Jobar Synagogue latest

AFTER ASSAD: Syria’s dwindling Jewish community can visit one of the world’s oldest synagogues again ( BASSEM MROUE, AP).

JOBAR, Syria (AP) — In this Damascus suburb, the handful of remaining Jews in Syria can again make pilgrimages to one of the world’s oldest synagogues where people from throughout the region once came to pray.

Syria’s 13-year civil war left the synagogue partially destroyed. Walls and roofs have collapsed. Some artifacts are missing. A marble sign in Arabic at the gate says it was first built 720 years before Christ.

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The Jobar Synagoge was badly damaged in the civil war in 2013 and about two-thirds destroyed in 2014. But what's left of it can now be visited. For reports of missing artifacts, see here and links.

The synagogue is traditionally associated with the Prophet Elijah, but its actual founding date is unclear. The Talmud may mention a visit to it by R. Rafram bar Pappa (b. Berachot 50a), but the identification of the site mentioned is disputed. Discussion here. (Scroll down to the paragraphs on Jobar's origins.) The synagogue was certainly around in the Middle Ages.

For all the PaleoJudaica posts on the Jobar Synagogue, start here and follow the links. Let's hope it will see some better days now.

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Guide to ethnographic passages in Philo of Alexandria

ERHNIC RELATIONS AND MIGRATION IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: Guide to Philo of Alexandria.

This is a guide for reading ethnographic passages on this website from Philo of Alexandria (early first century CE): ...

The purpose of the Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World Blog, run by Philip Harland, Maia Kotrosits, and collaborators, "is to collect, organize, and make public resources for the reconstruction of ethnic relations and ethnographic culture in the ancient Mediterranean and near eastern worlds (fifth century BCE-sixth century CE)." I link to it occasionally, most recently here. I should do so more often. It's a great resource.

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Video: a basic introduction to ancient Carthage

PUNIC WATCH:

This is a pretty good basic introduction to ancient Carthage. It is the opener for a series on the Punic wars with Rome. HT Rogue Classicism.

Fun fact: Ms. Stevenson mentions that the goverment of ancient Carthage was run by officials called "suffetes." The Phoenician word suffete is cognate with the word "judges" (shofetim, שפטים). It would be a gross oversimplification to say that Carthage (and Tyre) were run by the same goverment system as Israel was in the Book of Judges, but they used the same title for their leaders.

Now and then I like to link to this post, which explains why PaleoJudaica posts so frequently on Phoenician and Punic (Carthaginian) language and society. The detail above is just one example of their intriguing linguistic and cultural cognates with ancient Israel.

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AJR's 2024 top ten

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: 2024 AJR Year in Review.

Ancient Jew Review is thankful for our community of contributors and readers invested in learning about Jews and their neighbors in the ancient world. For the year of 2024, these are our ten most-read pieces published this year: ...

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Satlow on what really happened on Hanukkah

MICHAEL L. SATLOW: What Really Happened on Hanukkah?

Some years ago I created a podcast, “From Israelite to Jew,” in which I devoted one of the episodes to a (not necessarily the only, or even best) historical reconstruction of the events leading to the Maccabean Revolt (ca. 164 BCE – 162 BCE). I am re-upping that episode here. I hope you enjoy it.

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Minimal metal pollution at the Timna mines?

ARCHAEOLOGY: Ancient copper smelting at ‘King Solomon’s mines’ was less toxic than today’s industry. Soil samples from Timna show that previous studies have exaggerated the environmental impact of the mining industry in antiquity, Tel Aviv University research team finds (Gavriel Fiske, Times of Israel).

Much like mines in the modern age, scholars have long assumed that ancient mining and metallurgy were highly toxic and dangerous, claiming the industry had a long-term, detrimental effect on the environment and nearby communities. But new research based out of what some consider King Solomon’s fabled copper mines is upending that hypothesis.

A new study of soil samples from two Timna-area mines in southern Israel, authored by Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv University and his team, has shown that metal pollution as a result of the ancient copper industry was minimal. Most of “the population in the past, and today, most probably did not suffer at all from any kind of health consequences” resulting from the mines, Ben-Yosef told The Times of Israel by phone.

