Arielli, The Dead Sea (Yale)

NEW BOOK FROM YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Dead Sea
A 10,000-Year History

by Nir Arielli

320 Pages, 5.00 × 7.75 in, 24 b-w illus. + 4 maps

Paperback (for preorder)
9780300286878
Published: Tuesday, 13 Jan 2026
$22.00

Hardcover
9780300259421
Published: Tuesday, 28 Jan 2025
$35.00

eBook
9780300281187
Published: Tuesday, 28 Jan 2025
$35.00

Description

A human history of one of the planet’s most iconic lakes, and the civilizations that surrounded its shores

The Dead Sea is a place of many contradictions. Hot springs around the lake are famed for their healing properties, though its own waters are deadly to most lifeforms—even so, civilizations have built ancient cities and hilltop fortresses around its shores for centuries. The protagonists in its story are not only Jews and Arabs, but also Greeks, Nabataeans, Romans, Crusaders and Mamluks. Today it has become a tourist hotspot, but its drying basin is increasingly under threat.

In this panoramic account, Nir Arielli explores the history of the Dead Sea from the first Neolithic settlements to the present day. Moving through the ages, Arielli reveals the religious, economic, military, and scientific importance of the lake, which has been both a source of great wealth and a site of war. The Dead Sea weaves together a tapestry of the lake’s human stories—and amidst environmental degradation and renewed conflict, makes a powerful case for why it should be saved.

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Bible Archaeology Report 2025 top ten

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Top Ten Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology in 2025 (Bryan Windle, Bible Archaeology Report). HT the Bible Places Blog.

If you’re new to my yearly top ten list, here are my criteria:

Here are my criteria:

1. These discoveries must be directly related to people, places or events mentioned in Scripture, or to the composition of Scripture itself. For example, in October 2025 Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that the tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III had reopened to the public following a 20-year restoration project. Many scholars identify Amenhotep III as the pharaoh ruling during the period of the Israelite conquest. It was an important announcement of a significant site, but it was not a discovery, so it was not considered for this list.

2. They must be discoveries or new studies about discoveries, as opposed to announcements.

3. I only consider discoveries/studies that have been publicized through an official announcement by a Ministry of Antiquities or from a licensed archaeological dig with the expectation that a peer-reviewed article will follow, or ones that are published in peer-reviewed or other reputable journals.

Here then are the top ten discoveries in biblical archaeology in 2025.

Most of these are familiar from the previous 2025 lists. PaleoJudaica has posted on almost all of those too. See previous lists for links

Bryan does list two new ones, though: "10. Ancient Necropolis Unearthed at Colossae (Oct. 2025)" and "8. Moabite Inscription Unearthed at Jericho (July 2025)." The latter is of considerable interest (as Todd Bolen flags), since it has not been on any other list. Unfortunately, if you go to the linked Interim Report that publishes it (and you have to have an Academia.edu account to get that far), the promised publication note by Émile Puech on pp. 97-99 is not included.

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ECT reviews Baker, Why a “New Testament?

THE ETC BLOG: Review of Baker, Why a “New Testament”? (Peter J. Montoro IV).

Baker’s work significantly advances the case for an “early and internal impetus” for the recognition of the writings that we now know as the “New Testament” as canonical scripture. If Baker is right (and I think he is), we have every reason to believe that most of our earliest manuscripts were already regarded by many of their first users as “New Testament Scripture.” On this account, though the fuzzy edges of the canon took some time to come into focus, the concept of new covenant scripture, far from being a later imposition or a response to an external threat, was already present before any of these documents was composed.

I noted the publication of the book here.

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New bill proposes to extend Israeli authority over West Bank

ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS: New West Bank antiquity bill seeks to extend Israeli authority over Areas A and B. Proposed law, seeking to create a civilian body in charge of antiquities and archaeological sites, has been opposed by most Israeli archaeologists, likely violates international law (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

A new version of a bill whose purpose is to extend Israeli authority over antiquities and heritage sites in the West Bank, aims to include Areas A and B — where the Palestinian Authority has civilian control — under the scope of its applicability, according to the latest draft uploaded to the Knesset website on Wednesday ahead of a meeting of the Education and Culture Committee to discuss it. ...

