Turkey Archives - Page 20 of 65

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“A team of archaeologists in Egypt has discovered the 4,300-year-old tomb of a man named Mehtjetju, an official who claimed that he had access to ‘secret’ royal documents.

“Images of 46 birds arranged in two rows were discovered at the Temple of Esna in Luxor, Egypt, during an Egyptian-German expedition this month.”

“A recently discovered tunnel at Basbük in southeastern Turkey has revealed [Neo-Assyrian] artwork depicting eight gods, three of which were labeled with Aramaic inscriptions.”

“A spectacular ancient mosaic floor that was part of a building from the Hellenistic period is among the important finds from excavations carried out recently at Fabrika Hill in Kato Paphos, Cyprus.”

“Lexundria is a digital library of classical antiquity. Although most of the texts on this site can be found elsewhere on the internet, this project aims to make them accessible in a more research-friendly format.”

The Toronto Tribune interviews Steven Fine about the Arch of Titus in Rome.

“Preserving the Biblical Past: A History of Archaeology at La Sierra University” is a 95-minute presentation given at the university’s recent homecoming celebration. Highlights of their decades-long Jordan excavations include the “best-preserved 4-room house” (~17 min), a “King’s House” inscription (~25 min), and the “earliest Moabite national script” specimen (~37 min) resembling that of the Mesha Stele. At the end, they share plans for a new archaeological museum in Madaba.

New release: Pearl of the Desert: A History of Palmyra, by Rubina Raja (Oxford, 2022; $30).

New release: Tall Zirā´a. The 2018 and 2019 Excavation Campaigns. The Iron Age, Hellenistic and Early Roman Period in Area II, The Gadara Region Project (2001–2011). Final Report 9, edited by Katharina Schmidt. (Free download here)

BASONOVA Webinar on May 25: “Sacred Prostitution and the Cult of Aphrodite/Venus in Roman Corinth,” by Barbette Spaeth ($7)

Accordance has a big sale on both OT (5 vols) and NT (4 vols) sets of the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary ($136 for all).

Recent episodes on Digging for Truth:

Excavating the Dead Sea Caves, with Randall Price (premieres later today)
King Jehu of Israel, with Bryan Windle
The Shroud of Turin, with John Long

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, G. M. Grena

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Mediterranean Islands, Museums, Resources, Syria, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Archaeologists from an Egyptian archaeological mission have discovered 85 tombs, a watch tower and a temple site at Gabal El Haridi in the Sohag region of Egypt.”

“A bungled looting scheme has led archaeologists to an underground Iron Age complex in Turkey that may have been used by a fertility cult during the first millennium B.C.”

“The skeleton of a woman who lived in the 1st century BC lying on her [bronze] bed was uncovered by Greek archaeologists recently near the city of Kozani, northern Greece.”

A $35 purchase at a Goodwill store in Austin, Texas, turned out to be an authentic Roman bust from the time of Christ.

Restoration work on the ancient Greek theater at Laodicea has been completed.

The Greek Reporter describes four astronomical discoveries made in ancient Greece.

“Iranian archaeology professors have published an open letter calling on parliament to step back from a draft law that would allow trade in antiquities.”

“A new exhibition at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries—Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archives—marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery.”

Hybrid workshop on May 19: “Was There a Synagogue in the Athenian Agora,” led by Jocelyn Burney. Register here.

The 25th Annual Bible and Archaeology Fest will be a 2-day virtual event on October 8 and 9, with Carol Meyers giving the plenary lecture.

Bible History Daily: “The Israel Museum’s “Visualizing Isaiah” online exhibit invites you on a journey through a rich selection of objects from the museum’s collections that portray the life and times of the prophet Isaiah.”

Video has just been released of the press conference after Daniel didn’t get eaten by lions.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Wayne Stiles, Charles Savelle

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Lectures, Museums, New Exhibits, Persia, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

The first-ever discovery of a soldier bearing the title of “Emperor’s protector” was made on a sarcophagus found in western Turkey.

“A 2nd-century funerary altar marking the remains of a 13-year-old girl was discovered in Rome.”

“Hundreds of engraved stones and fragmented bas-relief carvings have recently been discovered in the ruined Tachara Palace” in Persepolis.

“Analysis of Bronze Age daggers has shown that they were used for processing animal carcasses and not as non-functional symbols of identity and status, as previously thought.”

“Lebanon’s tourism ministry inaugurated on Friday a Phoenician museum in the coastal city of Jounieh.”

Pharaoh So is the last of five Egyptian pharaohs in Bryan Windle’s archaeological biography series.

Chris Stantis writes about warriors and warrior burials in the ancient Near East.

Bible History Daily provides an introduction to a current BAR magazine article on dig workers in the Middle East. The article itself derives from more extensive reporting in Allison Mickel’s Why Those Who Shovel Are Silent: A History of Local Archaeological Knowledge and Labor.