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For much more on the Timna Valley excavation, especially its important organic remains, start here and follow the links.

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Happy 2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR from PaleoJudaica!

Best wishes and prayers for goodness and peace this year. And do continue to make PaleoJudaica a regular part of your year.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

PaleoJudaica's top ten (with bonuses) for 2024

ONE MORE (FOR NOW) 2024 TOP TEN LIST: Below is my own list of PaleoJudaica's top ten stories/posts for 2024, with some bonuses at the end. My criterion is stories that I found most interesting. They are mostly in chronological order of posting.

• FIRST, a very important annnouncement: Forthcoming: More Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2. With follow-up posts here, here, and here (and anticipatory post here).
• Chaos dragon stamp seal excavated at Hazor. With follow-up posts here and here.
• Plato's last night revealed in Herculaneum scroll? With follow-up posts here and here.
• The Holy Grail has not been found at Petra. Nope. But read on .... With follow-up posts here and here.
• The Mazzarón II has been raised. For the long saga of the raising of the Phoenician shipwreck, the Mazzarón II, off the coast of Spain, follow the links. It is currently being restored at nearby Cartagena.
• Alphabetic inscriptions from 2,400 BCE? Yep, currently looks like it. Follow-up posts are here and here.
• A first-century synagogue in Russia? (updated and bumped). See also the earlier link in the update. A follow-up post is here.
• Samaritan Decalogue tablet sells for more that $5m. Follow the links for posts on this object, and its two sales, going back to 2016.
• Does the Tel Dan Stele prove there was a King David? The Tel Dan Stele has been in the news a lot in 2024. It is currently on an exhibition tour in the United States. Follow the links for this year's posts and more.
• A.I. is finding more Gilgamesh Epic. There were many Artificial Intelligence stories this year. That one is a win. So is this: A Grand Prize winner for the Vesuvius Challenge. So-called "AI" is good for rote detailed jobs like matching up clay fragments. To do much of anything else, it requires lots of human assistance. To a large degree the limitations are not solvable by adding more computing power. They are intrinsic to the technology. It can't perceive reality directly. It can only remap the reality maps handed to it. I discuss some of the issues here. Some other posts are here, here, and here. Personally, I think LLM technology is a dead end that will never produce real AI.

Bonus Story:

• Bronze bulls and other goodies excavated at MBA Tel Shimron

And finally, a few 2024 posts which are not news stories per se, but which I think have useful observations:

• The Haggadah counters an intermediary angel at the Exodus
• Should we trust reconstructions of fragmentary texts?
• What is "Late Antiquity?"

Last year's top-ten list is here.

Have a good and safe New Year's Eve 2024!

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The Bible Places Blog comprehensive "top ten" 2024 list

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Top 10 Discoveries of 2024 (Todd Bolen, The Bible Places Blog).

I find it easy to get lost in the trees of weekly roundups and not be able to quickly recall what stood out above the rest. This end-of-the-year survey is my attempt to review, organize, and highlight what was most important in 2024.

I’ll start with the “Top 10 Discoveries” related to biblical archaeology, prioritizing items made in Israel and in the biblical eras over those made in surrounding regions and later periods.

This survey also includes a couple of the most controversial stories of the year and other noteworthy reports from Jerusalem, Israel, and the broader biblical world. We have a section of top stories related to tourism, as well as stories related to the antiquities trade and vandalism.

Near the end, we highlight the best print and digital resources we noted this year, as well as the deaths of influential figures. Our survey concludes with links to other top 10 lists.

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As you can see, the brief title is misleading. Todd's annual list cover much more than a top ten. It is easily the best and most comprehensive of the end-of-year discoveries list. Enjoy.

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Christianity Today's biblical archaeology top 10 for 2024

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Top 10 Biblical Archaeology Stories of 2024. From a Mediterranean shipwreck to a mosaic on display in Washington, DC, these are the discoveries that made scholars of the biblical world say “wow” this year (Gordon Govier, Christianity Today).

Access to this article requires free registration.

