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The following is a “roundup of roundups.” Surveying more than 100 roundup posts written over the year, I have created a series of lists for what I consider to be most significant, beginning with the Top 10 Discoveries related to biblical archaeology. Our survey also recalls the most controversial stories of the year and other noteworthy reports from Jerusalem, Israel, and the broader biblical world. We have a section of top stories related to tourism, and for the first time, I am including a section of stories related to the antiquities trade and vandalism. As usual, we round up the best print and digital resources noted here over the year, as well as the deaths of influential figures. At the end, you can find links to other top 10 lists.

Top 10 Discoveries of 2023

1. A deep rock-hewn moat on the northern side of Jerusalem’s City of David dates to approximately the reign of King Joash (ca. 800 BC) and includes two sets of large channels, the purpose of which is yet unknown. Archaeologists also discovered a handprint carved into the stone.

2. Archaeologists excavating Tel Shimron in Galilee discovered a massive Middle Bronze monument that was 15 feet tall and covered the entire acropolis. Soon after its construction, it was filled in with gravel, thus preserving it for nearly 4,000 years.

3. Four Roman swords were discovered in a cave near En Gedi. Three are spatha swords, and all were likely stolen from Roman soldiers by Jewish rebels during the Bar Kochba revolt. The swords were discovered incidentally while doing multispectral imaging on a 7th-century BC inscription in the cave. The new reading of the inscription may include the word “salt.”

4. Archaeologists working on Mount Zion discovered, for the first time ever, destruction levels from the Romans and the Babylonians in the same space.

5. Excavations in front of the edicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher revealed the 4th century arrangement of the rotunda.

6. The 11th and final season at the Huqoq synagogue in Galilee wrapped up with the discovery of additional sections of the Samson mosaic panels along with a new mosaic section two inscriptions. The site will be developed into a tourist attraction.

7. Scientists identified, for the first time ever, ancient DNA from the bodies of Israelites who lived during the Old Testament period.

8. The oldest gate ever found in Israel was accidentally discovered near Kiryat Gat. The gate dates to about 2500 BC and has been reburied.

9. About 1,000 feet of the Upper Aqueduct bringing water to Jerusalem was discovered in a neighborhood south of the Old City. This is the longest section of this aqueduct ever discovered.

10. A recreational swimmer discovered a shipwreck that included a cargo of 44 tons of marble blocks headed to the Roman port of Ashkelon or Gaza for an elite building project.

Most Controversial Stories of 2023

Following the controversial purchase of a garden where the Pool of Siloam was located, archaeologists began work to expose the entire pool in order to open it to tourists. They found almost nothing.

Israeli archaeologists upset with ridiculous claims by Gershon Galil published an open letter.

An inscribed potsherd was discovered on the surface at Lachish, and after careful investigation and three scans, they announced it to be an authentic inscription read “Year 24 of Darius,” a reference to the Persian king who ruled over the land of Israel from 522 to 486 BC. The next day a professor reading the news report told the IAA that she had inscribed the potsherd in a demonstration to students.

The “curse tablet” from Mt. Ebal was published, but scholars are challenging its identification, date, and whether it is even inscribed at all.

Jericho was named a World Heritage Site “in Palestine.”

Noteworthy Stories from Jerusalem

A new study suggested that a 10th-century BC inscription discovered near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem may provide a link with the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon. Or not.

The oldest ceramic rooftiles discovered in Israel date to the 2nd century BC and were found in the Givati Parking Lot excavations in the City of David.

A rare gold bead was discovered by a teenage volunteer in excavations on the “Pilgrimage Road” leading from the City of David to the Temple Mount.

A 1st-century receipt was discovered in a 19th century excavation tunnel in Jerusalem.

Archaeologists discovered a Second Temple period stonemason’s workshop near Jerusalem.

Israeli scientists were mapping the movement of subatomic particles in order to map underground Jerusalem.

Noteworthy Stories from Israel

An excavation in Ashkelon revealed a 6,000-year-old copper fishing hook that may have been used for catching sharks.

