Archeology

[phkrause]

Ritual Sacrifice in Ancient Israel

What are the origins of animal sacrifice? We know that many ancient cultures practiced ritual sacrifice, and ancient sacrifice in Israel was a part of religious worship at the Jerusalem Temple. While ritual sacrifice is now discouraged in many modern religions–with the ritual sacrifice now often represented by symbolic acts and gestures—ancient sacrifice in Israel and many other ancient cultures was a common part of religious worship.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/ritual-sacrifice-in-ancient-israel/?

Understanding the Jewish Menorah

The Jewish menorah—especially the Temple menorah, a seven-branched candelabra that stood in the Temple—is the most enduring and iconic Jewish symbol. But what did the Temple menorah actually look like?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/temple-at-jerusalem/understanding-the-jewish-menorah/?

[phkrause]

Who Were the Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites in the Bible?

When the kingdoms of Israel and Judah controlled the land of Canaan, the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab and Edom ruled east of the Jordan. Although the Bible offers information about these three Iron Age kingdoms, recent archaeological discoveries are bringing to light a fuller picture of them. In his article “Ammon, Moab and Edom: Gods and Kingdoms East of the Jordan,” published in the November/December 2016 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Joel S. Burnett examines the incredible archaeological discoveries from Ammon, Moab and Edom.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/ammonites-moabites-edomites-in-the-bible/?

Did Camels Exist in Biblical Times?

Some Biblical texts, such as Genesis 12 and 24, claim that Abraham owned camels. Yet archaeological research shows that camels were not domesticated in the land of Canaan until the 10th century B.C.E.—about a thousand years after the time of Abraham. This seems to suggest that camels in these Biblical stories are anachronistic.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/did-camels-exist-in-biblical-times/?

[phkrause]

Evidence of Early Christianity in Northern Europe

Excavations of a cemetery in the ancient Roman town of Nida, located in a suburb of modern Frankfurt, Germany, have revealed the earliest evidence for early Christianity north of the Alps. The discovery—a small silver foil with a Latin inscription—highlights both the rapid spread of the fledgling religion and also opens a window onto early theological beliefs.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/evidence-early-christianity-northern-europe/?

Antiochus Epiphanes—The Bible’s Most Notoriously Forgotten Villain

Many names come to mind when someone mentions the great “villains” of the Bible. Some are foreign powers, like the Pharaoh of the Exodus or King Nebuchadnezzar, and some are even native Israelites, such as King Saul and King Ahab. The great villains in the era of the New Testament and the Early Church often took the form of great persecutors, including King Herod the Great and the Roman emperors Nero and Domitian. These names have gone on to become historically infamous, with many immortalized on stage and screen. There is, however, one name that has escaped the attention of biblical pop culture even though his actions, arguably, are worse than many of his villainous peers: Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/antiochus-epiphanes-the-bibles-most-notoriously-forgotten-villain/?

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/?

[phkrause]

Gold-Tongued Mummies

Excavations at the site of Oxyrhynchus in Middle Egypt have uncovered a new tomb complex dated to the Ptolemaic period (c. 304–30 BCE). According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the tomb complex features a number of finds including paintings and statuettes. One of the most fascinating finds, however, is over a dozen mummies with golden tongues.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-egypt/gold-tongued-mummies/?

The Three Magi

Since the early days of Christianity, Biblical scholars and theologians have offered varying interpretations of the meaning and significance of the gold, frankincense, and myrrh that the magi presented to Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew (2:11).

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/the-three-magi/?

King David’s Palace and the Millo

In the field of biblical archaeology, biblical texts and archaeological finds must be examined critically and independently, but ultimately, they must be interpreted together. Such an approach can be applied to King David’s Palace and the Millo, as explored in “The Interchange Between Bible and Archaeology: The Case of David’s Palace and the Millo” by Nadav Na’aman in the January/February 2014 issue of BAR.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/king-davids-palace-and-the-millo/?

