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

Dec 16 Blog

Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible

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.

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?

Aug 23 Blog

The Arch of Titus’s Menorah Panel in Color

By: Megan Sauter

Using technology, a team has digitally restored a panel from the Arch of Titus—which famously depicts captured treasures from Jerusalem’s Temple being paraded through Rome—to its original color.

The Magdala Stone. Photo: Yael Yulowich, Israel Antiquities Authority

Aug 17 Blog

The Magdala Stone: The Jerusalem Temple Embodied

By: Jennifer Ristine

For a people living in the diaspora, unable to visit the Jerusalem Temple frequently, what kept the memory and centrality of the Temple fresh in their minds? An intriguing stone uncovered at the Galilean site of Magdala might offer a clue.

Jul 10 Blog

Understanding the Jewish Menorah

By: BAS Staff

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.

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 […]

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.

Jul 7 Blog

On Display in Rome: Images of the Temple Menorah

By: Fredric Brandfon

The Menorah: Worship, History and Myth, a major exhibition on display at the Vatican Museum and the Jewish Museum in Rome, provides dramatic images of the Temple Menorah.

Jan 4 Blog

Hanukkah Discovery: Ancient Menorah and Cross Carvings

By: Robin Ngo

Cave explorers in the Judean Shephelah found ancient carvings of a seven-branched menorah and a cross during the Hanukkah holiday.

Oct 19 Blog

Apostasy in Judaism

By: Robin Ngo

Did Jews have a faith crisis after the Second Temple destruction and the horrors that followed? In his Biblical Views column in the November/December 2015 issue of BAR, Jonathan Klawans explores apostasy in Judaism—the abandonment of faith.

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