Under the Oslo Accords, Israel’s involvement in West Bank antiquities is only supposed to extend to Area C, the 60% of the West Bank where it maintains civil and military control, while Area A and B are under the civilian control of the Palestinian Authority (in the case of Area A, the PA also maintains control over security affairs).

Under prevailing interpretations of international law, even in Area C, Israel is permitted only to conduct salvage excavations and operations to preserve antiquities and archaeological sites, rather than to initiate academic digs or site development.

Background here.

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Sifting Project unearths a siege slingstone

THE TEMPLE MOUNT SIFTING PROJECT: STONE OF THE SIEGE: 10TH OF TEVET AND THE DEFENSE OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT.

On this 10th of Tevet, a day marking the onset of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, we reflect on the transition of the Temple Mount from a sacred center to a besieged stronghold. A recent discovery from the Temple Mount Sifting Project, a small, meticulously rounded stone recovered by one of our frequent visitors, 12 year old Noam Spivak, provides a tangible entry point into the mechanics of antiquity warfare.

[...]

The minor fast of the Tenth of Tevet was on 30 December.

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Six lost cities that are still lost

STILL LOOKING: 6 'lost' cities archaeologists have never found (Owen Jarus, Live Science).

Archaeologists have been very busy excavating lost civilizations, but they haven't found everything. There are still prominent ancient cities, including capitals of large kingdoms and empires, that have never been unearthed by scholars.

We know these cities exist because ancient texts describe them, but their location may be lost to time.

In a few cases, looters have found these cities, and have looted large numbers of artifacts from them. But these robbers have not come forward to reveal their location. In this countdown Live Science takes a look at six ancient cities whose whereabouts are unknown.

Lest you are tempted to think that "'lost' cities archaeologists have never found" is an oxymoron, I remind you that not so long ago Egyptian archaeologists discovered the "Lost Golden City" near Luxor.

The lost city of Akkad (Agade), Sargon of Agade's capital city, is mentioned in the Bible and has come up in PaleoJudaica here, here, and here.

The lost city of Al-Yahudu is the source of of the unprovenanced, but apparently genuine, Al-Yahudu Babylonian cuneiform archive. See here and links.

The unprovenanced Sumerian archive of the lost city of Irisagrig has come up here and here, in both cases linking to articles by Owen Jarus.

PaleoJudaica has not previously referred to the lost Mitanni capital of Waššukanni or the lost Egyptian cities of Itjtawy or Thinis.

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On the origin of Hanukkah

NOTED BELATEDLY FOR HANUKKAH: The origin of Hanukkah. In the wake of the Bondi Beach massacre we ask what is Hanukkah? (Ritmeyer Archaeological Design).

So, what is the origin of the Feast of Hanukkah and which dedication does it refer to? Most of the historical information comes from the intertestamental books of First and Second Maccabees. Historical documents from this time are known as the deuterocanonical literature. Six other books are accepted as deuterocanonical by some ancient churches: Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, and Wisdom. Other sources are the Works of Flavius Josephus, History of the Jewish War, The Antiquities of the Jews, and Against Apion.

Overall, this is a good historical and, especially, architectural overview. But I was puzzled to read this unqualified statement:

While cleaning the Temple, a small jug with olive oil was found under the seal of the High priest that was used to fill the lamps of the Lampstand (Menorah). There was only oil sufficient for one day, but, miraculously it lasted for eight days. That is where the idea of the Hanukkiah comes from.

No mention that this story is late, first appearing in the Babylonian Talmud. Yes, also in the Megillat Ta'anit, but in a late Hebrew portion. The idea of Hanukkah comes from the "rededication" of the Temple, which is narrated in the early sources.

There are many PaleoJudaica posts exploring the complex history and reception of Hanukkah. Some are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and links, here and links, and here. If you do a search for "Hanukkah," you will find more, although many links have rotted.

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Happy 2026!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have a wonderful 2026, with frequent visits to PaleoJudaica.

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

PaleoJudaica's top ten for 2025

ONE MORE (FOR NOW) 2025 TOP TEN LIST: In recent years I have been concluding the year with a list of PaleoJudaica's top ten stories/posts for the year. My main criterion is stories that I found most interesting.