[phkrause]

When Canaanites Go Antiquing

We all know that one person who fills their home with a never-ending flow of antiques. Maybe that person is even you. No matter who it is, they are participating in a tradition that is far older than the age of an antique tea set. In his article “Projecting Prestige: Egyptian Statues from Canaanite Hazor,” published in the Winter 2024 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, archaeologist Igor Kreimerman examines one of the oldest cases of antiquing in the ancient world: Egyptian statues that ended up in the Canaanite city of Hazor hundreds of years after they were produced.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/when-canaanites-go-antiquing/?

The Survivors of Mount Vesuvius

Scholars have long debated whether there were many survivors of the volcanic eruption in Pompeii and Herculaneum, or if—as so many skeletons seem to indicate—the residents all perished. The discussions were often held without either side presenting evidence. Thanks to his painstaking research, Steven L. Tuck provides the previously elusive evidence.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/the-survivors-of-mount-vesuvius/?

At Carthage, Child Sacrifice?

The Bible speaks of Judahites who sacrificed their children to Molech in Jerusalem’s Ben Hinnom Valley; the practice was forbidden and considered abominable (Jeremiah 32:35; Leviticus 18:21; 2 Chronicles 28:3). While no evidence of child sacrifice has been uncovered in the Hinnom Valley, scholars today debate whether child sacrifice was practiced at Phoenician sites in the western Mediterranean. The debate is centered on the Carthage Tophet, or open-air enclosure containing the burials of infants, in modern-day Tunisia.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/at-carthage-child-sacrifice/?

[phkrause]

Codex Sinaiticus: A Journey In Biblical Discovery

 

"These are not just historical texts, these are living texts." In this fascinating documentary Father Justin, chief librarian at St Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, shares the history of one of our most important Bibles – and shows how it makes a difference for trust and faith today. Hosts Tor Tjeransen and Victor Hulbert share the experience of an ancient world and modern discoveries that provide answers to questions on the trust and reliability of Scripture.

 This was not easy filming. With meticulous preparation, prayer, and perseverance, Hope Channel Norway worked hard to gain all the necessary permissions to visit and film in this historically important but high security region. Even with those permissions it was an answer to prayer to gain entrance past the Egyptian security forces, who only recently had turned away a film crew from a major international broadcaster. Thus, this documentary gives you access to some rarely seen footage.

 

https://adventistreview.tv/programs/collection-codexsinaiticus?

[phkrause]

Exquisite Byzantine Monastery Discovered

Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) uncovered the remains of an exquisite Byzantine monastery and a nearby town during development works to expand the city of Kiryat Gat in southern Israel. The monastery, dating to the end of the Byzantine period (fifth–sixth centuries CE), continues to shed light on the region’s early Christian communities.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/exquisite-byzantine-monastery-discovered/?

What Did People Eat and Drink in Roman Palestine?

In a land flowing with milk and honey, what did people eat and drink in Roman Palestine? What kinds of food made up the ancient Jewish diet?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/what-did-people-eat-and-drink-in-roman-palestine/?

Who Is Satan?

From the most comical of cartoons to the most grotesque of gargoyles, the majority of the population today can immediately recognize an image of the devil. But does our modern conception of Satan have any resemblance to the devil in the Bible? Just who is Satan? Is this horned, red-skinned monster with a pitchfork ruling hell truly the great enemy of God envisioned by the writers of the Biblical texts?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/who-is-satan/?

[phkrause]

Where Were the Old Testament Kings of Ancient Jerusalem Buried?

Nearly a century ago, French archaeologist Raymond Weill excavated what he identified to be tombs in Jerusalem’s City of David—perhaps the royal necropolis of the earliest Old Testament kings. Some scholars have since disputed this claim, but an examination of the evidence by archaeologist Jeff Zorn suggests that Weill might well have been right.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/where-were-the-old-testament-kings-of-ancient-jerusalem-buried/?

