the crusades

the crusades Latest

Dec 3 Blog

The Origins of “The Cherry Tree Carol”

By: Mary Joan Winn Leith

“The Cherry Tree Carol” is a Christmas carol that first appeared in 13th-century England; an American version was discovered in Appalachia in the 20th century. Stonehill College Biblical scholar Mary Joan Winn Leith explains the carol’s roots in early Christian Syrian churches.

Nov 3 Blog

What Were the Crusades and How Did They Impact Jerusalem?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Some of the most famous churches in Jerusalem were built during the Christian Crusades by Crusaders wishing to memorialize sites they believed to have great Christian significance.

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.

Sep 17 Blog

Sifting Antiquity on the Temple Mount Sifting Project

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Archaeological excavations are prohibited on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, though one project—the Temple Mount Sifting Project—has been analyzing soil that came from the Temple Mount since 2004. Learn the story.

Nov 4 Blog

An Unexpected Consequence of the Christian Crusades

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The Fihrist, and the scholarship it represents, is one of the shining positives that emerged from the Crusades.

Sep 5 Blog

Pilgrims’ Progress to Byzantine Jerusalem

By: Megan Sauter

Jerusalem has been revered as a holy city for millennia—with pilgrims a staple feature in its bustling streets. Egeria’s Travels and the journals of the Bordeaux Pilgrim and the Piacenza Pilgrim demonstrate that this was as true in the Byzantine period as it is today.

Jun 22 Blog

Lawrence of Arabia as Archaeologist

By: Stephen E. Tabachnick

While the real T.E. Lawrence was not exactly like the character in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, he was, nevertheless, one of the most colorful figures to emerge from World War I.

Jun 17 Blog

Philistine Cemetery Unearthed at Ashkelon

By: Megan Sauter

The first and only Philistine cemetery ever discovered was found outside the walls of ancient Ashkelon.

Jan 30 Blog

Site-Seeing: Archaeological Remains in Holy Sepulchre’s Shadow

By: Jonathan Klawans

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem is a place you may have missed on your first (or even your second) visit to Jerusalem, but it’s well worth your time when you are lucky enough to make it back.

Nov 17 Blog

Witnessing the Divine

By: Robin M. Jensen

The legend of the magi has fired the imagination of Christians since the earliest times. In art, the adoration of the magi appeared earlier and far more frequently than any other scene of Jesus’ birth and infancy, including images of the babe in a manger.

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