Daily Life and Practice

Daily Life and Practice

cyprian-plague

Feb 29

The Cyprian Plague

By: Robin Ngo

Archaeologists working in Thebes discovered a burial for victims of the 3rd-century C.E. Cyprian Plague.

hershel-shanks

Feb 15

First Person: Human Sacrifice to an Ammonite God?

By: Hershel Shanks

Were sons and daughters sacrificed in ancient times? Is there any archaeological evidence?

Feb 1

Lebanese Cedar—The Prized Tree of Ancient Woodworking

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

From Solomon’s Temple to the Jesus Boat, the Biblical world was built of cedar.

Ancient Greek Olympics

Jan 28

What Were the Ancient Olympics Like?

By: David Gilman Romano

Beginning in 776 B.C. as a simple foot race, the quadrennial Olympic Games grew—during a span of 1,200 years—into the most prestigious athletic/religious festival of the Greek-speaking world.

ancient-combat-sports-8

Jan 25

Ancient Combat Sports

By: Michael B. Poliakoff

Three ancient Olympic combat events—wrestling, boxing and pancratium—reveal much about the aspirations and values of ancient Greece, about what was deemed honorable, fair and beautiful, both in the eyes of those of who competed and those who traveled to Olympia to watch.

marcus-aurelius

Jan 11

The Antonine Plague and the Spread of Christianity

By: Sarah K. Yeomans

Did the Antonine Plague influence shifts in religious practices at the end of the second century C.E., particularly the spread of the new religion of Christianity? Religious practices shifted because of the Antonine Plague. Architectural projects slowed, but the building of sacred sites intensified.

Mudbrick Making

Jan 9

How to Make a Mudbrick

By: BAS Staff

Anyone can make a mudbrick! The recipe is simple—and the ingredients are common.

Crusaders

Dec 15

What Did Crusaders Eat?

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

What did Crusaders eat while in the Holy Land? Understanding the diet of ancient groups can tell us a lot about them and how they […]

Biblical Bread Baking

Nov 18

Biblical Bread: Baking Like the Ancient Israelites

By: Cynthia Shafer-Elliott

A team from the Tell Halif archaeological excavation made their own tannur, a traditional oven referenced in the Hebrew Bible, and baked bread in it.

Mongolian Meat Cakes

Nov 17

BAR Test Kitchen: Mongolian Meat Cakes

By: Jennifer Drummond

For this Test Kitchen, we are going a bit further afield, to China’s Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368 CE). Founded by Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, […]