resources: AIA Directories, Writing Papers, Databases, and Suggested Reading

Careers in Archaeology, including job listings, how to publish, issues of getting tenure, how to give a
bad conference talk, and using images in teaching and publication.

Project Websites: Greece, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and the Middle East

Archaeological Blogs: a limited selection

Multimedia and Interactive, including maps, visual reconstructions, and panoramic views

HT: Paleobabble

Tagged Resources

Q&A: Illustrations of Herod’s Temple

Question: I’m writing to ask if you know of a place on the web (or anywhere else) that I could find good pictures or diagrams of Herod’s Temple. I want to help my church be able to really understand the temple that Jesus entered during Passion week. I’m preaching the Mark 11 version of the cleansing of the temple this week. –K.W.

Answer: Yes, there are a few sources. The place to start is the website of Leen Ritmeyer. As you probably know, he was the architect for the excavations south of the Temple Mount and his reconstructions are the best. He now has a series of excellent photos CDs for sale in his online store.

In particular, for your purposes I would recommend:

Volume 2: Jerusalem in the Time of Christ
Volume 4: The Archaeology of Herod’s Temple Mount
Volume 5: Worship and Ritual in Herod’s Temple

Even if you don’t have time for these to arrive in the mail before you teach,

I’d suggest picking them up for the (many) future opportunities when they will come in handy. For immediate download, the Ritmeyer website also has individual images available.

Another source is images from a virtual model created by a team at UCLA. There is an explanation of the model here, a series of (small) 360-degree panoramas here, and five still shots of the model here.

They also have an 8-minute video which gives you a tour of the model. You can turn the sound down and give your own explanation.

Archaeology Illustrated also has some individual images for sale, though their system seems to be less user-friendly (with the purchase of credits which can then be used towards illustrations).

The ESV Study Bible also has some great illustrations. These are available in digital format with purchase of a print Bible ($30) or from Logos ($40) or Accordance ($40). You can see some samples posted at Amazon. Ritmeyer was a consultant on these images as well.

Any readers who have additional suggestions are welcome to make them in the comments below.

Tagged Jerusalem, Resources, Temple Mount

Recommended: In the Footsteps of Paul

I picked this book up off the shelf in the church library last week in order to fulfill a requirement for a reading contest. I thought it would be an easy read on a subject of interest, but I did not expect to be impressed. I ended up loving Ken Duncan’s In the Footsteps of Paul. Here’s why:

1. Coverage of sites. The author goes everywhere that Paul went. I was certain that he would skip some of the more remote places, but he does not. I believe he has photos and descriptions of every place Paul visited (as recorded in Acts) with the exception of a few islands where Paul spent one night (Cos and Chios).

2. Fabulous photographs. I’ve stood on (or flown over) these same sites, but Ken Duncan is an artist with his camera. I suspect he spent entire days at many of the sites to get just the right lighting at just the right angle. He is a master.

3. Excellent text. The writing supplements the photographs and is not lengthy, but it is accurate, helpful, and edifying. I would not expect one who excels at photography to be a gifted writer committed to serving the church with a message true to the apostle’s words.

If I had to quibble with one thing, it would be that the author is at times too accepting of local tradition. Since Duncan is not an academic, I can let him off lightly.

Christmas is a long ways off, but this may be one you want to file away for a future birthday, graduation, or retirement event. Amazon has the hardcover book new from $6.

Duncan has a similar book on Jesus’ life that I have not seen but that may be of interest to readers here: Where Jesus Walked (hardcover, new from $7, used from $0.15).

Tagged Resources

Weekend Roundup

The “Roads of Arabia Exhibition,” mentioned here in February, opened this week in Berlin. The transfer of the collection from St. Petersburg was quite a challenge. In the fall the exhibition is
scheduled to move to Washington, DC.

Luke Chandler explains exactly where the Khirbet Qeiyafa ostracon was discovered.

The process of wine-making in ancient times is described in the Jerusalem Post (but the editor chose to illustrate it with a photo of an olive press).

Aren Maeir is always ahead of the curve, but now he outdoes himself by restoring pottery from the 2012 season. The photos show that they’re digging up some great artifacts.

Students of Ephesus may be interested in a new historical work by Hans Willer Laale. Ephesus (Ephesos): An Abbreviated History From Androclus to Constantine XI is now available from Amazon ($26-34 for paperback or hardcover; $4 for Kindle).

The Biblical Archaeology Society has produced a 9-minute video on the excavations at Bethsaida.
Zahi Hawass is writing a book.

The ASOR Blog has a round-up of news from the world of archaeology.

The Jerusalem Post has a story on the top 5 bookstores in the city.

Iron Age gate at Bethsaida

Tagged Egypt, Galilee, Jerusalem, Museums, Philistines, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup