Biblical Archaeology Review, November/December 1986
Features
Excavating in the Shadow of the Temple Mount
It should have been the jewel in Israel’s archaeological crown. In fact, Israel’s excavation of the area adjacent to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, on the south and southwest sides of the sacred precinct, has been the subject of continuing controversy and criticism. Excavation results have...Read more ›
Herod’s Mighty Temple Mount
Archaeology vividly recreates bustle of pilgrims two thousand years ago
Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. when they conquered Jerusalem. A half century later, the returning exiles, under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, built the Second Temple, a modest structure that gradually fell into disrepair. This temple was remodeled...Read more ›
When the Priests Trumpeted the Onset of the Sabbath
A monumental Hebrew inscription from the ancient Temple Mount recalls the signal
One of the most magnificent finds from the excavation adjacent to the Temple Mount—directed since 1968 by Professor Benjamin Mazar of the Hebrew University—is a monumental Hebrew inscription carved in stone. The eight-foot-long inscribed stone once graced the topmost pinnacle of the Temple Mount—where...Read more ›
What Is a Good Bible Dictionary?
Since the 1960s Bible dictionaries have been appearing in record numbers. In 1985 the Society of Biblical Literature joined with Harper & Row in the production of one of the handsomest. The venture itself was noteworthy: A scholarly society worked out terms with a...Read more ›
Why King Mesha of Moab Sacrificed His Oldest Son
In his highly interesting article, “Why the Moabite Stone Was Blown to Pieces,” BAR 12:03, Professor Siegfried Horn recounts the ninth-century B.C. war between Moab and an alliance of Israel, Judah and Edom. When the alliance besieged the Moabite capital of Kir-Hareseth, the Moabite king Mesha, in...Read more ›
Ancient Israelite Art Sparse in Impressive Show at Met
“Treasures of the Holy Land,” the Israel Museum’s exhibition of nearly 200 outstanding pieces, is being shown at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art through January 4, 1987. The exhibit is the largest and most important display of ancient art from Israel ever to travel abroad. Many...Read more ›