Biblical Archaeology Review, November/December 1981
Features
Finders of a Real Lost Ark
American archaeologists find remains of ancient synagogue ark in Galilee
When we returned to Nabratein in upper Galilee for our second excavation season in June 1981, we were unaware of a movie called “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” This may be difficult to believe, but it is true. Day by day we excavated in the clear Galilee...Read more ›
Politics at the City of David
A BAR editorial
The dispute which sporadically disrupted the archaeological excavations in the City of David last summer had nothing to do with archaeology and everything to do with politics. The incident demonstrated that Judaism, like other religions, has its lunatic fringe. The groundwork for the incident was laid several...Read more ›
How Not to Create a History of the Exodus—A Critique of Professor Goedicke’s Theories
Prominent Israeli archaeologist also offers his own suggestions
In the September/October BAR, we presented an extensive account of Professor Hans Goedicke’s new views on the Exodus and the Israelites’ flight from Egypt (“The Exodus and the Crossing of the Red Sea, According to Hans Goedicke,” BAR 07:05), as well as a critique of these views...Read more ›
Are “The Cities of the Plain” Mentioned in the Ebla Tablets?
Cities identified by Pettinato are nowhere near the Dead Sea
About five years ago, Giovanni Pettinato, the original epigrapher to the Italian Mission to Ebla, announced to the world that the Biblical Cities of the Plain (Genesis 14) were mentioned in the fabulous third-millennium B.C. cuneiform tablets found at Ebla. At the time of...Read more ›
Yigal Shiloh Objects to BAR’s Coverage of His Jerusalem Dig
I was sorry to find in the recent edition of BAR the four-page article ostensibly attempting to clarify our work in the City of David under the pretense of correcting the New York Times. (“New York Times Misrepresents Major Jerusalem Discovery,” BAR 07:04). Most archaeologists do not...Read more ›
BAR Jr.: Not All That Glitters Is Gold—But Sometimes It Is
Some people think of archaeology—incorrectly—as a treasure hunt. Not many archaeologists are as lucky as Howard Carter, who discovered the tomb of King Tut with all its glorious treasures. More often than not, archaeologists find neither gold nor silver. And if they do find a precious metal,...Read more ›