Purple Ambitions: Tel Shiqmona and the Rise of Israelite Dye Industry in the Iron Age
Tel Shiqmona has received little attention compared to the grand coastal cities of the ancient Phoenician coast. But the site has produced the most complete archaeological evidence
From Monolatry to Monotheism: The Changing Face of the Biblical Pantheon
Exclusive worship of a single god defied the religious norms of the ancient world. So how did Yahweh’s followers push their deity to the top of the divine hierarchy?
What is a God in the Hebrew Bible? Part 2: Characteristics and Hierarchy
Multiple characters in the bible can be classified as gods. What characteristics make them gods, and what is the relationship between them?
What is a God in the Hebrew Bible? Part I: The Divine Cast of Characters
Many people assume there is only one god in the Old Testament—one who is both omniscient and omnipotent. However, a closer look reveals many other gods who differ from the stereo
New Discoveries in the Pan Grotto in Paneas
Once believed to be the location of Herod’s Augusteum, the cave at Paneas has yielded up some surprising discoveries following recent excavations.
David and Solomon’s Kingdom as a State: An Archaeo-Historical Anachronism
Archaeologists have spent much time and energy looking for ‘states’ in the past, including in ancient Israel. Not surprisingly, they find them. But what is a 'state', and how d
From Texts to Scribes: Evidence for Writing in Ancient Israel
What do we know about ancient Israel’s scribal culture? Can two words in the biblical text, the verb ‘write’ (katav) and the noun ‘scribe’ (sofer) help us understand the
Jewish Cliff Shelters and Hiding Complexes in the Roman Period Galilee
Josephus described fortifying Jewish sites in the Galilee before the Roman onslaught. New research has shown that many of those sites were hewn into cliffs and dug below settlement