Category Archives: Culture & Cuisine

Grinding stones to make your bread: Cooking in ancient times (short video)

Posted on June 21, 2016 by LukeChandler

Even simple things such as bread required serious work in ancient times. Most people grew or purchased barley, wheat, or other grains and used grinding stones to turn it into flour. This first step was the most strenuous, requiring real muscle … Continue reading →

Posted in 2016 Tel Lachish excavation, Culture & Cuisine, General Archaeology, Lachish, Short videos | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

An ancient grinding stone perfectly designed for a woman’s hand

Posted on June 27, 2014 by LukeChandler

We finished our first week of the Tel Lachish excavation with some nice finds, including the perfectly-designed grinding stone shown in the video below. Women’s hands in the Late Bronze age (ca. 1400-1200 BC) were apparently the same size as … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture & Cuisine, General Archaeology, Lachish, New Discoveries, Short videos | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Food Watch: Make fresh Halvah for your kids! (And for yourself)

Posted on July 4, 2013 by LukeChandler

One of my favorite things about travel is the chance to taste new things. Here’s a favorite dessert that’s natural, healthy, and easy to make. You only need two ingredients. If you have kids/grandkids, they will love you. Your spouse … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture & Cuisine, Israel, Short videos | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fiddler on the Roof meets an Archaeological Dig

Posted on July 2, 2013 by LukeChandler

I am excavating at Khirbet Qeiyafa in Israel, but am also in the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Florida about four weeks from now. “Fiddler” is about a Jewish community trying to hold on to its traditions in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture & Cuisine, Humor, Israel, Khirbet Qeiyafa, Links to interesting stuff, Personal, Short videos | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Join My Tour of Italy this Fall

Posted on May 22, 2013 by LukeChandler

I am leading a group tour to Italy from October 30th through November 9th of this year. We will visit some of the best places to see in Italy, including Venice, Florence, Pisa, Pompeii, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and Rome. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient Architecture, Ancient Rome, Culture & Cuisine, Europe, Interesting places to visit, Italy, Overseas trips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dead Sea Scrolls coming to Cincinnati

Posted on November 12, 2012 by LukeChandler

An exhibition of select Dead Sea Scrolls opens this Friday, November 16th, at the Cincinnati Museum Center (near my old stomping grounds of Mason, Ohio). The Dead Sea Scrolls include the oldest surviving manuscripts of Bible books. Around 600 biblically-related … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Archaeology, Culture & Cuisine, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, Museums | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Short informational video clips on Archaeology

Posted on June 20, 2012 by LukeChandler

Bar Ilan University in Israel has produced some short video clips on subjects studied by its faculty. Archaeologist Aren Maeir has posted three of them here, on the Tel es-Safi/Gath blog. They are around 2 to 2-1/2 minutes each and … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Archaeology, Culture & Cuisine, General Archaeology, Links to interesting stuff, Short videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Purim begins tonight

Posted on March 19, 2011 by LukeChandler

Purim begins at sunset this evening and continues through tomorrow tomorrow evening. The story of Purim is in the book of Esther and describes how the Jews were saved from annihilation during the days of the Persian Empire. It’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture & Cuisine | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Why Do Israel’s Arabs Munch on Matzoh (Passover Bread)?

Posted on April 3, 2010 by LukeChandler

Many of us know it well – the crunchy cracker-like “bread” Jews call matzoh. It is made without leaven, according to instructions for the Passover celebration. Jesus referred to unleavened Passover bread as his “body” in the Last Supper. Some churches … Continue reading →

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A Day in the Life of a Volunteer Archaeological Excavator

Posted on July 30, 2009 by LukeChandler

I wondered for a long time what life would be like for participants in an archaeological excavation. I took a course on Classical Greek Archaeology in my undergraduate program, but the classroom is certainly no field excavation. I knew that … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture & Cuisine, General Archaeology, Israel | Tagged , , | 8 Comments