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Disney: New Country Bear Jamboree coming, DinoLand going away A revamping of Magic Kingdom’s Country Bear Jamboree and the replacement of DinoLand USA at Animal Kingdom were among the Walt Disney World announcements Saturday morning. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/09/09/disney-d23-new-country-bear-jamboree-dinoland-closing-moana-test-track/?

In 2016, Southern Adventist University student Katherine Hesler was working on a team at Tel Lachish in Israel. They discovered a comb which has been dated to about 1,700 B.C., by Dr. Edward Maher. Madeleine Mumcuoglu's examination of the comb discovered the partial body of a louse. Her further examination discovered what she believed to be inscribed letters. Daniel Vainstaub has concluded that there were actual Canaanite letters and which may be translated as: "May this ivory (tusk) root out the lice from your hair and the beard." This is the oldest sentence known to exist, in the entire world. The above information has been extracted from: Hasel, Michael. "The Oldest Sentence," Columns: The Magazine of Southern Adventist University, Spring 2025, Pages 16 & 17. NOTE: Dr. Hasel, is a PhD Archaeologist.

What Is the Jezreel Valley? Scene of Armageddon and other biblical battles https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/what-is-the-jezreel-valley/? How December 25 Became Christmas On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Joyful carols, special liturgies, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foods—these all characterize the feast today, at least in the northern hemisphere. But just how did the Christmas festival originate? How did December 25 come to be associated with Jesus’ birthday? https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/how-december-25-became-christmas/? Understanding the Jewish Menorah Does this ancient menorah graffito show the Temple menorah? https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/temple-at-jerusalem/understanding-the-jewish-menorah/?

Gifting the Past How BAS Dig Scholarships shape lives and careers https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/bas-dig-scholarships/gifting-the-past/? Abraham and Lot in the Bible Examining ancient Jewish interpretations https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/abraham-and-lot-in-the-bible/? Searching for Biblical Mt. Sinai Where is Mt. Sinai? At a 2013 colloquium in Israel, an international group of scholars debated the question. At the center of the debate was Har Karkom, a mountain ridge in the Negev Desert that archaeologist Emmanuel Anati believes to be the Biblical Mt. Sinai. Or could Mt. Sinai be in Saudia Arabia, where Moses was thought to have fled after escaping Egypt? In “Where Is Mount Sinai? The Case for Har Karkom and the Case for Saudia Arabia” in the March/April 2014 issue of BAR, Hershel Shanks examines these candidates. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/exodus/searching-for-biblical-mt-sinai/?

The Evolution of Biblical Archaeology What is biblical archaeology? The answer to this question has changed considerably over the 100-plus years since the discipline first emerged in the early 20th century. How one answers depends largely on how they view the relationship between archaeology and the Bible itself: Is the archaeology of biblical lands primarily a vehicle for proving the Bible? How does it impact our understanding of the biblical world? In the Spring 2025 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review , leading archaeologist Jennie Ebeling lays out how the field of biblical archaeology has developed and shifted over the past century in her article “How Archaeology Illuminates the Bible.” https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/the-evolution-of-biblical-archaeology/? King Hezekiah in the Bible: Royal Seal of Hezekiah Comes to Light The royal seal of King Hezekiah in the Bible was found in an archaeological excavation. The stamped clay seal, also known as a bulla, was discovered in the Ophel excavations led by Dr. Eilat Mazar at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The discovery was announced in a press release by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology, under whose auspices the excavations were conducted. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/king-hezekiah-in-the-bible-royal-seal-of-hezekiah-comes-to-light/?

? Disney dos and don'ts Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images If a trip to Disney World in Florida is in your future, Axios editor Ashley May has a few tips and tricks to help your vacation dreams come true. I'm a periodic parkgoer but not a Disney diehard. I traveled with a group of nine, ages 4 to 80. We visited a park each day, Ashley writes. ? Best item packed: Brita Filtered Water Bottles from Walmart. ? Best kid experiences: Cinderella's Royal Table (lots of princess meet-and-greets) and Savi's Workshop's lightsaber experience (yes, we lugged a lightsaber back through TSA). ? Best plans: We secured meal reservations and experiences 60 days in advance — the minute options opened. Go deeper: What to hit — and skip — at each park.