Inside BAR

Cover Story: Did Yahweh Have a Consort?

“Did Yahweh Have a Consort?” presents the first detailed, color-illustrated article on Kuntillet Ajrud by Israeli archaeologist, Ze’ev Meshel. In this early eighth century B.C. Judean outpost in the Sinai desert Meshel found a treasure of Hebrew and Phoenician religious inscriptions and drawings, many of which have never been printed in color, and some of which have never been published at all.

This year Meshel is a Research Fellow at Harvard University while on leave from his post as Assistant Professor at the Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University. While continuing to study the Ajrud materials, he is also examining the collection of pottery excavated fifty years ago by Nelson Glueck at Tell el-Kheleifeh, the site which Glueck believed to be Biblical Ezion-Geber, the port of Solomon. Unfortunately, Glueck died before publishing the scientific report on his excavation at this important site.

How to Pick a Dig

Like many of our authors, Dan Cole is a field archaeologist as well as teacher and writer: In “How to Pick a Dig” Cole shares his knowledge as a dig director with those whose fascination with archaeology tempts us to join a dig.