Samaria Archives - BiblePlaces.com

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

The six-chambered Iron Age gate at Ashdod was recently re-excavated so that it can be conserved and opened to the public in a new Israeli national park.

The IDF will allow Israelis a rare opportunity to visit “Solomon’s Pools,” south of Bethlehem, on one day during Passover.

Doron Spielman has been involved in excavations in the City of David for more than 20 years, and he has stories to tell. Mosaic Magazine (registration req’d) has published an excerpt from a forthcoming book that describes a crawl through a long tunnel and the drama concerning the purchase of the Givati Parking Lot.

The latest video in the Biblical Images of God series looks at the metaphor of “Rock of Refuge.”

Zoom webinar on April 16: “The Dying Child: Death and Personhood of Children in Ancient Israel,” by Kristine Garroway

Conference on April 27-29: “Jerusalem through the Ages: New Perspectives.” The conference will be held at Schloss Beuggen, Rheinfelden, Germany, and broadcast on Zoom.

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on April 28: “A Biography of an Excavation: The Austrian-German Expedition to Tell Balata/Shechem 1913–1939,” by Felix Höflmayer and Agnes Woitzuck

Avi Hurvitz, longtime professor of Ancient Semitic Languages at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, died last week.

Jerusalem University College’s Online Summer Institute has announced this year’s classes:

Deuteronomy’s Place, taught by Cyndi Parker
Exodus: From the River to the Mountain, taught by Oliver Hersey
Geographical Voices in the Psalms, taught by Paul Wright
Holy People, Holy Land: A Journey through Leviticus, taught by Christine Palmer
The Historical and Literary Development of Shabbat, taught by Rabbi Moshe Silberschein

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Wayne Stiles, Ted Weis, Explorator

Tagged Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Judah, Lectures, Sad News, Samaria, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

In the second season of excavations at Hyrcania in the Judean wilderness, archaeologists uncovered a colorful Byzantine mosaic and two Jewish ritual baths.

A tourist who came to Shiloh to pray for a child found a rare Second Temple period coin when he returned to give thanks.

The discovery at a Byzantine monastery near Jerusalem of a female skeleton wrapped in heavy metal chains is raising questions about women’s participation in extreme asceticism.

Ferrell Jenkins has posted a photo of Gibeah of Saul from circa 1970.

New release: After the Tomb: The Unexpected Encore, by Stephen Austin. In a series of 50 vignettes, this book imagines what may have happened in the 50 days between Jesus’s resurrection and Pentecost. My first impression is very positive.

New release: Scribal Representations and Social Landscapes of the Iron Age, by Mahri Leonard-Fleckman (Oxford University Press, $99)

A conference on the archaeology and history of Jerusalem will be held at the Schloss Beugen in Rheinfelden, Germany, on April 27th to 29th, 2025. Aren Maeir has posted the schedule.

Accordance Bible Software is running a sale of up to 67% off image collections, virtual tours, biblical atlases, and more. There are a number of offerings that are the lowest prices I’ve ever seen.

Behind the Scenes of the New Testament, edited by Bruce W. Longenecker, Elizabeth E. Shively, and T. J. Lang, is Walking The Text’s recommended resource this month.

Gesher Media has just released an Ark of the Covenant poster. Regularly priced at $34, you can use coupon ARK20 to get it for only $20 through February 28.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Gordon Franz, Keith Keyser

Tagged Discoveries, Lectures, Photo Resources, Resources, Samaria, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Ruth Schuster has written a longer piece on Tel Burna (Libnah?), now that excavations have wrapped up. One point of focus is the 10th century BC destruction, believed to have been carried out by Shishak.

The Tel Burna team is headed to Khirbet Ether for excavations next summer.

“A replica of the Ark of the Covenant, painstakingly constructed, its creators say, to the Torah specifications of the sacred vessel that was the First Temple’s central fixture, was displayed in Jerusalem on Sunday evening.” The replica has already visited Jericho, Shiloh, and Mar-a-Lago.

JNS has a summary of sites excavated and artifacts discovered so far in 2024.

Abigail Van Huss explains the archaeological evidence found in the Mount Ebal Dump Salvage expedition on the latest episode of Digging for Truth.

The latest video in John DeLancey’s “Israel on Location” series features ibex at Sede Boqer.

Free this month on Logos: Alexander to Constantine: Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, by Eric M. Meyers and Mark A. Chancey

New release: Petra’s Temple of the Winged Lions, volume 1 and volume 2 (The American Center of Research, $133 and $141; both are open-access pdf)

Hybrid lecture on Oct 28: “The Relationship between Animals and Plants in the Ancient Near East – Effects on Farming, Inequality, and Empire,” by Shyama Vermeersch. For online attendance, register here.

Zoom lecture on Nov 11: “Ritual Baths (Mikvehs) in Synagogues: Between Law (Halakhah) and Piousness,” by Eyal Baruch

John Worrell, at one time a director of excavations at Tel el-Hesi, died last week.

The well-known Egyptologist Donald B. Redford died last week.

HT: Agade, Wayne Stiles, Gordon Franz, Chris Flanagan

Tagged Excavations, Jerusalem, Jordan, Resources, Sad News, Samaria, Shephelah, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Archaeologists believe that a collection of silver objects discovered at Megiddo nearly a hundred years ago is linked to Thutmose III’s campaign.

A decade after a Roman sword was discovered in the City of David, its missing tip has been recovered during a soil-sifting operation.

“A part of the ancient water aqueduct arch in Caesarea collapsed on Tuesday after the Caesarea Development Corporation (CDC), refused to take steps to prevent it despite the historical remains being under its jurisdiction.” This follows another collapse that occurred a year ago.

