The new episode is out. We look at the most scandalous stories from David's court: the story of Bathsheba, the rape of Tamar, and the rebellion of Absalom and ask: what can we learn about real history from these amazing stories? Listen NOW wherever you get your podcasts.
🧵This is the Siloam Inscription. It was found in east Jerusalem and is dated to around 700 BCE. It was taken by the Ottoman government in the 19th Century, and Turkey has finally agreed to give it back.
Researchers at Tel Aviv and Ariel University developed an AI model able to translate Akkadian cuneiform into English. It is on a par with the best machine translations of modern languages. This will allow the translation of hundreds of thousands of clay tablets.
2,700-year-old water reservoir in Jerusalem, which was built by King Hezekiah, will be fully excavated and opened to the public. It was used as a major source of water for the city in the 8th century BCE. It is mentioned in the Book of Kings.
🧵 In honor of Simchat Torah, here is one of the oldest Torah fragments found in Israel. It was part of Leviticus and found in a cave in Ein Gedi. Computer scientists from the University of Kentucky used specialized X-ray imaging to reveal the writing inside without unwrapping.
After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Romans persecuted rabbis. Many regrouped in the hidden village of Usha in Western Galilee. These rabbis made their own wine and olive oil and set up a mikveh away from prying eyes. Here are the remains of that village.
🧵 A 1,000 year old Tanakh is expected to become the most expensive book in the world when it goes on sale at Sotheby's. The book, known as the Codex Sassoon is from the late 9th Century or early 10th. It is the earliest existing complete copy of the Tanakh originally from Syria.
A UNC team discovered a late Roman-era synagogue in Huqoq. They depict a wreath flanked on either side by lions resting forepaws on a bulls' heads. Other panels in the synagogue show the Samson story from the Tanakh. Another shows a dead Philistine soldier.
The first Israelite villages appeared on the hilltops of Samaria and, to a lesser extent, Judea around 1200 BCE. They were egalitarian self-contained villages dependent on sheep and goat herding alongside light farming. We know they were Israelites because there are no pig
A coin from the Bar Kochba revolt was found in the Judean Desert. It has a date tree with the name "Shimon" on one side of the coin and a vine leaf with the inscription: "Year 2 of the liberation of Israel" on the other. A light blue thread found may have been part of a tallit.
The History of the Land of Israel is back tomorrow. We will discuss where the Israelites came from. The era of the Tanakh/Bible has begun. You have been waiting for this!
A Roman payslip was discovered near Masada. Belonging to Gaius Messius. It says: "“I received my stipend of 50 denarii, out of which I have paid barley money 16 denarii; food expenses 20 denarii; boots 5 denarii; leather strappings 2 denarii; linen tunic 7 denarii." Do the math.
The coin with the earliest known representation of the temple menorah is now on display in Jerusalem. It was dated to 40 BCE. Its inscriptions are King Antigonus” and “Matatya the High Priest.” Mattathias Antigonus was the last ruler of the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty.
These are the Lachish letters, communication in ancient Hebrew from 590 BCE from a military officer stationed in the city close to Lachish to his commanding officer in the Judah army. The letters were written shortly before the city fell to Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II.
Archaeologists found four Roman swords in the Judean Desert. They date back to the Bar Kochba revolt, spearheaded by Jews against Roman rule. The swords were hidden in a narrow crevice; some believe they had been captured by Roman troops (probably dead ones) by Judean rebels.
A farmer in Gaza was planting an olive tree when his shovel hit something hard. It is an ornate Byzantine-era mosaic that experts say is one of the greatest archaeological treasures ever found in Gaza. Hamas has acknowledged the importance of the find. We hope they protect it.
The tablet is written in paleo-Hebrew: a Canaanite alphabet somewhere between biblical Hebrew and Phoenician. It supports the biblical narrative of the construction of a tunnel below the southern edge of the Temple Mount, during the reign of King Hezekiah.
5,000 years ago in Sumeria, this was the place to go. A tavern that served beer and food for the common folk in Lagash. At the time, people drank more beer than water because it was safer.
Archaeologists uncovered the earliest mention of Bethlehem. A 2,700-year-old clay shard mentioning the city was found in Jerusalem. It's a seal imprint used to pay tax to the Kingdom of Judah in the late 8th and 7th centuries BCE. It proves Bethlehem was part of that Kingdom.
