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2015 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav, Carl Savage, Nicolae Roddy, Gregory C. Jenks, Vanessa Workman, Kenneth M. Bensimon

Field Reports

The 2015 excavation season at Bethsaida took place during May 28th to July 3rd, 2015. Seventy six faculty, students and volunteers joined this season. The expedition was hosted in Ginosar Village, Kibbutz Ginosar. We are very grateful for the kind and efficient hospitality Ginosar team and members, provides us for more than 20 years.

A Period Of Transition: Early Islamic And Umayyad Coinage, Anna Tiner

Featured Research

A study of four coins from 620 to 680 AD provides a meager yet insightful glimpse into the coinage minted by Islamic rulers during their conquest over the Holy Land and the transition of rule from the Byzantine Empire to the Islamic Caliphate. With the help of an innovative technology called Reflective Transference Image (RTI), on loan from USC, I created high-resolution images that can be adjusted with respect to light and reflectivity. Creating RTI images of the coins administers a deeper alternate perspective giving light to aspects of the coin that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Using …

2014 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav, Kate Raphael, Carl Savage, Nicolae Roddy, Toni Fisher, Gregory C. Jenks

Field Reports

The 2014 excavation season at Bethsaida took place during May 18th to July 5th. One hundred and twenty five faculty, students and volunteers took part in the expedition. The expedition was housed for four weeks at Kibbutz Hukok and two weeks at Kibbutz Ginosar. We are very grateful for the extraordinary hospitality that we have had in the two places.

Judea Captured, Jessica Baity, Jimmy Yang

Featured Research

This coin is a part of the “Judea Captured” collection minted in Caesarea. Through thorough imaging and the decoding of Greek inscriptions we believe that we can prove the significance of the coin in correlation to the First Jewish War in battle against the Romans. We believe that it celebrates the victory of the Romans during the First Jewish War (66 – 69 AD) , under the Emperor Vespasian (68 – 79 AD). But the question does arise about the significance of certain symbols; especially the palm tree and crown made of palm leaves and how they relate to the …

Coinage During The Bar Kochba Rebellion, Jonathan Allen, Robbie Robles

Featured Research

This is a coin that Jews used during the Bar Kochba Rebellion, The dates of the
Bar Kochba are from 132-135 A.D. The rebellion was started in response to the
rule of Emperor Hadrian, who was insensitive to Jewish Traditions and started
banning Jewish religious practices. In response, Jews began minting their own
coins to honor their religious rituals and the leaders of the rebellion.

Ancient Marcus Aurelius Coin, Tawni Gurney, Andrew Hirsch

Featured Research

Upon glancing at coins, people generally overlook their historical aspect of the coins and simply look at their monetary value. In our seminar class, however, we were interested in so much more than money when it came to studying our particular coin. We wanted to know what this particular coin could tell us about the history of the time when it was minted. We deciphered what was on the coin and researched the significance of each aspect. We also studied similar coins to confirm our interpretations. We compared the writings on the coins and the images themselves. Additionally, we photographed …

The Use Of Propaganda On An Augustan Denarius, Jens Ibsen, Melissa Miller

Featured Research

This coin is a silver denarius minted in Lugdunum (now Lyon), most likely under the reign of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. There are factors which point to a possibility of the coin being a restitution issue minted under either Trajan or Hadrian, such as its pristine condition, which implies a lack of use, and the similarity of symbols employed on this denarius and denarii of Trajan’s era. The coin is a prime example of Augustus’ use of propaganda inserted into Roman daily life to sell the idea of empire to a Roman people who ardently defended a long-standing …

Herod The Great's Message Through Year 3 Coin, Elizabeth Chau

Featured Research

King Herod the Great was a half Jewish client king who struggled with appeasing Roman rulers and yet avoiding conflict with the Jews. In the investigation of a coin from year 3 of King Herod’s reign I have found that Herod was aware of Jewish customs and respected their customs through the lack of Pagan symbols. Additionally, the Greek lettering and the symbolism on the coin illustrates Herod’s Hellenistic reign. In my observations of the coin King Herod’s Hellenistic reign was characterized by his great value of power and yet respect of Jewish culture while at the same time pleasing …

History Through A Coin: Valerian, Dido, And The Founding Of Carthage, Jack Miller, Brittany Piwowar

Featured Research

The coin dating from 270 AD depicts on its obverse side the Roman Emperor Valerian, the first Emperor to be captured as a prisoner of war. On the reverse side is a unique scene of the goddess Dido sacrificing at the Temple of Hercules before setting off to found Carthage from Tyre, the city in which the coin was minted. Like all individually minted coins, this piece is very unique and may be a re-strike of a previously issued coin.

