When we think of democracy, we usually think of the ancient Greeks, but identifying the exact origins of political practices can be tricky. Read more…
Daily Life and Practice
Archaeology, inscriptions and literature all give us an insight into daily practice in the ancient world. How did the Israelites live? What material culture did they interact with on a daily basis? How did an average person practice religion?
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The Origins of Democracy
• 02/18/2019
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What Did Gladiators Eat?
• 01/21/2019
A study published in PLOS ONE suggests that gladiators really did eat mostly plants and may have drunk an ash tonic as described by ancient authors. Read more…
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A Feast for the Senses … and the Soul
• 01/20/2019
Go on a journey of the senses through history and discover the significance of ritual feasts and meals in antiquity. Read more…
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Classical Corner: Phidias and Pericles: Hold My Wine
• 01/07/2019
One way we protect our things is to label them. Ancient Greeks were no different when it came to such practices, including two famous fifth-century B.C.E. Athenians. Read more…
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What Was Life Like for Roman Slaves?
• 01/04/2019
In the southwest of Asia Minor, at the site of Aphrodisias, Turkey, archaeology has provided insight into the lives of Roman slaves, including a man named Zoilos who earned his Read more…
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How Did Ancient Bureaucrats Set Their Interest Rates?
• 01/02/2019
When did people begin issuing interest-bearing loans? And how did they decide how much to charge for the privilege of borrowing money? Read more…
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How Ancient Taxes Were Collected Under King Manasseh
• 01/01/2019
Discovered during the Temple Mount Sifting Project, this seventh-century B.C.E. clay bulla inscribed in paleo-Hebrew script with the phrase “Gibeon, for the king” provides evidence for how ancient taxes were Read more…
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Roman Emperor Nerva’s Reform of the Jewish Tax
• 01/01/2019
Roman Emperor Nerva’s reform of the Jewish Tax had a significant effect on Jews and Christians of the first century C.E. Read more…
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How Ancient Jews Dated Years
• 12/30/2018
During the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (66–70 C.E.), which ended with the destruction of the Temple, Jews minted their own coins dated to the first, second, third, fourth and, Read more…
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IAA Announces Recovery of 9,000-Year-Old Neolithic Stone Mask
• 12/11/2018
The Israel Antiquities Authority recently announced that its Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit recovered a rare 9,000-year-old stone mask. Read more…
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Biblical Pharisees and Jewish Halakhah
• 11/29/2018
Were the Biblical Pharisees really as bad as the New Testament makes them seem? Professor Roland Deines of the University of Nottingham thinks not. Read more…
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You Are What You Eat: The Israelite Diet and Archaeology
• 11/25/2018
Pigs weren’t part of the Israelite diet. Therefore if you are excavating and find lots of pig bones at your site, it can’t be Israelite—or can it? A new survey Read more…
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Making Sense of Kosher Laws
• 11/24/2018
The origins of Jewish dietary or kosher laws (kashrut) have long been the subject of scholarly research and debate. Read more…
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A Biblical Spice Rack
• 11/21/2018
The brevity of life is compared to the delicate bloom of the caper in one of the Bible’s many references to fragrant and edible plants. Enjoy a glimpse of some Read more…
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How to Make a Mudbrick
• 11/08/2018
Anyone can make a mudbrick! The recipe is simple—and the ingredients are common. Read more…
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Canaan and Egypt: Ancient Fish Trade
• 11/01/2018
Scientists determined through an analysis of fish teeth that there was an extensive fish trade between Canaan and Egypt 3,500 years ago. Read more…
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Lay That Ghost: Necromancy in Ancient Greece and Rome
• 10/30/2018
When seeking “hidden” knowledge, ancient Greeks and Romans visited sacred oracles and consulted necromancers, who communed with the dead. The necromancer’s art often involved strange journeys, sleep-and-dreaming rituals and even Read more…
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Delikkemer: Hydrating Democracy at Patara
• 10/28/2018
Explore the water system that supplied the world’s oldest federalist democracy. Read more…
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BAR Test Kitchen
• 09/04/2018
If you have ever wanted to eat like an ancient person, now you can. Read more…
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Fruit in the Bible
• 09/03/2018
Seeds and fruit remains are exciting discoveries for archaeologists, and they provide radiocarbon data to help date buried strata. Fruit also plays an important role in the Biblical narrative. Read more…
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Ancient Combat Sports
• 08/26/2018
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 Read more…
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Classical Corner: The Antonine Plague and the Spread of Christianity
• 08/17/2018
In 166 C.E., the Roman Empire was at the zenith of its power. The triumphant Roman legions, under the command of Emperor Lucius Verrus, returned to Rome victorious after having Read more…
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BAR Test Kitchen: Mersu
• 08/15/2018
For this BAR Test Kitchen dish, we made mersu, an ancient Syrian delicacy made of flour, dates, and pistachios. Read more…
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The Prehistoric Diet and the Rise of Complex Societies
• 08/13/2018
Learn about prehistoric dining at Tel Tsaf, an ancient village about 20 miles south of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Read more…
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Ancient Bread: 14,400-Year-Old Flatbreads Unearthed in Jordan
• 07/25/2018
In northeast Jordan, archaeologists discovered ancient “bread-like” remains that pre-date the emergence of agriculture by at least 4,000 years. Read more…
