World-renowned master teachers present lectures on the latest key issues in archaeology and the Bible, including “The Archaeology of Jewish Christianity” and “Isaiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls.”
Enjoy this sample of videos from Biblical Archaeology Society's extensive collection.
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The Scandal of Jesus’ Birth
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke narrate Jesus’ birth to a young virgin named Mary. Are these stories history or are they legend? The “Scandal of Jesus’ birth,” presented by the always-popular Mark Goodacre, is the first video in the upcoming 10-lecture set “Who Was...Read more ›
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Uncovering Early Christianity
New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman’s bestselling books have introduced the general public to some of the most challenging and controversial ideas of modern Biblical scholarship. Now, BAS Library members can watch or listen to four exclusive full-length lectures by Ehrman on topics ranging from...Read more ›
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Could Mt. Ebal Be Deuteronomy’s “Place of the Name”?
A vexing irony inhabits the Book of Deuteronomy. On the one hand, the book makes exclusive worship at a single site chosen by Israel’s God Yahweh the defining criterion of community faithfulness. On the other hand, the book fails to identify the sanctuary’s location. The quest to...Read more ›
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1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed
A “perfect storm of calamities”—earthquakes, droughts and rebellions—caused the demise of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500–1200 B.C.). The great empires and mighty kingdoms of the ancient world—the Egyptians, Mycenaeans, Minoans, Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians,...Read more ›
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Shock and Awe: The Exodus Narrative
Regular Biblical Archaeology Review contributor Mary Joan Winn Leith provides a fresh perspective on the language and imagery of the Book of Exodus by exploring ancient Egyptian iconography of power and authority. Through their acute awareness of Egyptian propaganda and art, the...Read more ›
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Abraham and the Binding of Isaac
Despite an appearance of simplicity, the Biblical narratives are often complicated stories. In the full-length video lecture “Abraham and the Binding of Isaac,” Ziony Zevit examines the context of one of the best-known narratives of the Hebrew Bible, enabling you to experience a...Read more ›
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Jerusalem Discoveries from the Time of Jesus
In this exclusive collection of video lectures, renowned Biblical scholar James D. Tabor reviews some of the most exciting and controversial archaeological discoveries from Jerusalem in recent years, including his important findings from the Talpiot tombs and the Mt. Zion excavation. In his...Read more ›
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Folk Tales and Biblical History
Many of the stories from ancient Near Eastern literature are often labeled “folk tales” and are presumed to have no basis in reality—the Biblical texts are no exception. Many stories in the Bible are seen as allegories or folk tales. But when we read these stories, should we just...Read more ›
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The Exodus and Cultural Memory
Ancient Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, rather than being a single, momentous event that can be confirmed through archaeology, should be viewed as a deep-seated cultural memory that allowed disparate groups of highland villagers and escaped Canaanite slaves to coalesce into a single people. How...Read more ›
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Honor and Shame: Core Values of the Biblical World
Richard Rohrbaugh elucidates the concepts of honor and shame, which he sees as core values in Mediterranean culture and thus of the Biblical world. Rohrbaugh draws on his experiences of living in both the Mediterranean world and the West. He concentrates on passages in the New Testament that are...Read more ›
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Isaiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Professor Flint takes you on a journey from Jerusalem to the wilderness of Judea—and into the caves of Qumran, where many of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947 by Bedouin shepherds. He recounts the story of their discovery, reviews various Scroll manuscripts and shares an interesting...Read more ›
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The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel Aren’t Lost (and never were)
Speculating on the whereabouts of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel has been popular for longer than the search for the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. Suggestions for where they ended up have ranged from America and Britain to India and Africa, and virtually every place in between. However,...Read more ›
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Cyber-Archaeology: Insights from the Holy Land
In this lecture given to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, UC San Diego professor Thomas Levy discusses how new digital technologies are transforming archaeology in the 21st century and helping to preserve the world’s cultural heritage. Using examples from various archaeological...Read more ›
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The Archaeology of "Jewish Christianity"
Many scholars agree on the odd symbols found over the years: they represent the human imprint left by Jewish Christians. But some others like Biblical minimalists question whether the unusual strokes of a seemingly Latin cross aren’t merely remnants from a painter cleaning his brush...Read more ›
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Yahweh's Wives
In this intriguing lecture, noted Biblical scholar and archaeologist Michael D. Coogan tackles the complex issue of Yahweh’s wives. According to Coogan, the issue of Yahweh’s wives, particularly the goddess Asherah, is a most interesting topic from the perspective of the history of...Read more ›
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Hershel Shanks Interviews Scholars on the Scrolls
Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, hosts this series of informal interviews with five prominent Dead Sea Scrolls scholars. As only he can, Shanks discusses the intriguing personalities behind early scroll scholarship, many of whom were controversial. Listen as Weston...Read more ›
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Recent Explorations in the Sinai: Implications for the Hebrew Exodus from Egypt
The Israelite exodus from Egypt is clearly the most important event in the Hebrew Bible, and yet there is presently no direct archaeological evidence to support the tradition, causing some scholars to question whether it was a historical event. Archaeology, however, can provide important background...Read more ›
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Technology and Antiquity
Professor Zuckerman highlights the exciting new ways that ancient technologies allow us to decipher ancient texts and artifacts. In this dynamic presentation, he literally shines a light on some of the most important inscriptions in the field of Biblical archaeology, from the Copper Scroll to...Read more ›
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The Temple, Aramaic Epigraphy and the Historical Jesus
In “The Temple, Aramaic Epigraphy and the Historical Jesus,” Bruce Chilton of Bard College explains how these three separate fields of study can be combined to understand better the Jewish context of Jesus’ life and teaching. Chilton dismisses the notion that Jesus was simply pro-...Read more ›
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What We Don't Know about the Biblical Moab
External origins and the displacement of nations have been themes exhibited throughout the Bible and studied through biblical archaeology. Dr. Bruce Routledge questions whether the role of Moab as portrayed in the Bible has helped or impeded with the archaeological study of Moab in the Iron Age,...Read more ›
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Was Jesus Married to Mary Magdalene?
Follow Mark Goodacre as he explores the latest research on Mary Magdalene—including the validity of the Coptic papyrus fragment The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife—and the role she plays in the early Christian texts.Read more ›
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The Proto-Gospel of James
A compelling prequel to the Gospels, the account known as the “Proto-Gospel of James” centers on the life of Mary and Joseph as well as narrates Jesus’ miraculous birth in a cave in Bethlehem.Read more ›