An ancient gold coin bearing the image of the Roman Emperor, Nero, has been discovered in archaeological excavations just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The coin was found in the excavations of the Mount Zion Project, co-directed by Shimon Gibson, Visiting Professor of Archaeology at the U…
Gold Coin of the Roman Emperor, Nero, Discovered in Jerusalem Read More »
The American author, Mark Twain, and Theodor Herzl, the Zionist leader, may seem unlikely associates. In fact, they not only knew of each other but became good friends. Both were journalists, having met in Paris in 1894,1 the year of the Dreyfus Affair.
Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the Fre…
Mark Twain and Theodor Herzl Read More »
When the prophet Jonah fled from the presence of God to Tarshish, he took a ship from Joppa on the west coast of Israel (Jon 1:3). From Joppa the ship would sail westward on its journey to Tarshish.
Tarshish was one of Tyre’s important trading partners and Ezekiel provides a catalogue of its pr…
Tarshish, Cornwall and Tin and Gold Trade in the Ancient World When Read More »
Situated to the east of the Jordan River and to the north of Israel, the kingdom of Geshur was in the region of Mount Herman, Maachah and Bashan (Josh 12:5). Although the territory was designated as a possession of Manasseh, when Israel entered the land under Joshua the Geshurites were not expelled,…
The Powerful Kingdom of Geshur; and an Ancient Biblical Scroll Virtually Unwrapped Read More »
Early critics of the Bible maintained that the Hebrews did not write earlier than the late period of the kings.1 An extended period of oral transmission was believed to have preceded the writing of the Old Testament. But archaeological discoveries in the nineteenth century revised the view of th…
Writing and Literacy in Ancient Israel Read More »
Our understanding of Bible prophecy, based on Ezekiel chapter 38 and related texts, casts Russia as the enemy of Israel: the latter day head of a confederacy determined to subjugate the prosperous Jewish state. All of this is correct but it is also true that Russia played a pivotal role in the estab…
Russia’s Role in the Creation of Modern Israel Read More »
Israel is described in the Bible as “a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey” (Deut 8:8). Indeed, olive trees were well established in the land before the Israelites entered under Joshua (Deut 6:11). It is therefore not surprising t…
Israel, a Land of Olive Oil Read More »
One of the casualties of the continuing conflict in Syria is the cultural heritage of the country. UNESCO has raised concern about the civil war’s threat to archaeological sites, ancient structures and monuments. These areas are being illegally excavated and looted of significant artefacts.
Hea…
Destruction of Archaeological Sites and Cultural Heritage in Syria Read More »
Once every several years, there is debate in Israel over whether or not Richard Wagner’s music should be performed publicly. Except for an encore conducted by Daniel Barenboim in 2001, following a forty-minute discussion with the audience, any request to perform Wagner’s music in Israel has not …
Richard Wagner, Hitler and Anti-Semitism Read More »
Very little was known of the mighty Assyrian empire until Sir Austen Henry Layard began his investigations in Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century. Up to that time, the great civilizations of Assyria and Babylon were largely forgotten in the European West. Outside of the Bible, only a few facts…
Assyria and Biblical Archaeology Read More »
