early israel

early israel Latest

Ta’anach Cult Stand. Photo © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem/Israel Antiquities Authority (photograph by Avraham Hay)

Jan 20 Blog

Asherah and the Asherim: Goddess or Cult Symbol?

Who is Asherah? What is asherah? The reference may be to a particular goddess, a class of goddess or a cult symbol used to represent the goddess. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish what meaning is intended.

Aug 30 Blog

Daily Life in Ancient Israel

By: BAS Staff

What was life like for the tribes of Israel in the time of the Biblical Judges, the period archaeologists call Iron Age I (1200–1000 B.C.E.)?

Nov 28 Blog

A Feast for the Senses … and the Soul

By: Dorothy Willette

Go on a journey of the senses through history and discover the significance of ritual feasts and meals in antiquity.

Jul 6 Blog

Making Sense of Kosher Laws

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The origins of Jewish dietary or kosher laws (kashrut) have long been the subject of scholarly research and debate.

May 11 Blog

Did I Find King David’s Palace?

By: Eilat Mazar

Digging just south of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, Eilat Mazar uncovered a monumental building from the tenth century B.C.—the right time and the right place for David’s royal residence.

Apr 30 Blog

Ancient Samaria and Jerusalem

By: Robin Ngo

Jill Katz explains how the field of urban anthropology can shed light on the ideological differences between Jerusalem and Samaria.

Aug 4 Blog

Does a Jordan Valley Site Reveal the Origin of Ancient Israel?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Hidden in the Jordan Valley, Khirbet el-Mastarah may shed light on the origin of ancient Israel. The site contains numerous enclosures and structures, which appear to have been used by a nomadic or semi-nomadic group at the beginning of the Iron Age.

Mar 26 Blog

Was Biblical Israel an Egalitarian Society?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Although excavated structures, pottery and other household artifacts offer a glimpse of daily life in the Iron Age highlands of Canaan, no burials or tombs have been found. What do these findings reveal about the ideology of early Iron Age Israelite society?

Jul 2 Blog

Giant of Iron Age Research

By: Daniel M. Master

Daniel M. Master writes a tribute to Lawrence E. Stager, one of the most significant Biblical archaeologist of the past 40 years.

Feb 22 Blog

Archaeologists on Crutches

By: By Benjamin Arubas, Shay Bar and Hershel Shanks

Two eminent Israeli archaeologists, Yoram Tsafrir and Adam Zertal, recently passed away. Connected in death as in life, both triumphed over incredible obstacles.

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

More Free eBooks

Want more Bible history?

Join Us on an Educational Journey

For more than 40 years, the Biblical Archaeology Society has partnered with world-renowned hosts and guides to provide you exceptional educational offerings in the archaeology of the Biblical lands and in Biblical studies.

Learn More