Turkey Archives - Page 44 of 65

Weekend Roundup

“An Egyptian archaeological mission in Luxor has announced the discovery of a major tomb in the city’s west bank area dating back to the 18th Dynasty and containing priceless artefacts.”

Israeli archaeologists have begun to study an ancient Jewish pyramid near Khirbet Midras in the Shephelah.

Archaeologists have discovered an estate of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the mountains of southwestern Turkey.

Symbols found on the the Vulture Stone at Gobekli Tepe in Turkey has led researchers to propose the earth was struck by a devastating comet around 11,000 BC.

Shots were fired near St. Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai, but there are different explanations of what happened.

The Qumran and Bible Exhibition is now online with an audioguide and with a video introduction.

The latest edition of The Holy Land Magazine is online and includes tourist articles on Nazareth Village, Yad VaShem, Neot Kedumim, and more.

Tom Powers considers David Bivin’s recent post on the deteriorating road to Emmaus and adds some observations of his own.

Elizabeth Sloane, writing in Haaretz, asks, “Did the Egyptian goddess Hathor originate with Semitic miners from Canaan?”

The Temple Mount Sifting Project must meet its fundraising goal or it will receive none of the pledged funds.

The Amarna Letters are the topic of the week on The Book and the Spade with guest Alice Mandell.

The Khirbet el-Maqatir exhibit in Pikeville, Kentucky is drawing visitors.

Eisenbrauns is offering the Victor Avigdor Hurowitz memorial volume at a savings of 40% for a few more days: Marbeh Ḥokmah: Studies in the Bible and the Ancient Near East (2 vols). List $139.50; sale: $83.70.

HT: Charles Savelle, Ted Weis, Joseph Lauer, Agade

Tagged Discoveries, Egypt, Excavations, Judah, Museums, New Exhibits, Shephelah, Temple Mount, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Free Asia Minor Wall Map

(Post by A.D. Riddle)

The Ancient World Mapping Center is making available for free download their wall map of Asia Minor. The blog post from yesterday reads:

After several years of preparation, AWMC’s newest wall map is now available online. This map is a successor to that of J.G.C. Anderson (1903) and its partial revision by W.M. Calder and G.E. Bean (1958). It was displayed in draft at the ‘Roads and Routes in Anatolia’ conference organized by the British Institute at Ankara (March 2014). It was then revised with a view to being issued with the volume planned to follow that meeting in due course. Meantime the Center is now making the map available online.

The map is noteworthy because the Ancient World Mapping Center has reconstructed the ancient coastline, most notable at places such as Miletus, Ephesus, north of Smyrna, and between Xanthos and Patara. The map shows Roman roads, bridges, quarries, and aqueducts. It also shows rivers, wetlands, and elevation with subtle hillshading. According to the legend, the map includes mountain passes and shrines, though I noticed only one of each.

There are a few symbols that do not appear in the legend, and I am not entirely sure what they mean: an asterisk before the name Sparza, and these three patterns

[UPDATE: A commenter noted that the asterisk is identified in the legend and is used to indicate a reconstructed ancient place name. The first pattern, blue dots outlined in blue, appears to represent an “intermittent lake.” The second pattern, burnt orange dotes, appears to represent a “dry lake.” The last pattern remains a mystery to me.]

Yesterday, I could download the map directly, but as of today you have to email the Ancient World Mapping Center for a download link. The TIF file I downloaded is a whopping 1.72GB! If you were to print the map at 300dpi, the sheet would measure 80″ x 50″. (To download a JPG version of the map at about 100MB, use this temporary link.) The map is licensed under CC-by-4.0.

This map is the latest creation by the Ancient World Mapping Center in a line of cartographic products which includes the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World (print and digital), Benthos Digital Atlas of Ancient Waters, the AWMC à-la-carte Map, and the Routledge Wall Maps for the Ancient World.

Tagged Resources, Turkey

New Tour: Paul’s Walk from Troas to Assos

I’ve mentioned before “Paul’s Walk from Troas to Assos” tour that is being led by Mark Wilson and Meg Ramey. I think it will be a fantastic trip because not only will you see many important sites in western Turkey, but it is rare to have the opportunity to experience the land by an extended walk that follows in Paul’s footsteps.

I’ve just learned that scholars and pastors qualify for a 50% discount on the trip. Whether you’re in that category or not, I think the trip will be extremely worthwhile. I have traveled with both Tutku Tours and Mark Wilson and they are top-notch.

The walk is about 30 miles (48 km), spread out over three days. They have a bus that will provide transportation for any not up to walking all of it.

Here’s the link for the itinerary and brochure. The dates are May 20 to 31 and the deadline for signing up is soon.

I took the three photos below on my trip to Turkey last month. I imagine the scenery will be even more beautiful in the spring.

