The level of the Dead Sea has risen for the first time in the last ten years.

Egyptian police seized a carload of 863 ancient artifacts, including 10 scarabs, 180 amulets, 120 Ptolemaic coins, 407 Roman coins of bronze, 3 Osirion wooden statues, and a limestone statue.

Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, Professor in the Department of Bible, Archaeology and Ancient Near East at Ben-Gurion University, has died after a long illness.

Shmuel Browns’ Photo of the Week is an impressive shot of the Keshet Cave in western Galilee.

The Samaritans on Mount Gerizim can vote twice this week.

Accordance Bible Software has an outstanding sale going on right now for both sets (9 volumes) of the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Old and New Testaments. It’s marked down now 63% to $150. These volumes have lots of images you can easily search and use. Sale ends on Monday.

HT: Charles Savelle

Dead Sea, Ras el Feshkha, mat01742

Western shore of the Dead Sea in early 1900s
Photo from Southern Palestine photo collection
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The New York Times has a profile of the Carchemish excavations, including results from the first two
years. I particularly enjoyed Mr. Marchetti’s story of discovering an almost intact monolith lying on the surface on his first day on the site.

This Jerusalem Post article on Jesus and the Jordan River discusses both tourist sites on the northern and southern ends.

This Haaretz article on “Masada for runners” isn’t what I expected. (I wanted fastest times to the top; they tell you to run around the bottom.)

Google Street View now covers much of Israel, including “most of Israel’s large and medium sized towns, many villages in central Israel and the Galilee, and historical and tourist sites such as the Dead Sea, the coral reefs of Eilat, the Dead Sea, Megiddo, and many more.” It does not include Judea and Samaria.

“Museum staff in Manchester have devised a computer console which allows visitors to ‘handle’ ancient artefacts. The technology at Manchester Museum – the first of its kind in the UK – allows the public to virtually touch delicate objects which would normally be kept behind glass.”

Tyndale Tech has a great run-down of computer resources for Old Testament Studies.

HT: BibleX, Jack Sasson

Carchemish citadel and Euphrates River from north, adr1005191620
Carchemish citadel and Euphrates River from the north.
Photo from the fantastic Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.
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Shmuel Browns has photos of the Dome of the Chain now that the metal sheeting for renovations has been removed.

Lois Tverberg (“Our Rabbi Jesus”) suggests resources to help you learn about the life of a shepherd. I particularly like her first and last recommendations.

Leen Ritmeyer reports on the upcoming move of the Temple Institute in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Exploring Bible Lands has a great photo of the Jerusalem model (at the Israel Museum) covered with snow. You might want to subscribe to this newer blog while you’re there.

To return to familiar subjects, Leen Ritmeyer has photos old and new of Jerusalem in the snow.

A new book by Baruch Sterman, The Rarest Blue tells the 4,000-year-long story of the biblical blue tekhelet. Last week it was awarded the Book Prize for 2013 by the Jewish Journal.

Shepherd with sheep near Sede Boqer, tb042007446
Shepherd with sheep in Negev Highlands
Photo from Cultural Images of the Holy Land
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The rain in Israel has turned to snow. Jerusalem is all but closed. A meter of snow fell on Mount Hermon overnight. The Sea of Galilee is up 6 inches. Haaretz is calling this the biggest storm in a decade with Israel’s main highway closed for 9 hours. Wind gusts in Haifa reached up to 75 miles per hour.

BBC reports that Gaza’s archaeological treasures are at risk from war and neglect.

Ferrell Jenkins explains the significance of Gaza.

Artifax and The Book & The Spade Radio program have posted their Top Ten 2012 Discoveries.

They are similar to our (unnumbered) list. Leen Ritmeyer picks his top two.

The conclusion from the 2012 excavations south of the Temple Mount (aka “Ophel”) is posted in an 11-minute video, concluding with a tour by archaeologist Eilat Mazar.

Thirty Days in the Land with Jesus: A Holy Land Devotional, by Charles H. Dyer, is for sale on Kindle for $1.99 this week. The 248-page book was released in 2012.

HT: Charles Savelle

Ophel Walls Iron Age tower, tb010112136

Iron Age tower in Ophel Excavations
Photo from Pictorial Library of Bible Lands
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One archaeologist is calling the 900-seat arts center built by Hadrian the most important Roman discovery since the discovery of the Forum in the 1920s. There is a photo of the dig site here.

The Temple Mount Sifting Project blog has a series of posts on the recent debris removal from the
Temple Mount. Nadav Shragai provides a summary in Israel Hayom. Leen Ritmeyer provides a brief commentary.

A baptistery has been discovered in the Byzantine monastery of Khirbet el-Maqatir.

Ferrell Jenkins has wrapped up his series of photo illustrations for the book of Acts.

The BBC has a month-by-month review of archaeological stories in 2012.

Our Archaeological Surveys Bibliography has been significantly expanded.

HT: Jack Sasson, Joseph Lauer, Ted Weis

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For the year that just ended, we posted about 325 times. According to Blogger statistics, our readers come from many countries, the top 5 of which are:

#1: United States

#2: United Kingdom

#3: Israel

#4: China

#5: Canada

Yesterday we listed the top stories related to discoveries and technology. Today we conclude with three additional categories. Yesterday’s disclaimers apply here as well.

Significant Stories in 2012:

Reconstruction of Herod’s Tomb Criticized (and Defended)

Jesus Discovery: Early Christian Burial in Jerusalem, with lots of follow-up

Temple Mount Model at Christ Church, Jerusalem

New Visitor Center Approved for City of David

Not Guilty: James Ossuary Trial Ends

Turkey Halts Loan of Museum Artifacts

$100 Million for Biblical Tourism in Jerusalem

Construction Begins on Israel National Archaeology Library

Greek Economic Crisis Threatens Antiquities

Seven Wonders of Israel

Somebody Once Believed Jesus Had a Wife (and lots of links)

Cyrus Cylinder Coming to the U.S.

Ancient Cedar Beams on Temple Mount
 
Noteworthy Posts:

The Promised Land Includes Transjordan (No, It Doesn’t)

Speculating on the Mysterious Marks in City of David, by A.D. Riddle

Biblical Problems with Locating Sodom at Tall el-Hammam, by Bill Schlegel

The Best Maps of Israel

Jonah, Jesus and the Talpiot Ossuary, by Chris McKinny

My Recent Trip to Israel

Picture of the Week: Mount Hermon and Caesarea Philippi, by Seth Rodriquez

Critiques of the Work of Robert Cornuke

Notes on the Water in Antiquity Conference, by Chris McKinny

Favorite Resources in 2012:

In the Footsteps of Paul

Do Historical Matters Matter to Faith? 

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus

Books from Eretz Magazine

The Walls of the Temple Mount

Free Volumes in the Loeb Classical Library

Alexander to Constantine

The Archaeology of the Holy Land

ARTIFAX Magazine 

Israel Topographical Relief Map

The Land and the Book

Our favorite, naturally, is the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, Revised and Expanded (recommended by Jenkins, Gundersen, Chandler, and Savelle).

As 2013 begins, we wish our readers all the best in the coming year.


The 2012 release of the new Pictorial Library of Bible Lands marked the culmination of 9 years of travel, research, and writing.
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