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Nitzavim: The Quad Cities of Sin
Tuesday, September 11, 2012 by Torah Talk with Michael Carasik | Jewish Ideas Daily » Weekly Portions
Everyone knows about Sodom and Gomorrah—but what were Admah and Zeboiim? (Click here for source sheet.) Download | Duration: 00:11:44
Cyrus, Ahmadinejad, and the Politics of PurimWednesday, March 7, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
At this week's pre-Purim meeting in Washington between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss Iran's nuclear threat to Israel, Netanyahu gave Obama a present: the book (or m'gilah, scroll) of Esther, which tells how the Jewish heroine foiled Haman's plot to kill the Jews of ancient Persia.
Toward an Archeology of HellTuesday, February 7, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Remembrance is a contradictory imperative. Respectful preservation of the past, especially the remains of those who have gone before us, stands at odds with the need to understand the same past, especially through means like archeology.
The Mughrabi Bridge to NowhereTuesday, January 3, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
From the southern end of the plaza in front of Jerusalem's Western Wall, a temporary wooden bridge ascends eastward to the Mughrabi Gate, the only one of the 11 gates into the Temple Mount area that is accessible to non-Muslims.
Urban Planning, Hasmonean-StyleWednesday, December 28, 2011 by Elli Fischer | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
In the early 1990s, construction began on Modi'in, Israel's new "City of the Future." Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie and located mid-way between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Modi'in is in many ways typical of modern planned communities.
The Dead Sea Scrolls, Alive in Times SquareTuesday, November 8, 2011 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
In the basement of a converted theater on West 44th Street, tucked between the legendary Sardi's restaurant and a bowling alley, a block from Times Square and across the street from the musical Memphis, is Discovery Times Square.
Diversity at Dura-EuroposWednesday, October 12, 2011 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
A new exhibit at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World brings to life the ancient city of Dura-Europos, which stands high above the Euphrates River on the eastern border of modern Syria, a monument to vanished eras.
The New Biblical ArcheologyMonday, July 25, 2011 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Every summer, the Israel Antiquities Authority holds a reception for foreign archeological teams excavating in Israel. This year's reception was attended by over 200 archeologists, who are investigating sites ranging in age from the Paleolithic through Islamic periods.
The Tourist’s DilemmaMonday, June 20, 2011 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
On the southwest coast of Albania on the Ionian Sea, opposite the Greek island of Corfu, beneath the modern town of Saranda, lies the ancient city of Onchesmos. That ancient city had a synagogue.
The Archeology WarThursday, March 31, 2011 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) was founded in 1979 by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). It has three basic goals. The first is to spread a Saudi version of Koranic education throughout the Islamic world. The second is to publicize Islam to the non-Islamic world. The third goal is to oppose the "Judaization of Al-Quds"—i.e., Jerusalem.
Editors' Picks
Michal of Makhpelah Tamara Zieve, Jerusalem Post. On October 9th, 1968, 13-year-old Michal Arbel, daughter of the head of the Shin Bet, became the first Jew to enter the Cave of the Patriarchs in 700 years.
Journey Matti Friedman, Times of Israel. For millennia, Jews made pilgrimages to Israel. Today, in a remarkable reversal, Jews in Israel make their spiritual journeys back to the Diaspora.
Tales from Tiberias Aviva Bar-Am, Shmuel Bar-Am, Times of Israel. “Now,” said the rabbi, “Go home and tell your husband you spat in my face seven times!”
The Birth of Monarchy Bible History Daily. New research on the Qeiyafa Ostracon, the inscription found in Khirbet Qeiyafa in 2008, suggests that it is the first archeological evidence of the coronation of King Saul.
Caves of Refuge Eli Ashkenazi, Haaretz. A fifth mikveh has been found in the caves on the Galilee's Cliffs of Arbel, indicating that the people who lived there under Roman rule were most likely kohanim, Jews of the priestly class.
The Afghani Genizah Shai Secunda, Talmud Blog. We are starting to hear about the Jewish manuscripts recently discovered in an Afghani cave. But before we learn more, someone has to buy them.
Altarcation Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom. Adam Zertal's sensational discovery of "Joshua's altar" should have created a paradigm shift in archeology—that is, if anyone had believed him.
Found in Israel Avigayil Kadesh, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Every day, the Israel Antiquities Authority has 30 active archeological digs. Here, a list of the past 25 years' most notable. (With a glaring omission.)
Losing the Temple Mount Amir Shoan, Ynet. The Muslim waqf which oversees the Temple Mount is allowing archeological sites to be bulldozed, in contravention of the law. But instead of intervening, the Israeli government is covering it up.
Digging Tiberias Matti Friedman, Times of Israel. Long beloved of archeologists but overshadowed by more famous sites, the ancient metropolis of Tiberias is finally emerging from underneath soil, rubble, and the remnants of an old garbage dump.