Archeology

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Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi

What does a boundary stone say about Roman taxation?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi/?

The Animals Went in Two by Two, According to Babylonian Ark Tablet

Old Babylonian flood tablet describes how to build a circular ark

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/the-animals-went-in-two-by-two-according-to-babylonian-ark-tablet/?

First Person: Human Sacrifice to an Ammonite God?

As published in the September/October 2014 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/first-person-human-sacrifice-to-an-ammonite-god/?

Ancient mystery

An apex carnivore with sharp catlike teeth and a doglike body was “king of the ancient Egyptian forest” before going extinct. A newly unearthed skull fossil from 30 million years ago could offer clues about what happened.

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What Is Archaeological Illustration?

BAS Dig Scholarship winner illustrates Cyprus’s past

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/biblical-archaeology-topics/biblical-archaeology-basics/what-is-archaeological-illustration/?

The Bethesda Pool, Site of One of Jesus’ Miracles

Among the most famous of Jesus’ miracles is recounted in the Gospel of John, where Jesus heals the paralytic at the Bethesda Pool (John 5:2-9). It is not the only one of Jesus’ miracles of healing to take place at a pool in Jerusalem, however. In addition to the Bethesda Pool, the Gospel of John also says that Jesus healed the blind man at the Siloam Pool.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/the-bethesda-pool-site-of-one-of-jesus-miracles/?

Who Were the Maccabees and What Did They Do?

Explore the rise of the Maccabees and the growth of their kingdom

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/who-were-the-maccabees-and-what-did-they-do/?

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Palmyra in Ruins

Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, archaeologists and residents have begun to return to the ancient city of Palmyra. Before the start of the Syrian Civil War, Palmyra—located in central Syria and one of the country’s six UNESCO World Heritage sites—received nearly 2 million visitors a year. After more than a decade of heavy conflict, little of the city’s awe-inspiring monuments remain. According to a new report by the Spanish National Research Center, around 80 percent of the modern city is destroyed and all of its major archaeological monuments have suffered heavy damage or are completely ruined.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/palmyra-in-ruins/?

When Was the Bible Written?

Also known as the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible was composed over a long span of time. Numerous opinions exist as to when the earliest and latest biblical traditions were first put down in writing.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/when-was-the-bible-written/?

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Top Biblical Archaeology Discoveries of 2024

The past year witnessed some incredible discoveries in the world of biblical archaeology. Bible History Daily readers have already been treated to some of our favorites, but now we hear what some real archaeologists have to say! In this Bible History Daily video exclusive, join Biblical Archaeology Review Editor-in-Chief Glenn Corbett as he reviews the year’s top finds with two exciting archaeologists and public scholars, Chris McKinny of Gesher Media and Erika Brown of Just So You Know.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/top-biblical-archaeology-discoveries-of-2024/?

The Canonical Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—the four canonical Gospels—have come down to us in Greek. From old Greek manuscripts, the Gospels we use today have been translated countless times, into countless languages. These translations all differ from one another, allowing for multiple versions of the same writings. With so many variations of each text, is any one version of a Gospel more accurate than the next?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/the-canonical-gospels/?

High Places, Altars and the Bamah

The open-air altar shrine, called a bamah (plural bamot), is known through several books of the Biblical canon—but none more so than the Book of Kings, where they play a prominent role in assessing the performance of a king. Often referred to as “high places” in translations of the Bible, bamot were worship sites that usually contained an altar. A general understanding about the bamah and how it functioned can be gained by using evidence from the Biblical text as well as archaeology.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/high-places-altars-and-the-bamah/?

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Rethinking the Ten Commandments

It can be disorienting to see something familiar in a new light. This is a common experience for students who stumble into courses on the Hebrew Bible and discover texts that often have more to do with the ancient Near East than the Judeo-Christian world in which they typically encounter them. For scholars, such moments of surprise are rare and wonderful.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/rethinking-the-ten-commandments/?

Who Was the Wife of Cain?

A closer look at one of the most enigmatic women in Genesis

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/who-was-the-wife-of-cain/?