This year is a bit complicated. There have been endless interesting and important discoveries and advances in 2025, but very few stand out as top-ten material. That is reflected in the wide variation in earlier 2025 lists. Also, the biggest stories for PaleoJudaica have been of a more personal nature.

The following list has ten bullet points, but it's a mixture of stories, themes, and single posts. And it has a lot more than ten links. Most are not already covered in other 2025 lists. Let's start with a couple of personal stories.

● The top story of the year for PaleoJudaica was the publication of:

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2: More Noncanonical Scriptures (Eerdmans, ed. Davila and Bauckham; MOTP2).

Theoretically this was on 25 April, but I received my first copy in March. You can read a chapter of it for free:

MOTP2: Introduction to the Book of Giants

The first review, by Phil Long at Reading Acts, is noted here.

Noteworthy around the same time was the first paperback publication of volume 1 (hardback published in 2013). And during the year I seized some opportunies to mention MOTP2 (and MOTP1) in connection with other stories. See here, here, here, here, here,here, and here.

● The other big personal story was my visit to Cartagena, Spain, to help the locals celebrate their annual Festival of the Carthaginians and Romans. I have been noting the festival off and on for many years (see here and links), and finally got around to attending this year. The 2025 posts:

In anticipation:
Cartagena Festival 2025 is coming
Starts today: The Carthaginians and Romans Festival of Cartagena

The reports on the trip, with lots of photos and videos:
The Festival of the Carthaginians and Romans 2025
Carthaginians and Romans: the capture of Carthago Nova
Cartagena: Phoenician and Punic archaeology and epigraphy
Cartagena: Roman-era archaeology
Carthaginians and Romans: Final Events

And a couple of follow-up posts with more photos:
Phoenician shipwreck exhibition in Cartagena
A first-century Latin sortilege inscription from Cartagena

● A persistent theme throughout the year has been the use of AI for improving our understanding of ancient Judaism and the ancient past in general. Here are the posts.

The life of an (aspiring) lost-language decipherer
Text excerpts in Syriac manuscripts
Satlow on AI and Word Similarity in the Talmud
Social inferences from the ancient Hebrew onomasticon
"Enoch" AI and new Carbon dating may push the dates of some DSS back (with follow-up posts here and here, notably on the implications of the re-dating of 4QDaniel^c)
An AI system for reconstructing ancient (Latin) inscriptions
Algorithm and multispectral imaging meet the DSS
An AI-Based Analysis of a Jewish Textual Corpus
AI is transcribing the whole Cairo Geniza
Drones, AI, and archaeological mapping

Also, let's reprise a couple of 2024 posts in which I discuss the limitations of LLM AI as I see them. I will not expatiate here. Maybe in another post.

Using AI to reconstruct damaged Hebrew & Aramaic inscriptions?
Machines agree that those special Talmud tractates are special

● The ongoing decipherment of the Herculaneum papyri also came up quite a bit. There continues to be steady progress, although I saw no dramatic developments like 2024's recovery of a lost biography of Plato. I'm also throwing in an extra post on other ancient libraries.

The Musk Foundation is funding the Vesuvius Project
Deciphering another Herculaneum scroll
Aksu, Collecting Practices and Opisthographic Collections in Qumran and Herculaneum (Brill, open access)
More Philodemus from Herculaneum
Bigtime grant for Heculaneum scrolls research
Plato's grave located? I doubt it.
The latest on the Heculaneum papyri

A library without scrolls and scrolls without a library

We also saw the recovery and decipherment of some other scroll material. The Nahal Zohar fragments were newly recovered in that mysterious pyramid. The tax fraud papyrus was acquired by the Israel Museum some time ago under unclear conditions. It was finally noticed in 2014 and published this year.

● A pyramid and scroll fragments excavated in Judean Desert
More on the pyramid and scroll finds at Nahal Zohar

● A tax-fraud and forgery trial recorded in a pre-Bar Kokhba Revolt papyrus
More on that fraud-trial papyrus
Ancient Roman taxation practices

● An ongoing debate in Ethiopia about Ge'ez was in the news. Ge'ez is the ancient Ethiopian language that preserves the only complete texts of the ancient Jewish books of 1 Enoch and Jubilees. Is it a "dead" language? Should it be? Or should it be taught in Ethiopian schools? How important is it for Ethiopian culture today? Meanwhile, SBL Press has published a new reader's edition of Ethiopic (Ge'ez) 1 Enoch.