More Discoveries at Saqqara

Continued excavations at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara in Egypt have revealed yet more of the site’s rich history, with tombs and mastabas discovered from both the Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BCE) and New Kingdom (c. 1570–1069 BCE) periods, as well as discoveries from the necropolis’s Greco-Roman catacombs. Two separate teams of archaeologists made the new discoveries, with a joint Egyptian-Japanese mission working on the eastern slopes of the site and a French-Swiss mission excavating on the southern side.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-egypt/more-discoveries-at-saqqara/?

[phkrause]

Facelift: Augustus’s Mausoleum

Two thousand years ago, it stood as a towering monument to the everlasting glory of Rome’s first emperor, Caesar Augustus (63 BCE–14 CE). Situated near the banks of the Tiber River, in clear view of the imperial city’s most important institutions, Augustus’s Mausoleum was a massive circular tomb built to house the cremated remains of the emperor and his family.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/facelift-augustus-mausoleum/?

Can A Pre-Christian Version of the Book of Revelation Be Recovered?

In my recent post on the destruction of Pompeii by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE I suggested that one of the authors/editors of the New Testament Book of Revelation was reacting to this specific disaster and giving it an apocalyptic interpretation in the materials we now find in chapter 18–the “Fall of Babylon the Great.”

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/can-a-pre-christian-version-of-the-book-of-revelation-be-recovered/?

[phkrause]

Excavating Middle Bronze Kurdistan

While some archaeological sites are well-known from ancient sources, others remain a mystery, despite the scale of their remains. This is the case with Kurd Qaburstan, a site near Erbil in northern Iraq. After more than ten years of excavation, it is clear that the site was a major regional center during the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000–1550 BCE), around the time of the famous Babylonian king, Hammurabi (r. 1792–1750). But not much else is known. So, what questions can be asked, and what can be learned by excavating a site like Kurd Qaburstan?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/excavating-middle-bronze-kurdistan/?

The “Original” Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls

For centuries, Bible scholars examined two ancient texts to elucidate the original language of the Bible: the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint. The Masoretic Text is a traditional Hebrew text finalized by Jewish scholars around 1000 C.E. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Torah created by the Jews of Alexandria in the third century B.C.E. (The other books of the Hebrew Bible were translated over the course of the following century.) According to Septuagint tradition, at least 70 isolated ancient scholars came up with identical Greek translations of the Torah.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-versions-and-translations/the-original-bible-and-the-dead-sea-scrolls/?

The Arch of Titus’s Menorah Panel in Color

How did Rome look in ancient times?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/cultural-heritage/true-colors-the-arch-of-titus/?

[phkrause]

New Pompeii excavation reveals a large private thermal complex built 2,000 years ago

ROME (AP) — Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried by ash and lava in 70 AD, has unearthed a new treasure -- a private bathhouse built 2,000 years ago, decorated with sumptuous mosaics and equipped with a series of hot, warm and cold rooms in the manner of a spa.

https://apnews.com/article/italy-pompeii-park-discovery-thermal-baths-archeology-03d8b699dfeab2c88274d870f90c7b19?

[phkrause]

A Second Temple in First Temple Jerusalem?

Solomon’s Jerusalem Temple is easily one of the most central and important buildings in the Hebrew Bible. However, an archaeological discovery suggests that for much of the First Temple period (c. 1000–586 BCE), Solomon’s Temple was not the only place of worship in Jerusalem. On the eastern slopes of the City of David, just a few hundred yards away from the Temple Mount, archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority claim to have uncovered a second temple.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/second-temple-in-first-temple-jerusalem/?

Nehemiah—The Man Behind the Wall

Few people are familiar with the Biblical figure Nehemiah, and yet he was instrumental in the rebuilding and reestablishment of Jerusalem in the fifth century B.C. following the Babylonian exile. Although there is no consensus about the relative chronologies of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (the Biblical dates are unclear), Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem probably preceded Ezra’s by a couple years.* Both men worked together to restore the city and rededicate its people to God.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/nehemiah-the-man-behind-the-wall/?

