beheading of john the baptist

beheading of john the baptist Latest

Feb 11 Blog

Herod Antipas in the Bible and Beyond

Who was Herod Antipas? This son and successor of Herod the Great ruled Galilee when Jesus lived, and he participated in the trial of Jesus. In BAR, Morten Hørning Jensen examines what archaeology can tell us about this not-so-great Herod.

Jan 28 Blog

Gospel of John Commentary: Who Wrote the Gospel of John and How Historical Is It?

By: BAS Staff

The Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, tell the story of the life of Jesus. Yet only one—the Gospel of John—claims to be an eyewitness account, the testimony of the unnamed “disciple whom Jesus loved.”

Oct 22 Blog

The Masada Siege

By: Robin Ngo

What do we know about the Roman siege of Masada? We must consider both the account given by Josephus and the surviving archaeological evidence in order to reconstruct what happened.

Jun 18 Blog

Machaerus: Beyond the Beheading of John the Baptist

By: BAS Staff

According to the Gospels, Herod Antipas had John the Baptist imprisoned and killed at the request of the beautiful Salome. Josephus locates the event at Machaerus. The archaeological finds paint a clear picture of this magnificent site’s colorful but bloody history.

May 18 Blog

Vatican Honors Machaerus Excavator

By: Megan Sauter

Professor Győző Vörös, member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts and frequent BAR author, has received the highest pontifical award for his archaeological work at […]

Nov 13 Blog

Machaerus Through the Ages

By: Győző Vörös

Timeline of Events at Machaerus Late Hellenistic (Hasmonean) Period c. 90 B.C.: The Machaerus fortress was founded by King Alexander Jannaeus. During the reign […]

Sep 17 Blog

Actual Palace of Herod Antipas Stars in Opera

By: Jonathan Laden

Because of the pandemic The Hungarian State Opera could only have one performance of Salome at the Erkel Theatre, so they decided to make it […]

Aug 28 Blog

Anastylosis at Machaerus, Where John the Baptist Was Beheaded

By: Megan Sauter

Győző Vörös details the restoration work taking place at Machaerus—giving archaeological context to the New Testament episode featuring Princess Salome and John the Baptist.

Jul 13 Blog

Royal Portico on the Temple Mount

By: BAS Staff

Archaeologists are no longer primarily dependent on descriptions from the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus for understanding what Herod’s Royal Portico (also known as Herod’s […]

May 10 Blog

Baptismal Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” Added to UNESCO World Heritage List

By: Robin Ngo

In 2015, UNESCO added the archaeological complex at Al-Maghtas, Jordan—called the Biblical “Bethany beyond the Jordan”—to its World Heritage List. Another tradition places the baptismal site on the west bank of the Jordan River—in Israel.

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

More Free eBooks

Want more Bible history?

Join Us on an Educational Journey

For more than 40 years, the Biblical Archaeology Society has partnered with world-renowned hosts and guides to provide you exceptional educational offerings in the archaeology of the Biblical lands and in Biblical studies.

Learn More