Tourism Archives - Page 3 of 93

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

Excavations at Kharga Oasis in Egypt revealed two early churches, including a mosaic depicting Jesus healing a sick person.

“Ongoing excavation at Iraq’s Mosul Dam reservoir yielded finds from the Hellenistic era,” including 40 tombs.

“Authorities in Türkiye have begun a large-scale preservation project for the colossal statues on Mount Nemrut using nanotechnology.”

Turkish Archaeological News highlights other top stories for the month of August.

There was a fire at the archaeological site of Tyre. The story has a photo but little information.

British Museum Blog: “The fascinating maths problems found in the 3,500-year-old Rhind Mathematical Papyrus show how ancient Egyptian mathematics supported daily life, from ensuring there was enough food to feed people to designing the perfect pyramid.”

Mark Wilson is leading “Paul’s Aegean Voyages” next June, and you can follow that up, if you wish, with the Antioch Seminar on Paul and Peter. Both are organized by Tutku Educational Travel (pdf brochure here).

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Gordon Franz

Tagged Egypt, Lebanon, Mediterranean Islands, Mesopotamia, Museums, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“A rare coin depicting Queen Berenice II of Egypt that dates back to Jerusalem’s Hellenistic era was discovered in the City of David.” The 3rd-century BC gold coin, found in sifting of material excavated in the Givati Parking Lot, may challenge the scholarly view on Jerusalem’s importance at the time.

The discovery of a Byzantine-era mosaic medallion inscribed “Peace be with the elders” leads archaeologists working at Hippos to believe that they have discovered “the world’s oldest home for the elderly.”

“A lead weight bearing a Greek inscription about 2,150 years old was seized this week in an intelligence-based operation by the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit at an antique shop in Jerusalem.”

Golan Shalvi writes about the rise of the Israelite dye industry in light of discoveries at Tel Shiqmona.

According to a new study, “silver was used as currency in ancient Israel more than 1,000 years before the invention of the coin, and earlier than in Egypt and Greece.”

The Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical website is an educational resource that “preserves the historical legacy of plant use in this region, contributing to its conservation, research, and development.”

Charlie Trimm’s “A Virtual Walk Through the Land of the Bible” was released this week on Logos ($24).

Walking The Text’s latest recommended resource is Heart of the Holy Land, by Paul Wright.

Last week, I noted the open access availability of volume 1 of the Western Wall Plaza Excavation report; indeed, all of the volumes and all of the IAA Reports are available.

The Lanier Center for Archaeology at Lipscomb University is celebrating its five-year anniversary, and their press release provides various updates, including the hiring of our longtime friend and partner, Chris McKinny. Chris will be starting a new excavation of a New Testament site in Galilee. The LCA has 25 PhD students enrolled.

Alumni of the IBEX semester program are invited on a reunion tour next summer.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Alexander Schick, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Galilee, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

“A four-line ancient Aramaic inscription, possibly inked by Jewish rebels from the Bar Kochba Revolt against the Romans in the 2nd century CE, has been discovered in a cave in the Judean Desert.”

An ivory fragment depicting a woman’s head was discovered in a layer of 7th-century BC fill material near the City of David’s eastern wall.

Rescue excavations along Route 60 north of Jerusalem uncovered a sophisticated ancient water system that includes “six water springs, a 200-meter-long channel, and, most recently, a large wall.” A local guide thinks it can become “a central attraction in Benjamin.” There is a video in Hebrew here (4 min).

After years of abandonment, a crocodile farm in the Jordan Valley underwent a “culling operation” in which 262 crocodiles were shot. Shev Tov Sasson was there on the morning of the operation, on his way to a night birding expedition near the Dead Sea.

The Tel Burna team is preparing to begin excavations at Tel ‘Ether later this month and they welcome volunteers.

The latest issue of Near Eastern Archaeology (subscription) is the first of two to commemorate the centennial of the University of Chicago excavations at Megiddo. The first issue provides articles providing introduction, background, and Bronze Age material. The second issue will focus on the Iron Age. (There is also a conference about Megiddo on October 9, but I’ve only yet found a flyer in Hebrew.)