[phkrause]

Decoding Biblical Impurity

In many ways, the complex system of ritual purity laws laid out in the books of Leviticus and Numbers is some of the Bible’s most obscure material for modern readers. To our eyes, it may be difficult to understand why there is such meticulous concern with the perceived pollution (ṭum’ah) caused by things like corpses, skin diseases, genital emissions, and the like. Why are the prescribed purification rituals, such as those pertaining to ritual bathing in a mikveh (plural mikva’ot), so specific and detailed?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/decoding-biblical-impurity/?

How the Serpent in the Garden Became Satan

Introduced as “the most clever of all of the beasts of the field that YHWH God had made,” the serpent in the Garden of Eden is portrayed as just that: a serpent. Satan does not make an appearance in Genesis 2–3, for the simple reason that when the story was written, the concept of the devil had not yet been invented. Explaining the serpent in the Garden of Eden as Satan would have been as foreign a concept to the ancient authors of the text as referring to Ezekiel’s vision as a UFO (but Google “Ezekiel’s vision” now, and you’ll see that plenty of people today have made that connection!). In fact, while the word satan appears elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, it is never a proper name; since there is no devil in ancient Israel’s worldview, there can’t yet have been a proper name for such a creature.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/how-the-serpent-in-the-garden-became-satan/

[phkrause]

Luxurious Private Bath Uncovered at Pompeii

Continued excavations at Pompeii have revealed possibly the largest private bath complex ever uncovered in the ancient city. Attached to an equally impressive house, the baths give a further glimpse into the luxury and pomp that could surround the life of an aristocratic Pompeiian family in the lead-up to the city’s destruction by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/luxurious-private-bath-uncovered-at-pompeii/?

The Temple Mount in the Herodian Period (37 BC–70 A.D.)

Following on from our previous drawing, the Temple Mount during the Hellenistic and Hasmonean periods, we now examine the Temple Mount during the Herodian period. This was, of course, the Temple that is mentioned in the New Testament.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/temple-at-jerusalem/the-temple-mount-in-the-herodian-period/?

[phkrause]

What Is the Shephelah?

The Shephelah, also known as the Judean Foothills, is one of many geographic regions mentioned in the Bible. However, for those who have never visited the Holy Land, it is a place that can be hard to picture. So, what is the Shephelah?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-places/what-is-the-shephelah/?

Jesus and the Cross

Throughout the world, images of the cross adorn the walls and steeples of churches. For some Christians, the cross is part of their daily attire worn around their necks. Sometimes the cross even adorns the body of a Christian in permanent ink. In Egypt, among other countries, for example, Christians wear a tattoo of the cross on their wrists. And for some Christians, each year during the beginning of Lent, they receive the cross on their foreheads in ash.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/crucifixion/jesus-and-the-cross/?

[phkrause]

The Tree of Life Beyond the Bible

A central feature in the Garden of Eden story, the Tree of Life is one of the Hebrew Bible’s more memorable symbols. But this biblical symbol connects to a much larger ancient tradition, one whose roots extend across the ancient Near East and are reflected in numerous ways throughout the Bible.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/the-tree-of-life-beyond-the-bible/?

Gospel of John Commentary: Who Wrote the Gospel of John and How Historical Is It?

The Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, tell the story of the life of Jesus. Yet only one—the Gospel of John—claims to be an eyewitness account, the testimony of the unnamed “disciple whom Jesus loved.” (“This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true” [John 21:24]). “Who wrote the Gospel of John?” is a question that remains unanswered, though noted theologians throughout the ages maintain that it was indeed the disciple John who penned the famous Biblical book.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/gospel-of-john-commentary-who-wrote-the-gospel-of-john/

Where Was Moses Buried?

