Artifacts and the Bible
Feb 16
Phoenician Scarab Discovered in Sardinia
A small object with a big story has emerged from the excavations at Nuraghe Ruinas in Sardinia, Italy. The Superintendency of Archaeology for the Sassari […]
Feb 6
“Render Unto Caesar” and the First Jewish Revolt
Two coins from the First Jewish Revolt (66–74 CE) have been found among the numismatic material excavated at Carchemish. Located on the Euphrates River in […]
Jan 31
Ivory Pomegranate Revisited: A Relic from Solomon’s Temple?
By: BAS Staff
The famous inscribed ivory pomegranate, which, if authentic, may have been the head of a scepter from Solomon’s Temple, has endured decades of debate. Is the inscription real, or is it a forgery? A meeting between world-class paleographers in the summer of 2015 may have settled the debate.
Jan 26
Babylonian Texts Complicate Bible’s Image of Nebuchadnezzar
In biblical memory, Nebuchadnezzar II (604–562 BCE) looms large as an agent of catastrophe. He appears across multiple biblical books—2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, Jeremiah, […]
Jan 22
The Ark of the Covenant in its Egyptian Context
By: David A. Falk
The Ark of the Covenant as we know it from the Hebrew Bible is steeped in the culture and context of its time (Late Bronze […]
Jan 17
The Doorways of Solomon’s Temple
By: Megan Sauter
In the Bible, the inner shrine of Solomon’s Temple is described as having five mezuzot. What are they? The question has puzzled Biblical scholars for centuries. Does a recently discovered shrine model from Khirbet Qeiyafa hold the answer?
Nov 23
The Tel Dan Inscription: The First Historical Evidence of King David from the Bible
By: BAS Staff
Few modern Biblical archaeology discoveries have attracted as much attention as the Tel Dan inscription—writing on a ninth-century B.C. stone slab (or stela) that furnished the first historical evidence of King David from the Bible.
Nov 18
Is the “Brother of Jesus” Inscription on the James Ossuary a Forgery?
By: BAS Staff
Although the famous “brother of Jesus” inscription on the so-called James Ossuary has been authenticated by two world-class paleographers, not everyone is convinced that the inscription is authentic.
Oct 9
10 Great Biblical Artifacts at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem
By: David Moster
10 The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem houses one of the world’s most important collections of Biblical artifacts.
Aug 19
Jesus Holding a Magic Wand?
By: Marek Dospěl
Did Jesus use a magic wand when performing his miracles? It seems so—if we are to judge by some of the earliest depictions of Jesus […]
