Ancient Israel

Ancient Israel

Preserved hair from a Jewish male found in the 1st-century “Tomb of the Shroud”

Mar 17

The Only Ancient Jewish Male Hair Ever Found

By: James Tabor

The braided hair of a Jewish woman was found at Masada but until recently no example of preserved hair from a Jewish male had ever been found from the late 2nd Temple period. This discovery is one of the many fascinating, but less publicized finds of the 1st century “Tomb of the Shroud,” discovered in the summer of 2000 just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The secrets this tomb continues to yield are many, including recent correlations with the DNA test results from the Talpiot Jesus tomb.

Tyrian Purple

Mar 15

Ancient Israel’s Tyrian Purple Factory

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

  Tyrian purple, tekhelet, royal purple: All names for an incredibly expensive, ancient dye. While this dye is often associated with the Phoenician city-state of […]

Flat plastered stone installation and limestone pillar in the Azekah sun temple’s inner sanctuary

Mar 13

Bathed in Morning Light

By: BAS Staff

Nestled in the heart of the Shephelah with a commanding view over the Elah Valley, the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550–1200 BCE) Canaanite city of […]

The early alphabetic inscription, dated to the mid-15th century B.C.E., was preserved on a tiny sherd of painted Late Bronze Age pottery imported from Cyprus. Image credit: Austrian Archaeological Institute/Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Mar 12

Early Alphabetic Writing Found at Lachish

By: BAS Staff

A newly published inscription from Tel Lachish in southern Israel is the earliest alphabetic writing discovered in the southern Levant. The fragmentary inscription features a mere handful of letters inscribed on a tiny pottery sherd, measuring just 4 by 3.5 cm. The sherd is dated by radiocarbon to the 15th century B.C.E., or the first part of the Late Bronze Age.

Mar 8

Rare Bar Kokhba Revolt Coins Found

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

During archaeological survey work in a Judean Desert cave, members of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and the […]

Philistine Gath

Mar 1

Plants and the Philistine Cult at Gath

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Although the Philistines are well known from ancient texts, including the Hebrew Bible, and their cities have been extensively excavated, many questions remain about their […]

Chalk box

Feb 26

Rare Chalk Box Discovered in Jerusalem

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Chalk vessels were a common feature of Judean life during the late Second Temple period (c. 200 BCE–70 CE), but what could have been the […]

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.

Mapping Jerusalem with Cosmic Rays

Feb 23

Excavating Jerusalem with Cosmic Rays

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

One of the most difficult ancient sites to excavate, Jerusalem is rife with archaeological mysteries. With excavation limited to specific and often narrow parts of […]

Roman legionary camp of Legio

Feb 16

More of Megiddo’s Roman Legionary Camp Revealed

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

During excavations at the site of Legio, at the foot of Tel Megiddo in northern Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) uncovered the main road […]