Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August September/October 2009
Special Section
The Best is Yet to Come!
We made it. After 34 years, 199 issues and many months of anticipation and preparation, we are happy to present this special section in celebration of BAR’s 200th issue. To mark this milestone, we decided to take a look back at what has made BAR the magazine...Read more ›
How BAR Was Born
A reason to return to Jerusalem
In 1972 Hershel Shanks took a sabbatical from his legal practice in Washington, D.C. He and his family went to Jerusalem for a year. Once there, the Shanks family became part of a network of friends and colleagues who comprised some of the archaeological luminaries in the...Read more ›
Letters We Loved
Memorable missives from readers
Where would we be without our loyal readers? No sooner had the first issue been mailed out than we began receiving letters back with compliments, criticisms and questions. Two hundred issues later, our readers are as engaged and outraged as ever. We love reading every single letter...Read more ›
Biblical Archaeology in Focus
A tribute to photographer David Harris
There is no denying that a stunning site shot or an artistic artifact photo can make the past come alive in ways that writing alone cannot. We’ve worked with the world’s foremost photographers, museums and stock houses to illustrate BAR with the best possible photos, but we...Read more ›
A Groundbreaking Call for Excavators
The dirt on the Dig Issue
After a first, modest appearance under the title “Opportunities for Volunteers” in the 1976 issue, a second call for participants was issued in an equally unassuming piece titled “Able-Bodied Diggers Sought” in the spring of 1977. By 1979, BAR had grown into the bi-monthly publication schedule familiar...Read more ›
Ten Top Discoveries
Favorite finds throughout the years
Of course, we think every archaeological discovery reported in BAR is important—from the smallest seal or ostracon to the largest imposing fortress. But there’s no denying that some finds do stand out. The following ten examples are by no means exclusive; others would make different selections for...Read more ›
Features
BAR’s Crusades
You win some, you lose some
Despite what some may think, we do not court controversy. On the other hand, we do not shrink from it either. Nor do we hesitate to take up a worthy cause and fight for it—even if that means ruffling a few feathers. Some might think of them...Read more ›
Raising the BAR on Design
The changing face of BAR
Making piles of rocks and broken pottery look appealing can be difficult. But we have been fortunate in our long-time partnership with designer Robert Sugar and his studio, AURAS Design. Every other month they take our raw materials and turn them into an attractive and accessible magazine...Read more ›
Where in the Wide World?
In 1994, we started running a new department on the very last page of the magazine. WorldWide—as the name suggests—has been a place for us to look beyond our usual borders to explore the beautiful, mysterious and sometimes amusing artifacts that were produced by ancient cultures throughout...Read more ›
The Riches of Ketef Hinnom
Jerusalem tomb yields Biblical text four centuries older than Dead Sea Scrolls
I’ve lived in Jerusalem for more than 59 years. I sometimes feel I can put myself in the shoes (or minds) of ancient Jerusalemites. I think I can tell better than most where these ancient Jerusalemites would have located different facilities. I came to Ketef Hinnom in...Read more ›