Late Hasmonean Coinage: A Snapshot Of Alexander Jannaeus's Rule, Timothy Schaefer, Christopher Huang

Featured Research

Like other late Hasmonean rulers, Alexander walked the line between outright Hellenization and traditional Judaism. He did this to please other powerful rulers while keeping his power over his domestic people. We can see this clash of Hebrew and Greek influences in his coinage.

Apocalyptic Beauty, Brian T. Scalise

Liberty Theological Review

A potent and formative text for a theological aesthetics faithful to the God revealed in the Scriptures is the Apocalypse of John (Revelation). An apocalyptic viewpoint is beautiful inasmuch as it observes the whole from within the part of time/space and inasmuch as the apocalyptic vision provides considerable unity of diverse theological themes with various expansions and enhancements, hence mimicking the very function of theological beauty to communicate the whole (God) in the part (here, in space-time). This essay traces major themes throughout Scripture, utilizing inter-textual interpretation en route, and seeks to clarify the Book of Revelation's role in recapitulation, …

Clay-Potter Imagery In The Bible: Theological And Practical Implications For Daily Christian Life, Karl Stelzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God, the Master Potter, uses clay-potter imagery to explain spiritual truth. These passages are ignored, explained superficially, or misinterpreted and have not had the divinely intended impact. Theologically, doctrines of Theology Proper, Bibliology, and Anthropology have been compromised. Practically, the Holy Spirit has been hindered. To demonstrate the need for clay-potter instruction, research will include a comparative analysis of information gathered through questionnaires to churches that have held a clay-potter conference and those that have not, and an examination of written material and popular presentations. This author combines professional pottery expertise and biblical training to present accurate exposition. This thesis …

2013 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav, Kate Raphael, Carl Savage, Nicolae Roddy, Toni Fisher, Gregory C. Jenks

Field Reports

The 2013 excavation season at Bethsaida took place between May 21 and June 28. About 120 faculty, students and volunteers participated in the excavation. The expedition was housed for the first two weeks at Kibbutz Hukok and four weeks at Kibbutz Ginosar. We are very grateful for the extraordinary hospitality that we have had in the two places.

2012 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

The 2012 season of excavations at Bethsaida took place during May 21th and June 28. There had been altogether 120 students and faculty working at the site. As every year the expedition was housed at Kibbutz Ginosar and we are very grateful for the long standing extraordinary hospitality that has been consistently shown to the expedition since 1994.

2011 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

The excavation season of 2011 consisted of two sessions of two weeks each in the month of June and an early bird week in the end of May.

As usual the expedition was housed in Kibbutz Ginosar. We are very grateful for the extraordinary hospitality that has been consistently shown to the expedition since 1994.

Bab Edh-Dhra', Numeira, And The Biblical Patriarchs: A Chronological Study, Kris J. Udd

Dissertations

Problem. Bab edh-Dhra' and Numeira have been identified by archaeologists as possible candidates for two of the biblical cities of the plain, but their existence in the Early Bronze Age III is too early to match the biblical narrative (Gen 19) by many chronologies of ancient Canaan. This study sought to determine if there is sufficient flexibility in the archaeological and biblical chronologies to make the identification of Bab edh-Dhra' and Numeira with the cities of the plain a viable interpretation.

Method. The range of dates possible for both the archaeological data and the biblical narratives was analyzed. …

2010 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

The excavation season of 2010 consisted of two sessions of two weeks each with an extended week at the end of the second session. Altogether the excavation extended from May 23 until June 25. Ninety-seven students and faculty members participated in the dig. As usual the expedition was housed in Kibbutz Ginosar. We are very grateful for the extraordinary hospitality that has been consistently shown to the expedition since 1994.

Assur Is King Of Persia: Illustrations Of The Book Of Esther In Some Nineteenth-Century Sources, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

The marriage of archaeological referencing and picture Bibles in the nineteenth century resulted in an astonishing variety of guises worn by the court of Ahasuerus in Esther. Following the exhibition of Neo-Assyrian sculpture in the British Museum and the wide circulation of such images in various John Murray publications, British illustrators like Henry Anelay defaulted to Assyrian models for kings and rulers in the Old Testament, including the principal actors in Esther, even though authentic Achaemenid Persian art had been available for illustrative pastiche for decades. This curious adoptive choice echoed British national pride in its splendid British Museum collection …

2009 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

Two sessions of excavations were carried out in 2009. About one hundred faculty and students took part in two sessions which lasted from May 23rd to June 19th.