Where was Moses buried? We don’t know exactly. Nor did the biblical writers: “Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day” (Deuteronomy 34:5–6).

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/where-was-moses-buried/?

[phkrause]

Roman Law & Order: Judean Fraud Unit

A lengthy papyrus, found in the Judean Desert, sheds light on law and order in the Roman provinces of Judea and Arabia. Translated by a joint Israeli-Austrian team, and published in the journal Tyche, the papyrus dates to between 129 and 132 CE and details a gripping legal case involving forgery, tax evasion, and the fraudulent sale and manumission of slaves. According to Avner Ecker, one of the text’s translators, “This is the best-documented Roman court case from Judea apart from the trial of Jesus.”

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/roman-law-order-judean-fraud-unit/?

The Edomite Stronghold of Sela

In one of the Old Testament’s colder and more brutal episodes, King Amaziah of Judah (c. 801–783 B.C.E.), after having slain nearly 10,000 Edomites in battle near the southern end of the Dead Sea, is said to have thrown another 10,000 captives from the top of nearby Sela, where they were “dashed to pieces” (2 Chronicles 25:12; 2 Kings 14:7). While the Biblical account provides only vague clues as to where this horrible event took place (Sela simply means “rock” in Hebrew), the archaeology of a little-known mountaintop stronghold in southern Jordan may hold the answer.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/the-edomite-stronghold-of-sela/?

[phkrause]

What Is the Negev?

Although not as central to the biblical narrative as areas like the Galilee or the Judean Highlands, the Negev Desert was nevertheless a region of great importance in the history of ancient Israel, Judah, and the Levant. Home to the biblical patriarchs, and a stronghold for the kingdom of Judah, the Negev Desert boasts a rich history related to agriculture, mining, and trade.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/what-is-the-negev/?

Lebanese Cedar—The Prized Tree of Ancient Woodworking

In the biblical world, Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani) trees were highly sought after as an excellent source of timber for ancient woodworking. The wood’s high quality, pleasant scent and resistance to both rot and insects made it a popular building material for temples, palaces and seagoing vessels, from Solomon’s famed Temple to the so-called “Jesus Boat” of the first century C.E. Today, Lebanese cedar trees grow mostly in Lebanon and southern Turkey, with a few found in Cyprus and Syria. As the Bible makes clear, the valuable wood had to be imported into ancient Israel.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/artifacts-and-the-bible/lebanese-cedar-the-prized-tree-of-ancient-woodworking/?

Mark and John: A Wedding at Cana—Whose and Where?

There is a very intriguing story, unique to the Gospel of John, about a wedding attended by Jesus and his disciples at the Galilean village of Cana (John 2:1–11). Within the Gospel of John the story functions in a theological and even allegorical manner—it is the “first” of seven signs, the “water into wine” story, but that is not to say it lacks any historical foundation.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/mark-and-john-a-wedding-at-cana-whose-and-where/?

[phkrause]

Mysterious Tombs Reveal Insights into Ancient Trade

At the crossroads of ancient trade routes running through the Negev Desert, archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) discovered a complex of mysterious tombs dating from the seventh through fifth centuries BCE. Among the ruins, the team discovered evidence that passing caravans came from as far away as ancient South Arabia (modern Yemen), trading in frankincense, myrrh, and possibly even trafficked women.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/mysterious-tombs-reveal-insights-into-ancient-trade/?

[Kevin H]

On 2/7/2024 at 6:48 PM, phkrause said:

Looking for the 12 Tribes of Israel

Who were the 12 tribes of Israel? While the obvious answer is that they were the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob, things are not nearly so clear, depending on where you look in the Hebrew Bible. In fact, as pointed out by Andrew Tobolowsky in his article “Were There 12 Tribes of Israel?” in the Winter 2023 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, outside of the Bible, there is practically no mention of the tribes of Israel at all, at least until long after the biblical period.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/looking-for-the-12-tribes-of-israel/?

