#1610
2018-03-21
With Clyde Billington
Megiddo, one of the most famous sites of biblical archaeology, is becoming even more so with archaeological developments in its neighborhood. While the tell excavation continues (a royal burial was announced recently), a new excavation across the road has been uncovering the remains of second century Roman camp, the largest known in the eastern Mediterranean. Down at the crossroads, about a mile away, an Israeli prison is being demolished. A more modern facility is being built elsewhere, so that the mosaics from Roman period homes can be displayed, one which identifies one of the earliest known Christian worship communities in Israel (discovered in 2005). We also discuss the mosaics found in Byzantine churches in the Galilee, reconnecting Ephesus to the Aegean Sea, a surveillance network in Syria, and an Assyrian document that echoes the story of Abraham from Genesis.
tags: Ephesus Megiddo Roman Legion Abraham prison mosaic church mosaics Cayster River Hagar
#1609
2018-03-14
The Tomb of Jonah and Archaeological Destruction
With Clyde Billington
The Mosque marking the traditional tomb of Jonah in Mosul was destroyed by ISIS four years ago. Now that ISIS is gone, the mosque could be rebuilt but there's just one problem, it sits on top of a ruin that archaeologists have identified as the ancient palace of Assyrian kings Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal. These kings are mentioned in the Old Testament. Sennacherib tried and failed to conquer Jerusalem. We bring our listeners up-to-date on what's happening at this site. We also report on the looting and destruction of two other palaces in Israel, the Jericho palace of King Herod, and the palace of Archelaus, the son of Herod, just north of Jericho.
tags: Jericho Gaza Herod Palace ISIS Jonah Assyrian Tomb Nineveh Sennacherib Esarhaddon Ashurbanipal Archlaus
#1587
2017-09-12
Bethsaida, Huqoq, and Rosh Ha-Ayin
With Clyde Billington
Catching up on the latest discoveries in biblical archaeology, professor Clyde Billington joins me to discuss some of the news digest items in the latest issue of ARTIFAX magazine. But first, a quick look at one of the top biblical archaeology stories of the summer that will be reported in the next issue of ARTIFAX, and that is the dispute of the true location of the New Testament city of Bethsaida. Excavations at el-Araj, on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee this past summer uncovered some first century remains which has renewed the debate. For most of the past three decades, archaeologist Rami Arav has been excavating at a site about a mile from the shore called et-Tell, which he says is Bethsaida. We also discuss the latest mosaic discoveries from the ongoing excavations at Huqoq, near the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and a giant Assyrian period cistern discovered at Rosh Ha-Ayin, near Tel Aphek and the headwaters of the Yarkon River.
tags: Mosaics Jodi Magness Huqoq Bethsaida Cistern Sea of Galilee Assyrian Aphek Roman ruins polis et-Tel el-Araj zodiac Yarkon
#1581
2017-08-02
With Steve Ortiz
Gezer, the sleeping giant, has yielded many secrets over the past ten years of excavations, although the first few years were not very exciting. But now there's a clear chronology from the Assyrian destruction back to the Merneptah destruction. More background on the Gezer excavation.
tags: Gezer Philistines Solomon Canaanites Israelites Merneptah Pharaoh
#1445
2014-09-09
With Clyde Billington
Three more news items discussed from the news digest of the latest issue of ARTIFAX magazine: an Assyrian seal discovered at Omrit in northern Israel, completely out of context in a Roman temple; the excavation of the theater where the martyrdom of Polycarp took place; and the preservation of ancient agricultural terraces in the region around Jerusalem.
tags: Seal Assyrian Battir Izmir Polycarp Roman temple Roman theater Smyrna terraces