SEARCH
SEARCH
SUBSCRIBE
 | 
RENEW
 | 
DONATE

lilith

lilith Latest

The fateful encounter between Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar is depicted in this 17th-century painting by Dutch artist Gerbrand van den Eeckhout

May 10 Blog

Sacred Prostitution in the Story of Judah and Tamar

By: BAS Staff

While some scholars suggest that temple prostitution was practiced in ancient Israel, Edward Lipiński argues that neither the Bible nor archaeology provides any clear evidence that Israelite religion incorporated the sexual rites of Canaanite goddesses.

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

By: Megan Sauter

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?

lilith

Apr 23 Blog

Lilith

By: Janet Howe Gaines

In most manifestations of her myth, Lilith represents chaos, seduction and ungodliness. Yet, in her every guise, Lilith has cast a spell on humankind. Who is Lilith in the Bible?

The pre-penitent Magdalene by Chris Gollon

Mar 26 Blog

Was Mary Magdalene Wife of Jesus? Was Mary Magdalene a Prostitute?

By: BAS Staff

Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute who repented or simply an influential female follower of Jesus? Mary from Magdala has popularly been saddled with an unfavorable reputation, but how did this notion come about?

19th-century painting of Jezebel by John Liston Byam Shaw

Mar 3 Blog

Scandalous Women in the Bible

By: BAS Staff

Mary Magdalene, Jezebel, Rahab, Lilith. Today, each are popularly considered scandalous women in the Bible. Are these so-condemned salacious women misrepresented?

creation-of-eve

Nov 27 Blog

The Adam and Eve Story: Eve Came From Where?

By: BAS Staff

The Book of Genesis tells us that God created woman from one of Adam’s ribs. But Biblical scholar Ziony Zevit says that the traditional translation of the Biblical text is wrong: Eve came from a different part of Adam’s body—his baculum.

Jezebel

Sep 18 Blog

How Bad Was Jezebel?

By: Janet Howe Gaines

For more than two thousand years, Jezebel has been saddled with a reputation as the bad girl of the Bible, the wickedest of women. But just how depraved was she?

Lady Lilith by Rossetti (1866). Public Domain

Aug 12 Blog

Lilith in the Bible and Mythology

By: Megan Sauter

Who were the original humans that God created in the Garden of Eden: Adam and Eve? Or Adam and Lilith? A close look at the opening chapters of Genesis—and ancient Jewish mythology—may suggest that Lilith came before Eve!

Jul 15 Blog

How the Serpent in the Garden Became Satan

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.

May 1 Blog

First Person: Misogyny in the Bible

By: Hershel Shanks

According to scholar Christopher Rollston, there are many examples of the marginalization of women in the Bible.

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