During the Second Temple Period, many Jews lived outside of Israel. And the city of Cyrene in Northern Africa was one of the major Jewish Diaspora centers. Many people have not heard about this city for its glory has disappeared from the pages of history. But the presence and the...
In 2016 during an underwater excavation in the Mediterranean Sea, Israeli archaeologists from Haifa University uncovered a large stone with an ancient inscription. The writing was determined to be roughly 1900 years old and bore the name of mostly unknown procurator of Judea – Gargilius Antiquus. The stone laid at the...
Anyone familiar with stories about Jesus, even those who have never read the gospels for themselves heard of Pontius Pilate who ordered the crucifixion. Besides the New Testament Pilate was also mentioned by Josephus at the end of the 1st century CE. Yet, skeptics have doubted the existence of Pilate...
There is a long-standing debate over Sunday and Saturday among Christ-followers, both Jewish and non-Jewish. The institution of Sunday in historical Christianity is a well-known fact and for many Christians, their very identity is tied to Sunday and what it means. It carries deep meaning and substance. On the other...
Back in 2012 some volunteers and archeologists have uncovered a number of important discoveries while sifting through dirt in the vicinity of Jerusalem Archaeological Park near the Siloam Pool. Among the findings was an ancient clay seal (bulla) which was probably used to seal a shipment of tax payments to...
Researchers from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority and Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, believe they have discovered the Philistine town near Kiryat Gat, immortalized in the Biblical narrative. Ziklag is mentioned multiple times in the Bible in relation to David (in 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel)...
You are probably intrigued. Why would anyone suggest that Kosher is not biblical? Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 articulates what should be eaten and what should not be eaten by Israelites without ambiguity. However, the terminology of Kosher vs. Unkosher is indeed not biblical. It does not appear in the...
Over the past century and a half, archaeologists have excavated a variety of sites in Jerusalem, bringing to light many aspects of everyday life in the biblical city. The examination of ceramic vessels for cooking and serving, as well as the uncovering of food waste, mainly comprised of discarded bones,...
A new Tzur Natan neighborhood construction in central Israel was proceeded by a dig. The excavation unearthed a rare written record. It points to a Samaritan business from 1600 hundred years ago. The Greek inscription mentions a wealthy landowner ‘Master Adios’. The heartland of Israel in the 5th century was...