Weekend Roundup

A new study concludes that the Roman siege ramp of Masada was never completed and thus was not used to conquer the site.


The Times of Israel has more on the latest discoveries at Omrit.

Syrian troops have recaptured Palmyra from ISIS and the latest damage is being assessed.

The site of the ancient temple of Artemis in Ephesus is suffering from neglect.

The Museum of Archaeological Excavations on Elephantine Island in Aswan has been re-opened after a six-year closure.

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo was opened to the public last week.

2,000 libraries around the world will receive true color photographs of the Sistine Chapel.

“A 19th-century view of the Egyptian temple complex of Karnak is to go on display at the British Museum for the first time this week.”

Wayne Stiles provides a brief history of the Temple Mount, with lots of photos.

John DeLancey of Biblical Israel Tours now has posts up for every day of his recent tour of Israel and Italy.

Gordon Govier interviews Randall Price about “Qumran Cave 12” on The Book and the Spade.

Gary Byers has written a well-illustrated post on the use of mudbricks in the Bible.

Steve Mason’s A History of the Jewish War, A.D. 66-74 is positively reviewed on the BMCR blog.

LandMinds interviews Guy Stiebel on his return to excavating Masada (40 min).

Eisenbrauns is offering 70-80% off dozens of feschriften, including The Fire Signals of Lachish (now
$21) and Exploring the Longue Duree (now $23).

The new issue of Biblical Archaeology Review includes articles on Laodicea and a banquet hall near
the Temple Mount.

BAS has launched a new video streaming site, with a special introductory offer of 75% off.

David Rubinger, photographer of the iconic scene of Israeli paratroopers at the Western Wall, has
died at the age of 92.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Paleojudaica

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Weekend Roundup, Part 2

The Vatican and the Jewish community of Rome are collaborating on a new exhibition on the menorah.

Whenever Mosul is liberated from ISIS, a strategic plan will be in place for restoring its heritage.

Restoration work is underway on a colossal statue of Rameses II that once stood in the Karnak Temple.

Israeli border officials caught a Palestinian smuggler bringing in 53 ancient coins from Jordan.

Digital Giza is a virtual 3D model of the Giza Pyramids, and includes information about the history and archaeology of the site.

In an excerpt from his latest book, Eric Cline compares the archaeology of Masada with Josephus’s report and identifies discrepancies. Among his conclusions is that Josephus made up the story of the mass suicide to protect the Romans.

The updated Appian Media website has all 5 free episodes of “Following the Messiah” as well as a new subscription area with additional video clips and photographs.

Wayne Stiles visits the famous Cave of Machpelah in Hebron to see what it teaches about life, death, and God’s promises.

Ferrell Jenkins posts on several interesting ossuaries. See also a link in the comments to two of Tom
Powers’s articles on another ossuary probably related to the New Testament.

HT: A.D. Riddle, Charles Savelle, Joseph Lauer, Mike Harney, Ted Weis, Agade

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Weekend Roundup, Part 1

Tabgha’s Church of the Multiplication of Fish and Loaves has re-opened after 20 months of restoration following the arson attack.

Hebrew inscriptions discovered on a Roman-period capital point to the Jewish history of the Druze village of Pekiin.

The oldest known sickle blades have been discovered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Archaeologists working at Omrit have discovered a house decorated with frescoes dating to circa AD 100.

Robert Cargill suggests that “Cave 12” provides evidence that parchment was produced at Qumran.

Israel’s Culture Minister has offered to trade two elephants to Turkey in exchange for the Siloam
Inscription from Hezekiah’s Tunnel.

Israel’s Good Name describes a morning hike in the Ramot Forest on the north side of Jerusalem where a herd of gazelles live and a wild boars were recently spotted.

Carl Rasmussen shares a photo of a mosaic depiction in Berea that shows Jesus climbing a ladder on to the cross.

The Temple Mount Sifting Project blog gives the back story on Zachi Dvira and how he came to direct this important project.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer

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Weekend Roundup

Israeli authorities seized dozens of stolen ancient artifacts in Acco recently.

January’s “Find of the Month” for the Temple Mount Sifting Project is a murex trunculus.

Wayne Stiles considers the history and geography of Bethsaida and makes a present-day application.

Philippe Bohstrom looks at the history and biblical connections of the Amorites in the first part of a series for Haaretz (premium) on the Peoples of the Bible.

Yonatan Adler investigates the archaeological evidence for Jewish ritual purity in the time of Jesus, focusing on ritual baths and chalkstone vessels.

A new exhibition at the Onassis Center in NYC begins on March 9: “A World of Emotion in Ancient Greece, 700 BC – 200 AD.”

The half-shekel Temple tax is once again being collected.

The ASOR Archive Photo of the Month shows the excavations at Bethel (Beitin) in 1934.

After decades of travel in the Holy Land, Ferrell Jenkins made it to biblical Ibleam and its water tunnel.

HT: Charles Savelle, Agade, Paleojudaica, Gordon Franz

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Weekend Roundup

Scott Stripling provides an account of the 21st and final season of excavations at Khirbet el-Maqatir, possible location of biblical Ai. They found a Bronze Age stele in the final week of excavations.

Breaking Israel News provides an illustrated report of Noam Arnon’s exploration of the caves below Hebron’s Machpelah 35 years ago.

A medieval building constructed atop the Byzantine-era synagogue at Huqoq may also have served as a synagogue.

Carl Rasmussen links to some new excavations in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Shem Tov Sasson brings his readers along on the annual two-day Bar Ilan University’s Archaeology tour, this year to the Aravah (part 1, part 2).

A large display of Greek ceramics is now on display at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.

The Louvre is planning to display some of its antiquities in Iran this spring.

“The European police have arrested 75 people and recovered about 3,500 stolen archaeological artifacts and other artworks as part of the dismantling of an international network of art traffickers.”

Iraqi authorities discovered more than 100 Assyrian artifacts in the home of an ISIS leader.
“Critical Perspectives on the Practice of Digital Archaeology” is the title of a conference being held
on Friday and Saturday at Harvard.

The Center for the Study of Christianity at the Hebrew University is sponsoring a conference in June with the theme, “Origen’s Legacy in the Holy Land—A Tale of Three Cities: Jerusalem, Caesarea and Bethlehem.”

“Students should study Egyptology and Assyriology.”

If Israel was compared to the playing board of Monopoly, Wayne Stiles identifies “Boardwalk” as Tel Megiddo.

I recently returned from a great study tour led by Dr. Mark Wilson. If you’re looking for an outstanding opportunity to learn the biblical lands outside of Israel, he’s leading a May walking tour in Turkey and a September-October tour of Malta and Italy.

The latest episodes at The Book and the Spade include The Library at Herculaneum, with Brent Seales; Jesus and the Remains of His Day, with Craig Evans; and the Top 10 Biblical Archaeology Stories of 2016, with Clyde Billington.

There will be a one-night showing next month of the new documentary, “Is Genesis History?”
Leen Ritmeyer notes a special offer by Carta Jerusalem that includes a discount as well as a free copy of a new biblical archaeology map of Jerusalem. I plan to post more on that map shortly.

We’re now on Instagram, posting a photo every day. We continue to do the same on Facebook and Twitter.

HT: Agade, Joseph Lauer, Charles Savelle

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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

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About the BiblePlaces Blog

The BiblePlaces Blog provides updates and analysis of the latest in biblical archaeology, history, and geography. Unless otherwise noted, the posts are written by Todd Bolen, PhD, Professor of Biblical Studies at The Master’s University.

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