Temple Mount Archives - Page 2 of 59

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Archaeologists excavating 15 miles east of Tel Aviv uncovered “the largest [ancient] Samaritan site outside of the Samaritan homeland,” including colorful mosaics, two ritual baths, and lots of coins and oil lamps.

“Israeli archaeologists discovered rare preserved lamp wicks believed to be some 4,000 years old during excavations for a new neighborhood in Yehud, in central Israel.”

A ceramic bearing reed impressions is the “find of the month” for the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

The Times of Israel has more about the effects of the wildfire that burned the excavation site at el-Araj, likely the New Testament site of Bethsaida.

John DeLancey writes and shares photos from his time volunteering at the Tel Eter excavation.

“Megiddo: A City Unearthed, A Past Imagined marks 100 years since ISAC’s first major archaeological expedition (1925–1939), which revealed layers of palatial complexes, fortifications, and elite material culture.”

Correction: Eric Cline’s upcoming lecture will be on Sept 9, not Sept 8.

Zoom lecture on Sept 18: “Excavations of Crusader Akko,” by Danny Syon, sponsored by the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society.

The latest issue of Tel Aviv has been released, and it includes open-access articles about Tel Azekah, Manasseh’s wall in Jerusalem, and Late Roman mansion in the Givati Parking Lot excavations in Jerusalem.

“The top three reports in biblical archaeology from August 2025 included reports of gold, silver, and a monumental structure in Jerusalem.”

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Franz

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Galilee, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Lectures, Museums, New Exhibits, Shephelah, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup

“Analysis of 3,000-year-old smelting droplets shows copper from Timna and Feinan was alloyed with tin at a mountain site in Samaria, revealing a budding regional trade and technology network.” The underlying journal article is here.

A fire along the shore of the Sea of Galilee cleared the overgrowth at el-Araj (possibly Bethsaida), exposing piles of stones which may be ancient buildings.

A new video tours the not-yet-open museum below the Western Wall plaza (22 min).

The first volume of the excavation reports is now open-access: Jerusalem Western Wall Plaza Excavations I: The Roman and Byzantine Remains; Architecture and Stratigraphy, by Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah (IAA Reports, 2019)

“Police arrested a 27-year-old Jewish suspect on Monday, accused of spray-painting ‘There’s a Holocaust in Gaza’ on the ancient stones of the Western Wall, Judaism’s second-holiest site.”

Chandler Collins explores the location and significance of the Mishneh in Jerusalem.

Archaeologists have found two ancient church buildings in Egypt’s Western Desert.

“It’s now official—the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will hold its long-awaited grand opening on November 1.”

“A new artificial intelligence (AI) system has accurately read an ancient Hammurabi tablet with 98% precision, marking a significant step forward in translating some of the world’s earliest written laws.”

New release: Ancient Mediterranean Incarceration, by Matthew D. C. Larsen and Mark Letteney (UC Press, $13, open-access)

Bible Mapper Atlas has posted an audio-visual reading of Judges 4.

With excavations underway at Colossae, Ferrell Jenkins recalls his first visit to the site several decades ago.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, A.D. Riddle, Arne Halbakken, Wayne Stiles, Gordon Dickson, Andy Cook

Tagged Egypt, Galilee, Jerusalem, Museums, Samaria, Technology, Temple Mount, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Scholars have used radiocarbon dating and artificial intelligence to date some Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts, with the results often providing earlier dates than previously believed based on paleographical analysis. Of particular interest is 4Q114 which preserves Daniel 8-11, now dated to 230–160 BC (earlier than it was written, according to critical scholars). The underlying journal article is here.

Excavations at Samaria-Sebaste have been underway for two weeks, and discoveries include a stone pavement and the base of a monument near the city gate.

Following a kerfuffle over a 5-ton Herodian stone on display at Ben Gurion Airport, the IAA has promised to rebury all Western Wall stones. The parties agree that Western Wall stones “must not be treated as archaeological exhibits but rather as sacred relics subject to Jewish law.” Stones on display elsewhere will be returned for burial, and the site will be fenced off to prevent the public from touching them.

Nathan Steinmeyer explains what the Galilee is.

Zoom lecture on June 10: “Hearing the Voices of the Dead in Ancient Israel,” by Elizabeth Bloch-Smith ($10)

BAS is offering a four-lecture course with Sidnie White Crawford about ancient libraries, focusing especially on the Dead Sea Scrolls ($149).

