#1647
2019-02-05
Beit Shemesh and Kiriath Yearim
With Clyde Billington
Two stories that are linked in the Ark of the Covenant tradition are reported in the news digest of the latest issue of ARTIFAX magazine. After the ark was captured by the Philistines at the battle of Aphek, it was returned to the Israelites at Beit Shemesh in a cart pulled by two cows. (I Samuel 6:12) The men of Beit Shemesh didn’t know what to do with the ark, so they sent it to Kiriath Yearim. Both Beit Shemesh and Kiriath Yearim are under excavation at the present time. Beit Shemesh is yielding new information about the restoration of Judean cities after destruction by Sennacherib at the beginning of the 6th century BC. And Kiriath Yearim has an artificial mountain top, much like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. These stories and the discoveries from Canaanite tombs excavated at Tel Megiddo are discussed in this week’s program.
tags: Israel Finkelstein Temple Mount Megiddo Beit Shemesh Olive Oil Aphek Sennacherib Kiriath Yearim Izbet Sarta Ebenezer Canaanite Tombs
#1646
2019-01-30
Byzantine Desert Monasteries and the Anchor Church
With Yizhar Hirschfeld
This week's program comes from a 1993 interview that I did at the Israel Museum with Yizhar Hirschfeld, at that time the Field Director of Archaeology for the museum. Among the topics we discussed were the Byzantine monasteries of the Judean desert, the topic of his PhD studies, and the Anchor Church of Mt. Berenice in Tiberias. It too was an outgrowth of the Byzantine era, and was visited by pilgrims for many centuries until its destruction at the end of the Crusader period. Hirschfeld was beginning another major excavation in Tiberias in 2006 when I had some correspondence with him. He died suddenly on November 16, which just happens to be my birthday. He had a distinguished archaeological career that ended much too soon. May his memory be blessed.
tags: Church Byzantine Tiberias Yizhar Hirschfeld Anchor Mt. Berenice Judean Desert monasteries
#1645
2019-01-22
With John DeLancey
More discussion of major excavations plan for the 2019 dig season, including sites along the Israelite/Philistine frontier, such as Azekah, Tel es-Safi/Gath, Tel Beit Shemesh, and Tel Burnah.
tags: Tel es-Safi Gath Azekah Tel Burnah Tel Beit Shemesh
#1644
2019-01-16
With John DeLancey
Tour host John DeLancey joins us once again as we discuss some of the dig plans that have been announced for the 2019 excavation season. This is an annual tradition that we started way back around 35 years ago. Our discussion is designed to give listeners a quick overview of some of the institutional excavations, where they are happening, and their biblical connections. In addition, we are once again inviting our listeners to join us on a trip to Israel to see the sites that we talk about. We first did a tour like this in 1985. We’ve done a number of tours since, most recently just last May. And we’re going to be going again in March, 2020. Find out more details on our Archaeological Adventure Study Tour website.
tags: Israel Tour Excavations Archaeological Sites Digs
#1643
2019-01-08
Top Ten Biblical Archaeology Stories of 2018
With Gordon Govier
It may take years before we know what was the most important Biblical Archaeology discovery of 2018, but every year I try to identify 10 of the top stories of Biblical Archaeology that were reported on during the year just past, some involving discoveries from many years ago. For instance, our top item, a ring with Pilate's seal, was actually discovered in the 1960s but not identified until 2018. And the statue head of the ancient king, our #2 discovery, was found in 2017 but didn't create news until it was put on display in the Israel Museum in 2018.
tags: Top Ten Seal Pilate ring