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the second temple

the second temple Latest

siloam-pool

Apr 14 Blog

Where Is the Original Siloam Pool from the Bible?

By: BAS Staff

While the Roman-period Siloam Pool—where Jesus cured the blind man—was recently discovered, the earlier Siloam Pool remains unknown.

Mar 22 Blog

53 People in the Bible Confirmed Archaeologically

By: Lawrence Mykytiuk

How many people mentioned in the Hebrew Bible have been confirmed archaeologically? Lawrence Mykytiuk reveals the surprising number—from Israelite kings to Mesopotamian monarchs—and some lesser figures as well.

Jan 22 Blog

Where Were the Old Testament Kings of Ancient Jerusalem Buried?

By: BAS Staff

Jeffrey Zorn presents some of Raymond Weill’s early-20th-century plans from his Jerusalem excavations in “Is T1 David’s Tomb?” in the November/December 2012 edition of BAR. […]

A Tomb in Jerusalem Reveals the History of Crucifixion and Roman Crucifixion Methods. Photo: Erich Lessing

Jan 6 Blog

A Tomb in Jerusalem Reveals the History of Crucifixion and Roman Crucifixion Methods

By: BAS Staff

In the history of crucifixion, the death of Jesus of Nazareth stands out as the best-known example by far. Crucifixion in antiquity was actually a fairly common punishment, but there were no known physical remains from a crucifixion. Then, in 1968, archaeologist Vassilios Tzaferis excavated a Jerusalem tomb that contained the bones of a crucified man named Yehohanan. As Tzaferis reported in BAR, the discovery demonstrated the brutal reality of Roman crucifixion methods in a way that written accounts never had before.

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.

A young boy wades through Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Photo: Hershel Shanks

Aug 16 Blog

Hezekiah’s Tunnel Reexamined

By: BAS Staff

For more than a hundred years, an extraordinary water tunnel in Jerusalem has been attributed to King Hezekiah, who dug it to protect the city’s water supply during the Assyrian siege of 701 B.C.E. Hence its name, Hezekiah’s Tunnel. However, recent scholarly publications now argue that the tunnel was not built by Hezekiah but by his predecessor or his successors.

Menorah Stone

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.

Siloam Pool

Jul 1 Blog

The Siloam Pool: Where Jesus Healed the Blind Man

By: BAS Staff

The Siloam Pool has long been considered a sacred Christian site, even if the correct identification of the site itself was uncertain. According to the Gospel of John, it was at the Siloam Pool where Jesus healed the blind man (John 9:1–11).

Flavius Josephus

May 27 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.

Qumran, Aerial View

Apr 24 Blog

Who Were the Essenes?

By: BAS Staff

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

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