The wonders of this land never cease. The Lavi family went for a walk near Modi'in and found part of a Byzantine candleholder from the 6th century. Archaeologist Issy Kornfeld said this is “a typical find. But not every candle had a holder, and certainly not a designed one.”
Erez Abrahamov, 45, of Paduel found a scarab in the Lower Galilee. It may have been used by an Assyrian or perhaps Babylonian official almost 2,800 years ago. The Assyrians destroyed the Kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians destroyed the first temple.
Nir Distelfeld, of the
The Pool of Siloam, currently being excavated by Israeli archaeologists, is also significant to Christians. According to John:9, it is where Jesus healed the blind man, telling him to "wash in the Pool of Siloam.”
🧵Tablets from 1800 BCE found in Iraq offer an early glimpse of the Amorite language. It dates back to the Hammurabi era. The text is a manual for comparing Akkadian and Amorite.
🧵A cache of coins found in the Judean Desert seems to substantiate that Jews were indeed persecuted by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The sum found, equal to about two months pay, was likely hidden by Jews escaping his wrath.
Israeli archaeologists are excavating a Jewish tomb associated by local Christians with Salome, the midwife of Jesus in the Gospels. A Byzantine chapel was built at the site. Pilgrims would rent oil lamps, enter the cave, used to pray, and come out to give back the oil lamp.
Archaeologists dug up a tomb in Tel Megiddo and discovered the remains of two brothers from 3,500 years ago. They were amazed to see that one of them had brain surgery performed on him. The procedure was used for leprosy, but this is the earliest example ever discovered.
The Canaanite god El, was the deity of thunder and supreme god. His name is still used as a word for God in Hebrew. What role did he have in shaping Judaism? How is he related to Zeus? We delve into these questions in our continuing series on the roots of the Israelite religion.
This is Abel Beth Maacah in the Galilee. Believed to have been a Canaanite site in the 9th and 10th Centuries BCE, the discovery in 2020 of a Hebrew name-tag on a wine jar changed that view. It may have been under the influence of the Kingdom of Israel earlier than believed.
A hunter-gatherer campsite from up to 7,500 years ago was discovered in Be’er Milka in the Negev Desert. Shells of ostrich eggs were near the hearth. These were used for decorative bowls. Meanwhile, the contents of the eggs provide the caloric equivalent of 10 chicken eggs.
The wonders of Jerusalem never cease. A teenager found this gold bead made by hand in Jerusalem 1,600 years ago, dating to the Byzantine period. Gold artifacts are rare and whoever owned this was very rich and a highly skilled crafter made it.
Before they had coins in Canaan, they used the barter system. It was believed that silver wasn't introduced into the area until the Iron Age. But new discoveries show that as early as 1700 BCE, bits of uneven silver were used as currency. These were found in Shiloh.
This tablet from 1400-1200 BCE found in Mount Ebal is the first known use of proto-Hebrew. It says: "You are cursed by the god, yhw, cursed. You will die cursed—cursed you will surely die. Cursed you are by yhw.” Not a very friendly start for the language of the Israelites!
There has long been a dispute over how powerful King Davis was. Some new evidence supports the notion he was a strong king. Yosef Garfinkel claims he has evidence urban settlement around Jerusalem dates to 1,000 BCE and not 200 years later as previously believed.
The Roman aqueduct in Caesarea collapsed. It was built in the days of Herod, though the collapsed part was built by Hadrian 1,900 years ago. Israeli archaeologists have long warned this could happen. We hope it is soon restored and that authorities take proper care in future.
What did the Pharoah in the story of the Israelite exit from Egypt look like? Historians believe the Pharoah when the exodus is said to have occurred was Ramesses II. Here is a 3D rendition of his face, based on the remains, using the latest technology.
The Israel Antiquities Authority announced that it has located two mysterious structures dating back about 2,800 years ago in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem.
The first structure has been described as one of “unique and large-scale installations carved out of the
In 1400 BCE or so, there was a mysterious mention of the God of the Israelites in a topographical Egyptian list. They tied that God to a tribe in Edom, located in modern Jordan. Could that be the original home of the Israelites? Check out the new episode to find out.
Israel is full of Roman structures. But modern structures decay within decades. Why do they last? Scientists discovered that lime clasts gave the concrete the ability to heal cracks naturally. The chunks were once considered a sign of poor craftsmanship. It was anything but.
