the first jewish revolt

the first jewish revolt Latest

Dec 28 Blog

Understanding the Jewish Menorah

The Jewish menorah—especially the Temple menorah, a seven-branched candelabra that stood in the Temple—is the most enduring and iconic Jewish symbol. But what did the Temple menorah actually look like? Learn more in this post and view a number of important menorah depictions from antiquity.

The Ravenna mosaic of Jesus. Photo: Sant’Apollinare Nuovo Ravenna, Italy/Bridgeman Images

Dec 15 Blog

Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible

By: Lawrence Mykytiuk

Did Jesus of Nazareth, “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), really exist? What’s the evidence outside of the Bible? Classical and Jewish writings from the first several centuries C.E. give us a glimpse of the person who would become the central figure in Christianity mere decades after his crucifixion.

Nov 23 Blog

What Did Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem Look Like?

By: Jennifer Drummond

Fifty years ago, leading Israeli scholar Michael Avi-Yonah constructed a now-iconic model of Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem. How accurate is it?

Oct 22 Blog

The Masada Siege

By: Robin Ngo

What do we know about the Roman siege of Masada? We must consider both the account given by Josephus and the surviving archaeological evidence in order to reconstruct what happened.

Masada fortress. Photo Nathan Steinmeyer

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 […]

Woodcut from Die Bibel in Bildern (1860) by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld.

Feb 13 Blog

Jesus Was a Refugee

By: Joan E. Taylor

Scholar Joan E. Taylor says that it’s worth remembering that Jesus’ earliest years were, according to the Gospel of Matthew, spent as a refugee in a foreign land.

Sep 1 Blog

Discoveries in Mary Magdalene’s Hometown

By: Marek Dospěl

Following the discovery of a synagogue at Magdala on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, four ritual purification baths dating to Jesus’ time have been uncovered. These attest to the vibrant religious and social life of the local Jewish community just before it was crushed by the Romans in 67 C.E.

Aug 13 Blog

King Herod’s Ritual Bath at Machaerus

By: Robin Ngo

Several mikva’ot (Jewish ritual baths) have been uncovered at Machaerus, the palace-fortress on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea where Salome danced and John the Baptist was beheaded. Archaeologist Győző Vörös takes readers on a journey through past and current archaeological excavations that have resulted in the discovery of these ritual baths.

Mar 21 eBook

Masada: The Dead Sea’s Desert Fortress

By: BAS Admin

Herod’s desert fortress on the mountaintop of Masada has been immortalized as an enduring symbol of Jewish pride and determination. Although the stronghold was built by the megalomaniac King Herod, it was made famous as the site of the last stand between the besieged Jewish rebels and the relentlessly advancing Romans in the First Jewish Revolt in 73/74 A.D. What is the archaeological evidence for the siege of Masada?

Mar 19 Blog

Women of the Ancient Near East: Julia Berenice

By: Carly Silver

March is Women’s History Month. To celebrate, let’s meet Julia Berenice: queen of Judea, political operator in a Roman arena, and lover of Titus—the destroyer […]

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