Ancient Cultures
Oct 14
Ancient Toilets, Timeless Troubles
Gastrointestinal issues are a common part of the human experience, the most extreme of which can turn fatal if left untreated, an awareness that receives […]
Oct 14
Byzantine Synagogue Uncovered in the Golan
Archaeologists have long suspected that an ancient synagogue lay beneath the ruins of an abandoned village in the western Golan. Now, they have finally found […]
Oct 12
What Is the Bar-Kokhba Revolt?
In the early second century CE, the southern Levant was home to a diverse population of Judeans, Nabataeans, Greeks, Samaritans, and others, whose languages, customs, […]
Oct 10
The Destruction of Pompeii—God’s Revenge?
By: Hershel Shanks
The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius destroyed the opulent vacation destinations of Roman elites in August 79 C.E.—almost exactly nine years after Roman troops destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. Did this seem like more than mere coincidence to the ancients?
Oct 9
Taylor Swift’s Babylon
Taylor Swift released a new song called “Babylon” on her album The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. This puts what is arguably the most […]
Oct 8
The Enduring Symbolism of Doves
By: Dorothy Willette
Few symbols have a tradition as long and as rich as the dove. Read about what it represents and how its use has been shared, adapted and reinterpreted across cultures and millennia to suit changing belief systems.
Oct 7
Love, War, and Diplomacy and the Bronze Age
By: Ellen Morris
Love, War, and Diplomacy The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed By Eric H. Cline (Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, […]
Oct 6
What Color Was Tekhelet?
By: Robin Ngo
In the Bible, a shade of blue called tekhelet was God’s chosen color for the ancient Israelites. Tekhelet drapes adorned Solomon’s Temple, and tekhelet robes were worn by Israel’s high priests. What was the actual color of ancient tekhelet and tzitzit?
Oct 5
The Face of God
When people today say, “God sees me,” they are often communicating their sense that God knows what they are going through, e.g., they do not […]
Oct 5
Golden Treasure Trove Discovered at Hippos
The metal detector chirped as archaeological volunteer Edie Lipsman passed it by a large stone. Although no one knew in that moment what Lipsman had […]