Israeli archaeologists discovered the oldest hoards of silver, attesting to its use as currency some centuries earlier than previously thought.

Archaeologists discovered evidence of brain surgery in two brothers buried under a Late Bronze building in Megiddo.

A study claims that five sites in Judah demonstrate that Judah was expanding into the Shephelah already in the 10th century.

A large Israelite purple dye factory was discovered at Tel Shikmona near Haifa. This supplied the prestigious color to Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem from about 850 to 750 BC.

Israeli archaeologists excavated a large tomb with dozens of skeletons in a remote area in the Negev desert.

A Hellenistic burial cave in Jerusalem contained the remains of a young female courtesan along with a well-preserved bronze mirror.

Archaeologists working at Megiddo identified a small amphitheater that was used for “brutal combat training exercises.”

More than 120 tombs, including two rare lead sarcophagi, were discovered in the northern Gaza Strip.

New excavations at Hyrcania in the Judean wilderness revealed an inscription in Greek adapted from Psalm 86.

Excavations at el-Araj, possibly biblical Bethsaida, uncovered a 5th-century Byzantine basilica that was built over a “venerated wall” that did not belong to Peter’s house.

A 6th-century Byzantine church with beautiful mosaics was uncovered in Jericho.

Researchers created an AI program to translate cuneiform tablets written in Akkadian into English instantaneously.

Other Noteworthy Stories

The earthquake in southeast Turkey and northern Syria caused massive loss of life and devastation to property and antiquities. Antakya, ancient Antioch on the Orontes, was largely destroyed. The Gaziantep Castle and the citadel of Aleppo also sustained significant damage. Gobekli Tepe and Arslantepe Mound suffered little or no damage in the recent earthquake in southern Turkey.

An Iron Age temple in Khirbet Al Mudayna, possibly biblical Jahaz, was discovered with altars, bones, and animal figurines.

Two tablets written at least partially in the Amorite language prove that the language existed.

Part of an ancient gateway believed to have been constructed by Cyrus the Great was discovered near Persepolis.

Hundreds of 5,000-year old wine jars were discovered in the tomb of an influential woman in the royal court during the First Dynasty.

New rooms were discovered in the Sahura Pyramid.

Ruins of Nero’s theater were discovered in Rome.

The discoveries in Pompeii just kept coming, including a servant’s quarters in the house of a rich person, political graffiti, a fresco that looks like a pizza, a bakery that housed slaves, and more.

The oldest nearly complete Hebrew Bible, dating to approximately AD 900, was sold by Sotheby’s for $38.1 million. The Codex Sassoon is now on display at the ANU Museum in Tel Aviv. It has previously been digitized, is in the public domain, and is available online.

Top Stories Related to Tourism in Israel

The Israeli government approved spending more than $100 million in the next five years on various projects in Jerusalem, including on excavations in the Western Wall Tunnels and the City of David National Park.

A pedestrian suspension bridge crossing the Hinnom Valley was built (YouTube).

A seven-mile stretch of the Jordan River south of the Sea of Galilee was cleaned and developed for tourism.

An area in Caesarea underneath Herod’s palace is being billed as the prison of Paul.

Sussita National Park was opened to the public. The site, also known as Hippos, overlooks the Sea of Galilee on its eastern side.

The Israeli government approved an $8 million budget to restore and protect the ancient capital city of Samaria.

Among the sites opened this year after a period of renovation:

Top Stories Related to Tourism Outside Israel

Crowds at the Acropolis of Athens led to crowd control measures for the first time ever.

Italian authorities are working to reduce congestion at Pompeii. They are also installing solar panels at the site that look like terracotta tiles.

Several smaller museums were replaced by a new Izmir Museum in biblical Smyrna.

The James Ossuary went on display in the US for the first time ever.

Among the sites re-opened this year after renovation:

Top Stories Related to the Antiquities Trade and Vandalism

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced a two-week amnesty campaign, and thousands of people turned in antiquities.

