Dec 3
By: Megan Sauter
Were there synagogues before the Romans destroyed the Temple, or did they develop only afterward? Communal structures from the Second Temple period have been discovered, but should they be considered synagogues even though they don’t share the major architectural feature common to post-destruction synagogues?
Dec 2
While walking with her family at Tel Qana near Tel Aviv, a young girl made a fantastic find: a small stone in the shape of […]
Dec 1
By: Hershel Shanks
In BAR, Hershel Shanks examines a recent article published by archaeologist Amihai Mazar. Mazar contends that while the Biblical narratives were written hundreds of years after the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon, they “retain memories of reality.”
Nov 29
By: Lila Wolk
In 79 CE, the Roman town of Pompeii was covered in volcanic ash, courtesy of Mt. Vesuvius. While the bodies of the dead decomposed long […]
Nov 28
By: Dorothy Willette
Go on a journey of the senses through history and discover the significance of ritual feasts and meals in antiquity.
Nov 26
By: Trevor Bryce
In the latter part of the second millennium B.C., the Hittite empire was a Near Eastern superpower. Then, suddenly, the empire collapsed and Hattusa was invaded and destroyed.
Nov 25
Archaeologists at Tel Shimron in Israel’s Jezreel Valley have uncovered a remarkable megastructure, so far unique within the southern Levant. Rising nearly 20 feet above […]
Nov 19
A study, which examined archaeological finds from several Philistines cities, concluded that Philistine urbanization occurred gradually and only took place after they entered the southern Levant and were integrated with the local Canaanite community.
Nov 18
More than just the stuff of Hollywood movies, mummies and mummified remains have been the subject of scientific inquiry for centuries. Although early studies of […]
Nov 15
A joint Kuwaiti-Danish excavation has uncovered a 4,000-year-old temple on the island of Failaka in Kuwait. Belonging to the ancient kingdom of Dilmun, the temple […]
