Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 1983
Features
The Mysterious MBI People
Does the Exodus tradition in the Bible preserve the memory of their entry into Canaan?
One of the most obscure periods in the history of Palestine is the Middle Bronze I period (commonly referred to as MBI) which extended from about 2200 B.C. to about 2000 B.C. Who were the MBI people? We really don’t know. On the basis of my research,...Read more ›
The Sad Case of Tell Gezer
For Gezer there is still time. But not much. The stones are still there, but gradually the walls are deteriorating. Soon they may tumble under the assault of winter rains and summer goats. Not even a fence protects the precious stones from the Bedouin...Read more ›
Rain in the Desert
Rain rarely falls in the desert regions of Israel—that is a commonplace assumption. The Sinai, Negev and the Judean wilderness are so dry that inscriptional materials, such as scrolls, have survived for millennia. But “rarely” is not “never.” Rain does fall in the desert; a few times...Read more ›
Beware the Wiles of the Wanton Woman
Dead Sea Scroll fragment reflects Essene fear of, and contempt for, women
Nearly 35 years ago, Bedouin tribesmen searching for more scrolls near the original find on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea discovered the now-famous Qumran cave 4. Cave 4 proved to be the richest of all the Qumran caves, containing fragments of over 500 scrolls. One...Read more ›
The Ark That Wasn’t There
Larry Blaser of Englewood, Colorado, thought he had located the Ark of the Covenant—and enlisted the aid of professional archaeologists
“Found!” proclaimed Lawrence Blaser, referring to the actual cave where David accidentally happened upon King Saul near the spring at Ein Gedi on the shores of the Dead Sea. David could have killed King Saul, but instead he simply cut off the hem of his robe to...Read more ›