January 2013 update: 29 of the manuscripts were recently purchased by the Israel National Library. Read more in “Manuscripts Reveal Ancient Community of Afghan Jews.”
More than 150 medieval Jewish manuscripts Read more…
News
The worlds of archaeology and the Bible move fast. Keep abreast of the latest Bible and archaeology news from around the world. Our presentation of a news story does not constitute our endorsement of a news source, or of the source’s presentation or interpretation of events.
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Medieval Jewish Manuscripts Reportedly Found in Afghanistan
• 01/03/2012
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Lovers’ Pipe Discovered in Jerusalem
• 01/02/2012
An Ottoman-era clay pipe inscribed in Arabic with the phrase “Love is the language for lovers” was discovered last week in ongoing archaeological excavations in Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter. The pipe, Read more…
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The Biblical Archaeology Society 2011 Publication Awards Winners
• 01/01/2012
The 2011 Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Awards recognize the best books published in 2009 and 2010. The biennial BAS Publication Awards for books about archaeology and the Bible have been Read more…
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New Index Helps Unravel Talmud’s Mysteries
• 12/29/2011
The Talmud, a massive, composite work of rabbinical discourse on Jewish law and scripture dating back to the sixth century C.E., can be formidable and difficult to penetrate, often requiring Read more…
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Jerusalem Seal Gives Evidence for Temple Ritual
• 12/27/2011
Archaeologists surveying the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount in the area of Robinson’s Arch have found a button-sized, first-century C.E. seal inscribed in Aramaic with the phrase “pure for Read more…
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Byzantine-era Bathhouse Unearthed Near Jerusalem
• 12/26/2011
Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority have discovered a large, well-preserved Byzantine-era bathhouse in the Judean foothills about 20 miles west of Jerusalem. The bathhouse, which the archaeologists date to Read more…
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First Christmas Gift Doomed, Study Says
• 12/22/2011
Frankincense, the fragrant and aromatic resin that was one of the three famous gifts of the magi in the traditional Christmas story, could soon be no more. According to a Read more…
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Egyptian Violence Claims “Irreplaceable” Manuscript Collection
• 12/21/2011
As violent clashes erupted between protesters and Egyptian security forces in Cairo earlier this week, a 213-year-old downtown library was set ablaze, destroying thousands of rare maps and books, including Read more…
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Rare Cuneiform Inscription Found in Malta
• 12/20/2011
Archaeologists excavating an ancient sanctuary on the small, central Mediterranean island of Malta have discovered an agate stone inscribed with 13th-century B.C.E. cuneiform script. It is the farthest west the Read more…
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Saudi Arabia’s Mysterious “Stonehenge”
• 12/19/2011
Archaeologists working in Saudi Arabia continue to puzzle over the meaning of more than 50 groups of oddly arranged standing stones, the most famous of which are found at the Read more…
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Disputed Bridge to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Reopened
• 12/15/2011
Two days after the wooden and worn Moughrabi bridge leading to the Haram ash-Sharif (or Temple Mount) in Jerusalem was closed due to safety concerns, city officials reopened the bridge Read more…
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Mexico City Builds World’s Largest Nativity Scene
• 12/14/2011
Officials in Mexico City this week unveiled the world’s largest nativity scene, a sprawling 215,000-square-foot display that recreates dozens of Biblical passages related to the story of Jesus’ birth. The Read more…
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Was the Dead Sea Once Completely Dry?
• 12/13/2011
Researchers studying the history of the Dead Sea have found that around 120,000 years ago, the waters of the mineral-rich and super-buoyant lake may have almost completely dried up. With Read more…
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World Joins Effort to Solve City of David Mystery
• 12/12/2011
After archaeologists admitted they were completely stumped as to the meaning and function of three strange markings recently discovered during excavations near Jerusalem’s Gihon Spring (see “Strange Markings Puzzle City Read more…
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Strange Markings Puzzle City of David Archaeologists
• 12/07/2011
Excavations near the Gihon Spring in Jerusalem’s City of David have uncovered three strange V-shaped markings that have archaeologists completely stumped. The mysterious shapes, which each measure about 1.5 feet Read more…
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Cold War Spy Satellites Aid Archaeologists
• 12/06/2011
Thanks to the efforts of researchers at the University of Arkansas, archaeologists now have free access to thousands of high-resolution declassified satellite images taken of Israel and the Middle East Read more…
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Ancient Afghan Monastery Under Threat
• 12/05/2011
A nearly 2,000-year-old Buddhist monastery with fresco-decorated corridors and more than 150 painted statues of standing and reclining Buddhas is under threat from a planned copper mining operation. An international Read more…
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Israel Inaugurates “Gospel Trail”
• 12/01/2011
Israel’s Ministry of Tourism this week inaugurated the new “Gospel Trail,” a 40-mile-long route that will allow Christian tourists and pilgrims to follow Jesus’ trek from his hometown of Nazareth Read more…
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Renovation Planned for Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity
• 11/29/2011
After centuries of neglect, the ancient and dilapidated roof of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity will finally undergo renovation next year. The roof of the 1,500-year-old church built by the Read more…
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Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Not Completed by King Herod
• 11/28/2011
Coins discovered beneath the foundations of Jerusalem’s Western Wall prove that Herod the Great did not even come close to completing construction on the Temple Mount compound. The coins, stamped Read more…
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Qumran Clothing Suggests Scroll Authors Were Essene
• 11/25/2011
A new study of more than 200 textile fragments recovered from the Qumran caves suggests the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls were part of the local Essene community. The Read more…
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Report Discusses Dramatic Decline of Jordan River
• 11/23/2011
According to a new report, 97 percent of the historical flow of the great Jordan River has been diverted to countries like Israel, Syria and Jordan that exploit the river’s Read more…
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“Abraham Path” Traces Biblical Tradition and a Path to Peace
• 11/22/2011
The Book of Genesis describes Abraham’s long journey with his family from Ur of the Chaldees in southern Mesopotamia to their eventual homeland in Canaan (Genesis 12:5). Now, archaeologists and Read more…
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Project Maps Ancient Tombstones on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives
• 11/21/2011
Elad, the Jerusalem-based group that operates the City of David archaeological park, has begun a new initiative to map, photograph and record all of the Jewish tombstones from the Mount Read more…
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New Bible Museum Planned for Jerusalem
• 11/17/2011
The Israeli government this week approved plans for a new Jerusalem museum that will be dedicated to the Bible, Biblical studies and interfaith dialogue. The museum, which will feature a Read more…
