Category Archives: Jerusalem

Premiere of a New Khirbet Qeiyafa Short Film is Right Here

A new short film titled “Khirbet Qeiyafa: A Fortified City in the Kingdom of Judah” now debuts on this blog. It summarizes the major finds at Khirbet Qeiyafa and presents the excavators’ conclusions on how the site shapes our understanding … Continue reading

Posted in Ancient Architecture, Biblical Archaeology, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Israel, Jerusalem, Khirbet Qeiyafa, Short videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Short Video on the Ophel Excavations in Jerusalem

Archaeologist Eilat Mazar has been digging around the City of David for several years. A short video has been posted showing results from the last few months on the southern edge of the Temple Mount, an area known as the … Continue reading

Posted in Biblical Archaeology, General Archaeology, Israel, Jerusalem, Links to interesting stuff, New Discoveries, Short videos, Speaking engagements, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Qeiyafa Inscription at the Israel Museum – Photos now Allowed!

We recently visited the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and saw many of the Bible-related archaeological treasures displayed there. Bible students would probably recognize objects from Bible dictionaries, class materials, PowerPoint lessons, textbooks, and other sources. It’s one thing to see … Continue reading

Posted in General Archaeology, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Interesting places to visit, Israel, Jerusalem, Khirbet Qeiyafa, Museums | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Solomon’s Coronation was a Political Thriller

Yesterday we visited Ir David in the ancient City of David. This area includes a number of excavated structures plus a walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel and a visit to the Pool of Siloam. Solomon’s coronation is one of many biblical … Continue reading

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In Israel and Ready to Dig Again!

My group and I arrived safely in Israel yesterday afternoon. We are now in Jerusalem and plan to join the Khirbet Qeiyafa excavation team late tomorrow morning after worship. Our hotel is in the Old City, just a short walk … Continue reading

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New Discovery: Earliest archaeological evidence of Bethlehem during First Temple Period

Excavations in Jerusalem have produced a bulla inscribed with the name of Bethlehem from the biblical Divided Kingdom period. A bulla is a piece of clay that was used for sealing a document or object. The bulla was impressed with the seal of the person who sent … Continue reading

Posted in Biblical Archaeology, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Jerusalem, New Discoveries | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Garfinkel responds to discussions about the new Qeiyafa shrines

Yossi Garfinkel asked me to post some comments from him regarding the new discoveries from Khirbet Qeiyafa. These comments address some misconceptions about his conclusions. For one, he clarifies that the unique shrine here is the stone model, not the … Continue reading

Posted in Ancient Architecture, Biblical Archaeology, General Archaeology, Israel, Jerusalem, Khirbet Qeiyafa, New Discoveries, Publications & Study Materials | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

New Finds from Khirbet Qeiyafa May Clarify Bible Text, Temple Architecture

During last summer’s dig, we found artifacts that relate to Israelite religion before Solomon’s temple. They may even help us understand more about the temple itself. As the Israel Antiquities Authority headlined it for this morning’s press conference, “Hebrew University archaeologist … Continue reading

Posted in 2011 Khirbet Qeiyafa excavation, Ancient Architecture, Bible comments, Biblical Archaeology, Israel, Jerusalem, Khirbet Qeiyafa, New Discoveries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Does it snow in Jerusalem?

People have occasionally asked me if Jerusalem ever gets snow. I’ve only visited in spring and summer but can tell you for a fact that it does snow there. The city usually receives some light snow every winter. Substantial snowfall … Continue reading

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The Latest Jesus-related Tomb

It’s happened again. The same individuals who brought us the highly problematic Jesus Tomb a few years ago have returned with another tomb. This one has an inscription and a picture of (allegedly) Jonah’s fish. Jonah was sometimes used by early … Continue reading

Posted in Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Jerusalem, Misuses of biblical archaeology, New Discoveries | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment