josephus on the essenes

josephus on the essenes Latest

Nov 4 Blog

Where Is Biblical Bethsaida?

By: Samuel DeWitt Pfister

The ancient village of Bethsaida frequently mentioned in the Gospels is believed to be located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, but where precisely the abandoned city lies remains a fiercely-debated question among scholars.

The Temple menorah depicted in a deeply carved relief panel from the Arch of Titus in Rome. Photo: Courtesy Steven Fine, The Arch of Titus Project

Sep 16 Blog

Where Did the Temple Menorah Go?

By: Marek Dospěl

There is little doubt that the Temple Menorah was taken to Rome after the destruction of Jerusalem. However, Rome was sacked, and the Temple Menorah was looted. After disaster befell the cities that housed it as a spoil of war, was it returned to Jerusalem?

May 27 Blog

Josephus on the Essenes

By: BAS Staff

Josephus’s commentaries on the laws and characteristics of the Essene community have been invaluable to scholars studying ancient Jewish laws and customs.

Apr 24 Blog

Who Were the Essenes?

By: BAS Staff

A recent study has sought to determine by sophisticated methods whether Khirbet Qumran was home to a community of sectarian Jews, the Essenes.

Dec 17 Blog

Titus Flavius Josephus and the Prophet Jeremiah

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

In the first century C.E., during the First Jewish Revolt, the Jewish historian Josephus urged his besieged countrymen in Jerusalem to surrender to the Romans. Half a millennium earlier, Jeremiah did the same thing with respect to the Babylonians.

Aug 7 Blog

Archaeologists Say They May Have Found the Church of the Apostles at el-Araj

By: Samuel Dewitt Pfister

According to the Gospels, Bethsaida is a small fishing village on the banks of the Sea of Galilee often mentioned as the location of some […]

Mar 17 Blog

Jewish Captives in the Imperial City

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Ancient Rome was the superpower of its day. Yet, when the Romans conquered the tiny province of Judea and quashed the First Jewish Revolt in 70 C.E., it was actually a pretty big deal.

Nov 29 Blog

Biblical Pharisees and Jewish Halakhah

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Were the Biblical Pharisees really as bad as the New Testament makes them seem? Professor Roland Deines of the University of Nottingham thinks not.

Jul 14 Blog

Ancient Scribe Links Qumran Scrolls to Masada

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Paleographer Ada Yardeni identified the handwriting of a single scribe on more than 50 Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran and Masada. What can this tell us about the scribal community at Qumran?

Jul 13 Blog

First Person: Was the Dead Sea Scroll Community Celibate?

By: Hershel Shanks

One of the many fascinating questions about the Dead Sea Scroll community living at Qumran is whether its members were celibate. Did they marry and have children or not?

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