In defense of Ge'ez
Another defense of Ge'ez

Olivero, 1 Enoch: An Ethiopic Reader’s Edition (SBL)

● Perhaps surprisingly, PaleoJudaica found two postable stories about Neolithic archaeology, with a bonus story for each.

A six-fingered shaman, giants, and a ghost wheel—two prehistoric stories
Proto-writing at Göbekli Tepe? Plus Ashubanipal's looted library? (with an update noting a response by an archaeologist who has worked at Göbekli Tepe)

Finally, two additional personal stories.

● The first involves, belatedly, a trip to the Isle of Jura in Scotland.

Burns Night, with an update

● The second, and last in this year's list, is a (successful) experiment involving enabling comments. I may repeat it sometime.

Ezra and Nehemiah pseudepigrapha?

Last year's top-ten list is here.

Cross-file under Annual Archaeology List Watch.

Have a good and safe New Year's Eve 2025!

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Ancient Judaism postdoc at Yale University

H-JUDAIC: Yale University - Postdoctoral Associate in Ancient Judaism/Jewish History.

The Program in Jewish Studies at Yale University is offering a two-year Postdoctoral fellowship that will begin on July 1, 2026. Candidates for the fellowship must have a Ph.D. in hand by July 1, 2026 and must have received the degree no earlier than 2023. The Program seeks a specialist in Ancient Judaism/Jewish History who will work closely with appropriate members of Yale’s faculty.

[...]

Follow the link for further particulars. "The deadline for receipt of application materials is February 16, 2026."

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Another review of Henze & Lincicum (eds.) Israel’s Scriptures in Early Christian Writings

BOOK REVIEW: Israel’s Scriptures in Early Christian Writings: The Use of the Old Testament in the New. WRITTEN BY MATTHIAS HENZE AND DAVID LINCICUM, EDS. (Benjamin E. Castaneda, Themelios Volume 50 - Issue 3).

In the decades since Richard Hays’s groundbreaking Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989), there has been a tremendous outpouring of secondary literature on the relationship between the OT and the NT, mostly focusing on the latter’s reuse of the former. This hefty edited volume, comprising a lengthy introduction and forty-two dense chapters, not only outlines the status quaestionis but also aims to advance the scholarly conversation. ...

I noted the publication of the book here and another review here.

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Bible Places: 2025 top ten

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Top 10 Discoveries of 2025 (Todd Bolen, Bible Places Blog).

The end of the year marks a time to look back and reflect, and since our interest here is the biblical world, I am continuing our tradition of highlighting the most important discoveries and stories related to biblical archaeology this year.

Our survey begins with a ranked list of the top 10 discoveries of the year. Ranking discoveries is difficult and highly subjective and thus to be discouraged, but the attempt may be justified in the interest of provoking more consideration of what is most important and why.

In addition to the top 10, I have identified the most controversial stories of the year and other noteworthy stories from Jerusalem, Israel, Mesopotamia, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. Then we consider the top stories related to tourism and technology. Many significant books and digital resources were released in 2025, and some of those are noted. This annual roundup concludes by remembering scholars we lost this year and other top 10 lists of interest.

Todd's annual list is always the most comprehensive. PaleoJudaica has posted on many, but by no means all of these 2025 stories.

Ovelapping PaleoJudaica posts, limited to his main top-ten list: on Jerusalem's Siloam dam, see here; on the late-notice from the Assyrian taxman excavated in Jerusalem, see here; on the pottery evidence for Egyptians at Megiddo in Josiah's time, see here; on the three recently excavated shipwrecks at Tel Dor, see here; on the possible tomb of an Assyrian official excavated in Northern Israel, see here; on the Sifting Project's recovery of a Hebrew bulla bearing a possibly biblical name, see here; on the ancient garden excavated at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, see here; and on Jerusalem's Hasmonean-era city wall, see here and here.

