Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2004
Special Section
Lying Scholars?
Rumor, Gossip and Misinformation Swirl around the James Ossuary Inscription
Intense scholarly disagreements are common in archaeology. Cases of deliberate lying, however, are rare. Is this such a case? If so, what is the motive? When I returned from the Annual Meetingsa in Atlanta last November, I penned my customary report for publication in...Read more ›
The Trial of Oded Golan
State of Israel vs. Oded Golan—You Be the Judge
This is the imaginary trial of Oded Golan, the Tel Aviv antiquities collector who owns the ossuary, or bone box, inscribed “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” He is charged with forging the inscription. You be the judge (there are no juries in Israel): Don’t assume...Read more ›
Features
Temple Mount Excavations Unearth the Monastery of the Virgins
For ten years, between 1968 and 1978, the area south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem was intensively excavated by archaeologist Benjamin Mazar.1 His many spectacular discoveries included the remains of a monumental staircase that led up to the southern enclosure wall of the...Read more ›
Four-Horned Altar Discovered in Judean Hills
We are what the outside world calls “settlers.” We live in the West Bank, but refer to it by its Biblical names, Judea and Samaria. I (Yoel) live in Ophrah, about 10 miles from the ancient site of Shiloh. Ophrah was established in 1975, the first Jewish...Read more ›