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Bible History Daily’s top ten 2024 stories

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Bible History Daily’s 2024 Year-in-Review. A look back at the year’s most popular stories (Nathan Steinmeyer).

What were the most read biblical archaeology stories of 2024? As the year winds down, we look back at some of the most popular news stories published on Bible History Daily in 2024, plus a few of our own favorites thrown in. From carrying out sci-fiesque excavations of Jerusalem to unlocking an ancient library destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius, this year provided some incredible archaeology news. The articles below are not listed in any particular order, though readers are welcome to share their top picks in the comments section below.

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Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

ANE & Mediterranean top ten discoveries 2024

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Ten Fascinating Discoveries in Near Eastern and Mediterranean Archaeology in 2024 (Jessica Nitschke, The Ancient Near East Today).

Another year done and dusted! We’ve been sharing news stories about archaeological breakthroughs and discoveries all year. In case you missed any, here are some of the highlights (in no particular order).

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Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Top ten 2024 discoveries in Egypt

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: 10 stunning ancient Egyptian discoveries made in 2024, from hidden temples to hallucinogenic rituals. Every year brings new discoveries from ancient Egypt and 2024 was no exception. In this countdown, Live Science takes a look at 10 fascinating discoveries from the past year. (Owen Jarus, Live Science).

An astronomical observatory, gold tongues found in mummies, a sword inscribed with the name of pharaoh Ramesses II and a 4,500 year-old attempt to treat cancer are just some of the interesting ancient Egyptian discoveries made in 2024. Here are 10 of the biggest discoveries from ancient Egypt this year.

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More lists coming today!

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Hanukkah coin hoard excavated

HANUKKAH NUMISMATICS: ‘Miracle’ hoard of Hasmonean coins discovered during Hanukkah in Jordan Valley dig. Haifa University team finds cache of 160 extremely rare coins – dated to 80/79 BCE, during the reign of Judah Maccabee’s grand-nephew – near Alexandrion Fortress, north of Jericho (Gavriel Fiske, Times of Israel).

The coins were dated by experts to the reign of “King Alexander Jannaeus, whose Hebrew name was Jonathan… He reigned from 104–76 BCE. He was the son of Johanan Hyrcanus, [and] the grandson of Simon the Hasmonean (brother of Judah Maccabee),” the statement said, noting that the Alexandrion Fortress, near where the coins were discovered, was built by Jannaeus.

One of the archaeologists manifested the coin hoard with Hanukkah Gelt. Really, that's what it says.

Happy Hanukkah!

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Haaretz top archaeology stories 2024

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Stoned Barbarians, Kneading Cats, and Nine Other Top Archaeology Stories of 2024 (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

Another top-eleven list from Ms. Schuster. This one has a wider geographic and chronological range. Again, PaleoJudaica has posted and commented on some of the stories.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Top Haaretz biblical archaeology stories 2024

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Where Jacob Wrestled, When Shishak Destroyed: Top Biblical Archaeology Stories in 2024 (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

This top-eleven list contains all first-Temple-era stories, but PaleoJudaica has noted some of them.

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On Shikhin and its pottery works

FOR HANUKKAH: Lost Village of Shikhin and Its Oil Lamp Industry Discovered in Israel. On the green hills of Galilee in the shadow of Sepphoris, archaeologists found the village recorded by Josephus and Jewish sources, and its synagogue (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

Standing on the weathered ruins of the synagogue of Shikhin, one can see the great city of Sepphoris it served, just a mile to the south.

The name Shikhin stems from the Hebrew word for cave, today denoting a dugout for soldiers. Yet, it's hard to think of a less baleful place than this ancient Jewish village nestled amid the rolling hills of the Lower Galilee, which existed from about the second century B.C.E. Its raison d'etreO wasn't to fight the good fight but to serve the pottery needs of Sepphoris (Tzipori in Hebrew) and the wider Galilee until it was abandoned – apparently in the third century.

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A long and informative article

PaleoJudaica posts on the ancient village of Shikhin are here and links, here, and here. And for posts on nearby Sepphoris (Zipori//Tzipori/Tzippori/Zippori), where an impressive oil-lamp lantern was recently excavated, start here and follow the links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.