The Israelite Conquest under the leadership of Joshua was a relatively short period of time, lasting approximately 5 years (cf. Joshua 14:7-10). Following the time of Joshua, there is a period of over 300 years until the Israelite Monarchy begins with the kingship of Saul, leading to the period of David and Solomon (cf. Judges
Archaeology of the Judges Period Read More »
A stone inscription acquired on the antiquities market of Nazareth in 1878 appearing to be a rescript of an imperial Roman edict was dubbed “The Nazareth Inscription.” It was taken to France and eventually moved into the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, but remained unpublished until 1930. The inscription was written in ancient Koine Greek, and
The Nazareth Inscription: Rumor and Reaction to the Resurrection of Jesus Read More »
Many archaeologists and historians of the ancient Near East now regularly promote the idea that the ancient Israelites were merely Canaanites who eventually formed a separate culture and their own ethnic identity. Rather than ancient Israel being its own ethnic group, these scholars claim that Israelites and Canaanites shared the same ancestry, then around 1200
Were the Ancient Israelites Only Canaanites? Read More »
A stone seal from the 11th century BC, possibly depicting a man fighting a lion, was discovered at the site of Beth Shemesh in 2012. The archaeologists who excavate the site have suggested identifying the scene on the seal with the story of a man fighting a lion; they claim that this story or legend
The “Samson” Seal from Beth-Shemesh Read More »
Archaeologists excavating at Beth-Shemesh uncovered a structure identified as an ancient temple dating to approximately 1100 BC which had been destroyed and perhaps desecrated. The city had been excavated in 1911-12, 1928-33, and renewed excavations began in 1990. Ancient Beth-Shemesh is about 20 km (12 miles) west of Jerusalem in the Sorek Valley. In the
Ancient Temple from 1100 BC at Beth Shemesh Read More »
Heliopolis (the Greek name for the city), or iwnw (the ancient Egyptian name for the city), was the capital of the 13th nome (district) of ancient Egypt, dating back to the time of Narmer and the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. The Egyptian name of the city, perhaps pronounced Aonu or Awenu, means “pillar.”
The Early Israelites at Egyptian Heliopolis/On (iwnw) Read More »
The trial of Jesus before Pilate is recorded in each of the Gospels (Luke 23, Matthew 27, Mark 15, John 19). However, only the Gospel of John records specific geographic details about the event: “Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to
Praetorium of Jesus Trial Excavated in Jerusalem Read More »
The ancient city of Jericho has been one of the most debated issues in the discussion of the Israelite Conquest of Canaan. The major problem with the correlation between the Israelite destruction during the conquest of Jericho and the archaeological findings of the destruction of the final Bronze Age city of Jericho has been the
Carbon-14 Dates at Jericho and the Destruction Date Read More »
