Sorrow and Hope

Archaeology in Review

Rediscovering Shiloh

In the center of the biblical heartland is a special place that resonates deeply with both Christian and Jewish people. Those who tread upon the ruins of this ancient city, say that it is as if the ground is hallowed by the Presence that once dwelt there. A place of miracles, Shiloh remains of great

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One of the Most Impressive Ancient Burial Caves Found in Israel

Wednesday, 21 December 2022 | A 2000-year-old family tomb—one of the most elaborate in Israel—was uncovered in an archaeological excavation in the Salome Cave, in the Lachish Forest in the Judean Shefelah lowlands. The cave forecourt was excavated as part of the Judean Kings’ Trail Project, led by the Israel Antiquities Authority [IAA], the Ministry

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First Sentence Ever Written in Canaanite Language Discovered at Tel Lachish

Wednesday, 9 November 2022 | The alphabet was invented around 1800 BC and was used by the Canaanites and later by most other languages in the world. Until recently, no meaningful Canaanite inscriptions had been discovered in the Land of Israel, save only two or three words here and there. Now an amazing discovery presents

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They Built To Last

While on a Western Wall Tunnel tour, my curiosity was piqued when our tour guide pointed out a section of a wall under the arch that was constructed of various sized stones. These appeared very different from the quarried stones of the ancient arches and wall below, not only because of their varied shapes but

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Ancient Mosque Unearthed in the Negev

A luxurious estate and a rare rural mosque—among the earliest known worldwide (over 1,200 years old)—was recently discovered in the city of Rahat in the Negev. Large-scale archaeological excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority [IAA] to facilitate the construction of a new neighborhood in Rahat are providing graphic details of the gradual transition from

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One of the World’s Most Beautiful Mosaics Return to Israel

After years on display in the world’s most important museums—including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Louvre in Paris, the Altes Museum in Berlin, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and others—the breathtaking Lod Mosaic, among the most beautiful discovered in Israel or anywhere in the world, along with part of the floor of a

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A New Segment of the Low-level Aqueduct to Jerusalem Exposed

A segment of the Low-level Aqueduct to Jerusalem has been exposed in the neighborhood of Armon Hanatsiv. This was a joint project of the Israel Antiquities Authority [IAA] with the Jerusalem Municipality and the Moriah Jerusalem Development Corporation in order to make this extraordinary 2,000-year-old engineering feat visible and accessible to the public. The Low-level

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Ancient Agricultural Farmstead Uncovered in Eastern Galilee

A well preserved 2,100-year-old Hellenistic Hasmonean-period agricultural farmstead, containing finds that may have been abandoned in haste, was uncovered in the eastern Galilee. Excavations carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority [IAA] prior to the Mekorot Company project to transfer desalinated water to the Kinneret [Sea of Galilee], uncovered tens of loom weights used for

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Oldest Hebrew Text, Including Name of God, Unearthed at Mount Ebal?

In what could be one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries to date, international scholars claim to have unearthed the earliest proto-alphabetic Hebrew text ever found in Israel: a 3,000-year-old folded lead amulet inscribed with, among other things, the word “cursed” and the Hebrew word YHWH, the Tetragrammaton name of God. The location of the

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Spectacular Ancient Treasure Discovered At Sea

A number of fascinating artifacts from the wrecks of two ships that foundered off the coast of Caesarea in the Roman and Mamluk periods (some 1,700 and 600 years ago respectively) have been discovered near Caesarea during an underwater survey conducted by the Marine Archaeology unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The ships’ cargoes

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