#1314 Jerusalem Cardo & The Samaritan Inn

Western Wall Plaza Excavations

On our last Holyland Study Tour in 2008 we saw some excavations going on along the western edge of the Western Wall Plaza. We had already had reports of discoveries in that area and finally we have a report on the results of the excavation in the January-February issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. So we discussed the article on this week’s program, along with two more articles in the latest issue: the story of the Good Samaritan Inn  Mosaic Museum, and possible evidence for Israel in Egypt that predates the Merneptah stele (More on that to come in the weeks ahead).

Speaking of Holyland Study Tours, we’re finalizing plans for our 2013 tour to Israel. Let us know if you would like to join us, as we visit a number of the sites we’ve been talking about.

#1313 The 2012 Dig Season

Biblical Archaeology Review

An annual Book & The Spade tradition is the January review of the excavations planned for the coming year. Since the beginning this archaeology status report has been facilitated by the January-February issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, which always has information on the institutional digs planned for the coming year. This year once again Dr. Keith Schoville and I scan the list of upcoming digs, check out some new ones and review the older ones.

And again, we invite our listeners to volunteer and join one of these projects so that you can experience Biblical Archaeology for yourself. For information on the various dig opportunities, check out the Biblical Archaeology Review website.

#1312 Stamps and Seals

New discoveries in Jerusalem, a stamp connected to first century temple worship and a seal discovered in the City of David.

Temple Stamp

#1311 Prof. Clyde Billington – The Biblical Archaeology Top Ten of 2011

Gath altar

From the pages of ARTIFAX magazine and the archives of The Book & The Spade, we review our subjective list of top ten discoveries or developments in Biblical Archaeology announced in 2011. Number one on the list, the two-horned altar found at Tel es-Safi/Gath.

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,900 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 32 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

#1310 – Dead Sea Scrolls Online & Damascus Gate Renovation

A couple of decades ago we spent quite a few of our Book & The Spade programs reporting on how the Dead Sea Scrolls were freed from the control of a handful of scholars and made available to all scholars. Now the Dead Sea Scrolls are even more available, and in much higher resolution, online. So we talk about that on this week’s program, as well as the renovation of one of the main entrances into the Old City of Jerusalem, the Damascus Gate.

 

#1309 Tikva Levine – Churches of the Holyland

Church of All Nations, at the Garden of Gethsemane

For the Christmas and Hanukkah season we’ve reached into the archives and retrieved a program that came out of our 1994 Book & The Spade Holyland tour.

It’s a quick visit to some of the most well known churches in the Holyland, churches at locations associated with the life of Jesus Christ.

Our tour guide, archaeologist Tikva Levine, shares information on the historical background of these churches.

UPDATE: This story from the ASSIST News Service covers some of the same locations.

#1308 Steven Ortiz – Archaeology & the Bible

Steven Ortiz

The third and final interview in my series of wide ranging discussions with three top evangelical archaeologists to prepare for the Eilat Mazar profile in the November issue of Christianity Today. Steven Ortiz is a professor of archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth TX and co-director of the latest excavations at Tel Gezer. Our discussion focused on the relationship between Biblical Archaeology and the Bible, as well as trends in Biblical Archaeology.

#1307 Lawrence Geraty – A Life in Archaeology, and the Archaeology of Eilat Mazar

Lawrence Geraty

Prof. Geraty has been an archaeologist and the president of a University, as had Benjamin Mazar, the grandfather and mentor of Israeli Archaeologist Eilat Mazar. Geraty also served as the president of The American Schools of Oriental Research, a rare honor for an evangelical archaeolist and former pastor. This was the second of my interviews with leading American evangelical archaeologists, as part of my research for the Eilat Mazar profile in the November issue of Christianity Today.

Prof. Geraty discusses his background in Biblical Archaeology, and his connections to the Mazar family.

 

#1306 – The Future of Biblical Archaeology +10 with prof. James Hoffmeier

Prof. James Hoffmeier

Ten years ago a bunch of archaeologists gathered in suburban Chicago for a conference on The Future of Biblical Archaeology. At that time, the Minimalists were in ascendance and the future didn’t look real bright.

Today the situation has improved. Just how much? I talked with professor James Hoffmeier of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, the organizer of the conference, for some historical perspective.

Prof. Hoffmeier is the excavator of Tel el-Borg, in the Northwestern Sinai region. We got an update on archaeology in that region also.