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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? Learn more in this post and view a number of important menorah depictions from antiquity.
The post Understanding the Jewish Menorah appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
“Victory of Heracles and Hauronas” reads the Greek inscription from a 2,200-year-old sling bullet. Contrary to what you might expect, however, the bullet was found […]
The post Sling Bullet with Greek Inscription Discovered in Israel appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Bearing gifts for the infant Jesus, the three wise men from the east traversed afar to reach Bethlehem. What do we really know about the magi, who are so central to the traditional telling of the Christmas story?
The post The Three Magi appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Read letters published in the Q&C section of BAR debating the dates of Herod’s death, Jesus’ birth and to which lunar eclipse Josephus was referring.
The post Herod’s Death, Jesus’ Birth and a Lunar Eclipse appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Technology in the hands of scholars, conservators, and archaeologists alike has long been central to the successful preservation and analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls. […]
The post Reading “Invisible” Dead Sea Scrolls appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Theological scholar Andrew McGowan examines how December 25 came to be associated with the birthday of Jesus and became Christmas, a holiday celebrated by Christians around the world.
The post How December 25 Became Christmas appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
“The Cherry Tree Carol” is a Christmas carol that first appeared in 13th-century England; an American version was discovered in Appalachia in the 20th century. Stonehill College Biblical scholar Mary Joan Winn Leith explains the carol’s roots in early Christian Syrian churches.
The post The Origins of “The Cherry Tree Carol” appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Michael Homan, Professor and Head of the Department of Theology at Xavier University of Louisiana, passed away on September 17, 2022. He was 56 […]
The post Milestones: Michael Homan (1966–2022) appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Every year, scores of excavations take place around the Holy Land, many of which rely in large part on volunteers just like you! While reading […]
The post Excavate the Holy Land from South to North appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
On September 22, 2022, biblical archaeology lost one of its greatest fans—the Reverend Canon Dr. William Broughton, affectionately known to many as “Father Bill.” He […]
The post Milestones: Father Bill Broughton (1929–2022) appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
“Peace.” That was the trademark conversation sign off and genuine wish of well-known Canadian archaeologist Burton MacDonald, who passed away on October 20, 2022, at […]
The post Milestones: Burton MacDonald (1939–2022) appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
In BAR, Hershel Shanks examines a recent article published by archaeologist Amihai Mazar. Mazar contends that while the Biblical narratives were written hundreds of years after the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon, they “retain memories of reality.”
The post First Person: Did the Kingdoms of Saul, David and Solomon Actually Exist? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Who were the Samaritans? Dr. Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University explains how getting an accurate answer to this question can shed light on how shocking the Good Samaritan parable would have been for Jesus’ audience.
The post Understanding the Good Samaritan Parable appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
The story of Zacchaeus, a rich, short, and thoroughly unpopular chief tax collector in Jericho, has entranced readers and hearers for two millennia. People grin […]
The post Making Amends appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Early Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper as a full meal, but by the third century, it had ceased to be a banquet and had become a ritualized small meal instead. Steven Shisley examines how the Lord’s Supper transitioned from a full meal to a ritual in BAR.
The post When Was the First Communion? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
In which year was Jesus born? While this is sometimes debated, the majority of New Testament scholars place Jesus’ birth in 4 B.C. or before.
The post When Was Jesus Born—B.C. or A.D.? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
When did December 25 become the date for Christmas? In the Winter 2022 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, T.C. Schmidt argues for an early association […]
The post December 25th and Christmas appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
In the latter part of the second millennium B.C., the Hittite empire was a Near Eastern superpower. Then, suddenly, the empire collapsed and Hattusa was invaded and destroyed.
The post The Last Days of Hattusa appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
The Book of Genesis tells us that God created woman from one of Adam’s ribs. But Biblical scholar Ziony Zevit says that the traditional translation of the Biblical text is wrong: Eve came from a different part of Adam’s body—his baculum.
The post The Adam and Eve Story: Eve Came From Where? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
It is not every day you discover a Bronze Age scarab completely by accident. Yet this is exactly what happened to Gilad Stern while he […]
The post Bronze Age Scarab Discovered During School Field Trip appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
The legend of jolly old St. Nicholas evolved into Santa Claus in Christmas tradition, but who was St. Nicholas?
The post Who Was St. Nicholas? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Fifty years ago, leading Israeli scholar Michael Avi-Yonah constructed a now-iconic model of Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem. How accurate is it?
The post What Did Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem Look Like? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
As Yana Qadem, conservator for the Hippos-Sussita expedition in the Galilee, carefully removed dirt from a previously excavated mosaic, she made an unexpected discovery that […]
The post Inscriptions of Everyday Byzantine Christians Discovered appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Back to “Jesus Tomb” Controversy Erupts—Again Rarely does the world of Biblical archaeology make as much news as when filmmakers James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici […]
The post The Tomb of Jesus? Wrong on Every Count appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Was Jesus a Jew? Some people claim that Jesus was a Christian. Some have claimed that he was an Aryan Christian. But in recent decades scholars have been returning to ancient historical settings and discovering the Jewish Jesus.