“A British tourist could face the death penalty in Iraq after being accused of smuggling artifacts out of the country.”

A new study concludes that the Shroud of Turin is similar to a piece of fabric found at Masada in the 1st century AD.

The Ancient World Online has updated its extensive list of Oriental Institute Open Access Publications.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Ryan Jaroncyk, Jared Clark, Charles Savelle, Explorator

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Museums, Persia, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

“Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a temple to the god Zeus Kasios in North Sinai at the Tel al-Farma archaeological site, the ancient city of Pelusium.”

“Subterranean limestone vaults have been discovered in Osuna, where the Phoenicians who lived on the Iberian peninsula 2,500 years ago laid their dead.”

The Wall Street Journal has a number of photos of the new underground city discovered in Midyat, Turkey.

“For centuries, historians believed that any physical evidence of the pivotal Battle of the Aegates was long gone. Then came a chance discovery – which led to dozens of shipwrecks.”

Enrico Giovanelli writes about scarabs that have been discovered in pre-Roman Italy.

“Tel Aviv University (TAU) renewed its academic relations with Turkey this week,” with plans to corroborate on various regional matters including archaeology.

Just released: “Paul’s Passion Renewed: A Visit to Corinth,” with Randall Smith. Filmed on location and produced by Kerugma Productions.

New in Tyndale Bulletin: “The Hebrew Exodus from and Jeremiah’s Eisodus into Egypt in the Light of Recent Archaeological and Geological Developments,” by James K. Hoffmeier

ASOR is offering members significantly discounted prices on some of its books.

Esagil Games provides “fun games and teaching tools about ancient Mesopotamia.”

“Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World” is a new exhibit at the Getty Villa, with artifacts from the British Museum and the Louvre on display until August 8.

Bryan Windle: “This month, the top three reports in biblical archaeology were about a New Testament-site, an Old Testament-era female Pharaoh, and one of the most famous relics of all-time.”

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Arne Halbakken, Brian Morley

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, Museums, New Exhibits, Persia, Resources, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A Greco-Roman pottery workshop was recently discovered in Alexandria.

Restoration work is underway on the Ben Ezra synagogue in Cairo.

Mark Janzen and Chris McKinny begin a new series on Egypt and the Bible in the Biblical World podcast.

Jerry Pattengale of the Religion News Service reviews some of the recent controversy related to the claim that Tall el-Hammam was destroyed by a meteoric airburst.

Zoom webinar on April 24: “Preserving Cultural Heritage in Hisban and Umm al-Jimal, Jordan,” featuring Øystein LaBianca, Elizabeth Osinga, and Darrell Rohl.

Philip Boyes writes about the social context of writing in ancient Ugarit. His similarly titled book is available as an open access pdf.

The Jerusalem Post investigates the origins of the menorah etched into the staircase of the Celsus Library in Ephesus.

The 6th-century Imperial Gate of the Hagia Sophia has been vandalized.

“American archaeologist Stephen Miller devoted his entire professional life to uncovering the secrets of Nemea and reviving ancient Greece’s Nemean Games.”

A new exhibition at the Landesmuseum Mainz showcases Roman technology including sewer systems, underfloor heating, and weatherproof concrete.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Charles Savelle, Arne Halbakken, Paleojudaica

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Jordan Rift, Lectures, Museums, Syria, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A boat dating to 2000 BC has been excavated near the ancient city of Uruk in Iraq.

Scientists used a mass spectrometer to identify the smells of ancient food residues in jars discovered in the Deir el-Medina necropolis.

Greek graffiti on a statue of Ramses II at Abu Simbel dates to the reign of Pharaoh Psammetichus (circa 590 BC).

Turkish Archaeological News highlights the top stories for the month of March, including the restoration of the “Serpent Column” in Istanbul.

Chariot racing in the Roman world was “the ancient version of NASCAR, except that it was a lot more dangerous.”

“Researchers in Sweden are using virtual reality (VR) to envision what a lavishly decorated home in Pompeii might have looked like before its destruction in 79 C.E.”

“It is now certain that ancient Greek sculptors used bright colors, as well as gold and ivory, to further beautify the magnificent structures they created.”

Researchers believe they now know the date the Antikythera mechanism was first set ticking—December 23, 178 BC.

New from Brill: Queen Berenice: A Jewish Female Icon of the First Century CE, by Tal Ilan. “This is a biography of Queen Berenice, the daughter of King Agrippa I, sister of King Agrippa II, wife of two kings and lover of the emperor designate Flavius Titus.”

Andrea Nicolotti provides a bit of a teaser on Bible History Daily from his recent book, The Shroud of Turin: The History and Legends of the World’s Most Famous Relic (Waco: Baylor Univ. Press, 2020).

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Alexander Schick, Joseph Lauer

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Italy, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Tourism, Turkey