Category Archives: New Discoveries

Mysterious stone structure discovered underneath Sea of Galilee

This one is no April Fool’s joke. A basalt-boulder structure, wider and taller than Stonehenge, sits under the water near the SW coast of the lake. The structure was discovered in 2003 during a sonar survey. The structure consists of … Continue reading

Posted in General Archaeology, Israel, New Discoveries, Tech & Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Information on the second Qeiyafa inscription coming later this year

A few people have inquired about the new Khirbet Qeiyafa inscription discovered in the 2012 season. I asked Yossi Garfinkel about it last week when I drove up to Chattanooga (from Tampa!) to catch his presentation at Southern Adventist University. He … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Khirbet Qeiyafa excavation, Biblical Archaeology, General Archaeology, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Israel, Khirbet Qeiyafa, New Discoveries | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

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

Update on the Khirbet Qeiyafa Dig: One More Season with a Twist

A few months ago it appeared 2012 would be the last dig season at Khirbet Qeiyafa, one year earlier planned. That is no longer the case, and there is a twist. In the last days of the 2012 season, after … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Khirbet Qeiyafa excavation, Biblical Archaeology, Israel, Khirbet Qeiyafa, New Discoveries | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Ancient papyrus: Was Jesus Married? Don’t overlook this perspective…

Harvard professor Karen King is publishing her findings on an ancient papyrus that mentions Jesus’ “wife.” What to think? Here are four items that should shape our perspective. a) According to the New York Times article, “the provenance of the papyrus fragment … Continue reading

Posted in Bible comments, Egypt, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Jesus, Misuses of biblical archaeology, New Discoveries | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Does a Newly Discovered Seal Show Samson Fighting a Lion?

Excavators at Tel Beth-Shemesh recently announced the discovery of a small seal that shows a human figure possibly fighting a large lion. The seal was found in an 11th century B.C. context. In the Bible, Samson lived in the area … Continue reading

Posted in Biblical Archaeology, General Archaeology, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Israel, New Discoveries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Archaeology is a Destructive Science

It is fascinating to uncover things that have not been seen or touched for thousands of years. Uncovered objects face hazards, though, especially when they lie on top of other things waiting to be discovered. Take, for example, the paved floor … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Khirbet Qeiyafa excavation, Ancient Architecture, General Archaeology, Khirbet Qeiyafa, New Discoveries, Short videos | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Qeiyafa Update #2 – Two Things You May Want to Know

This excavation week has come to a close. Lots of hard, dirty, sweaty, rewarding, and enriching work. Here are some tidbits for the future: 1. This may be the last dig season here. Due to hard work over the past 3 weeks, … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Khirbet Qeiyafa excavation, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Israel, Khirbet Qeiyafa, New Discoveries | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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