Marek Dospěl, Author at Biblical Archaeology Society

Marek Dospěl Latest

Mar 16

Judean Refugees in Galilee?

Were there human migrations and refugees in antiquity? Yes, of course. Environmental change, wars, religious conflicts, and poverty are among the most powerful factors that have been driving human migration for millennia—from the Sea Peoples to the Huns to the Quakers to modern Syrians or Guatemalans.

Nov 4

New Old Torah Scroll

By: Marek Dospěl

The few surviving Torah scrolls that are this old are all very fragmentary and almost illegible. It is thus exciting to find a very old, well-preserved Torah scroll, even if it’s only a fragment, a single sheet.

Jul 2

Herod the Great’s Ancient Gardens

By: Marek Dospěl

Learn how scholars identify ancient gardens, what Herod’s gardens looked like, and how they fit in the larger landscape.

Jun 9

Endangered Heritage: Archaeological Looting in Turkey

By: Marek Dospěl

According to Mark R. Fairchild, archaeological looting is alive and well in rural and remote areas of Turkey.

Mar 27

Purity and Impurity in Iron Age Israel

By: Marek Dospěl

The idea of clean and unclean is universal, and we distinguish between clean and unclean things on daily basis when we ask ourselves: “Should I […]

Feb 18

The Cruel End of Canaanite Azekah

By: Marek Dospěl

The gruesome discovery of four human skeletons at Tel Azekah poses questions about the final days of the Canaanite city and how those dramatic events might be related to the Bronze Age collapse of Mediterranean civilizations.

Oct 29

Hasmonean Rulers Between Piety and Luxury

By: Marek Dospěl

Take a close look at how aspects of Hellenism played out in Hellenistic Judea, specifically under the Jewish dynasty of Hasmonean kings.

Sep 11

The Aramaic Dead Sea Scrolls

By: Marek Dospěl

What is the significance of the Aramaic texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls for elucidating the literary, societal, political, and religious contexts of ancient Judaism and nascent Christianity?

Aug 13

The Prehistoric Diet and the Rise of Complex Societies

By: Marek Dospěl

Learn about prehistoric dining at Tel Tsaf, an ancient village about 20 miles south of the Sea of Galilee in Israel.

Aug 6

Egyptian Papyrus Reveals Israelite Psalms

By: Marek Dospěl

In BAR, Karel van der Toorn contends that three Israelite psalms appear in Papyrus Amherst 63—although only one is attested in the Bible.

Must-Read Free eBooks

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future

Biblical Peoples—The World of Ancient Israel

Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus’ Life

Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus

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