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

First Temple Period Cistern

With -

It’s been a bountiful excavation season this summer in Israel, and one of the most exciting discoveries occurred at the end of the season, after most of the institutional excavations ended. The Israel Antiquities Authority has announced the discovery of a cistern from the First Temple Period, the time of the kings of Judah. The cistern is located at the Southwest corner of the Temple Mount, underneath Robinson’s Arch, a first century Herodian Street, and a drainage channel under the street. Down below all of those levels, a large community cistern was discovered when a worker noticed a loose paver and decided to see what was underneath.

tags: Jerusalem Temple Mount Cistern

Return to Jeremiah's Pit

With Betsy Melman

Archaeologist Eilat Mazar is upset about an excavation in the City of David area, at a place called Jeremiah's Pit. We visited this pit in 2001, so today we return to the scene of that subterranean cistern for a second look.

tags: City of David Eilat Mazar Betsy Melman Jeremiah's Pit