Sacred Prostitution in the Story of Judah and Tamar

Sacred prostitution was common throughout the ancient world and was particularly associated with Ashtoreth worship, one of the chief Canaanite goddesses. While many scholars have assumed sacred prostitution was practiced in ancient Israel, too, the BAR article “Cult Prostitution in Ancient Israel?” by Edward Lipiński reveals that neither the Bible nor archaeology provides any clear evidence that Israelite religion incorporated the sexual rites of Ashtoreth worship.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/sacred-prostitution-in-the-story-of-judah-and-tamar/?

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?️ 1 fun thing: Rare Pompeii discovery

A rare giant frieze has just been uncovered in the ancient city of Pompeii. Photo: Pompeii Archaeological Park via Reuters Archaeologists uncovered an almost life-sized frieze in Pompeii that offers "fresh insight into religious practices in the ancient city before it was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius." The rare artifact, dating to 40-30 B.C., depicts the procession of Dionysus — the Greek god of wine — with hunters and dancers, Reuters reports. Go deeper.

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Tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II Discovered

First discovery of a pharaoh’s tomb since Tutankhamun

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-egypt/tomb-of-pharaoh-thutmose-ii-discovered/?

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What Is the Hula Valley?

Ancient Israel’s northern border

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/what-is-the-hula-valley/?

Bible Animals: From Hyenas to Hippos

If you were asked to name a book that mentions lions, cheetahs, crocodiles, hippos and hyenas, your thoughts might turn to Tarzan or some other such exotic tale. Bears, jackals, monkeys and panthers are the domain of The Jungle Book. Yet all these animals are also found in the Bible.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/bible-animals/?

The Samaritan Schism

This post was originally published on Professor Schiffman’s website as the second part of a series of articles on schisms in Jewish history. Bible History Daily republished this article with the consent of the author. Visit lawrenceschiffman.com for print and multimedia resources on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Babylonian Talmud, Jesus, Hellenism, Christianity and more.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/the-samaritan-schism/?

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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/?

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The Bacchic Cult at Pompeii

While carrying out excavations at the archaeological site of Pompeii in Italy, archaeologists uncovered a large banqueting room painted with a nearly life-size frieze of the sacred procession of Bacchus. Buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE, the frieze reveals fascinating details about Roman culture and the mystery cult of Bacchus.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/the-bacchic-cult-at-pompeii/?

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Necho and Josiah at Megiddo

Although remembered in the Bible as one of Judah’s most pious rulers, King Josiah met a rather untimely death, slain at Megiddo by Pharaoh Necho II. While Josiah’s death is recorded in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, no archaeological evidence has ever been found to corroborate the story, until now. Publishing in the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, archaeologists excavating at the site of Megiddo in northern Israel propose that new ceramic finds provide the first evidence for Egyptian forces stationed in the city at the time of Josiah’s end.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/necho-and-josiah-at-megiddo/?

The Shroud of Turin: Anything Left to Say?

Today many consider the Shroud of Turin—the alleged burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth—to be the most important relic of Christianity.¹ It is a linen sheet measuring about 14.5 by 3.5 feet and featuring a monochromatic image on the front and back of a naked male figure. This figure appears to bear marks from flagellation and crucifixion as well as various red spots corresponding to the blows. The human image is the result of a change in the color of the linen fibers, but it remains to be fully understood how such coloration occurred. Two scorch marks, which appear as black lines, and a series of vaguely triangular holes caused by burns, run lengthwise down the fabric, on either side of the human figure. This damage is believed to have occurred due to fire in 1532.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/the-shroud-of-turin-anything-left-to-say/?

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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/?

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Archaeologists uncover the oldest known partial face fossil of a human ancestor in western Europe

WASHINGTON (AP) — A fossil of a partial face from a human ancestor is the oldest in western Europe, archaeologists reported Wednesday.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-human-ancestor-fossil-face-8cf87fb1730d45e35ca984af8b80a0a2?

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The Nun of the Rings

Excavations near Jerusalem’s Old City have revealed the first known archaeological example of a nun participating in extreme asceticism. Primarily known through written records, this Christian practice involved abstaining from pleasure to the point of self-affliction. Although historical sources indicate that this was a predominantly male act undertaken by monks, the new archaeological discovery, and a few notable historical examples, show that it could also be performed by nuns.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/the-nun-of-the-rings/?