In Megido, archaeologists found a palace that they believed proved the existence of a united Israel monarchy. However, the evidence shows it was the palace of the Omiride dynasty, which ruled Israel and not Judah. Some archaeologists now believe there was never a united monarchy
Deep in the Negev desert, archaeologists have found tombs. They are nowhere near any settlements and seem to contain only (or at least mostly) females. The graves were created 2,500 years ago and contain artifacts from as far away as Arabia and the Maghreb. Why?
Archaeologists found a 1,000-year-old handprint in a dry moat that once surrounded Jerusalem. They wondered: "“Does it symbolize something? Does it point to a specific nearby element? Or is it just a local prank? Time may tell.” These are the fortifications the Crusaders breached
For Christmas, a tribute to Christian heritage. Perhaps the most beautiful Church in the Land of Israel is the St. George Monastery in Wadi Qelt, close to the ancient road where the parable of the Good Samaritan is set. It was established in the 5th century by John of Thebes.
According to 2 Kings 20, 20: "And the rest of the events of Hezekiah and all his mighty deeds, and how he made the conduit and the pool, and he brought the water into the city, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah."
During an eighth-grade field trip to Azor, Gilad Stern of the Israel Antiquity Authority found a 3,000-year-old Egyptian scarab from the Canaanite period. The students were understandably excited. The scrab appears to show a pharaoh bestowing authority on a Canaanite ruler.
It is Sukkot, the Israelites would go on a pilgrimage to the temple. In 2004, excavations began in the City of David. A road leading into the Temple Mount, used for these pilgrimages was discovered. Stalls on the road to Jerusalem, to provide for pilgrims were also discovered.
The Battle of Megiddo was the first battle ever with a description and account, and the first record It also decided the fate of Canaan when it was waged in 1457 BCE. It even has the first known use of chariots. Ever. We cover it in the lastest episode.
It isn't the most picturesque side of archaeology. But analysis of feces gives us answers on ancient societies. These toilet seats from biblical era Jerusalem show that dysentery was very common in the Kingdom of Judah, due to the presence of diarrhea-causing parasites.
Grave robbers are the worst. But sometimes they prove useful. The IDF caught thieves trying to rob thousand-year-old sarcophagi in Samaria. That alerted archeologists to its existence.
Near the Kinneret, Israeli archaeologists are excavating the Cathedral of Hippos. At 92 by 59 feet, it is the largest one in Israel. The splendor suggest the bishop had a monopoly over baptisms in the area. It is believed many Jews converted to Christianity there 1,500 years ago
Marine Science and Israel Antiquities Authority experts have found evidence of a massive tsunami that hit Caesarea in n 749 A.D., in conjunction with an earthquake in the Dead Sea. The evidence will help Israel prepare for the next tsunami. Archaeology can save lives!
In the episode coming out later today, we discuss the question: did the Canaanites practice human sacrifice? And if so, does that mean the early Israelites did as well?
A hiker in Tel Lachish found the earliest ever reference in Israel to Persian king Darius I. The name is inscribed on a piece of 2,500-year-old piece of pottery. Darius is the father of Ahasuerus from the Purim story and the emperor during the famous Persian invasion of Greece.
The Te’omim Cave in the Jerusalem Hills may have been a “portal to the underworld,” where necromancy and other acts of cultic magic took place. Findings there have all the hallmarks of a dark magic cave shrine, like ones found throughout the Greco-Roman world.
There is controversy over the Temple Mount. What is it? Its a flat plaza surrounded by walls including the Western Wall built by King Herod in the first century BCE. It is not within Al Aqsa Mosque. Jews believe it was part of the First Temple, but that was never verified.
Anat was the Canaanite goddess of fertility and sexuality and subject of sex rituals. She was either sibling or lover (probably both) of Baal, the god often mentioned in the Tanakh. But she also may have inspired Judaism. We will discuss her complicated legacy in the next episode
Students on a hiking trip in Ein Nashut found a 1,500-year-old carved lioness sculpture, likely from an ancient Galilee synagogue. Prof. Mordechai Aviam of Kinneret Academic College sent his students to search the old Jewish village site, and one of them found this.
This amazing tiny artifact is the earliest known gold finding from Jerusalem. It is believed to be of Phoenician origin and dates to the era of the First Temple, some 3,000 years ago. Archaeologists found it during a dig in the Ophel, a raised area south of Temple Mount in
The Tanakh mentions more than once that children were sacrificed to Baal, the Canaanite god. Did it happen? And did the Israelites participate? Our latest episode has the full story.