The most expensive coin ever sold at auction was sold using false provenance and the owner of the auction house has been arrested.

A former director of the Citadel Museum in Amman, Jordan, was convicted of stealing 6,000 ancient coins and replacing them with forgeries.

The US returned to Lebanon a dozen looted artifacts valued at $9 million, including three from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

An American attacked several ancient Roman statues in the Israel Museum that he considered to be “blasphemous” and “in violation of the Torah.” He was acquitted of a crime, but sent to involuntary hospitalization.

The Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion was vandalized, damaging several grave markers including that of Bishop Gobat.

Roman sarcophagi at Tel Kedesh were vandalized. Criminals apparently believed that Deborah the prophetess’s tomb is located there.

Notable Resources of 2023: Books

14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible, by James F. Coakley(Moody, 208 pages; $15)

Ancient Persia and the Book of Esther: Achaemenid Court Culture in the Hebrew Bible, by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (Bloomsbury, 280 pages, $31; Amazon)

Ancient Synagogues Revealed 1981-2022, edited by Lee I. Levine, Zeev Weiss, and Uzi Leibner (Israel Exploration Society, 300₪)

Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire, by Eckart Frahm (Basic Books, 528 pages, $35; Amazon).

Discovering the Bible inside your Bible: The Gospel of John, by Andy Cook (Experience Israel Now, 208 pages, $20)

Excavating the Land of Jesus, by James Riley Strange (Eerdmans, $30)

Hazor: Canaanite Metropolis, Israelite City, by Amnon Ben-Tor, expanded edition (Israel Exploration Society, 180₪)

The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East: Volume IV: The Age of Assyria, edited by Karen Radner, Nadine Moeller, and D. T. Potts (Oxford, 1288 pages, $150; Amazon)

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Science, Engineering and Technology, by Michael Denis Higgins (Oxford Academic, 360 pages, $35; Amazon)

A set of three Gateways from Biblical Backgrounds: Bible in its Land: The Land Between Concept; Bible in its Time: An Overview of 4000 Years; Bible in its Time: 500 Years of Israelite Kings

Notable Resources of 2023: Digital Resources

The New York Public Library made available Charles W. Wilson’s Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem (1865).

“Lessons from the Land: The Kings” is the latest series produced by Appian Media. The 13 episodes are about 5 minutes each.

An impressive video of a 3D model of Herod’s Temple was released by Bible Scenes. A second video tours 50 different areas of the virtual 3D model of Herod’s Temple Mount.

Reading the Bible Lands is a new Bible-reading program developed by Wayne Stiles and enriched by his excellent videos, photos, devotionals, and community.

Our team here at BiblePlaces.com created and released two new volumes in the Photo Companion to the Bible series: Ezra and Nehemiah.

Losses This Year

Yehoshua Ben-Arieh, professor of geography at The Hebrew University

Amnon Ben-Tor, professor of archaeology at The Hebrew University and director of excavations at Hazor

Weston Fields, managing director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation

Rafael Frankel, retired archaeologist from the University of Haifa

Dennis E. Groh, professor of humanities and archaeology at Illinois Wesleyan University

Heinz-Wolfgang Kuhn, one of the first to engage with the archaeological research of el-Araj

Amélie Kuhrt, professor of ancient Near Eastern history at University College London

Jaromir Malek, Egyptologist and creator of the Tutankhamun Archive

Robert D. Miller, professor of Old Testament at The Catholic University of America

Ilan Sharon, co-director of the excavations at Tel Dor

Jonathan Tubb, archaeologist and curator at the British Museum

Other Top 10 Lists

Gordon Govier writes about the top 10 stories in biblical archaeology for Christianity Today (subscription required).

Bryan Windle has compiled his top 10 discoveries in biblical archaeology of 2023.

Haaretz identifies top archaeology stories in 2023, with no attempt to rank them. They also link to top stories in world archaeology this year.

National Geographic listed “seven of the most exciting archaeological discoveries in 2023,” placing the Judean desert swords in the top spot. (The Times of Israel has an article about the story, if the paywall prevents access.)

