Category Archives: Old Testament

Video about Sodom

Posted on August 10, 2009 | 1 comment

Dr. Steven Collins, Dean, College of Archaeology, Trinity Southwest University, has posted a short video on The Search for Sodom and Gomorrah at YouTube here. Collins is excavating Tall el-Hammam in the Jordan Valley (Transjordan) east of Jericho.

Numerous articles by Dr. Collins about the excavation at Tall el-Hammam have been posted at the Biblical Research Bulletin page.

Gary Byers of ABR has a good summary report on the excavation prior to the 2009 season here.

The Summer 2007 issue of Bible and Spade has an exchange between Dr. Collins and Dr. Bryant G. Wood. Wood holds that the location of Sodom should be on the southern end of the Dead Sea. Both articles are lavishly illustrated.

Tall el-Hammam in the Plains of Moab. View toward east. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins 2008.

Tall el-Hammam in Plains of Moab. View toward west. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins 2008.

Other scholars have suggest that Tall el-Hammam is the site of Abel-shittim (Numbers 33:49; Shittim, Numbers 25:1), in the plains of Moab. See Rainey and Notley, The Sacred Bridge, 125. The Israelite spies went out from here to view the land, especially Jericho (Joshua 2:1).

It is now common in Jordan for the old word Tell to be spelled Tall. You know that in Israel the word is Tel. Nothing like consistency.

HT: Dr. David E. Graves at Deus Artefacta.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Old Testament

Prof. Israel Finkelstein visits Khirbet Qeiyafa

Posted on August 8, 2009 | Leave a comment

Luke Chandler reports here, with photos, that Prof. Israel Finkelstein, Tel Aviv University, paid a visit to Khirbet Qeiyafa (the ElahFortress) on the last day of the dig. He has posted a couple of photos of Finkelstein with Prof. Yossi Garfinkel, director of the Khirbet Qeiyafa excavation.

Prof. Finkelstein at the SBL Annual Meeting 2008. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Prof. Finkelstein at the SBL Annual Meeting 2008. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Luke describes Finkelstein as “a leading face of Biblical Minimalism.” He also comments on the evidence from Khirbet Qeiyafa:

The evidence there so far points to an organized, strong, Jerusalem-centered kingdom in the 10th century B.C. – the early Iron Age of David.

It is quite common for archaeologists to visit the excavations throughout the season. In this way they hear first hand from the director of the dig about what has been uncovered.

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Posted in Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Old Testament, Photography

The last day at Khirbet Qeiyafa

Posted on August 7, 2009 | Leave a comment

Luke Chandler reports on the last full day of excavation at Khirbet Qeiyafa (the Elah Fortress) here. Several good photos are included with the post. Thanks to Luke for the reports and photos.

I call attention to these reports to give our readers who may not be aware an idea of the difficulty and slowness of an archaeological dig. Information is accumulated over many years. The archaeologists may have some conclusions at the end of the season, but they may change next year as new information comes to light.

Now we must await a full report by the director of the dig. There may be a press relase within the next month or two, but the next step is the presentation at the annual meetings of the American Schools of Oriental Research and the Society of Biblical Literature in November. Maybe a popular article or two will follow. In the background there may be lab studies, calling in of experts in various fields to look at artifacts, etc.

There will likely be more questions than answers. In the years to come other scholars will interact with the conclusion drawn by the excavator. Hopefully this will provide background for a better understanding of the story of David and Goliath (the Israelites and the Philistines).

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Israel, Old Testament

World’s largest temple model

Posted on August 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

Arutz Sheva, Israel National News.com, reported the inauguration of the world’s largest model of the Second Temple (they mean Herod’s temple; not the one built by Zerubbabel in the days of the prophet Haggai).

The model, built at a scale of 1:60, was built by Michael Osanis for the Aish HaTorah Yeshiva in Jerusalem’s old city, and is displayed on the roof of its new museum, which at seven stories above the Western Wall plaza has a breathtaking view of the Temple Mount.

The photo of the model in place on the roof of Aish HaTorah’s new Exploration museum is impressive.

Largest temple model ignaurated August 5, 2009. Photo: Arutz Sheva.

Largest temple model inaugurated August 5, 2009. Photo: Arutz Sheva.

Read the full story here. There is a video showing the model being put into place.

Arutz Sheva reported July 30th on the building of the altar of the temple at Mitzpe Yericho. See article and photos here.

The Temple Institute has already built several of the Temple vessels such as the Ark and the menorah, and has now embarked on an ambitious project to build the altar, which will ultimately measure 3 meters wide by 3 meters long and 2 meters tall.

During Thursday’s ceremony, which took place in Mitzpe Yericho just east of Jerusalem, the Temple Institute laid the cornerstone for the altar and demonstrated how tar will be used to cement the stones together. The Institute plans on bringing the altar to its proper place on the Temple Mount when the Temple is rebuilt.