Scott Stripling gives an update on this summer’s discoveries at Tel Shiloh on The Book and the Spade podcast.

Scientists have developed a methodology to identify the source of basalt using “chemical fingerprints.”

All Israel News has created an 8-minute video explaining the significance of the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

Susannah Schild describes how, twenty years after moving to Israel and being unimpressed with its trees, she has come to appreciate them for their suitability to their environment and their value to the traveler.

“Steve Bryan walks through the healing at Bethesda in John 5 to explore what we can know about the pool from archaeological remains, and how that helps us make sense of the text.”

Jodi Magness writes about Charlemagne’s interest in Jerusalem.

The latest issue of ‘Atiqot features more than a dozen articles related to “rural life in the southern Levant.”

The folks at The Book Podcast invited me on to talk about Israel, pictures, and more.

HT: Agade, Mark V. Hoffman, Gordon Franz, Gordon Dickson, Arne Halbakken, Keith Keyser, Paleojudaica

Tagged Discoveries, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Samaria, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Archaeologists working in the drainage channel under the Siloam Road have announced the discovery of a “complete tableware set of Jerusalem’s residents” and “a delicate glass vial, nearly perfectly preserved, several small oil lamps with soot still in them from use, various coins and beads, and a collection of ceramic vessels used to hold perfume and oil.”

A very rare bronze coin minted under Emperor Hadrian’s successor was discovered in the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

Chandler Collins’s latest Jerusalem in Brief “highlights the Hinnom Valley in the 19th century, an original guide to Avi-Yonah’s Jerusalem model, a correction to a previous post, and upcoming events on historical Jerusalem.”

The Jerusalem Post is reporting on Jodi Magness’s new book on Jerusalem.

There is no evidence that the Mazor Mausoleum was the tomb of John the Baptist.

Jacob Sivak argues on the basis of a coin hoard and other evidence that Jewish independence in the land of Israel did not end in AD 70,

A new archaeological journal entitled “CARMEL” has been launched by The School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa.

Joel Kramer’s latest video (with already 600k+ views!) is a witness stone mentioned in Joshua 24:26 and discovered at Shechem.

In a 30-minute video filmed on location at Gath, Nathan Steinmeyer talks with Aren Maeir about discuss the Philistines. This accompanies an article that Maeir wrote for the latest issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

Leen Ritmeyer is impressed with a recently released 3D video on Herod’s Temple.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Wayne Stiles, Alexander Schick

Tagged Discoveries, Jerusalem, Philistines, Resources, Samaria, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup – Israel

A new study of textiles found in the Judean wilderness reveals that the color scarlet was made using powder of a scale insect.

“A nearly 2,000-year-old ring engraved with the image of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and battle — known to the Greeks as Athena — was found on Mount Carmel.”

An 8th century seal discovered at Hazor “depicts a battle between an unknown figure accompanied by Greek and Egyptian mythical creatures, and a large seven-headed serpent, commonly believed to be an illustration of the Lernaean Hydra from the Greek myth of Hercules’s 12 labors.”

The “altar” on Mount Ebal was recently damaged.

“The Saint Hilarion complex, one of the oldest monasteries in the Middle East, has been put on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in danger due to the war in Gaza.”

The final excavation season at Tel Burna (Libnah?) has concluded. Co-director Steven Ortiz is interviewed on The Book and the Spade, which is now available on a number of podcast platforms.

A discovery of lost papers from a dig in 1937 prompted a reevaluation of the Central Church of Shivta in the Negev.

Christopher Rollston explains why three mosaic inscriptions found at the Christian worship site near Megiddo are important in the study of Early Christianity.

A proposed Israeli law would expand the Israel Antiquities Authority’s jurisdiction into the West Bank.

Brent Nongbri shares photos of the Bedouin who first discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls. But there are questions. And another photo.

Israel’s Good Name reports on his outings to the Yodfat Monkey Park and Eilat and the Arava (Day I, Day II).

Wave Nunnally is on the Biblical World podcast to discuss recent events in Israel and the parables of the kingdom.

New release: Colonial Archaeology in Palestine in the 1930s: The First Expedition to Lachish, by Yosef Garfinkel (Israel Exploration Society and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; 260 NIS).

New release: The Economy of the Later Roman Province of Third Palestine, by Walter D. Ward (Archaeopress, £16–34)

New release: Ancient Synagogues in Palestine: A Re-evaluation Nearly a Century After Sukenik’s Schweich Lectures, by Jodi Magness (Oxford University Press, $100, free download)

New release: The Dead Sea Scrolls: New Insights on Ancient Texts, by Alex P. Jassen and Lawrence H. Schiffman (Springer, $89–119)

New release: Hesi after 50 Years and 130 Years: Paying Tribute to the Long Excavation History at Tell el-Hesi, edited by John R. Spencer, James W. Hardin, and Jeffrey Blakely (Eisenbrauns, $100, but Amazon has it at 60% off right now; Kindle $53). The Bible and Interpretation has posted the first chapter which is an introduction to the volume.

Israel now requires visitors from visa-exempt countries to purchase electronic travel authorization prior to boarding their flight to Israel. The government website is here.

As a reminder, we have number of useful photo collections related to Israel, including the Pictorial Library’s Galilee and the North, Samaria and the Center, Judah and the Dead Sea, and Negev and the Wilderness. All five Israel volumes are available as a set (6,000 photos) for only $119 today with code RAMAH.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Arne Halbakken, Ted Weis, Steven Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Mark V. Hoffman

Tagged Dead Sea Scrolls, Excavations, Galilee, Israel's Coast, Resources, Samaria, Shephelah, Tourism, Weekend Roundup