daily life and practice

daily life and practice Latest

11th-century mosaic from the Church of the Dormition in Daphne, Greece, depicts the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion

May 5 Blog

The Creation of Woman in the Bible

How was the first woman created in Genesis 2? Was she made from the man’s rib or, as recently suggested in BAR, from his os baculum?

Apr 28 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.

A black-figure Attic vessel by the Theseus Painter, dating to around 500 BCE. Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1906

Apr 21 Blog

Ancient Combat Sports

By: Michael B. Poliakoff

Three ancient Olympic combat events—wrestling, boxing and pancratium—reveal much about the aspirations and values of ancient Greece, about what was deemed honorable, fair and beautiful, both in the eyes of those of who competed and those who traveled to Olympia to watch.

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.

Mar 31 Blog

The Origin of Sin and Death in the Bible

By: Megan Sauter

What is the origin of sin and death in the Bible? Who was the first sinner?

Mar 19 Blog

Biblical Bread: Baking Like the Ancient Israelites

By: Cynthia Shafer-Elliott

A team from the Tell Halif archaeological excavation made their own tannur, a traditional oven referenced in the Hebrew Bible, and baked bread in it.

Bowl decorated with recumbent lions and calves before the symbol of the god An (BLMJ 4564). Photo: David Harris

Mar 10 Blog

10 Great Biblical Artifacts at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem

By: David Moster

10 The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem houses one of the world’s most important collections of Biblical artifacts.

Feb 24 Blog

Ancient Pergamon

By: Sarah Yeomans

Ancient Pergamon's strategic location along both land and sea trading routes contributed to its prosperity. Pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean region would flock to the city to engage in commerce or to visit the famous Asclepion, a center of medical treatments.

Ostraca with Hebrew inscriptions excavated from the Iron Age fortress at Arad in Israel. Photo: Michael Cordonsky, courtesy Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority

Feb 17 Blog

When Was the Hebrew Bible Written?

By: Robin Ngo

When was the Hebrew Bible written? Ostraca with Hebrew inscriptions excavated from the Iron Age fortress at Arad in Israel may provide clues, say researchers from Tel Aviv University.

Feb 7 Blog

Puzzling Finds from Kuntillet ‘Ajrud

By: BAS Staff

“Yahweh and his Asherah” is written across the top of this eighth-century B.C. drawing on a ceramic pithos from Kuntillet ‘Ajrud in the eastern Sinai. Some scholars have theorized that these figures resembling the Egyptian god Bes are in fact a drawing of God and his consort.

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

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