PaleoJudaica's top-ten list is coming tomorrow. Watch this space!

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

BHD: Top Ten Biblical Archaeology Stories of 2025

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Top Ten Biblical Archaeology Stories of 2025. Bible History Daily’s Year in Review (Nathan Steinmeyer).

What were the top ten biblical archaeology stories of 2025? As the year winds down, we look back at some of the most popular news stories published on Bible History Daily in 2025. From newly identified temples in Jerusalem to discoveries about Egyptian pharaohs, this year provided some incredible archaeological news. The articles below are not listed or ranked in any particular order, though readers are welcome to share their top picks in the comments section below.

There is some overlap with other 2025 top-ten lists, but less than you might expect.

PaleoJudaica has posted on some, not all, of these stories: on the reported worship building down the road from the First Temple, see here; on the late-notice from the Assyrian taxman excavated in Jerusalem, see here; on the pottery evidence for Egyptians at Megiddo in Josiah's time, see here; on the tax-fraud trial papyrus, see here, here, and here; on the Punic lack of Levantine ancestry, see here and here.

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

On Constantine’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: Commemorating Jesus: Constantine’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jordan J. Ryan).

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are commemorated, looms the largest of the early commemorative churches in Christian memory, imagination, and history. Its original construction was begun circa 325-326 CE in the wake of the Council of Nicaea and in tandem with the celebration of the twentieth year of the Emperor Constantine’s reign. It was finally dedicated ten years later as part of the celebration of Constantine’s thirty-year jubilee in 336 CE.

For some PaleoJudaica posts on the recent renovations and excavations in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Holy Sepulchre), and much more on the Church, see the links collected here, plus here and here.

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

Haaretz: top-ten Christian archaeology stories 2025

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Bethsaida Rises From the Ashes: Top Christian Archaeology Stories of 2025 (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

My goodness, Ms. Schuster has been busy! I'm just now catching up with her.

It was hot in Israel this summer, the land baking in heatwave after heatwave, dismaying farmers up and down the land and desiccating the vegetation. In the dry season, wildfires are always caused by somebody tossing a cigarette or neglecting to douse a barbecue. There are no rainstorms in summer, no lightning strikes and Israel has no active volcanoes so the wildfire that ate the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee in late August was not an act of God. But it helped clear up one of the great biblical mysteries – where the lost city of Bethsaida, home of the Apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip, really is.

In other news of early Christianity, a Byzantine-era skeleton found in chains in Jerusalem belies the assumption that all martyrs were male, archaeologists find a hitherto unknown (and wealthy) early Byzantine settlement and monastery in the desert, and child archaeologists break new ground at Chorazin (and you can too!) Here are some of the hottest stories in Christian archaeology in 2025 and one analysis courtesy of Elon Gilad: Why actually is Christmas celebrated on December 25?

For PaleoJudaica on the wildfire at Tel Araj (Bethsaida?), see here; on the late-antique (extreme ascetic?) woman found buried in chains near Jerusalem, see here and here; on the late-antique African figurines excavated in the Negev, see here; on the educational excavation at Chorazin, see here; on the Byzantine-era menorah amulet excavated near the Temple Mount, see here; on the late-antique monastery and inscribed mosaic excavated near Kiryat Gat, see here; on the Be'er Shema (Birsama) mosaic exhibition, see here; on the menorah-decorated pillar capital excavated near Jerusalem, see here. I missed Elon Gilad's article asking when Jesus was born and when December 25th was picked to celebrate, but it's worth a read. For more on those questions, start from the links here. For the late-antique Samaritan estate (with the watermelon mosaic) excavated in Israel, see here.

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

Haaretz: top-ten archaeology stories 2025

ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY LIST WATCH: Ancient Humanity, Surprise Us: Best Archaeology Stories in 2025 (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz). Not to be confused with Haaretz's 2025 biblical archaeology list, noted here. No overlap between them.

We humans surprise ourselves. The earliest boomerang was made 40,000 years ago. In Poland. The agricultural revolution was eagerly embraced. Except when it wasn't. Moses wasn't the first to seek his god on a mountain, and the longest papyrus ever found in the Judean Desert – wait 'til you hear what it says. Here are those stories and many more from the world of archaeology in 2025!

