Evidence of early gaming found at Tell es-Safi/Gath Nathan Steinmeyer May 20, 2022 0 Comments 66 views Share An ancient game board from Tell es-Safi/Gath. Courtesy Maria Eniukhina – photographer Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project. Evidence of ancient board games in the biblical world dates back millennia. While in some regions these games took on religious … Lire la suite

Why critical editions of the Bible—like Biblia Hebraica Quinta—are essential Biblical Archaeology Society Staff May 19, 2022 48 Comments 27050 views Share A MASTERPIECE OF THE MASORETES. The Masoretes established an astoundingly accurate tradition of Bible transmission. This carpet page from the Leningrad Codex (1008 C.E.)—of the tradition of the Masoretes—is the base text for … Lire la suite

Ruins at Banias – King Herod’s Palace Identified at Caesarea Philippi Decorative floors at Banias linked to King Herod’s palace Marek Dospěl May 18, 2022 1 Comments 779 views Share The ruins at Banias include the Cave of Pan and other cultic structures dedicated to Pan, Caesar Augustus, the Nymphs, and Zeus. The lush greenery … Lire la suite

Pharaoh’s Brick Makers Israelite construction workers in Egypt Marek Dospěl May 17, 2022 1 Comments 16557 views Share THE PYRAMID OF PHARAOH DJOSER (27th century B.C.E.), in Saqqara, was the first built in stone. Rooted in the tradition of monumental architecture built with mudbricks and light materials, Djoser’s pyramid complex exhibits many features developed for … Lire la suite

Does the Church of the Redeemer hold the answer? Biblical Archaeology Society Staff May 17, 2022 21 Comments 163054 views Share Does the Church of the Redeemer (pictured here) provide evidence that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the authentic site of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified? Where is Golgotha today in Jerusalem? According … Lire la suite

Biblical Archaeology 101: Exploring the Archaeologist’s Toolkit Nathan Steinmeyer May 16, 2022 0 Comments 86 views Share Student excavating with a trowel at Khirbet el-Ra’i. Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer. With advances in technology, there are more archaeology tools than ever to help excavators dig into the past. Yet sometimes there is no substitute for a trusty … Lire la suite

Where Are the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Uncovering a lost wonder of the world Nathan Steinmeyer May 13, 2022 2 Comments 764 views Share Hanging Gardens of Babylon by John Henry Leonard, 1834–1904. Courtesy Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Where are the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Today, the exact locations of six of the … Lire la suite

Searching for Galatia’s borders in the first century Megan Sauter May 12, 2022 0 Comments 28990 views Share Who were the Galatians in the Bible? This map shows the regions of Anatolia during the first century C.E., when Paul would have traveled through the area. Recent archaeological discoveries suggest that the province of Galatia would … Lire la suite

Pig bones as an ethnic marker? Marek Dospěl May 12, 2022 8 Comments 12358 views Share It has been established that wherever pig bones are excavated in the land of Israel, they indicate a non-Israelite population. Pork was just not part of the Israelite diet, so the thinking went. Recent studies, however, prove this assumption … Lire la suite

May 11, 2022 0 Comments 704 views Share Evolution of a Taboo: Pigs and People in the Ancient Near East By Max D. Price(Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2020), xxii + 312 pp., 19 figures(maps, graphs, plans, drawings, photos), $34.95 (hardcover)Reviewed by Aren M. Maeir As someone who has been studying the Philistine culture for some … Lire la suite