Corrections And Updates To "Identifying Biblical Persons In Northwest Semitic Inscriptions Of 1200-539 B.C.E.", Lawrence J. Mykytiuk

Libraries Research Publications

This article does two things. First, it corrects things in the book, Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200-539 B.C.E. (2004), abbreviated IBP below:
• Regarding potential forgeries, the article applies the principles for treatment of unprovenanced inscriptions set forth in Christopher A. Rollston, “Non-Provenanced Epigraphs II: The Status of Non-Provenanced Epigraphs within the Broader Corpus of Northwest Semitic,” Maarav 11 (2004): 71–76.
• It disqualifies proposed IDs in eight (8) inscriptions that are forgeries or probable forgeries, notably including the two bullae frequently attributed to the biblical Baruch.
Second, it evaluates 32 proposed identifications (IDs) of biblical …

The Book Of Daniel In Light Of The Ancient Near Eastern Literary And Material Finds: An Archaeological Perspective, Patrick Mazani

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the text of the book of Daniel in light of some ancient Near Eastern archaeological discoveries. While chapter 1 of this research is introductory, chapter 2 begins by investigating personal and place names mentioned in Daniel and making a comparative analysis between the claims of Daniel's text and related archaeological discoveries. Archaeological evidence shows that the place names mentioned in the book of Daniel were real geographical locations where historical events are claimed to have taken place. Archeological materials not only help clarify some words, phrases, and locations of places, but seem to show that at least …

2008 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

Four areas were excavated during this season at Bethsaida. Area A West, east of the city gate, Area A city gate, Area A plaza and Area C.

This area includes remains of early Roman residential area adjacent to the temple and some fragmentary walls dating from the Middle Ages.

2007 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

Thirty two loci were excavated in 2007 in areas A. They are located at the courtyard, the paved road to the city and probes in chamber 3. Area A-West, was designated as a separate area. It is located west of the city gate and includes the plaza and the immediate areas near the gate. Area C was excavated for only 8 days and revealed further segments of the Hellenistic Roman residential quarter. All these areas yielded rich finds and enhanced our understanding of the site.

Smart Mobs, Bad Crowds, Godly People And Dead Priests: Crowd Symbols In The Josianic Narrative And Some Mesopotamian Parallels, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

No abstract provided.

2006 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

Excavations in Area A concentrated in four different areas. The purpose was to learn more about the road approaching the city dating from Stratum 5 and tombs excavated into it dating from Stratum 2, Stratum 6 city gate and west of the city gate which is now called Area A West.

"Goliath" Found In New Inscription (What's New In Archaeology), Michael G. Hasel

Perspective Digest

No abstract provided.

Touching The Past (What's New In Archaeology), Michael Hasel

Perspective Digest

No abstract provided.

2005 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

The 2005 excavation season was concentrated in three main areas, two locations in Area A, and one in Area C. The purpose of the excavations in Area A was to obtain further data on the Roman and Hellenistic levels south of the Roman temple. For this report, this area is called Area A West. This area surrounding the Roman temple is important in understanding the temple. The temple has been excavated in the previous seasons and it is identified with the Roman Imperial cult, built by Philip, the son of Herod, in the year 30 CE.

Chamber 2 at the …

2004 Bethsaida Field Report, Rami Arav

Field Reports

The excavations this season concentrated in two main areas, the gate – Area A and the Hellenistic Roman residential section, area C. A total of 23 loci were excavated in Area A and 3 in area C. Since the first excavations season, the excavation system of Bethsaida suggests replacing locus numbers as soon as changes in the terrain are noticed this in order to reduce the possibility of getting pottery mixed from more than one deposit. Some of the loci will consolidate in the process of the final report.

Ḥadashot Arkheologiyot חדשות ארכיאולוגיות 115, Israel Antiquities Authority

Hadashot Arkheologiyot–Excavations and Surveys in Israel (Bilingual Series)

Tell el-Wawiyat, 2001, A-3457, Dina Avshalom-Gorni and Nimrod Getzov [1] ‘En Avvazim, B-246/02, Yoav ‘Alon [2] Tel Hazor, 2002, G-72/02, Amnon Ben-Tor [4] Tel Hazor, A-3249, Karen Covello-Paran [5] Meron, Yosef Stepansky [5] Peqi‘in, Yossi Moshe [7] Map of Kefar Nahum, Survey, G-81/91,G-30/01, Yosef Stepansky [8] Deir ‘Aziz, 2000-2001, G-49/00, G-85/01, Zvi Ma‘oz and Hayim Ben-David [11] Horbat Susita, G-92/02, Arthur Segal [15] ‘Enot Kokhav, A-3303, A-3502, Nimrod Getzov [20] Haifa, Tel Shiqmona, A-2983, Hagit Torgë and Uzi ‘Ad [21] Haifa, Wadi Salib, …