Mitzpe Yericho is in the wilderness of Judea near the Monastery of St. George.

There is some discussion between the Jews and Jesus about the building of Herod’s temple in the Gospel of John.

The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. (John 2:18-22 NAU)

HT: Joseph I. Lauer.

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Posted in Culture, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament

UN reports Babylon damaged by US troops

Posted on August 3, 2009 | 2 comments

According to a report on CNN.com U.S. troops are accused by a United Nations report of damaging ancient Babylon. Well, surprise!, surprise! I think its called war.

The troops and their contractors caused “major damage” by digging, cutting, scraping and leveling while they were revamping the site to meet military standards, the U.N. cultural agency, UNESCO, said in a report.

“Key structures that were damaged include the Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way,” the report added.

The Ishtar Gate, an entrance to the northern part of the city, is decorated with animals that portray the symbol of the god of the city of Babylon.

“Damage to the gate includes smashed bricks on nine of the bodies of the animals adorning the gate,” according to the report.

To those of us interested in the past this damage is to be regretted. Babylon is important in Biblical history. The report goes on to say that local residents had contributed to the damage through development. One could fill a book with accounts of this happening at important historic sites.

The report introduces another aspect.

During colonial times, archaeologists hauled off Babylon’s artifacts to Europe. Some of those artifacts can be seen in a museum in Berlin, Germany.

babylon-diagram-washingtonpostYes. Thankfully the German archaeologists excavated the Ishtar Gate and the Procession Street and took those things to Berlin for preservation and restoration. It is now possible to visit the Museum of the Ancient Near East (Vorderasiatisches Museum), also called the Pergamum Museum, and see the Ishtar Gate and the Procession Street. I note that the Museum site now has some small, but nice photos online here. You may also see panels from the Procession Street at other great museum of the world including several in the United States.

We have previously written about Babylon, with photos, here, here, and here.

We commented on those dreaded colonial archaeologists here.

Check these reports: The Irish Times; The Washington Post. I do not doubt damage, but the photos show the site much the same as it was in 1970 when I visited.

HT: Harriet; Biblical Paths.

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Posted in Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Old Testament

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Aerial views of Gath

Posted on August 1, 2009 | Leave a comment

Prof. Aren Maeir has posted a great aerial photo of Tell es-Safi/Gath on his blog here. He also has a photo showing the air balloon with a remote camera used to make the photo. I am taking the liberty to post a small copy of the aerial photo in an effort to encourage you to look at the hi-res one on his blog. In this photo you can see the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. This illustrates clearly the terrain of the Shephelah and the coastal plain (of Philistia). The areas worked this summer are indicated by the letters E, A, P and F.

Aerial view of Tell es-Safi/Gath looking SW.

Aerial view of Tell es-Safi/Gath looking SW. Tell es-Safi/Gath Blog.

Aren promises to offer final reports on the accomplishments of the season shortly. We look forward to those.

Over the years I have encountered people who think ALL of the archaeological work has been done. When you see a large mound like Tell es-Safi/Gath from the air you begin to understand that there is still work to be done.

Here are a few of the interesting things we know about Gath from the Bible:

  • Gath was one of the five major cities of the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:17).
  • The ark of the covenant was brought here by the Philistines after being capture in battle with the Israelites (1 Samuel 5:8).
  • Goliath was from Gath (1 Samuel 17).
  • David once sought refuge from Achish king of Gath (1 Samuel 21).
  • When Saul and Jonathan died, David did not want it to be published among the Philistines. He said, “Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised will exult” (2 Samuel 1:20).
  • King Uzziah broke down the wall of Gath, and other Philistine cities, and built Judean cities (2 Chronicles 26:6).

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Israel, Old Testament, Photography

The Dead Sea: A History of Change

Posted on July 31, 2009 | 4 comments

The Dead Sea may be the most fascinating body of water on earth. It lies along the Great Rift (Afro-Arabian Rift), and is the lowest body of water on earth. A.D. Riddle and David Parker have created a relief map showing the level of the Dead Sea from 3500 B.C. to the present. The authors explain how they made the map at the site.

Visit the The Dead Sea - a History of Change.

Visit the The Dead Sea - a History of Change.

Click here to see the map. It takes a little while to get acquainted with all the information available on the page. Click the buttons on the right middle of the map page to run the animation. The extent of the water in the Dead Sea changes as the program runs through the centuries. Scroll over one of the names on the map and information appears in the blue box. This is a fascinating program.

Sinkholes on the western shore of the Dead Sea

Several news outlets, include our local Fox News station, ran reports on sinkholes that are developing along the western edge of the Dead Sea. Less water is flowing into the Dead Sea than in previous years. The Fox News report says,

As the Dead Sea recedes, fresh water comes to the dried-up areas in the form of rain, runoff and underground streams. The fresh water soaks into the ground, dissolving the salts that had been deposited there since long before there was a Sodom or a Gomorrah.