For PaleoJudaica posts on the Punic lack of Levantine ancestry. see here, here, and here; on the fox-footprint find at el-Araj, see here; on the tax-fraud trial papyrus, see here, here, and here; and on the late notice from the Assyrian taxman excavated in Jerusalem, see here; and on the megalithic "Wheel of Ghosts" at Rujm el-Hiri, see here.

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

Mikveh excavated under Western Wall Plaza under destruction layer

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Mikveh Filled With Ash From Roman Destruction Found in Jerusalem. Ritual bath found under the Western Wall Plaza by the Temple entrances contains the evidence of the violent end of the Second Temple period in Jerusalem (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

Right by two of the main entrances to the Second Temple that the Romans looted and destroyed in 70 C.E. was a large mikveh that likely served locals and the many pilgrims to Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority revealed on a rainy Monday morning. ...

The bath structure dates to the Second Temple period, the archaeologists could confirm: It lay sealed beneath the Second Temple period destruction layer. Also, it was full of debris, ash and broken household items from the terrible destruction of the city and Temple in the year 70, following the Jewish rebellion that began in 66 C.E. "Buildings and streets were collapsing and burning down in the fighting," [excavation director Ari] Levy recreates the horrors of the time.

Among the shattered vessels bedded in ash in the bath were many made of stone, a hallmark of Jewish life in the Second Temple period. Stone kitchenware was believed to be impervious to contamination, whereas if a ceramic item was exposed to foulness, it had to be thrown out. The archaeologists also found also ceramic vessels as well as precious glass, as expected, says Levy. The archaeologists also found some coins.

For more on ancient Jewish stone vessels and their purity implications, see here and follow the links.

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Drones, AI, and archaeological mapping

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: Israeli AI, drone imagery revolutionizing mapping of archaeological sites. “Sites that appear on the surface as scattered stones suddenly become coherent, organized spaces, and it saves a lot of research time,” Dr. Yitzchak Jaffe said (TPS/Jerusalem Post).

The tool combines high-resolution drone imagery with machine learning to identify individual building stones and wall segments across archaeological sites. Within minutes, the system can map hundreds of thousands of stones and translate what looks like visual chaos into a detailed, measurable site plan. It was recently evaluated in the peer-reviewed Journal of Archaeological Science.

The article about this University of Haifa research is open access at JAS Volume 185, January 2026:

Semi-automatic detection of building stones and wall segments of archaeological ruins

Erel Uziel, Motti Zohar, Yitzchak Jaffe

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2025.106430

Highlights

• Detect stones and walls from drone imagery with deep learning.
• Analyze archaeological sites using digitized stone and wall layers.
• Provide open-source models and code for stone and wall detection.
• Deliver an end-to-end workflow from drone images to GIS layers.

Abstract

This study presents a semi-automatic methodology for detecting building stones and wall segments in archaeological research, using drone imagery and deep learning algorithms. The immediate outputs of the methodology are a georeferenced stones layer, with each stone detected as a separate instance, and a site plan layer, composed of stones considered part of detected wall segments. We developed this model via nine sites of varying size with different vegetation coverage, ground color, and material composition, exemplifying the model's ability to perform successfully even in challenging conditions. The digital layers, along with additional attributes associated with each shape, provide a foundation for further analysis, such as identifying multiple construction styles and site organization patterns, with significant potential for large-scale multi-site studies. Evaluation results demonstrate good model performance under varied conditions. We also provide trained models, trained on data from multiple sites, for immediate use and further refinement.

Cross-file under Algorithm Watch.

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Muraoka, The Book of Judith (Peeters)

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS PRESS:

The Book of Judith

Author:
Muraoka T.

Price: 40 euro
Year: 2025
Isbn: 9789042953802
Pages: XVI-172 p.

Summary:
Judith is one of very few ladies in the ancient biblical world whose life stories show us what important roles women can play in human history in addition to motherhood. Along with Ruth and Esther she is one of the only three women on whom a whole book was written. Her life story is attractive enough to be read in the Greek version, probably dating to the first century BCE, and its annotated English translation presented in this book.

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