israel and judah

By: Ellen White

The open-air altar shrine, called a bamah (plural bamot), is known through several books of the Biblical canon. Often referred to as “high places” in translations of the Bible, bamot were worship sites that usually contained an altar.

By: Shawna Dolansky

The serpent in the Garden of Eden is portrayed as just that: a serpent. The story in Genesis 2–3 contains no hint that he embodies the devil, Satan or any other evil power. So where does the devil come into the details of Eden? Biblical scholar Shawna Dolansky examines how the serpent became Satan.

By: Megan Sauter

During the Iron Age, when Israel and Judah ruled Canaan, the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab and Edom ruled east of the Jordan River. Recent archaeological discoveries vastly increase our understanding of these kingdoms and their religion.

By: Ellen White

Archaeology tells us a lot about the Hittites—and the Neo-Hittites too. But it’s hard to reconcile this with the Hittites of the Bible.

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Although excavated structures, pottery and other household artifacts offer a glimpse of daily life in the Iron Age highlands of Canaan, no burials or tombs have been found. What do these findings reveal about the ideology of early Iron Age Israelite society?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Aren Maeir is offering a MOOC titled “Biblical Archaeology: The Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Judah” online on the EdX platform.

By: Ellen White

Who is Asherah? What is asherah? The reference may be to a particular goddess, a class of goddess or a cult symbol used to represent the goddess. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish what meaning is intended.

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Richard Elliott Friedman reviews Beyond the Texts by William G. Dever.

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Yigal Levin examines the historical veracity of both the Egyptian Pharaoh’s account and the Bible’s account of Sheshonq's invasion.

By: John Ahn

Learn how to read the Book of Amos in context and how the prophet Amos’s message is relevant today.