MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS

Biblical Archaeology Review, Winter 2024

The Winter 2024 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review is packed with insightful, thought-provoking articles sure to promote enjoyable discussion and debate during the holiday season.

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Our cover story, “Written in Stone,” explores the first official churches built by Constantine the Great to commemorate key moments in the life of Jesus. In “Projecting Prestige,” visit the great Canaanite city of Hazor to learn how Egyptian statues from dynasties of old may have been used to cement the status of the city’s rulers. Then, follow archaeologist William Dever as he examines evidence for the Assyrian destruction of ancient Israel’s Northern Kingdom that may help unravel the mystery of “How the Ten Tribes of Israel Were Lost.” Finally, in “The Mystery of Mary and Martha,” investigate scribal changes made to early copies of John’s Gospel that may reflect later Christian attempts to downplay Mary Magdalene’s role in the Jesus movement.

Beyond these articles, pore through ancient spellbooks that reveal the peculiar rituals Romans used to secure the affections of would-be lovers. Examine a decorated Bronze Age vessel from Tel Burna and what its stylized imagery may suggest about Canaanite goddess worship, and then join archaeologists in the laboratory as they try to determine whether opium was as widely used in antiquity as some believe. Learn fascinating stories about Jesus’s childhood that circulated among early Christians and why these noncanonical traditions proved so appealing. Finally, explore the realities of the human experience that may underlie the Hebrew Bible’s many purity laws.

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 the issue’s Web Exclusive, join BAR Assistant Editor Nathan Steinmeyer as he tours the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to explore the history and archaeology of one of Christianity’s most sacred sites.

All-Access Members can also 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

The Life of Jesus Written in Stone

Jordan J. Ryan
During the fourth century, monumental churches arose across Roman Palestine to commemorate major events in the life of Jesus. Starting with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, these commemorative churches became stations on a pilgrim’s Holy Land itinerary to contemplate the tenets of the Christian faith—from the annunciation to the ascension. Exploring their architecture reveals common features designed to construct the identity and beliefs of early Christians.

Projecting Prestige: Egyptian Statues from Canaanite Hazor

Igor Kreimerman
Some two dozen fragments of ancient Egyptian statues have turned up in the excavations of the Canaanite city of Hazor in the Upper Galilee. Intriguingly, these statues were destroyed already in antiquity, and most were found in archaeological contexts dating centuries after the pieces were first made. Explore how, when, and why these high-end artifacts ended up at Late Bronze Age Hazor.

How the Ten Tribes of Israel Were Lost

William G. Dever
When the Assyrians conquered Samaria in 720 BCE, the once-prosperous Northern Kingdom of Israel came to a disastrous end. Massive deportations of Israelites followed, and the land was resettled by deportees from other parts of the Assyrian Empire. Later biblical tradition remembered these events as the disappearance of ancient Israel’s ten northern tribes. Explore the archaeological evidence from Gezer, an important stronghold in the Judean foothills.

The Mystery of Mary and Martha

Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
The story of Jesus’s raising of Lazarus (John 11) is one of the most memorable in the Gospels. Integral to the narrative are Lazarus’s two sisters, Mary and Martha, who petition Jesus for healing and then bear witness to their brother’s resurrection. But there is manuscript evidence that an early version of the story included just one sister, Mary, possibly Mary Magdalene. Was Martha a later addition to the story?

Departments

Strata

Skirting Trouble in the Golan
Who Did It?
Living in Luxury
Early Infancy Gospel Discovered
What Is It?
Navigating the High Seas in Antiquity
Slaying the Serpent
The Megiddo Mosaic
Archaeology Argot: Flabellum
Classical Corner: The Power of Love in Roman Magic
Milestones
Facelift: Augustus’s Mausoleum
Test Kitchen: Tasty Cuneiform Tablets
Symbols of the Goddess
Arch-Tech: Slumbering Dreams: Testing for Ancient Opium
Book Review: Encountering Syriac Christianity
World Wonders: The Crux Vaticana

Epistles

Christianity’s First Family
Clip Art
Getting Down and Dirty with Impurity
Whence-a-Word?: “Nothing New Under the Sun”
Biblical Bestiary: Camel

Plus

Digging In
Queries & Comments
Authors
Caption Contest

Web Exclusive

O Little Town of Bethlehem
More Queries & Comments

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