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Oct 8 Blog

The “Strange” Ending of the Gospel of Mark and Why It Makes All the Difference

By: James Tabor

James Tabor presents a fresh look at the original text of the earliest Gospel.

Sep 26 Blog

Mark and John: A Wedding at Cana—Whose and Where?

By: James Tabor

James Tabor discusses the wedding at Cana from the Gospels of Mark and John. Whose wedding was this and why were Jesus and his family present?

Sep 15 Blog

What Color Was Tekhelet?

By: Robin Ngo

In the Bible, a shade of blue called tekhelet was God’s chosen color for the ancient Israelites. Tekhelet drapes adorned Solomon’s Temple, and tekhelet robes were worn by Israel’s high priests. What was the actual color of ancient tekhelet and tzitzit?

Sep 9 Blog

Besieging Masada

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

The first-century CE siege of Masada is one of the most famous sieges in the history of Judah. Despite this, little is actually known about […]

Jun 18 Blog

Machaerus: Beyond the Beheading of John the Baptist

By: BAS Staff

According to the Gospels, Herod Antipas had John the Baptist imprisoned and killed at the request of the beautiful Salome. Josephus locates the event at Machaerus. The archaeological finds paint a clear picture of this magnificent site’s colorful but bloody history.

Jun 13 Blog

The Quest for the Historical Paul

By: James Tabor

What can we reliably know about Paul and how can we know it? As is the case with Jesus this is not an easy question.

May 30 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 27 Blog

Who Were the Essenes?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

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

Apr 25 Blog

Ancient Jerusalem: The Village, the Town, the City

By: Hershel Shanks

Archaeologist Hillel Geva says that population estimates for ancient Jerusalem are too high. His new estimates begin with people living on no more than a dozen acres.

Apr 11 Blog

If I Ascend to Heaven … Paul’s Journey to Paradise

By: James Tabor

The various types of the heavenly journeys we have reports about can be divided into four basic categories, based upon the fundamental purpose or outcome of the ascent as reported in a given text. Generally speaking, the first two categories are more characteristic of the Ancient Near Eastern, or archaic period, which would include most texts of the Hebrew Bible (OT). The latter two categories are more typical of the Hellenistic period, which reflects the perspective of the NT.

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