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Dec 28 Blog

Understanding the Jewish Menorah

The Jewish menorah—especially the Temple menorah, a seven-branched candelabra that stood in the Temple—is the most enduring and iconic Jewish symbol. But what did the Temple menorah actually look like? Learn more in this post and view a number of important menorah depictions from antiquity.

Dec 1 Blog

First Person: Did the Kingdoms of Saul, David and Solomon Actually Exist?

By: Hershel Shanks

In BAR, Hershel Shanks examines a recent article published by archaeologist Amihai Mazar. Mazar contends that while the Biblical narratives were written hundreds of years after the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon, they “retain memories of reality.”

Sep 18 Blog

Beth Shean: A Tale of Two Sites

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

As I stepped out of the visitors’ center at Beth Shean, my eyes widened in shock at the picturesque Roman cardo stretching out before me, […]

Aug 6 Blog

A Tomb in Jerusalem Reveals the History of Crucifixion and Roman Crucifixion Methods

By: BAS Staff

In the history of crucifixion, the death of Jesus of Nazareth stands out as the best-known example by far. Crucifixion in antiquity was actually a fairly common punishment, but there were no known physical remains from a crucifixion. Then, in 1968, archaeologist Vassilios Tzaferis excavated a Jerusalem tomb that contained the bones of a crucified man named Yehohanan. As Tzaferis reported in BAR, the discovery demonstrated the brutal reality of Roman crucifixion methods in a way that written accounts never had before.

Aug 3 Blog

Left-Handed People in the Bible

By: BAS Staff

Were the warriors from the tribe of Benjamin left-handed by nature or nurture?

Jul 25 Blog

Pella: A Window on Survival

By: Mark Wilson

Eusebius recounts that the Jewish followers of Jesus heeded his warning and fled to Pella for safety before Jerusalem’s destruction.

Jul 4 Blog

Jewish Worship, Pagan Symbols

By: Walter Zanger

What are zodiac mosaics doing in ancient synagogues in Israel?

Mar 14 Blog

Beth Shean in the Bible and Archaeology

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Beth Shean plays an important role in the Bible following the death of King Saul and as a major Israelite administrative center. Excavations over the past century have revealed what archaeology (and the Bible) can—and can’t—tell us about the site’s history.

Looking out on Beth Shean National Park. Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer, BAS.

Jan 22 Blog

OnSite: Beth Shean

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Located at the convergence of the Jezreel and Jordan Valleys, Beth Shean is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in Israel. Mentioned several times in […]

Feb 26 Blog

3 Pilgrimage Paths from Galilee to Jerusalem

By: Megan Sauter

To celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), and the Feast of Booths (Sukkot), many Jews traveled to the Jerusalem […]

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