#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
#1351
2012-10-10
With Prof. Robert Mullins
There are tells all over Israel, still waiting to be dug, to discover the secrets they hold. This is one of the newest excavations, a tell near the northern border of Israel. Abel Beth Maacah was conquered by the Aramean King Ben Hadad (I Kings 15:20) and the Assyrian King Tiglath Pileser III (II Kings 15:29). Most interestingly, it figured in the story of the second revolt against King David, the one after Absalom's revolt. II Samuel 20 tells the story of Sheba, son of Bichri, who challenged David and then holed up at Abel Beth Maacah. Joab arrived with David's Army. But instead of a long siege a "wise woman" bargained with Joab from the city wall and then convinced the leaders of her city to kill Sheba and throw his head over the wall. So that ended that. Azusa Pacific University professor Robert Mullins has been wanting to dig this site for several decades, while he worked on excavations elsewhere in Israel. He surveyed the tell this past summer, and plans to begin digging next summer.
tags: Abel Beth Maacah Azusa Pacific University Robert Mullins
#1293
2011-08-17
Assyrian Dictionary, Syriac Question Mark, and Ancient Graffiti
With Prof. Keith Schoville
This program reviews completion of the Assyrian Dictionary by the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, the suggestion that the Syriac language has the first evidence of use of a Question Mark, and a report on the study of Ancient Graffiti from National Public Radio. We also briefly discuss an article on The New Biblical Archaeology.
tags: Assyrian Dictionary Project Syriac Question Mark Graffiti