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…
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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How Ancient Taxes Were Collected Under King Manasseh
• 04/17/2018
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How Ancient Jews Dated Years
• 04/04/2018
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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At Carthage, Child Sacrifice?
• 04/01/2018
Was child sacrifice really practiced at ancient Carthage? In BAR, Patricia Smith discusses the research she and her team conducted on the cremated remains from the Carthage Tophet. Read more…
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Medicine in the Ancient World
• 03/27/2018
What exactly did ancient cultures do to combat disease and injury, and did these methods have any real basis in science as we know it today? The answers may surprise Read more…
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St. Nicholas Ring Unearthed in Jezreel Valley Garden
• 03/21/2018
A landscaper working in the Jezreel Valley discovered a 700-year-old ring bearing the image of St. Nicholas. Read more…
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Classical Corner: A Comet Gives Birth to an Empire
• 03/15/2018
In the Greco-Roman world, there is ample evidence that celestial objects, their movements and occasional surprise appearances not only inspired awe and wonder, but in some cases directly influenced mythology, Read more…
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The Enduring Symbolism of Doves
• 03/02/2018
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 Read more…
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What Were the Ancient Olympics Like?
• 02/08/2018
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. The feats Read more…
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How Were Biblical Psalms Originally Performed?
• 02/07/2018
Biblical psalms have throughout millennia been an important part of traditional Jewish and Christian worship. How were Biblical psalms originally performed? Read more…
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The Archaeological Quest for the Earliest Christians
• 02/01/2018
In part one of a two-part series, Douglas Boin presents new archaeological and historical research in the study of early Christianity. Read more…
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The Archaeological Quest for the Earliest Christians
• 02/01/2018
In part two of a two-part series, Douglas Boin challenges the idea that Christians left so few archaeological traces behind because they couldn’t afford to make them. Read more…
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Ancient Combat Sports
• 01/25/2018
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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Crafty Israelites: Iron Age Crafts at Tel Hazor
• 01/22/2018
The Iron Age Israelites weren’t known for their artistic tradition—so much so that, according to the Bible, King Solomon had to outsource to the Phoenicians wood-cutting in the construction of Read more…
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Taking Out the Trash in Ancient Jerusalem
• 01/09/2018
Excavations on Jerusalem’s Southeastern Hill—just outside the “City of David”— have exposed a landfill from the Early Roman period. This garbage provides insight into residents’ daily lives and habits during Read more…
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Philistine Cemetery Unearthed at Ashkelon
• 01/02/2018
The first and only Philistine cemetery ever discovered was found outside the walls of ancient Ashkelon. Read more…
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Lebanese Cedar—The Prized Tree of Ancient Woodworking
• 12/22/2017
From Solomon’s Temple to the Jesus Boat, the Biblical world was built of cedar. Read more…
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What Was Life Like for Roman Slaves?
• 12/19/2017
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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A Feast for the Senses … and the Soul
• 12/05/2017
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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Israelite Cosmology and the Orientation of Iron Age Houses
• 11/21/2017
Why are most of the houses from Iron Age Israel and Judah oriented to the east? Read more…
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Lay That Ghost: Necromancy in Ancient Greece and Rome
• 10/31/2017
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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Headless Toads Revealed in 4,000-Year-Old Jerusalem Tomb
• 10/18/2017
The discovery of a 4,000-year-old Canaanite shaft tomb containing the remains of at least nine decapitated toads has given archaeologists intriguing insight into ancient burial practices. Read more…
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BAR Test Kitchen: Roman Custard
• 10/11/2017
Learn how to make a sweet custard from ancient Rome with the BAR Test Kitchen. Read more…
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Everyday Eves
• 10/10/2017
Carol L. Meyers examines what life was like for women in Biblical times. Archaeological evidence, ethnographic studies and Biblical texts illuminate women’s roles in both the household and community and Read more…
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Ancient Board Games in Biblical Gath
• 10/09/2017
Fragmentary finds of gaming boards, playing pieces, and knucklebones attest to the popularity of ancient board games in biblical Gath. Read more…
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Was Biblical Israel an Egalitarian Society?
• 09/14/2017
Although excavated structures, pottery and other household artifacts offer a glimpse of daily life in the Iron Age highlands of Canaan, no burials or tombs have been found. What do Read more…
