hazor excavations

hazor excavations Latest

Joshua hangs back as Moses leads him by the hand in this 15th-century stained-glass panel from the Church of St. Lawrence in Nuremberg, Germany. Image: Sonia Halliday.

Feb 13 Blog

Joshua in the Bible

By: Elie Wiesel

Joshua inherits authority from Moses but not his charisma. God performed miracles for Joshua, even causing the sun to stand still, but Joshua’s speech lacks the prophet's magic. Joshua’s story is melancholy: violent victory tinged by deep sadness. As award-winning author and activist Elie Wiesel examines.

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.”

Jun 4 Blog

What Happened to the Canaanites?

By: Robin Ngo

For the first time, researchers have conducted DNA sequencing on ancient Canaanite skeletons and have determined where the Canaanites’ descendants can be found today.

May 21 Blog

Biblical Sidon—Jezebel’s Hometown

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The city of Sidon on the coast of modern Lebanon is mentioned 38 times in the Hebrew Bible. Recent excavations have exposed part of the ancient Canaanite—and later Phoenician—city, including a massive temple and depictions of deities worshiped at Sidon.

Aug 6 Blog

Canaanite Palace Staircase

By: Jonathan Laden

A massive staircase made of basalt plates 4.5 meters wide has been discovered at Tell Hazor, an ongoing excavation by Hebrew University, a part of the Selz Foundation Hazor Excavations in memory of Yigael Yadin. The lead archaeologists are Prof. Amnon Ben-Tor and Dr. Shlomit Bechar.

Dec 26 Blog

Digs 2019: A Day in the Life

By: Robert Cargill

When the alarm clock blares at 4 a.m., it’s time to get up and start the dig day. Join BAR Editor Robert R. Cargill in his trademark tie-dye shirt as he walks you through a typical day in the life of an archaeological dig participant.

Jan 22 Blog

Crafty Israelites: Iron Age Crafts at Tel Hazor

By: Robin Ngo

The Iron Age Israelites weren’t known for their artistic tradition—so much so that, according to the Bible, King Solomon had to outsource to the Phoenicians wood-cutting in the construction of the Jerusalem Temple and bronze-working for his other buildings (1 Kings 5:6–9; 1 Kings 7:13–14). But the discovery of an Iron Age basalt workshop at Tel Hazor in northern Israel revealed that the Israelites actually cultivated a basalt-carving craft.

Aug 28 Blog

The Samaria Ivories—Phoenician or Israelite?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

From the moment they were discovered, the Samaria ivories created fanfare. Recently some scholars have challenged the long-accepted assumption about the ivories’ origins.

May 21 Blog

Hazor Excavations’ Amnon Ben-Tor Reveals Who Conquered Biblical Canaanites

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The Book of Joshua describes how the Israelites vanquished the Biblical Canaanites at Hazor. But is that what really happened?

Mar 23 Blog

Where Are the Royal Archives at Tel Hazor?

By: Marek Dospěl

Biblical Hazor was the largest and most important royal city in the Southern Levant in the second millennium B.C.E. Where are the cuneiform archives at Hazor?

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