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…
Artifacts and the Bible
Artifacts, manmade objects often found during archaeological excavations, that make a contribution to our understanding of the Bible and/or the historicity of Biblical events.
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Lebanese Cedar—The Prized Tree of Ancient Woodworking
• 05/20/2013
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Herod’s Temple Mount Revealed in Al-Aqsa Mosque Restoration
• 05/17/2013
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…
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Money Talks through Ancient Coins
• 04/05/2013
Numismatics is a unique scholarly discipline that spans archaeology, ancient history and epigraphy. It seems the axiom “money talks” is true. A guest blog contribution by Dr. Mark Wilson. Read more…
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What is it?
• 03/08/2013
Thank you all for participating in this weekend’s What is it? discussion. We’ve updated the page with the answer and details on the artifact below. D. Babylonian priestly record. Read more…
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What is it … made of?
• 02/04/2013
What is it … made of? Read more…
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Evidence of Shiloh’s Destruction Gone Missing
• 01/17/2013
Early last week, archaeologists uncovered a broken pottery vessel and ashes suggesting large-scale destruction at Biblical Shiloh, the Israelite capital for over three centuries before the Temple was built in Read more…
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3-D Printing the Ancient World
• 01/02/2013
Researchers at Harvard University’s Semitic Museum are using new photomodeling technology to construct undamaged re-creations of Mesopotamian artifacts damaged over the millennia. Read more…
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The Huqoq Synagogue Mosaics
• 01/02/2013
Archaeologist and art historian Karen Britt of the University of Louisville provides a detailed artistic analysis of a Huqoq mosaic featuring an inscription and two female faces. Read more…
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A Samson Mosaic from Huqoq
• 12/28/2012
Jodi Magness’s excavations at Huqoq have exposed an elaborate Samson mosaic as well as new insights into the development of ancient synagogues. Read more…
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Worldwide
• 12/14/2012
The snowy white body of a sphinx regally supports the ebony-colored cup of this ceramic rhyton, or drinking horn, found in a tomb in Capua, Campania, Italy. The sphinx, a Read more…
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What is it?
• 10/09/2012
Thank you all for participating in the What is it? artifact discussion. This page has been updated with the answer and some information on this baking tray. Check out the Read more…
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First Person: Should Israel Return the Tablets of the Law to Egypt?
• 09/21/2012
In 1969, barely two years after the 1967 Six-Day War, a team of Israeli archaeologists made an exploratory excavation at the base of one of the numerous sites in the Read more…
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ISRAEL APPEALS FORGERY DECISION
• 08/27/2012
The Israel government has appealed Jerusalem Judge Aharon Farkash’s decision in the case of the “Jehoash” inscription, an inscription which, if authentic, would be the only surviving royal Israelite inscription. Read more…
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Ten Key Points on Authenticity of Artifacts
• 08/02/2012
Listen to Gabriel Barkay outline ten key points all scholars should agree on in judging issues of authenticity of artifacts. Read more…
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What is it? A BHD and Facebook Artifact Discussion
• 07/31/2012
What is this artifact? Read more…
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Lion Seal from Beth Shemesh Sparks Samson Discussion
• 07/30/2012
The recent discovery of a small 11th century B.C.E. seal at Beth Shemesh with a crude representation of a person next to a lion has sparked some to associate the Read more…
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Word Play
• 07/23/2012
3,000 years ago, when alphabetic writing had just begun to spread across the masses of the ancient Near East, written words were far more than idle marks meant simply to Read more…
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What is it? Answer to the BHD and Facebook Artifact Discussion.
• 06/29/2012
What is this object? When is it from? What culture did it come from?
Multiple Choices for this week’s What is it? discussion. Read more…
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Explore Ancient Glassmaking at the Getty Villa
• 06/08/2012
Although not technically an exhibit catalog, Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity was directly inspired by the recently reinstalled Molten Color exhibit on display at the Getty Villa museum in Malibu, Read more…
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Spherical Jugs Reveal International Standardization in Ancient Measurements and Trade Systems
• 06/07/2012
Ancient measurements such as the hekat (volume) or the cubit (length) are well known to archaeologists. However, recent interdisciplinary research on spherical jugs suggests that across the Eastern Mediterranean, ancient Read more…
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Bountiful Hoard Discovered Near Kiryat Gat
• 06/06/2012
The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of a large quantity of precious Roman gold coins and jewelry in a Roman/Byzantine-era structure on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 near Kiryat Gat, Read more…
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What is it? BHD and Facebook Artifact Discussion
• 06/04/2012
What is it? BHD and Facebook Artifact Discussion Read more…
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Judge Announces Forgery Trial Sentence
• 05/30/2012
This morning, Jerusalem District Court Judge Aharon Farkash gave the Israeli government 30 days to support of its claim to retain the James Ossuary, Jehoash Tablet and other Israeli antiquities. Read more…
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History of Bethlehem Documented by First Temple Period Bulla from the City of David
• 05/23/2012
Earliest History of Bethlehem Documented by First Temple Period Bulla from the City of David
Jesus’ Birthplace in Ancient Bethlehem Confirmed as an Israelite City Centuries Earlier Read more… -
Tel Aviv University Scholars Discuss Jewelry Discovery at Megiddo
• 05/23/2012
A Tel Aviv University press release on Monday discussed the discovery of a hoard of gold and silver jewelry at Tel Megiddo. Bible History Daily announced the initial discovery of Read more…
