Archaeologists discovered a complete hieroglyphic version of the Canopus Decree of Ptolemy III.

“For the first time, researchers have uncovered direct genomic evidence of the bacterium behind the Plague of Justinian—the world’s first recorded pandemic—in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

“Izmir’s long-running Old Smyrna (Bayrakli Hoyuk or Mound) dig was sealed by presidential decision, archaeologists were blocked from the site, and excavation inventories were seized; no reason has been shared and the future of research remains unclear.”

The Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project is celebrating its 20th year. The site is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman cities, with reconstruction underway for the agora gymnasium, southeast avenue, and the street fountain.

Tourism to ancient Babylon is increasing, and restoration work on a temple and walls is nearing completion.

Titus Kennedy is on The Book and the Spade to discuss new research on Sodom and Gomorrah and excavations of the city of Zoar.

The replication specialist at The British Museum explains what he learned in the recreation of a gladiator helmet (18 min).

Clinton Moyer provides a summary of Erin Darby’s article on how biblical archaeology has changed in the last 50 years.

All Loeb volumes in the public domain are easily downloadable here.

Patrick McGovern, an archaeologist who analyzed ancient cauldrons, shards of pottery and broken bottles to discover and then recreate the alcoholic beverages that intoxicated prehistoric civilizations, including booze found in the tomb of King Midas, died on Aug. 24.”

An Israeli journalist describes his visit to Jewish sites in Syria, as well as the National Museum of Damascus. How long until we can do archaeology tours?

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

The Pilgrims’ Road, leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount, was inaugurated this week, and visitors can now walk the full length.

A hoard of bronze coins found at Tel Huqoq in Galilee provides insight into the little-known Third Jewish Revolt against the Romans in AD 351.

“Over the course of millennia, inhabitants of the Levant used irrigation to mitigate the effects of climate change and maximize the production of olives and grapes, demonstrating resilience and ingenuity.” The underlying journal article is here.

Scholars at Tel Aviv University’s School of Computer Science have developed a new tool to analyze the writing on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Achia Kohn-Tavor is on The Book and the Spade to talk about the excavations at el-Araj/Bethsaida, including the recent fire.

Turkiye Today has a history of Israel’s requests that Turkey send the Siloam Inscription back to Jerusalem.

The latest issue of Near Eastern Archaeology is dedicated to Megiddo in the Iron Age. A subscription is required for access.

“After 800 years of silence, a pipe organ that researchers say is the oldest in the Christian world roared back to life Tuesday, its ancient sound echoing through a monastery in Jerusalem’s Old City.”

BibleStock has released a new teaching video for the Parable of the Sower which “includes links to some amazing drone footage of the fields around the northern shoreline of the Sea of Galilee.”

David M. Jacobson has posted some recent articles on Academia:

The Feast of Trumpets (aka Rosh Hashanah) begins Monday evening.

Tom and Joann Doyle hosted me on their Uncharted Ministries podcast (Spotify, Apple), and we had a fun time reminiscing about Israel, photography, teaching experiences, excavations, Isaiah, my family, my “legacy,” and more. This is the most personal interview I’ve ever done, and the experts at Uncharted loaded up the YouTube version with lots of photos.

HT: Agade, Gordon Franz, Explorator

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

“A trove of ancient statues, coins, pottery and pieces of a merchant ship has surfaced from the waters off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt.”

“An Italian archaeologist said recently he has found the exact location of Plato’s grave in the Platonic Academy in Athens after deciphering the Herculaneum papyri.”

New remains from the Kingdom of Lydia will soon be open to visitors to Sardis.

“The Minister of Culture and Tourism declared 2025 a ‘Golden Age of Archaeology’ for Türkiye.”

Zoom lecture on Sept 9: “After 1177 BC: The Survival of Civilizations,” by Eric Cline (date corrected)

Owen Jarus explains why identifying the Roman emperor who ruled the longest is complicated.

Philip Chrysopoulos explains why Nabonidus was the world’s first archaeologist.

Bible Mapper Atlas has created an audio-visual reading of Paul’s dramatic voyage to Rome in Acts 27.

in Biblical World’s second episode in its Second Temple series, Mary Buck explains the significance and major events of the Neo-Babylonian period.

I’ve recently been browsing Nancy S. Dawson’s All the Genealogies of the Bible (Zondervan Academic, 2023), and it is an impressive body of research on an important but neglected topic. It’s remarkable how much genealogies permeate Scripture. It’s available in hardcover from Amazon ($31) and digital from Logos ($30).

HT: Agade

Nathan Steinmeyer has written an introduction to the Sinai, including its role in biblical history.

“Egypt Eternal: 4,000 Years of Fascination” is a new exhibition opening at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East on September 21.

A Scottish tourist was accused of stealing five stones and a brick fragment from the ancient city of Pompeii.

An ancient footpath network connects 46 villages in northwestern Greece.

New release: Slavery and Honour in the Ancient Greek World, edited by David Lewis, Mirko Canevaro, Douglas Cairns (Edinburgh University Press, 312 pages, $140, open-access)

New release: The Boomer Archaeologist: A Graphic Memoir of Tribes, Identity, and the Holy Land, by Thomas Evan Levy (Equinox, 400 pages, $40). The reviews are quite good. Use code 2893-25 for 25% off. (Publisher’s website is clunky, but the book is not yet available at Amazon.)

Applications are now open for the 2026 Biblical Field Studies tour—a funded study trip in Turkey for Bible teachers and scholars in the Majority World.

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

“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