The post Was Jesus a Jew? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Where was Mary Magdalene from? According to early Christian tradition, the famous disciple of Jesus was from a town called Magdala, hence her name, Mary […]
The post Where Was Mary Magdalene From? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
A study, which examined archaeological finds from several Philistines cities, concluded that Philistine urbanization occurred gradually and only took place after they entered the southern Levant and were integrated with the local Canaanite community.
The post The Philistines: Urban Invaders or Emergent Immigrants? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
When was the Hebrew Bible written? Ostraca with Hebrew inscriptions excavated from the Iron Age fortress at Arad in Israel may provide clues, say researchers from Tel Aviv University.
The post When Was the Hebrew Bible Written? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
While the Norse settler Naddodd is frequently credited with the discovery of Iceland, a different theory suggests that it might have actually been the ancient […]
The post Who Discovered Iceland? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
On what day did Jesus rise? After three days or on the third day? Ben Witherington III examines this question in BAR.
The post On What Day Did Jesus Rise? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
How old is Christianity? Churches are among Biblical archaeology findings that hold the answer.
The post When Did Christianity Begin to Spread? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
This is the first part of an exclusive Bible History Daily series on historical texts that are important for understanding the history and world of […]
The post The Kurkh Monolith and Black Obelisk appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
A team from the Tell Halif archaeological excavation made their own tannur, a traditional oven referenced in the Hebrew Bible, and baked bread in it.
The post Biblical Bread: Baking Like the Ancient Israelites appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
After examining the DNA of 93 bodies recovered from archaeological sites around the southern Levant, the land of Canaan in the Bible, researchers have concluded […]
The post Jews and Arabs Descended from Canaanites appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, on November 4, 1922, archaeologists working in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings uncovered the first of 16 steps leading down to […]
The post Tutankhamun’s Centenary: 100 Years since the Discovery of King Tut’s Tomb appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Building and furnishing the Herodian Temple involved more than stone quarrying and laying, but the stones and foundations of Herod’s Temple can give us clues to Temple Mount history.
The post The Stones of Herod’s Temple Reveal Temple Mount History appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Who did Cain marry? Where did she come from? Mary Joan Winn Leith suggests that while the Israelite storyteller knew that other men and women in Genesis existed outside of Eden, they did not matter to him or factor into his account. He was concerned with Adam and Eve and their progeny—not those outside of this group.
The post Who Was the Wife of Cain? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Robin Gallaher Branch on the lighter side of the Bible.
The post Laughter in the Bible? Absolutely! appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Were Mary and Joseph married or engaged when they traveled to Bethlehem? Biblical scholar Mark Wilson examines what the gospels say in this Bible History Daily guest post.
The post Were Mary and Joseph Married or Engaged at Jesus’ Birth? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Pigs Taboo I HAVEN’T READ the book Evolution of a Taboo, reviewed by Aren M. Maeir (Book Review, Spring 2022), but I will add that from […]
The post More Queries & Comments Winter 2022 appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
The Mesha Stele details the victories of King Mesha of Moab over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. It was found at Dibon, the capital […]
The post What Does the Mesha Stele Say? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. She served ancient Israel as a prophet, judge, military leader, songwriter, and minstrel.
The post Deborah in the Bible appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
When we think of democracy, we usually think of the ancient Greeks, but identifying the exact origins of political practices can be tricky.
The post The Origins of Democracy appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Archaeologists in western Crete have made a fascinating discovery, the skull of a sacrificed Minoan bull. The discovery was made in the cemetery complex associated […]
The post A Sacrificial Minoan Bull appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Who were the Nabataeans, the industrious Arab people who built the city of Petra and its towering rock-cut monuments over 2,000 years ago?
The post Solving the Enigma of Petra and the Nabataeans appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
A new program led by the American Center of Oriental Research is, for the first time, allowing visitors to go beyond Petra’s monuments to actually discover and experience its past and present.
The post Site-Seeing: Petra’s Temple of the Winged Lions appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Although mentioned only a few times in the Hebrew Bible, Balaam son of Beor remains an extraordinary and intriguing figure and one of the earliest […]
The post Who Is Balaam Son of Beor? Part Three appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
The Hebrew Bible makes it clear that King David and his successors were buried somewhere on the narrow ridge of the City of David near the Gihon Spring where the earliest city of Jerusalem was located. But where exactly? In an early-20th-century excavation, Raymond Weill believed he had discovered the royal necropolis, but many have challenged the identification. Was Weill right?
The post King David’s Tomb–A Closer Look appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Does archaeological evidence connect with Israel’s Exodus from Egypt—a central event in the Bible? Egyptian artifacts and sites show that the Biblical text does indeed recount accurate memories from the period to which the Exodus is generally assigned.
The post The Exodus: Fact or Fiction? appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
The Biblical Archaeology Society is pleased to announce that Jonathan Laden has taken the position of Publisher. Jonathan graduated from Stanford University and earned his […]
The post BAS Names New Publisher appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
Muristek
Antique Power
