Biblical Archaeology Review, September/October 2007
Special Section
60 Years with the Dead Sea Scrolls Part 3
Our coverage of the 60th anniversary of the scrolls’ discovery comes to a close with an examination of the ruins of Qumran. Who lived there? Were they soldiers, ascetics or industrial laborers? The series of “How the Dead Sea Scrolls Changed My Life” concludes with Princeton Theological...Read more ›
Dead Sea Scrolls: Who Lived at Qumran?
The various theories about who lived at Qumran can be divided into two camps, according to whether or not one believes that an intimate connection exists between the scrolls and the archaeological ruins. This point is particularly important because some of the scrolls are clearly sectarian; that...Read more ›
The Dead Sea Scrolls: How They Changed My Life
35 Scrolls Still in Private Hands By James H. Charlesworth In 1954, at the age of 14, I was living with my family in Delray Beach, Florida. I would spend summers exploring the Everglades in my kayak, wondering wide-eyed at the alligators and other gar in the...Read more ›
Features
Village Razed, Rebel Beheaded
How Hadrian Suppressed the Second Jewish Revolt at Horvat ‘Ethri
The second–third-century Roman historian Cassius Dio claimed that the Romans destroyed 985 Jewish villages while suppressing the so-called Bar-Kokhba Revolt, the Second Jewish Revolt. I believe we have excavated one of those villages at a site now known as Horvat ‘Ethri, just 15 miles...Read more ›
Hadrian’s Hard-Won Victory
Romans Suffer Severe Losses in Jewish War
The First Jewish Revolt against Rome (66–70 A.D.), which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the Temple, was chronicled by the great Jewish historian Josephus. Much of his Jewish War, which extends to 681 pages in the standard Loeb Classical Texts edition, is...Read more ›
BAR Exclusive! Major New Excavation Planned for Mary Magdalene’s Hometown
A major new excavation is being planned for the hometown of one of the most significant figures in the life of Jesus. Often referred to simply as the Magdalene, Mary Magdalene came from Magdala, an important fishing community on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee...Read more ›
Is This Inscription Fake? You Decide
The famous Ivory Pomegranate Inscription: Is it a forgery or authentic? You decide. And let us know your decision. A Hebrew inscription is engraved around the shoulder of the thumb-size pomegranate that reads, “Holy to the priests, (belonging) to the Temple of [Yahwe]h.” For decades the tiny...Read more ›