Previous Years

You can revisit the top stories of previous years with these links:

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“A five-year dig into the side of Rome’s Palatine Hill yielded treasure last week when archaeologists discovered a deluxe banquet room dating from around the first or second century BC, featuring a sizable, intact and brightly colored wall mosaic.” Very impressive.

“About 3,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, brickmakers imprinted the names of their kings into clay bricks. Now, an analysis of the metal grains in those bricks has confirmed a mysterious anomaly in Earth’s magnetic field.”

Terracotta figurines discovered in Pompeii may resemble a Christian nativity scene but they were used in an ancient cult ritual.

Nadav Shragai writes about the continuing search for the Second Temple menorah in the Vatican.

The first issue of the Journal of Music Archaeology has been released. The articles are available as free pdfs.

New release: Excavations, Surveys and Heritage. Essays on Southwest Asian Archaeology in Honour of Zeidan Kafafi, edited by Susanne Kerner, Omar al-Ghul and Hani Hayajneh (Zaphon, €110)

Join a virtual tour of the ancient Appian Way on Feb 5, 3:00 pm Eastern.

Bryan Windle identifies the top ten historical references to Jesus outside the Bible on the latest episode of Digging for Truth.

I’ll post a Top 10 of 2023 list this week, but there will be no roundup next weekend.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Gordon Dickson, Arne Halbakken, Paleojudaica

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A new study of trash and bodily wastes reveals what the Crusaders ate while living in the Holy Land.

Archaeologists have discovered Roman-era mosaics in a rescue operation in southeastern Turkey.

The excavation of a bakery in Pompeii reveals the miserable lives of slaves in the 1st century AD.

Archaeologists have published results of their 13-year excavation of the Roman city of Interamna Lirenas located between Rome and Naples. This article includes many graphics.

A scholar used “psychoacoustics” to understand how the ancient sanctuary of Zeus on Mount Lykaion in Greece was used by visitors.

Bryan Windle offers some thoughts on the controversy regarding the Mount Ebal “curse inscription.”

Nathan Steinmeyer writes about the Iron Age moat recently discovered on the north side of the City of David. Haaretz has a longer report here.

Avi Abrams revisits the debate over the location of King David’s tomb.

Steve Ortiz is on the Biblical World podcast discussing Solomonic gates, the historicity of David and Solomon, and issues in the use and dating of archaeological materials.

James Grieg, who gives a tour of “The Bible in the Ashmolean Museum,” is a guest on The Book and the Spade.

New release: Locating the Tomb and Body of Alexander the Great, by Christian de Vartavan (Projectis, £115; use code DR25 for 25% launch discount)

New release: Jewish Studies on Premodern Periods: A Handbook, edited by Carl S. Ehrlich and Sara R. Horowitz (De Gruyter, $197)

Late Ottoman Turkey in Princeton’s Forgotten Maps, 1883-1923 is a virtual exhibition presented in StoryMaps format by Princeton University Library’s Maps and Geospatial Information Center in partnership with Prof. Richard Talbert at UNC Chapel Hill’s Ancient World Mapping Center.” Part V has now been released.

Accordance is running a 50% off sale on graphic bundles for a few more days. These are very good deals for a load of excellent photo collections and image-rich tools (click through to see all the included modules):

A personal note: If you emailed me on Thursday about preaching through Genesis 1-11, please send me your email again.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis

The Broad Wall in Jerusalem, with newly constructed visitor walkways. Photo by Michael Schneider.

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The oldest ceramic rooftiles discovered in Israel date to the 2nd century BC and were found in the Givati Parking Lot excavations in the City of David.

Leen Ritmeyer recalls his previous visits to the Gaza Strip, and shares reconstruction drawings from archaeological remains discovered there.

The Times of Israel follows up on the recent publication of articles challenging the Mount Ebal “curse inscription,” including a response from Scott Stripling. Peter van der Veen, one of Stripling’s co-authors, has released a photo and some comments on the inscription on the exterior of the lead object.