Origins: 3.14159265…

Why did the ancients invent increasingly subtle and ingenious methods to arrive at an exact value of pi? Human curiosity.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/origins-pi/?

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A Mikveh in Roman Ostia

Excavators in the ancient Roman port city of Ostia made an incredible discovery when they uncovered a semi-subterranean Jewish ritual bath, or mikveh. Likely built in the second century CE as part of the Ostia synagogue, the mikveh is the earliest ever discovered outside of the Holy Land, showing the importance of the Jewish community of Ostia, located only 16 miles from Rome.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/a-mikveh-in-roman-ostia/?

How Bad Was Jezebel?

For more than two thousand years, Jezebel has been saddled with a reputation as the bad girl of the Bible, the wickedest of women. This ancient queen has been denounced as a murderer, prostitute and enemy of God, and her name has been adopted for lingerie lines and World War II missiles alike. But just how depraved was Jezebel?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/how-bad-was-jezebel/?

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On 11/8/2024 at 1:46 PM, phkrause said:

New DNA evidence rewrites long-told stories of people in ancient Pompeii

When a volcanic eruption buried the ancient city of Pompeii, the last desperate moments of its citizens were preserved in stone for centuries.

https://apnews.com/article/pompeii-ancient-dna-mount-vesuvius-e238247d5b24d74aaa1b8e26465bb546?

New Paintings Found at Pompeii

Archaeologists working in Pompeii have uncovered yet another house filled with magnificent wall paintings. Nicknamed the House of Phaedra, which like the rest of the city was buried under volcanic ash during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE, it preserves several beautiful wall paintings. The best preserved depicts a scene from Euripides’s tragedy Hippolytus, where a barely dressed Phaedra reclines before a nude Hippolytus, with an unidentified man between them (see above). In the play, Phaedra is married to the Athenian king Theseus, but falls in love with her stepson, Hippolytus, who has taken a vow of chastity. When he rejects her advances, she accuses him of rape and commits suicide, leading Theseus to exile his son in anger. Another painting (see below) shows a satyr (half-man, half-goat) and a nymph in an intimate embrace, and a third but more damaged scene may be a rendering of the Judgement of Paris. Overall, the paintings share the themes of love, lust, and the power of the gods—each results in tragedy for the characters, as the cost for the love they experience.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/new-paintings-found-at-pompeii/?

Rock Giants in Noah

Who—or what—are the rock giants in Noah the movie?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/rock-giants-in-noah/?

Where Is Biblical Bethsaida?

The ancient village of Bethsaida is believed to be located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, but where precisely the abandoned city lies remains a fiercely-debated question among scholars. Recent discoveries at the site of el-Araj have called into question the decades-old claim that et-Tell on the eastern shore of the Jordan River is this lost Biblical city.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/where-is-biblical-bethsaida/?

DNA Evidence Is Rewriting the Stories of Victims Who Perished in Pompeii Nearly 2,000 Years Ago

A new study has shattered historians’ long-held assumptions about some of the people who died in Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 C.E.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dna-evidence-is-rewriting-the-stories-of-victims-who-perished-in-pompeii-nearly-2000-years-ago-180985426/

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Azekah’s Stunning New Do

Rare figurine discovered at Azekah

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/azekahs-stunning-new-do/?

Eunuchs in the Bible

What is a eunuch in the Bible?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/eunuchs-in-the-bible/?

Herod the Great and the Herodian Family Tree

From Lawrence Mykytiuk's BAR article identifying real New Testament political figures

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/herod-the-great-herodian-family-tree/?

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What’s Missing from Codex Sinaiticus, the Oldest New Testament?

Two hundred years after Constantine Tischendorf’s birth, questions remain as to the conditions of his removal of Codex Sinaiticus from St. Catherine’s Monastery. Dating to the mid-fourth century C.E., Codex Sinaiticus is the oldest complete manuscript of the New Testament.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-versions-and-translations/absent-from-codex-sinaiticus-oldest-new-testament/?