“Jewish sages in Late Antiquity were not detached from the land but actively involved in the robust wine culture of the Roman-Byzantine world.”

BibleStock has released a new coaching video, this one exploring the Kidron Valley and how it connects the suffering David and the suffering Jesus.

Shmuel Browns notes that the En Gedi Nature Reserve remains closed, and he posts some photos of En Prat.

Lecture on Aug 13: “The Heartland of Judah: Excavations at Biblical Libnah,” by Steven M. Ortiz ($10)

The Albright Institute is hosting a book launch on September 3 (in-person and Zoom) for Ancient Jewish Food in Its Geographical and Cultural Contexts: What’s Cooking in the Talmuds?, by Susan Weingarten

New release: The City of Gaza in the Roman Period: The Numismatic Evidence (First Century BCE–Third Century CE), by Yoav Farhi (Israel Numismatic Society, 500 pages, $175)

Biblical Backgrounds has released some new wall maps – some smaller, some larger, and some sets.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Tagged Dead Sea, Discoveries, Excavations, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley, Judah, Lectures, Resources, Samaria, Shephelah, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

July Roundup, Part 5 (Greece, Roman Empire, and more)

Archaeologists working at Philippi have uncovered a large public building, workshops, residences, and bathhouses.

An intact Roman-era bridge was discovered at the site of Elefsina (ancient Eleusis) in Greece.

“Twenty-six sites have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, designating their cultural and natural importance,” including the Minoan palatial centers on Crete and Sardis and the Lydian tumuli in Turkey.

“When some residents of Athens, Greece, turn on their sinks, showers and public fountains later this month, water will flow to some taps from an ancient source: a 2,000-year-old underground aqueduct originally built by the Roman Empire.”

“A handful of broken oil lamps could shed light on a small and long-vanished Jewish community that lived in southern Spain in the late Roman era as the old gods were being snuffed out by Christianity.”

Brent Seales has been awarded a $13.5 million grant to support his work in deciphering the carbonized scrolls of Herculaneum.

“A new A.I. tool developed by Google DeepMind helps scholars fill in words missing from ancient inscriptions and estimate historical data about the textual artifacts, making educated guesses based on context and similar inscriptions.”

More than 120 dodecahedrons have been discovered throughout the Roman empire in the last three centuries, but though dozens of theories of their function have been proposed, scholars are still at a loss.

“Caligula, the notoriously erratic Roman emperor known for his bloodthirsty cruelty, probably also possessed a nerd’s knowledge of medicinal plants, according to a new Yale study.”

Thomas J. Derrick explores the smells, both good and bad, of ancient Rome.

The archaeological collection of the late James F. Strange is benefiting students at the University of South Florida.

ReferenceMapper is a new, free tool “that will fetch all related Bible Mapper maps and articles for each Bible reference on your page and link them to a map icon next to the Bible reference.”

Available for pre-order for Logos:

The Archaeology of the Bible, by James K. Hoffmeier ($14)
The Essential Archaeological Guide to Bible Lands, by Titus Kennedy ($18)
Archaeology and the World of Jesus, by David A. deSilva ($25)

Carmen Joy Imes discusses her favorite historical fiction books written by biblical scholars (8 min). I’ve read most of the seven books she mentions, and I agree with her recommendations.

HT: Agade, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Greece, Italy, Resources, Technology, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

July Roundup, Part 4 (Turkey)

After decades of hopes and dreams, excavations began at Colossae last month. The team’s X feed includes a couple of photos.

“Archaeologists working in an ancient Urartian necropolis in eastern Türkiye’s Van province are uncovering remarkable evidence of Urartian burial traditions, including signs that women may have held high status in the Iron Age kingdom.”

“A newly discovered 2,000-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Adrasan in southern Turkey is offering a rare glimpse into ancient sea trade, with remarkably well-preserved ceramics still in their original arrangement.”

Archaeology in Turkey in struggling with understaffing, underfunding, unrealistic deadlines, unqualified archaeologists, hasty reconstruction efforts, and illegal treasure hunting.

