ancient near east

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A stone relief created in 1958 by sculptor Ferdinand Heseding. The relief, which appears on a fountain in Dusseldorf, Germany, depicts the Biblical spies Joshua and Caleb carrying a cluster of grapes back from the Promised Land (Numbers 13:1-33)

Mar 20 Blog

No, No, Bad Dog: Dogs in the Bible

Dogs—or celeb in Hebrew—were not well loved in the Bible. Given the negative associations with dogs, it is surprising that one of the great Hebrew spies bears this name.

Mar 4 Blog

King Hezekiah in the Bible: Royal Seal of Hezekiah Comes to Light

By: Robin Ngo

For the first time, the royal seal of King Hezekiah in the Bible has been found in an archaeological excavation.

Cropped illustration shows Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where God gave them the command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). Photo: From Charles Foster, The Story of the Bible (1897).

Feb 25 Blog

Who Was the Wife of Cain?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Who did Cain marry? Where did she come from? Mary Joan Winn Leith suggests that while the Israelite storyteller knew that other men and women in Genesis existed outside of Eden, they did not matter to him or factor into his account. He was concerned with Adam and Eve and their progeny—not those outside of this group.

Feb 16 Blog

The Animals Went in Two by Two, According to Babylonian Ark Tablet

By: Noah Wiener

A recently translated Old Babylonian flood tablet describes how to build a circular ark.

Feb 15 Blog

First Person: Human Sacrifice to an Ammonite God?

By: Hershel Shanks

Were sons and daughters sacrificed in ancient times? Is there any archaeological evidence?

Feb 10 Blog

The Middle Eastern Origins of Sheep

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Mentioned more than any other animal in the Bible, sheep were an ever-present reality in the ancient Levant. For nomads like Abraham and pastoralists like […]

Dec 26 Blog

Locating Zoar

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Read Master’s College professor Bill Schlegel’s commentary on the location of Zoar along with Steven Collins’s response.

Dec 3 Blog

The Origins of “The Cherry Tree Carol”

By: Mary Joan Winn Leith

“The Cherry Tree Carol” is a Christmas carol that first appeared in 13th-century England; an American version was discovered in Appalachia in the 20th century. Stonehill College Biblical scholar Mary Joan Winn Leith explains the carol’s roots in early Christian Syrian churches.

Dec 3 Blog

Ancient Synagogues in Israel and the Diaspora

By: Megan Sauter

Were there synagogues before the Romans destroyed the Temple, or did they develop only afterward? Communal structures from the Second Temple period have been discovered, but should they be considered synagogues even though they don’t share the major architectural feature common to post-destruction synagogues?

Nov 28 Blog

A Feast for the Senses … and the Soul

By: Dorothy Willette

Go on a journey of the senses through history and discover the significance of ritual feasts and meals in antiquity.

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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