The American tourist who smashed ancient statues in the Israel Museum was acquitted but sent to involuntary hospitalization. His attorney claimed that he suffers from “Jerusalem Syndrome.”

The Israel Antiquities Authority Conference will be held on December 11 in Jerusalem. The conference title is “In Those Days at This Time – The Hasmoneans are Coming,” and admission is free.

New release: Jewish Quarter Excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, Volume IX. “Volume Nine presents the wealth of small finds from the Palatial Mansion, built in the 1st century CE and destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.” (Israel Exploration Society, 380 NIS)

Logos deal: Week in the Life Series  (7 vols) for $25

Jerusalem University College is hosting its 4th annual online seminar, “Culture Counts” on January 13. Registration is free, and the three presentations are:

  • Home Sweet Home: Ancient Israelite Households in Context, by Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
  • Life in the Roman Army, by Carl Laney
  • Hosting a Rabbi: A Lesson in Discipleship from Mary and Martha, by Cyndi Parker

BAS’s February Bible and Archaeology Fest will be held on February 24-25. Registration is open now for $149.

Mark Hoffman explains why now is a good time to (re-)sign up for the free BiblePlaces Newsletter.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis

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A new study suggests that the Great Sphinx of Giza was carved out of natural ridge in the bedrock.

Nathan Steinmeyer summarizes a new reconstruction of the events behind the assassination of Sennacherib, king of Assyria.

BBC: “For millennia, Tyrian purple was the most valuable colour on the planet. Then the recipe to make it was lost. By piecing together ancient clues, could one man bring it back?”

New release: Color and Meaning in the Art of Achaemenid Persia, by Alexander Nagel (Cambridge University Press, $110)

Seetheholyland.net has a new article on the holy family in Egypt, sifting through various myths, legends and might-be-facts. The list of sites with strong traditions is longer than I expected.

Darla Martin Tucker reviews the recently held 15th Annual Archaeology Discovery Weekend hosted by La Sierra University and focused on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Tracking Colour website “is dedicated to the research on the use of colour on sculptures and buildings in the ancient Mediterranean world carried out at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.”

Arim Hawsho has created an hour-long documentary on Ashurbanipal, “the librarian king.” He is also working on a cookbook inspired by recipes from ancient Mesopotamia.

Robert D. Miller died last week.

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken

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“Archaeologists uncovered signs that Alexander the Great was worshipped as a divine figure in an ancient temple in Iraq.”

“A Sumerian ‘sacred code’ has been deciphered, revealing divinely inspired building instructions echoed in the Bible.”

The latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes stories on archaeology in Midian, the location of Peter’s house, and mosaic pavements of biblical scenes at Huqoq.

“Brazil Adventist University [in São Paulo] inaugurated the Museum of Biblical Archaeology (MAB), the first museum of its kind in South America.”

Bryan Windle recommends five YouTube channels related to biblical archaeology.

Leon Mauldin shares a photo of an Ammonite deity and a map showing the area of ancient Ammon.

New release: William Kennett Loftus: A 19th-Century Archaeologist in Mesopotamia: Letters transcribed and introduced by John Curtis (The British Institute for the Study of Iraq, £15; Amazon)

Two new releases: Scribal Culture in Ancient Egypt, by Niv Allon and Hana Navratilova. Hieroglyphs, Pseudo-Scripts and Alphabets, by Ben Haring. Both books are in the Cambridge Elements series on Ancient Egypt in Context. Both are available as free ebooks until December 6.

New release: Trade and Seafaring in Antiquity: Red Sea – Persian Gulf – Indian Ocean, edited by Stefan Baumann, Kerstin Droß-Krüpe, Sebastian Fink, Sven Günther and Patrick Reinard (Zaphon, 90 EUR).

The Associates for Biblical Research has a Christmas book sale, with free shipping on book purchases over $60 with code Christmas2023. Books on sale include:

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Keith Keyser, Charles Savelle, Paleojudaica

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