archaeology in israel

archaeology in israel Latest

Feb 1 Blog

Mark and John: A Wedding at Cana—Whose and Where?

James Tabor discusses the wedding at Cana from the Gospels of Mark and John. Whose wedding was this and why were Jesus and his family present?

Jan 14 Blog

Can A Pre-Christian Version of the Book of Revelation Be Recovered?

By: James Tabor

James Tabor suggests that in the same way the basic apocalyptic texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls have as their historical reference points the parties and politics of the mid-1st century BCE, the Ur-text of revelation is most likely composed against the backdrop of local events in Judea in the 40s and 50s CE–and has little to do with Rome and its emperors.

Yigael Yadin, the father of Israeli archaeology, giving a tour of Hazor to Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, 1958. Photo by Moshe Pridan, courtesy the Government Press Office

Oct 23 Blog

From National Hobby to Scientific Profession

By: BAS Staff

Archaeological remains, brought back to the light of day, serve as tangible evidence of the past. As such, they are capable of connecting people to […]

Jun 13 Blog

The Quest for the Historical Paul

By: James Tabor

What can we reliably know about Paul and how can we know it? As is the case with Jesus this is not an easy question.

Apr 11 Blog

If I Ascend to Heaven … Paul’s Journey to Paradise

By: James Tabor

The various types of the heavenly journeys we have reports about can be divided into four basic categories, based upon the fundamental purpose or outcome of the ascent as reported in a given text. Generally speaking, the first two categories are more characteristic of the Ancient Near Eastern, or archaic period, which would include most texts of the Hebrew Bible (OT). The latter two categories are more typical of the Hellenistic period, which reflects the perspective of the NT.

Roman Catacomb Painting at the Catacombs of Santa Priscilla

Apr 4 Blog

The Last Days of Jesus: A Final “Messianic” Meal

By: James Tabor

On Wednesday Jesus began to make plans for Passover. He sent two of his disciples into the city to prepare a large second-story guest room where he could gather secretly and safely with his inner group.

Preserved hair from a Jewish male found in the 1st-century “Tomb of the Shroud”

Mar 17 Blog

The Only Ancient Jewish Male Hair Ever Found

By: James Tabor

The braided hair of a Jewish woman was found at Masada but until recently no example of preserved hair from a Jewish male had ever been found from the late 2nd Temple period. This discovery is one of the many fascinating, but less publicized finds of the 1st century “Tomb of the Shroud,” discovered in the summer of 2000 just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The secrets this tomb continues to yield are many, including recent correlations with the DNA test results from the Talpiot Jesus tomb.

Jan 23 Blog

The “Gabriel Stone” on Display

By: James Tabor

James Tabor describes Israel Knohl's changed interpretation of the critical line discussing the resurrection of the dead after three days of "Gabriel's Revelation."

Dec 21 Blog

That Other “King of the Jews”

By: James Tabor

According to the gospel of Mark, when Jesus is on trial before the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate he was asked if he claimed to be the “King of the Jews,” and his ambiguous answer was “You say so.”

Jul 2 Blog

Giant of Iron Age Research

By: Daniel M. Master

Daniel M. Master writes a tribute to Lawrence E. Stager, one of the most significant Biblical archaeologist of the past 40 years.

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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