Harbor of Troas

Preserved portion of Roman road between Troas and Assos

Sunset from Assos harbor

Tagged Tourism, Turkey

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

In light of the recent revival of the half-shekel temple tax, John Delancey looks at the biblical background of this coin.

Wayne Stiles shows how the Hinnom Valley is not only a picture of evil, but also one of redemption.

And, as usual, he shares some great visuals.

Ferrell Jenkins has created an index of his articles on the Romans and Jesus’s ministry.

If you’ve ever wondered what the building looked like from which Eutychus fell out of the window, Carl Rasmussen has an idea.

Where did Jesus speak the words of John 15-17? Leon Mauldin looks at the options.

Juliette Desplat describes the history of the Philae island and temple that were partially submerged for years before the temple was relocated.

The Met has moved its large image collection from OASC to public domain.

Free article from BASOR this week: “Back to Solomon’s Era: Results of the First Excavations at
“Slaves’ Hill” (Site 34, Timna, Israel),” by Erez Ben-Yosef.

HT: Ted Weis, Agade, Joseph Lauer, Paleojudaica

Tagged Egypt, Italy, Jerusalem, Museums, Negev, Turkey

Weekend Roundup, Part 4

A new exhibit has opened at the Israel Museum entitled, “Behold the Man: Jesus in Israeli Art.”

Now on display in Australia is the British Museum’s famed bronze Head of Augustus from Meroë.

The Museum of Troy is scheduled to open later this year.

Though relations have recently been repaired between Turkey and Israel, there’s no movement towards returning the Siloam Inscription, Gezer Calendar, and Temple Balustrade Inscription to Jerusalem.

Silver objects from the Roman Empire, including the Berthouville Treasure, are on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

The Eastman Museum is continuing its efforts to bring online its vast photographic collection. For example, a search for “Jerusalem” returns 24 pages with early photos by T.H. McAllister, Charles
Chusseau-Flaviens, and the American Colony.

If you missed the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibit, “Jerusalem 1000-1400: Every People Under Heaven,” you can see many photos here.

Once again in control of Palmyra, ISIS has destroyed the ancient theater and tetrapylon.

The Associated Press examines the destruction of Nimrud caused by ISIS. Agatha Christie would be very unhappy.

The Crusader castle known as Crac des Chevaliers has been damaged in the Syrian war, but the extent of destruction is currently unknown.

Armed Libyan citizens have mounted patrols to protect Leptis Magna, an ancient city of Rome.

A majority of the artifacts coming out of Syria are modern fakes.

Plans are underway for a restitution (reconstruction?) of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.

De Gruyter has made a number of its works published in 2016 open access.

Giovanni Garbini and Joseph Fitzmyer both passed away in the last month.

HT: Ted Weis, Agade, Joseph Lauer, Charles Savelle, Explorator, Paleojudaica

Tagged Antiquities Trade, Jerusalem, Mesopotamia, Museums, Resources, Sad News, Syria, Turkey, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup, Part 3

Gordon Govier lists his top 10 discoveries in biblical archaeology in 2016.

The Biblical Archaeology Society has selected its top 10 biblical archaeology discoveries of the year.

LandMinds has a one-hour video podcast discussing the list.

Haaretz provides a list of the best archaeological finds in Israel in 2016.

Live Science suggests the 9 biggest archaeology findings of 2016. And they identify 5 big archaeology stories to watch for in 2017.

Brandon Marlon writes about 18 interesting sites that most tourists to Israel miss.

ASOR is offering a free e-book of the “5 Most Popular Biblical Archaeology Articles from The Ancient Near East Today” to subscribers to the weekly newsletter.

Recent excavations in Paphos, Cyprus, have discovered fortifications and a thick layer of crushed murex shells. “Team leader Maria Iacovou noted that this is the first time that archaeological evidence for the production of the highly valued purple dye from murex shells has been found in
Cyprus.”

A marble sculpture of a Roman noblewoman was discovered by a farmer in Crete following a recent storm.

Twelve tombs from the 18th Dynasty have been discovered in Gebel el Silsila.

A study of a toy Roman chariot reveals that ancient charioteers affixed an iron strip to the right wheel in order to improve their chances of winning.

As tourism in Egypt continues its lull, officials are trying new ways to attract visitors.

There is only one archaeobotanist in Egypt, but he is hoping this will change.

Ongoing work at Laodicea has uncovered the sacred agora.

This May: Archaeology and History of Lydia: From the Early Lydian Period to the Late Antiquity (8th century B.C.-6th Century A.D.): An International Symposium.

Robert Alter will be lecturing in Nashville on January 30.

The Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society has a lecture series scheduled for the coming months.

HT: Ted Weis, Agade, Joseph Lauer, Explorator, Paleojudaica

Tagged Egypt, Excavations, Lectures, Mediterranean Islands, Tourism, Turkey, Weekend Roundup