The Ancient Near Eastern World

The Ancient Near Eastern World

Lost city

Mar 18

Drought Reveals 3,400-Year-Old Lost City

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Droughts across Iraq have been a major source of humanitarian concern, but they have also provided archaeologists with a rare opportunity to excavate an ancient […]

Cyrus Cylinder

Mar 17

The Cyrus Cylinder

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

The Cyrus Cylinder is one of the best-known surviving texts from the Achaemenid Persian Empire (c. 550–332 BCE), due almost entirely to its proposed connection […]

hattusa-wall

Mar 15

Who Were the Hittites?

By: Ellen White

Archaeology tells us a lot about the Hittites—and the Neo-Hittites too. But it’s hard to reconcile this with the Hittites of the Bible.

eeckhout-judah-tamar

Mar 9

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.

Queen of Sheba

Mar 7

Who Is the Queen of Sheba in the Bible?

By: Megan Sauter

The meeting of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is described in the Bible. Bringing exquisite gifts, the Queen of Sheba came from an exotic land—but where exactly?

Mesopotamian tavern

Mar 3

Ancient Mesopotamian Tavern Discovered

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Modern people are not the only ones who enjoy a nice drink after work or during a night out on the town. Indeed, 5,000 years […]

amorite language

Feb 20

Ancient Amorite Language Discovered

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

The Amorites and especially their language have long puzzled scholars. Indeed, many have wondered whether an Amorite language even existed. While the Amorites—first attested during […]

Hittite Empire

Feb 17

Drought and the Fall of the Hittite Empire

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

While the fall of the Hittite Empire—and indeed the collapse of the entire Bronze Age world—has been an important area of research for decades, new […]

codex_glazier

Feb 7

What Is Coptic and Who Were the Copts in Ancient Egypt?

By: Megan Sauter

When did the ancient Egyptians stop writing in hieroglyphs, and what came next? From the fourth to ninth centuries C.E., Egypt was predominantly Christian. During this time, the language used by the masses was Coptic.

Jan 18

In the Beginning, Was There a Word?

By: Aaron J. Koller

“In the beginning was the word” (John 1:1)—but what is a word? A “word” is a thing, a concept, that seems clear from afar, but […]