Bible History Daily

Bible History Daily

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Nov 7

Where Is Biblical Bethsaida?

By: Samuel DeWitt Pfister

The ancient village of Bethsaida frequently mentioned in the Gospels is believed to be located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, but where precisely the abandoned city lies remains a fiercely-debated question among scholars.

Screenshot of rock giants in Noah the movie

Nov 7

Rock Giants in Noah

By: Megan Sauter

Can the Book of Enoch shed light on Noah the movie? Ronald S. Hendel examines the flood story.

Different views of the exterior of the lead strip from Mt. Ebal.

Nov 6

Too Good to Be True? Not Necessarily So!

By: Pieter Gert van der Veen

In his recent Biblical Archaeology Review article, “Too Good to Be True? Reckoning with Sensational Inscriptions,” epigrapher Christopher Rollston takes to task several recent studies […]

Nov 5

The Origins of Democracy

By: James Sickinger

When we think of democracy, we usually think of the ancient Greeks, but identifying the exact origins of political practices can be tricky.

Late-15th-century painting of The Last Supper by the Spanish artist known as the Master of Perea.

Nov 5

Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?

By: Jonathan Klawans

Many assume that Jesus' Last Supper was a Seder, the ritual Passover meal. Examine evidence from the synoptic Gospels with scholar Jonathan Klawans.

Nov 5

Love Your Neighbor: Only Israelites or Everyone?

By: Richard Elliott Friedman

The Book of Leviticus tells us to love our neighbors, but who are our neighbors? Does the command mean to just love fellow Israelites—or everyone?

hurvat husham

Nov 4

Early Urbanization in Ancient Canaan

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Excavators with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered what is likely the oldest temple ever discovered in the Shephelah region of central Israel. Dating […]

The Jerusalem Citadel

Nov 3

What Were the Crusades and How Did They Impact Jerusalem?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Some of the most famous churches in Jerusalem were built during the Christian Crusades by Crusaders wishing to memorialize sites they believed to have great Christian significance.

arch-of-titus-detail

Nov 2

Where Did the Temple Menorah Go?

By: Marek Dospěl

There is little doubt that the Temple Menorah was taken to Rome after the destruction of Jerusalem. However, Rome was sacked, and the Temple Menorah was looted. After disaster befell the cities that housed it as a spoil of war, was it returned to Jerusalem?

Abel Beth Maacah

Nov 1

Who Was the King of Abel Beth Maacah?

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

A small faience head, excavated at the site of Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel, may depict the city’s ninth-century BCE ruler, a period when […]