Once the salt dissolves, that opens up great underground caves — and the earth comes a-tumblin’ down.

Here is a photo showing one of the sinkholes filled with fresh water. The Dead Sea and the distant mountains of Moab are hidden in the summer haze.

Sinkhole along the western shore of Dead Sea. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Sinkhole along the western shore of Dead Sea. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

HT on the map: Biblical Studies and Technological Tools.

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Israel, Old Testament

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Taking the family to the Explorations in Antiquity Center

Posted on July 30, 2009 | 3 comments

We recently ran three posts about the Explorations in Antiquity Center, LaGrange, GA, here, here, and here. A couple of friends in Alabama were encouraged by the posts to take 9 of their grandchildren to visit the center. Olen and Jane have visited Israel and Jordan with me twice, and I think they have been in Turkey twice. So, they know what to look for, and they understood the value of such an experience as that provided by the Explorations in Antiquity Center for their grandchildren.

You may remember Jane from her Journeys With Jane blog. She described the experience in Georgia this way:

The experience was much more than we had even hoped for! It was a long (4 ½ hour) drive over there, included an overnight stay, and long drive back, but worth all the time involved. The exhibit itself is a bargain, and extremely educational for both adults and children. We are ready to go back whenever we have the opportunity. We are thankful for the safety during our travels on this brief “journey” and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Bible or history of that era.

What was the best part?

The best part was the archaeological dig. We went to prepared areas and were instructed on archaeological techniques. Then we dug and sifted through our diggings to locate artifacts (some real and some replicas) which we would learn about later

She says they were honored to have Dr. James Fleming, the founder of the Center, explain about the artifacts they discovered on the dig, and relate them to different periods of history. Here, the kids listen intently as Dr. Fleming talks with them.

Dr. Fleming explains the archaeological artifacts to the kids.

Dr. Fleming explains the archaeological artifacts to the kids at the Explorations in Antiquity Center. Photo courtesy Journeys With Jane.

You might enjoy seeing the other photos Jane has posted on her blog here.

I have no connection with, or financial interest in, the Explorations in Antiquity Center, but I am delighted to promote such a wonderful teaching center. The link to the Center website is here.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Study, Culture, Family, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament

Keeping up with the digs

Posted on July 29, 2009 | 1 comment

Not many digs this year are keeping the unfortunate, non-participants, informed about what is going on. I miss seeing anything from Dan, Gezer, and Hazor. Nothing new has appeared on the Khirbet Qeiyafa page since the middle of May. Maybe they have fewer workers and time does not permit. Of course, we have had a few notes from our friends who are working there. We had an earlier report on the Mt Zion Excavation.

The one real exception has been the excavation at Tell es-Safi/Gath. Prof. Aren Maer has kept us updated and included some nice photos along the way. Check here and read back through the season.

A 2009 Post season wrap-up on Ashkelon is available here.

Dr. Bryant G. Wood has provided a report here on the season at Khirbet el-Maqatir, a site that he thinks may be biblical Ai.

The photo below shows the Palace of the Canaanite Kings of Hazor. The palace which dates from the 14th-13th centuries B.C. (Late Bronze period) is said to be of a ceremonial nature. Excavators are still looking for the administrative palace at some other place on the tel. The palace, like the rest of Hazor, was destroyed by fire. It has been restored in order to give visitors some real insight into the size and function of the building.

The Late Bronze Canaanite Palace at Hazor. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Late Bronze Canaanite Palace at Hazor. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Gordon Franz has posted an interesting interview with conservator Orna Cohen, the restorer of the palace, on his Life and Land Seminars page here. Orna was responsible for the restoration of the Roman Boat that many visitors to Israel have seen at Nof Ginosaur.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Israel, Old Testament

Video on the City of David

Posted on July 28, 2009 | Leave a comment

The Israel Antiquites Department has released a nice 9-minute video featuring archaeologists Ronnie Reich and Eli Shukron showing some of the highlights of the City of David excavation. The film features the following places:

  • The water system and Warren’s Shaft
  • The Canaanite pool channel
  • Gihon Spring
  • Hezekiah’s Tunnel
  • The Pool of Siloam
  • The Herodian Street
  • The drainage channel

The video runs a little slow on my computer, but if you give it a little time to load it is certainly worth the wait. The link is here.

The photo below shows part of two towers that served as a fortification for the protection of Gihon Spring as early as the Canaanite time.

Foundation of the fortification tower at Gihon Spring. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Foundation of the fortification towers at Gihon Spring. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The information sign at the site says,

It was here that a rock-cut pool and the remains of the bases of two towers were located. These towers, built of large stones, constituted part of the fortifications protecting the pool and the spring as early as the Middle Bronze Age (18-15 centuries BCE). The spring water flowed through the channel to a large pool, from which scores of people could draw water simultaneously. The surplus water flowed through a channel to another pool in the south of the city.

This work has been carried out by Reich and Shukron.

HT: Joseph I. Lauer

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament

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