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Lod at the Louvre
05/24 | One of the most exceptional and well-preserved mosaics ever to be discovered in the Holy Land is now on view in the world’s most visited museum. Read more…
Curtains Rise at the Theater of Messene after 1,700-Year Intermission
05/22 | The seats of Messene’s grand theater in the south-western Peloponnese have remained empty since 300 C.E. After 20 years of excavation and restoration, the theater will be reopened—as both an Read more…
Geza Vermes (1924–2013)
05/20 | My friend Geza Vermes is dead. He was, most famously, the intellectual leader in the fight to free the Dead Sea Scrolls from the small coterie of scholars who was Read more…
Hidden in Plain Sight—Painted Phoenician Ivories
05/20 | French and German researchers recently discovered nearly-invisible traces of metal on Phoenician ivories, suggesting the presence of dyes including copper-based Egyptian blue and iron-based hematite, according to a recent X-ray Read more…
Lebanese Cedar—The Prized Tree of Ancient Woodworking
05/20 | 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 Read more…
Herod’s Temple Mount Revealed in Al-Aqsa Mosque Restoration
05/17 | What happened to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount when the Romans destroyed Herod’s Temple in 70 C.E.? There is no report of any building left on the Temple Mount by the time Read more…
Who Were the Minoans?
05/16 | Crete’s Minoan civilization has long been considered Europe’s first great Bronze Age society. But who were the Minoans? A recent DNA study suggests that the Minoan civilization comprised of local Read more…
A Magnificent Mosaic from Byzantine Israel
05/15 | The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the discovery of a well-preserved and ornate Byzantine-era mosaic at Kibbutz Bet Qama in southern-central Israel. Read more…
The “Gabriel Stone” on Display
05/13 | James Tabor describes Israel Knohl’s changed interpretation of the critical line discussing the resurrection of the dead after three days of “Gabriel’s Revelation.” Read more…
Justinian Plague Linked to the Black Death
05/10 | The reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I (482–565 C.E.) was marked by both glory and devastation. Justinian reconquered much of the former Roman Empire while establishing lasting legal codes and Read more…
