The Ancient Near Eastern World

The Ancient Near Eastern World

Neolithic Bread from Catal Hoyuk. Courtesy Necmettin Erbakan University

Mar 18

Neolithic Bread at Catal Hoyuk

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Excavations at the important site of Catal Hoyuk in south-central Turkey have uncovered what archaeologists have termed “the world’s oldest bread.” According to a press […]

Inscription on a basalt rock depicting the Babylonian king Nabonidus holding a scepter in his hand

Mar 4

Nabonidus: The First Archaeologist

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

While the modern field of archaeology is no more than a few centuries old, ancient texts show that the world’s first archaeologist lived around two […]

The fateful encounter between Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar is depicted in this 17th-century painting by Dutch artist Gerbrand van den Eeckhout

Feb 25

Sacred Prostitution in the Story of Judah and Tamar

By: BAS Staff

While some scholars suggest that temple prostitution was practiced in ancient Israel, Edward Lipiński argues that neither the Bible nor archaeology provides any clear evidence that Israelite religion incorporated the sexual rites of Canaanite goddesses.

Feb 18

Who Were the Minoans?

By: Noah Wiener

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 Europeans rather than outsiders.

Ark Tablet

Feb 15

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

By: Noah Wiener

A recently translated Old Babylonian flood tablet describes how to build a circular ark.

Furniture plaque carved in relief with a “woman at the window.” Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Feb 14

Women, Windows, and Death

By: John Drummond

“The Woman at the Window” is an intriguing artistic motif that was popular among the elite of the ancient Near East during the Iron Age […]

Ishtar Gate

Jan 29

Dating Babylon’s Ishtar Gate

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Babylon’s famous Ishtar Gate was commissioned by King Nebuchadnezzar II, but was it completed during his lifetime? More interestingly, was the gate built to commemorate […]

codex_glazier

Jan 23

What Is Coptic and Who Were the Copts in Ancient Egypt?

By: Megan Sauter

When did the ancient Egyptians stop writing in hieroglyphs, and what came next? From the fourth to ninth centuries C.E., Egypt was predominantly Christian. During this time, the language used by the masses was Coptic.

Queen of Sheba

Jan 7

Who Is the Queen of Sheba in the Bible?

By: Megan Sauter

The meeting of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is described in the Bible. Bringing exquisite gifts, the Queen of Sheba came from an exotic land—but where exactly?

Akkadian

Jan 5

Archaeomagnetism in Mesopotamia

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Inscribed bricks are found throughout ancient Mesopotamia, where they were used for millennia to mark the monumental constructions of kings and officials. Now, they may […]