Rain, Rain, Go Away: Dealing with Wastewater and Rain in Ancient Egypt
The problem of water isn’t just making sure there is enough but getting rid of it. Ancient Egyptians addressed the problem with surprisingly modern techniques.
What Did Jesus Look Like?
We all know what Jesus looked like, with long hair, beard, and long robes. But what if that image is a Byzantine era mash-up of Zeus and a Greek philosopher? Unraveling what Jesus
Israelite and Judahite Ambassadors to Assyria
In antiquity as today, ambassadors were the representatives of their states in foreign lands. But whose interests did ambassadors from small states to terrifying empires really rep
Vanilla in the Middle Bronze Age: New Findings from Megiddo
There were many kinds of fragrances and flavors available in the second millennium BCE. But the recent finding of vanilla residues at Megiddo takes the idea of exotic to a whole ne
Judeans and Goddesses at Elephantine
The Judean colony on the Egyptian island of Elephantine is well known for its temple. But did they also worship deities besides YHW?
A Great King and a Wanax? The Politics of Mycenaean Greece
Empires like the Egyptians, Hittites, and Babylonians dominated the Late Bronze Age. But what was happening to the west?
From the Southern Jordan Valley Plains to the Transjordanian Plateau: Current Archaeological Fieldwork in the Wadi Shuʿaib, Jordan
Some eighteen kilometers long and with a vertical rise of a kilometer, the Wadi Shuʿaib connects the Jordan Valley with the Amman area. A recent survey project has revealed sites
The Care of the Elderly in Susa: A Study in the Akkadian Documents from the Sukkalmah Period
A unique series of texts from the early second millennium BCE at Susa shows that care of the elderly was a serious concern for families. Then, as now, inheritance was a motivation
Visualizing Food Storage in Ancient Houses
The expression seeing is believing has another meaning in archaeology; imagination is necessary to see what has been removed. Visualization is a powerful technique to see what is n
From Sinner to Model Ancestor: King David in Post-Biblical Jewish and Christian Literature and Art
King David was a sinner, but post-Biblical Jews and Christians transformed him into a hero. These changes tell us as much about competition between the two as they do about evolvin