The Knight’s Palace in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem was abuzz with activity this past weekend as 64 of our participants flew in from all over the world–filing the hotel to near capacity. The 2017 Mt Zion archaeological excavation season is officially underway! We are digging…
In the meantime, it is indeed interesting to note that this very practice of patronymy/paponymy/metronymy, by its repetitive nature, leaves the sample of names quite narrow and refutes in essence the argument of “very common names” put forward by a number scholars that the Talpiot tomb was not that of…
Since I began writing about the “Jesus Family tomb” discovered in East Talpiot, Jerusalem around Easter 1981, by far the most common response by colleagues and media reports alike has been the inaccurate generalization that the names found in the tomb were “extremely common.” The obvious intention of this assertion…
Many of my blog readers often write me asking when and where I might be giving lectures. Although I do regularly lecture here in Charlotte and around the country, by far the most lecturing I do are the in-depth sessions at various Biblical Archaeology Society Seminars and their annual “Bible…
Here is the Part 2 of my reposting of my responses to the review of my 2006 book, The Jesus Dynasty, by my friend and colleague Prof. James F. Strange originally published in Biblical Archaeology Review (November/December, 2006, pp. 72-76). You can read Part 1, “Was Christianity All a Mistake?”…
Various TV programs during this Spring/Easter season have focused on the question of the authenticity of the controversial “Shroud of Turin,” Those challenging the authenticity of this ancient relic point to carbon dating tests done at three independent labs in 1988 that dated samples of its cloth to AD 1260-1390,…
So once again Holy Week has arrived. Palm Sunday was yesterday, clouded by the horrific bombings of the Christian gatherings in Egypt. Today is the 14th of the Jewish month of Nisan, with the festival of Passover beginning at sundown. Jews around the world will gather to solemnly remember and…
Perhaps some of you have heard about the fabulous project at Yeshiva University pioneered by my friend Professor Steven Fine and others to restore the original colors to the famed Arch of Titus. It is finished and now can be viewed in this remarkable video. This project is as fascinating…
I am most pleased to note that one of my most popular Biblical Archaeology Society Seminars is on sale for a limited time at 75% off! I am not sure how long this sale will last and I should point out none of us receive royalties for such lectures, so…