🧵Israeli archaeologists found a compass from the Battle of the 35 (Lamed Heh in Hebrew). On January 16, 1948, 38 Haganah fighters (3 turned back) set out to Gush Etzion to relieve the siege on the area by the Arab Legion. They were intercepted by a hostile force.
The tablet reads: "the tunnel ... and this is the story of the tunnel while ...
the axes were against each other and while three cubits were left to (cut?) ... the voice of a man ...
called to his counterpart, (for) there was ZADA in the rock, on the right ..."
Archaeologists found this 3,700-year-old lice comb in Tel Lachish in 2016. It contains the first known full sentence in Canaanite script. It says: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard."
and on the day of the
tunnel (being finished) the stonecutters struck each man towards his counterpart, ax against ax and flowed
water from the source to the pool for 1,200 cubits. and (100?)
cubits was the height over the head of the stonecutters."
Israel bought a fragment of papyrus written in Hebrew back from a Montana resident. The fragment is likely from the 7th Century BCE. It includes a reference to the biblical character Ishmael. The papyrus was likely stolen from a Dead Sea cave sometime in the last 100 years.
In Givat Hamatos in Jerusalem, archaeologists uncovered a large section of the main aqueduct for the city in the Second Temple era. It comprised an Upper Aqueduct for the city and a lower aqueduct for the Temple. It was one of the most complex water systems on earth.
In our latest episode, we explore the story of the golden calf. The Ugaritic texts shed new light on that pivotal biblical tale. What does the calf symbolize?
A dig has begun in Tel Tibnah, a site identified with the Israelite settlement of Timnat Serach. According to tradition, the site is where Joshua lived and was buried. The dig may give us answers as to the earliest Israelite settlements and the historicity of Joshua Ben-Nun.
A mosaic revealed in Huqoq includes the first known depiction of the story of Deborah and Yael from the Book of Judges. The site is believed to have been a 5th-century synagogue that operated under Byzantine rule. There is also a representation of the Tower of Babel story.
The tusk of a prehistoric pachyderm (a sort of pre-elephant) from 500,000 years ago was unearthed near Kibbutz Revadim. The animal in question was far larger than the modern elephant. The remains of the elephant were found in a campsite by H. erectus who may have killed it.
🧵As war rages in Gaza, we hope both sides will protect the many archaeological treasures in Gaza. Here are a few of our favorites. This 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery in northern Gaza.
High school student Aviv Weitzman found a Byzantine “exorcism mirror” people kept to ward off evil spirits. The church linked these mirrors to the sacraments. It was a clever way to link local superstitions to Christian doctrine. They are similar to “enchantment bowls" Jews used.
The World Heritage Committee, overseen by UNESCO, voted to list the prehistoric site of “Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan and the nearby spring as part of the World Heritage List. They recorded it under the State of Palestine, which has caused complaints from the Israeli
In time for Hannukah: A 2,200-year-old lead sling bullet discovered in Yavne. With the Greek inscription “Victory of Heracles and Hauronas." The users of the sling believed it had magic properties. It may have been used in the Maccabean Revolt commemorated by the holiday.
The Philistines arrived in Canaan. Around 1175 as a group of at least three different tribes, likely from the Aegean region, as part of the "Sea People" invasion. The Canaanites and Israelites soon adopted some pottery patterns, combining Mycenean and Cypriot motifs.
Did the Queen of Sheba really meet King Solomon? The Book of Kings and Ethiopian legends tell of this meeting. An Urn in an Arabian language spoken in her kingdom was found in Jerusalem. Evidence of the extensive commercial and cultural ties that existed between Israel and Sheba.
The new episode looks at the emergence of the city-states of Jerusalem and Shechem in the Judean mountains. Their kings battled for domination, using the local nomadic tribes as political tools. It was in this chaos that the Israelites first emerged.
It was one of the craziest discoveries ever. In 2005, An ancient Christian mosaic bearing an early reference to Jesus as God was found in the Megiddo prison. It is one of the earliest references ever found. Now it may be loaned to the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C.
While laying pipes near Kiryat Gat, workers discovered a 5,500-year-old city gate. The oldest ever found. It is a remnant of the earliest urbanization in the Land of Israel around 3,300 BCE. It includes a passageway flanked by two stone towers, with rows of mudbricks in between.
In the episode coming later today, we highlight the legal legacy of Hammurabi's code. Where did it come from and why was it written? And how was it put into practice? And of course, how did it influence Israelite law?