Excellent!!! A tradition is the idea of "The 12 Lost Tribes." This idea fails in that by the Assyrian attack they were not really clear tribes, much less 10, and the Bible points out that most moved down south (Hezekiah doubled up the number of people living in a place to make room) and those that were taken away the Bible tells where they were brought, so they are not lost in the first place. 

[phkrause]

Who Was Moses? Was He More than an Exodus Hero?

Moses’ story is told in the Book of Exodus, but it starts in Genesis with the story of Abraham and his family with whom God makes a covenant. Generations later the biblical Moses draws the extended family together in the form of a nation with a structure and code of law, given to him on Mount Sinai. Below, Peter Machinist explores the story of Moses, the Exodus hero, in “The Man Moses”.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/exodus/who-was-moses-was-he-more-than-an-exodus-hero/?

Biblical Monsters

Seven mysterious creatures of the biblical world

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-monsters/?

[phkrause]

The Middle Eastern Origins of Sheep

Mentioned more than any other animal in the Bible, sheep were an ever-present reality in the ancient Levant. For nomads like Abraham and pastoralists like David, they were an invaluable resource, while recording sheep was even a key factor in the invention of writing. But where do sheep actually come from, and when did they become such an important part of ancient life?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/the-middle-eastern-origins-of-sheep/?

Who Was Jesus’ Biological Father?

Was Joseph Jesus’ biological father? If not, who was Jesus’ biological father?

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/who-was-jesus-biological-father/?

[phkrause]

The Power of Love

The peculiar spells of Roman love magic

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/the-power-of-love/?

Herod Antipas in the Bible and Beyond

The ruler of Galilee in Jesus’ time

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/herod-antipas-in-the-bible-and-beyond/?

The Apostle Paul in Arabia

Reconstructing Paul’s hidden years in the desert

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/the-apostle-paul-in-arabia/?

[phkrause]

Early Europeans may have eaten their enemies’ brains, archaeologists say

Ancient humans living in Europe may have scooped out the brains of their dead enemies and eaten them, a new study suggests.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/12/science/magdalenian-cannibal-scli-intl/index.html?

ps:Yuck!!!!!

[phkrause]

What Is the Judean Desert?

Also known as the Wilderness of Judah, the Judean Desert is only mentioned by name a few times in the Bible. However, it played an important role in several biblical and non-biblical events, including as a refuge for David, a place of temptation for Jesus, and the last stand of Jewish rebels against Rome. With steep mountain slopes to the west and the lowest place on earth (the Dead Sea) to the east, the Judean Desert is one of the Holy Land’s more unique and awe-inspiring regions.

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

Who Were the Philistines, and Where Did They Come From?

The Philistines are best known from the Bible as the Israelites’ enemies, but they were much more than that. Recent archaeological discoveries help inform our understanding of their culture, economy, and even origins. In the Spring 2022 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Daniel M. Master of Wheaton College looks at the biblical and archaeological evidence for the Philistines’ roots in “Piece by Piece: Exploring the Origins of the Philistines.”

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/who-were-philistines-where-did-they-come-from/?

Joshua in the Bible

Joshua, the perfect disciple. Obedient and humble. The man whose devotion to his master can serve as an example to all. God’s chosen, just as Moses had been. The servant become leader, whom God and Moses do not cease to encourage—so much so that we wonder why he had such a need. Is it because, in his humility, Joshua felt so inferior to Moses that he believed himself inadequate, unqualified and even unworthy to complete a task that only his master was capable of completing satisfactorily? Joshua will inherit political and religious authority from Moses but not his prophetic style. God accomplished miracles for Joshua. He went so far as to upset the laws of nature by ordering the sun to stand still, but Joshua’s speech lacks the magic that emanates from the words of the prophets.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/joshua-in-the-bible/?