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Ancient Israel

Ancient Israel Latest

Rahab assisting the spies sent by Joshua in escaping Jericho through the window of her house, which was built into the city wall, by means of a rope. Engraving by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Germany, 1860. Image: CCI/The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY.

May 12 Blog

Rahab the Harlot?

By: Robin Ngo

In the Book of Joshua, Rahab assisted two Israelite spies in escaping out a window and down the city wall of Jericho. Who was Rahab in the Bible? A Biblical prostitute or just an innkeeper?

The fateful encounter between Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar is depicted in this 17th-century painting by Dutch artist Gerbrand van den Eeckhout

May 10 Blog

Sacred Prostitution in the Story of Judah and Tamar

By: BAS Staff

While some scholars suggest that temple prostitution was practiced in ancient Israel, Edward Lipiński argues that neither the Bible nor archaeology provides any clear evidence that Israelite religion incorporated the sexual rites of Canaanite goddesses.

Marcello Provenzale's 1608 micro-mosaic represents Cardinal Scipione Borghese as Orpheus, sitting beneath a tree surrounded by both real and imagined creatures.

May 7 Blog

Borrowing from the Neighbors

By: Sarah Yeomans

Living in the Greco-Roman world, early Christians were able to draw from a set of rich artistic paradigms when they set out to depict their stories and beliefs in decorative contexts. This often led to the assimilation of well-established pagan artistic styles and images into early Christian art. The sculptors, fresco painters and mosaic artists who created Christian images did so by using the prolific examples of art and decoration that shaped their artistic landscape.

The Tel Dan stele. Photo: The Israel Museum, Jerusalem/Israel Antiquities Authority (photograph by Meidad Suchowolski)

May 7 Blog

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.

Apr 30 Blog

Daily Life in Ancient Israel

By: BAS Staff

What was life like for the tribes of Israel in the time of the Biblical Judges, the period archaeologists call Iron Age I (1200–1000 B.C.E.)?

lilith

Apr 23 Blog

Lilith

By: Janet Howe Gaines

In most manifestations of her myth, Lilith represents chaos, seduction and ungodliness. Yet, in her every guise, Lilith has cast a spell on humankind. Who is Lilith in the Bible?

last-supper

Apr 14 Blog

Jesus’ Last Supper Still Wasn’t a Passover Seder Meal

By: Jonathan Klawans

Many people still assume that Jesus’ Last Supper was a Seder, a ritual meal held in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover. In this exclusive Bible History Daily guest post, Boston University Professor of Religion Jonathan Klawans provides an update to his popular Bible Review article questioning this common assumption.

Merneptah Stele. Photo: Maryl Levine.

Apr 7 Blog

The Exodus: Fact or Fiction?

By: BAS Staff

Does archaeological evidence connect with Israel’s Exodus from Egypt—a central event in the Bible? Egyptian artifacts and sites show that the Biblical text does indeed recount accurate memories from the period to which the Exodus is generally assigned.

Apr 2 Blog

Understanding the Good Samaritan Parable

By: BAS Staff

Who were the Samaritans? Dr. Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University explains how getting an accurate answer to this question can shed light on how shocking the Good Samaritan parable would have been for Jesus’ audience.

Late-15th-century painting of The Last Supper by the Spanish artist known as the Master of Perea.

Mar 31 Blog

Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?

By: Jonathan Klawans

Many assume that Jesus' Last Supper was a Seder, the ritual Passover meal. Examine evidence from the synoptic Gospels with scholar Jonathan Klawans.

Must-Read Free eBooks

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future
Biblical Peoples—The World of Ancient Israel
Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus’ Life
Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus
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