Magazine Highlights

Biblical Archaeology Review, Summer 2025

Our Summer 2025 issue takes you on a trip around the world. Our first stop is southern Spain, where “From Tyre to Tarshish” explores the evidence for Phoenicia’s early expansion into the western Mediterranean. We then venture to the fabled land of Cush to visit the great monuments of “Judah’s African Ally,” who aided King Hezekiah in his confrontation with ancient Assyria. The journey continues in Jerusalem, where we excavate just outside the Old City walls to examine the cryptic inscription of “The Mysterious Mount Zion Mug.”

Investigate the “Table of Nations” from Genesis and the myriad sources where the biblical writers gained information about the broader world. Take a “Site-Seeing” tour of Nazareth to visit centuries-old churches and landmarks that commemorate Jesus’s formative years. In addition, sample a flavorful Jewish eggplant dish from medieval Spain, and learn how Sudan’s civil war is placing the country’s rich cultural heritage at risk.

Enjoy this issue’s other compelling stories as well. Examine the various types of decorative amulets that early Christians used to secure divine blessing. Explore women prophets in the Hebrew Bible and how their roles were distinct from their male counterparts. And sit down with James Fraser, the new director of the Albright Institute, to learn what he enjoys most about being the institute’s director.

Finally, our Summer issue continues to celebrate BAR’s 50th anniversary with the second article in our “New Directions” series. This piece highlights scientific dating techniques that may resolve some of biblical archaeology’s most longstanding debates.

Visit us online, at Bible History Daily, to see the latest news in biblical archaeology or to delve into additional articles, eBooks, and videos about key Bible and archaeology topics. And in our Web Exclusive, dive into the history of Tyre, the legendary Phoenician city-state that explored the far reaches of the Mediterranean and helped King Solomon accumulate his tremendous wealth.

All-Access Members can explore the BAS Library, which features every article ever published in Biblical Archaeology Review, Bible Review, and Archaeology Odyssey, as well as Special Collections of articles curated by BAR editors.

Features

From Tyre to Tarshish: The Phoenicians in Spain

Carolina López-Ruiz, David Schloen, and José Suárez Padilla
By the late ninth century BCE, Phoenicians from Tyre and Sidon had established a robust Mediterranean trade network. In southern Iberia—likely biblical Tarshish—they established a coastal settlement at Cerro del Villar. Archaeology reveals a thriving commercial port that developed fruitful relations with local communities while preserving the traditions and customs of the Phoenician homeland.

Judah’s African Ally: Taharqa and the Kingdom of Cush

James K. Hoffmeier
When King Hezekiah of Judah was bracing for Assyrian attack at the close of the eighth century BCE, he fortified Jerusalem and sought alliances. According to the Bible and Assyrian sources, one unexpected ally arrived from the kingdom of Cush in present-day Sudan. Known as Tirhaqah in the Bible, he must have been only a young prince when he led Cush’s army to Judah’s defense in 701.

The Mysterious Mount Zion Mug

Shimon Gibson
A fragmentary stone mug from the first century CE, discovered during the Mt. Zion excavations just outside Jerusalem’s Old City walls, bears a remarkable secret: a carefully incised inscription partially written in a rare cryptic script previously known only from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Investigate this mysterious text and what it may reveal about Jewish ritual practices during the Second Temple period.

Dating Game: How Archaeologists Date the Biblical Past

Yoav Vaknin
Knowing when ancient artifacts were created, used, or destroyed is crucial for understanding the biblical past. Archaeology’s methods for dating sites, buildings, and artifacts have changed dramatically since the early days of the discipline. Explore the advanced scientific techniques that are helping modern archaeologists resolve longstanding historical and chronological debates, including the dating of key biblical battles.

Departments

Strata

Oldest Alphabetic Writing?
What Is It?
Who Did It?
Jerusalem Cult Shrine Discovered
Dead Sea Scrolls Shine in LA
Law and Order in Roman Judea
Heavenly Help: Christian Amulets in Context
Milestone: Clinton Bailey (1936–2025)
Milestone: Ze’ev Meshel (1932–2024)
Site-Seeing: Exploring Jesus’s Hometown
Test Kitchen: Iberian Stuffed Eggplants
Century Mark: ASOR Turns 125!
5 Questions: The New Face of the Albright
Going, Going, Gone: Cush in the Crosshairs
Archaeology Argot: Seriation
Book Review: The Quest for John the Baptist
World Wonders: Carthage

Epistles

The Table of Nations: A Geographic Odyssey
Define Intervention
Clip Art
Whence-A-Word?: Writing on the Wall
Women and Prophecy in Biblical Israel
Biblical Bestiary: Locust

Plus

Digging In
Queries & Comments
Authors
Caption Contest

Web Exclusive

The House of Tyre