No, No, Bad Dog: Dogs in the Bible

Everyone loves dogs—don’t they? Dogs—or celeb in Hebrew—are humanity’s best friends. We welcome them into our homes, we walk them, feed them, clean up after them and excuse their bad behavior. But in ancient Israel, people had an entirely different view of dogs.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/dogs-in-the-bible/?

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Who Is Balaam Son of Beor? Part One

Examining the figure of Balaam in the Bible

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/balaam-part-one/?

Why Did Judas Identify Jesus with a Kiss?

From the January/February 2014 issue of BAR

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/why-did-judas-identify-jesus-with-a-kiss/?

What’s New in Biblical Jerusalem?

Looking back at a decade of discoveries

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/whats-new-in-biblical-jerusalem/?

Where Was Jesus Born?

Jesus’ birthplace and hometown

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/where-was-jesus-born/?

ps:How can anyone question this??

How Was Jesus’ Tomb Sealed?

Examining the tomb of Jesus in light of Second Temple-period Jerusalem tombs

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/biblical-archaeology-topics/how-was-jesus-tomb-sealed/?

Where Did Jesus Turn Water into Wine?

Finding Cana of Galilee, site of Jesus’ first miracle

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-places/where-did-jesus-turn-water-into-wine/?

The Destruction of Pompeii—God’s Revenge?

Nine years, almost to the day, after Roman legionaries destroyed God’s house in Jerusalem, God destroyed the luxurious watering holes of the Roman elite.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/the-destruction-of-pompeii-gods-revenge/?

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Did Jesus’ Last Supper Take Place Above the Tomb of David?

Understanding the Cenacle on Mount Zion

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/jesus-last-supper-tomb-of-david/?

Were Mary and Joseph Married or Engaged at Jesus’ Birth?

Mary and Joseph in the Bible

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/were-mary-and-joseph-married-or-engaged-at-jesus-birth/?

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Who Is Jethro, Priest of Midian?

Learn the story of Moses’s father-in-law, a trusted and wise counselor

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/who-is-jethro-priest-of-midian/?

Jesus’ Last Supper Still Wasn’t a Passover Seder Meal

An update to Jonathan Klawans’s Bible Review article “Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?”

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/jesus-last-supper-passover-seder-meal/?

Exodus in the Bible and the Egyptian Plagues

Can we make sense of the Biblical plagues?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/exodus/exodus-in-the-bible-and-the-egyptian-plagues/?

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A Pyramid in the Judean Desert

What is a pyramid doing in the Judean Desert? While certainly not a pyramid of the type found in Egypt, the pile of stones sitting on a lonely hilltop north of Nahal Zohar that overlooks the Dead Sea is certainly a mystery.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/a-pyramid-in-the-judean-desert/?

Martha: A Remarkable Disciple

The New Testament mentions Martha, a disciple of Jesus, three times (Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1–44; 12:2). Her actions, statements, and profession of faith reveal a remarkable woman who grows into her role as one of Jesus’s most devoted followers.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/martha-a-remarkable-disciple/?

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Cool Camels

While excavating an ancient olive press in southern Israel, excavators with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) discovered a beautifully painted jug that depicts one of the marvels of the ancient world—the camel. Discovered at the site of Horvat ‘Anim, about 20 miles northeast of Beer Sheva, the small clay jug opens a window onto life in the Middle East 1,300 years ago.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/cool-camels/?

The Last Days of Jesus: A Final “Messianic” Meal

James Tabor examines gospel accounts of the last supper

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/the-last-days-of-jesus-a-final-messianic-meal/?

The Exodus: Fact or Fiction?

Is the biblical Exodus fact or fiction?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/exodus/exodus-fact-or-fiction/?

 

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Why Did the Israelites Make a Golden Calf?

The root of Israel’s idolatry at Sinai

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/why-did-the-israelites-make-a-golden-calf/?

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Scarab Seal Discovered at Azekah

Three-year-old spots ancient artifact

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/scarab-seal-discovered-at-azekah/?

Akhenaten and Moses

Did the monotheism of Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten influence Moses?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/akhenaten-and-moses/?