A donkey was found interred in a pottery kiln in Yavne. Donkey veneration was common elsewhere. But we had no sign it was practiced by the Canaanites until these remains from 3,500 years ago were found. We learn more about this incredible culture with every dig.
Researchers have taken plastered human skulls from Jericho, dated to roughly 9,500 years ago. They have recreated their features using micro-computed tomography.
The earliest known use of cotton fibers in the Middle East found in the Jordan Valley. The 5,000 BCE settlement in Tel Tsaf also provided the first known regional examples of beer drinking and ritual food storage. More evidence that the early people of Israel were trailblazers.
🧵In 2007 this Greek helmet was found in Haifa by a Dutch sailor. It was now finally given to the Israeli Antiquities Authority. It appears to have been worn by a Corinthian soldier in the Greco-Persian Wars, 499–449 BCE. The war in the famous 300 movie.
Others show the parting of the Dead Sea, the spies sent by Joshua into Canaan, and other biblical scenes. But perhaps the most fascinating seems to portray the legendary meeting between Alexander the Great and the Jewish high priest.
🧵Archaeologists have found the remains of luxury items appearing in the Tanakh. These are tiny ivory panels that would have been embedded on wooden furniture of the high and mighty during the First Temple period in ancient Jerusalem. They were found south of the Temple Mount.
We all know the many faces of Moses. But who was he really? Was he a real historical figure? How does his image differ in Jewish, Christian, Greek, and Egyptian mythology? The first episode of the podcast special on the Exodus coming out Sunday has the answers.
According to reports, former President Trump is holding several ancient Israeli-owned treasures such as antique ceramic oil lamps in Mar-a-Lago. We are not a political podcast, but we hope they will be returned because, as Indiana Jones would say, they belong in a museum.
This small silver quarter Shekel was minted during the Jewish Revolt against Roman rule. It was taken by Palestinians from a hoard in the Ella Valley. The Israel Antiquities Authority launched an international search and traced it to an auction in Colorado. Now it is coming home.
For the new year, the History of the Land of Israel Podcast vows to continue to provide the fullest and most accurate history of this part of the world. We will also champion archeological and historical integrity, apart from politics and fashion. Happy New Year, everyone!
Thutmose III was the first true imperial conqueror, sometimes called "The Egyptian Napoleon." He not only beat the Canaanites at Meggido but also invented imperialism by creating the first colony in history in the Land of Israel. In the upcoming episode, we continue his story.
🧵Recent geomagnetic field studies confirm a biblical narrative. According to Kings 2: 17-18) Hazael, King of Aram-Damascus: "went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem." This is Hazael's statue.
In Tell Megiddo, archaeologists discovered a vast Roman army base. The Legio II Triana Legio VI Ferrata were stationed there. It is easily the biggest camp in the Eastern Roman Empire from this period. It includes an amphitheater with blood-red walls (now sadly faded).
In the sixteenth century BCE, an Aryan ethnic group, the Hurrians, migrated into Canaan. By one estimate, they made up 38% of the population of Canaan by 1450 BCE. They spoke Canaanite but kept their Vedic names and religion, which would later be the basis of the Hindu religion.
The next episode is on the Exodus from Egypt. I've begun working on it, and don't know if it will be one episode or two. Either way, if you have any questions for this special episode, shoot them at me!
🧵It is very difficult to periodize ruins from the biblical era. But a new form of paleomagnetic analysis pioneered by Israeli archaeologists is helping. Researchers look at the magnetosphere to reconstruct the magnetic conditions of a certain time. Then apply it to ruins.
For centuries, Muslim pilgrims have gone on long and dangerous pilgrimages to the Hajj in Mecca. When coming from North Africa, pilgrims often walked through Sinai and into the southern portions of the Land of Israel. A recent archaeological excavation near the port city of Eilat
It somehow survived though the synagogue it was in was sacked by Mongols in the 13th Century. It's an entire century older than the Leningrad Codex, the second oldest known copy. The book cites an earlier Tanakh, crafted by Aaron ben Moses ben Asher known as the Aleppo Codex.
A dig at Nahal Omer reveals that the area was an offshoot of the famous "silk road" that dominated global trade. Large quantities of cotton and silk from China and India were found. They are dated to the 8th Century. From there, fabrics went on to the Mediterranean world.
The Institute for Archaeological Seminars invited children to Tel Maresha to be archaeologists for a day. The area is the birthplace of King Herod. It also housed a community fortified by King Rehoboam in biblical times. We love seeing the next generation of archaeologists.