Literary evidence tells us that hundreds of thousands of Jews lived in Asia Minor in the first century C.E. However, only two confirmed synagogues have been found: the large one in Sardis and this second one in Priene.
What does a musical passage in the Book of Daniel: “the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick,” tell us about the orchestra that Nebuchadnezzar assembled?
For every tourist who visits the ancient city of Petra in modern day Jordan, there is one breathtaking moment that captures all of the grandeur and mystery of this city carved in stone.
Perched atop a windswept mountain along the Turkish coastline and gazing proudly—almost defiantly—over the azure Aegean Sea sit the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Pergamon.
Sodom and Gomorrah. They are perhaps the most infamous cities of the Bible, but where does the Bible locate these legendary dens of iniquity, and does any trace of them still exist?
A trend has developed recently in the archaeological establishment: Ignore all unprovenanced artifacts. This has become a hotly-debated topic among archaeologists, and prompted us to take a look at several unprovenanced artifacts that have contributed to our understanding of the Biblical world.
When an ancient Israelite got a raging bellyache, what did she do? Where could she—or he—go for help? Both the Bible and archaeology indicate that numerous options were available.
Few people are familiar with the Biblical figure Nehemiah, and yet he was instrumental in the rebuilding and reestablishment of Jerusalem in the fifth century B.C. following the Babylonian exile.
Living in the Greco-Roman world, early Christians were able to draw from a set of rich artistic paradigms when they set out to depict their stories and beliefs in decorative contexts. This often led to the assimilation of well-established pagan artistic styles and images into early Christian art.
3,000 years ago, when alphabetic writing had just begun to spread across the masses of the ancient Near East, written words were far more than idle marks meant simply to be read. Words were repositories of power, physical vessels that gave material reality to one’s innermost thoughts and even the soul itself.
A new excavation in the hills of ancient Judah has revealed an amazing discovery: a fortified city dating to King David’s reign. View photos from the Khirbet Qeiyafa excavations, and read about the other exciting finds that have been uncovered there.
Our article explaining how the two teams of tunnelers who dug the sinuous path of Hezekiah's Tunnel from opposite ends managed to connect (“Sound Proof: How Hezekiah's Tunnelers Met,” BAR, September/October 2008) produced many interesting reader responses.
In the recent September/October 2008 issue of BAR, noted Biblical scholar Israel Knohl’s article “The Messiah Son of Joseph” generated a great deal of interest and responses. Among them was a letter from Ronald Hendel, whose comments and Professor Knohl’s abbreviated response appear in the January/February 2009 issue of BAR. However, the interest in this piece was so great that we’d like to take the opportunity to present Professor Knohl’s response here in its entirety, as well as some other letters that were sent to us regarding his article.
Every summer, people of all ages and from all walks of life volunteer to participate on archaeological digs throughout Israel, Jordan and other parts of the Mediterranean world. We share the dig experiences of three such volunteers, all of whom were selected as 2008 BAS Dig Scholarship winners.
People in antiquity were no less concerned about the prevention and cure of maladies than they are now, however, and entire cults, sanctuaries and professions dedicated to health dotted the spiritual, physical and professional landscapes of the ancient world. So what exactly did ancient cultures do to combat disease and injury, and did these methods have any real basis in science as we know it today? The answers may surprise you.
The Explorations in Antiquity Museum in LaGrange, Georgia, allows visitors to learn about the world of Jesus, and the environment that shaped his experience and teachings.
The works of Josephus are often referred to in the ongoing debate over whether or not the Essenes were the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Read what Josephus himself has to say about this fascinating ancient Jewish sect.
What is kosher law, and how did it develop? Biblical texts and archaeological evidence offer some insight into this ancient and modern Jewish practice.