“The ancient city of Termessos in the southern province of Antalya has launched its first systematic archaeological excavations this year.”

Austria is celebrating 130 years of excavation at the site of Ephesus.

“In a landmark study published in Science, researchers analyzing ancient DNA from nearly 400 skeletons at Çatalhöyük, a remarkably well-preserved Neolithic settlement in southern Turkey, revealed powerful clues that this early civilization operated under a matriarchal system.”

Istanbul is not prepared for its next earthquake. This Washington Post story (subscription) looks at the potential damage to residents and the city’s 40,000 historical sites.

Jason Borges explains the strategic importance of the Cilician Gates, and he identifies and illustrates five main gates accessing the Cilician Plain.

Turkish Archaeological News rounds up the top stories for the month of June and the month of July. Some highlights:

With the installation of lighting system, Ephesus is now open to visits until midnight.
Visitors to Aphrodisias can now enjoy “night-time museum visits, a redesigned welcome center and enhanced landscaping.”
A second season of excavations is now underway at Lystra.
“Significant progress has been made in the Hidirlik Tower Archaeological Excavation and Viewing Terrace Project.”
Archaeologists have uncovered Roman-era shops and a stoa at Patara.
The goal of this season’s excavations at Troy is to uncover physical evidence related to the Trojan War.
Why 37 museums are closed in Turkey

HT: Agade, A.D. Riddle, Explorator

Tagged Discoveries, Excavations, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

July Roundup, Part 3 (Egypt and Mesopotamia)

“After centuries beneath the waves, 22 massive stone blocks from the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria have been recovered from the seafloor, marking a major step in efforts to digitally reconstruct one of the Seven Wonders of the World.”

“Excavations in Egypt’s Nile Delta have revealed ancient Egyptian multistory ‘tower’ houses, a ceremonial building dedicated to the goddess Wadjet, a granary and several stunning artifacts.”

A researcher believes he has discovered two ancient inscriptions reading “this is from Moses” carved into the rock walls of Serabit el-Khadim, a mining site in the Sinai Peninsula. The underlying article is here.

“The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has strongly reaffirmed a strict ban on the export of archaeological objects.”

In the aftermath of the recent struggle with the Egyptian government over the status of St. Catherine’s Monastery, a group of monks have reportedly voted to remove the 90-year-old archbishop.

The National Museums Scotland website has a profile of Alexander Henry Rhind, the first experienced archaeologist to excavate in Egypt.

Max Miller recreated mersu from a 4,000-year-old receipt (24 min).

Bryan Windle is beginning a new series on “Letters from the Biblical World,” beginning with a primer on the Amarna Letters and how they relate to the Bible.

Zoom lecture on Aug 5: “Egypt and the Bible: The Outstretched Arm of the LORD,” by Oliver Hersey. (Registration required)

New release: The Animal Mummies of the Museo Egizio, Turin, by Salima Ikram, Sara Aicardi, and Federica Facchetti (open access)

New release: Visualizing Egypt: European Travel, Book Publishing, and the Commercialization of the Middle East in the Nineteenth Century, by Paulina Banas (AUC Press, $70; Amazon)

Now online: Ancient Egyptian Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, by Emily Teeter and Ashley F. Arico

Several years after its secretive restoration, the traditional tomb of the prophet Nahum in northern Iraq is attracting Jewish pilgrimage.

New release: Assyria and the West: A Fresh Look at the Unshakeable Pillars of Late Bronze and Iron Age Chronology in the Eastern Mediterranean World, edited by Pieter van der Veen and Ronald Wallenfels (Archaeopress, £90; open access)

New release: Assur 2024: Continuing the excavations in the New Town and other research across the site = Exploring Assur — Volume 2, edited by Karen Radner and Andrea Squitieri (PeWe-Verlag, €59, open-access)

Schweich Lectures on Biblical Archaeology at The British Academy on Nov 4-6: “Assyria in the 7th Century BC,” by Karen Radner

HT: Agade, Explorator, Alexander Schick

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations, Lectures, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Tourism, Weekend Roundup