Artifacts and the Bible

Artifacts and the Bible

tel-dan-stele

Sep 5

The Tel Dan Inscription: The First Historical Evidence of King David from the Bible

By: Biblical Archaeology Society 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.

Sep 3

First Temple Cheating Weight

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

A First Temple cheating weight was found at City of David, dating from Iron Age Jerusalem. The 2,700-year-old stone is four times as heavy as its markings indicate. There were several admonitions against cheating in this manner, in the Bible.

qeiyafa-doorway

Jun 22

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?

BLMJ-4564

May 4

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.

Apr 24

Pontius Pilate’s Ring Reexamined

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Is this Pontius Pilate’s ring? First published in 2018, the small copper ring quickly made international headlines with its captivating one-word Greek inscription: ΠΙΛΑΤΟ (Pilato)—the […]

Reconstruction of the Ark of the Covenant

Apr 9

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 […]

Feb 21

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.

Arabic Colophon

Feb 12

Dating the Oldest New Testament Christian Manuscripts

By: Marek Dospěl

The New Testament that we read today in many different translations is not based on one single manuscript of the original Greek text. Why? There […]

Feb 7

The Nag Hammadi Codices and Gnostic Christianity

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Until the discovery of the Nag Hammadi codices in 1945, the Gnostic view of early Christianity had largely been forgotten. The teachings of Gnostic Christianity had been virtually erased from history by the early church fathers.

Sep 6

Treasures in Clay Jars

By: Mark Wilson

The ubiquity of hoards in antiquity, both in time and region, suggests that the phenomenon was so well known that Paul could reasonably use it as an analogy. These treasures—the coin hoards mentioned in of 2 Corinthians 4:7—were never placed in clay lamps but rather in clay jars.