I recently read The Odyssey of Marcus Panthera: A Journey to the Land of Israel in the First Century, by Makram Mesherky (Gesher Media, 2024, $25). The author is a Palestinian believer whose fictional account reads like a travelogue during the time of Jesus. The book is not long, is easy to read, and is loaded with full-color illustrations.

HT: Agade, Keith Keyser, Arne Halbakken, Alexander Schick, Gordon Franz, Mark V. Hoffman, Ted Weis

Tagged Dead Sea Scrolls, Excavations, Galilee, Jerusalem, Lectures, Resources, Samaria, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

A gold ring with a red gemstone dating to the Hellenistic period has been discovered in the Givati Parking Lot excavations in the City of David. It is quite similar to another ring found at the same place last year.

Yosef Garfinkel recently completed excavation of Ophel’s “Water Gate” area, removing several Byzantine walls in order to highlight the Iron Age walls. The report includes numerous pictures and a video interview.

All Israel News has created a 5-minute video showing some of the archaeological evidence for a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount.

A visitor center telling the story of tekhelet (biblical blue color) opens in the Judean wilderness later this month.

Leon Mauldin posts a photo and a map of Taanach by the Waters of Megiddo.

Denny Sissom has a new series of videos explaining each chapter of his book, The Bridge to the New Testament: A Comprehensive Guide to the Forgotten Years of the Inter-Testament Period, in detail.

BibleStock has released a new coaching video, explaining how to use video footage in teaching the story of David and Goliath.

With this week’s release of the Photo Companion volumes for Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, we’re offering both for the price of one. Luke Chandler calls the Photo Companion to the Bible his “favorite overall Bible study resource.”

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Jerusalem, Photo Resources, Resources, Shephelah, Temple Mount, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

An Israeli team began excavations of Samaria-Sebaste this week. Some consider the excavation of ancient Israel’s capital to be a hostile takeover of Palestinian heritage.

Archaeologists working at the Roman cemetery at Legio near Megiddo have uncovered the jaws of thirteen pigs in what they believe was remains of a funerary banquet.

“Jewish veterans from the Roman army — and not Shimon Bar Kochba — may have initially led the 2nd-century Jewish rebellion against the Romans commonly known as the ‘Bar Kochba Revolt.’”

“Two enigmatic 1,500-year-old human figurines carved in rare ebony wood from India or Sri Lanka and likely made in Africa have been uncovered in the Negev.” The underlying journal article is here.

A new study has found that “the Kingdom of Israel had much greater name variety than the southern kingdom, hinting at deeper social differences.” The underlying journal article is here.

“Police arrested nine Jewish men who tried to smuggle a sacrificial goat onto the Temple Mount in Jerusalem Monday afternoon.”

The Jerusalem Post runs a short article about the road between the Pool of Siloam and the Temple Mount.

New release: Readers of the Lost Ark: Imagining the Ark of the Covenant from Ancient Times to the Present, by Kevin M. McGeough (Oxford University Press, $35; Amazon). Free chapter here.

Bible Mapper Atlas has created a (free) poster map of the tribe of Manasseh (west of the Jordan) and its surroundings, circa 1200 BC.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Negev, Resources, Temple Mount, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“Israel on Monday began long-delayed renovation and maintenance work at the Little Western Wall, a lesser-known section of the Western Wall located in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.”

A flash flood on Sunday caused severe damage to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. The park is now closed for restoration.

Also on Sunday, a brushfire broke out at Tell es-Safi/Gath.

Ruth Schuster has written a lengthy article about the excavations at Chorazin, including the “pay to dig” opportunity that’s been running there for more than a decade now.

Newly released: Bet Shean V: Hellenistic Nysa-Scythopolis Part 1: Stratigraphy and Architectureand Part 2: The Finds and Conclusion (IAA Reports; free download)

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on July 2: “Amorites, Their Origins, and Their Legacy,” by Aaron A. Burke

“A leading archaeology journal [Palestine Exploration Quarterly] has effectively barred submissions by Israelis on Judea and Samaria unless they ‘have cooperated with the relevant Palestinian authorities.’”

Bryan Windle interviews Joan Taylor in the latest installment of the “Scholar’s Chair” series. Among other things, she discusses her new book, Boy Jesus.

The Biblical Museum of Natural History sells archaeology-themed board games and a kosher box of locusts.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

Tagged Jerusalem, Lectures, Museums, Temple Mount, Weather, Weekend Roundup