Image : A Coin of Alexander Jannaeus. Photo : Clara Amit Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini, of the Israel Antiquities Authority, in a news release is reporting that Alexander Jannaeus, the Hasmonean king, conquered Gaza and the Negev and built a fortress that for decades prevented the Nabataeans from using the Incense Road. The following is an excerpt from the report released by the Israel Antiquities Authority: Researchers at the Israel Antiquities... Read Full Story
Israeli archaeologists have uncovered one of the earliest depictions of a menorah, the seven-branched candelabra that has come to symbolize Judaism, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Friday. The menorah was engraved in stone around 2,000 years ago and found in a synagogue recently discovered by the Sea of Galilee. Pottery, coins and tools found at the site indicate the synagogue dates to the period of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem, where the actual menorah was kept, said... Read Full Story
Israeli archaeologists say they have uncovered the oldest example of massive fortifications ever found in Jerusalem. The Israel Antiquities Authority says the 3,700-year-old wall was built by the ancient Canaanites as a protected passage from a hilltop fortress to a spring. Excavation director Ronny Reich says this is the first time such significant construction has been discovered from before the time of the monumental building projects of King Herod 2,000 years ago. The 26-foot-high wall... Read Full Story
Israeli archaeologists have uncovered an ancient quarry where they believe King Herod extracted stones for the construction of the Jewish Temple 2,000 years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday. The archaeologists believe the 1,000-square-foot (100-square-meter) quarry was part of a much larger network of quarries used by Herod in the city. The biggest stones extracted from the quarry would have measured three yards (meters) long, two yards (meters) across, and two yards (meters... Read Full Story
Israel on Tuesday announced a drive to register the country's private antiquities collections, saying this should lead to important "discoveries" of artefacts hidden from public view. "We call on members of the public that hold pieces of history to assist us in gathering the archaeological information, which is part of the whole puzzle that makes up our past," the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement. "The campaign is likely to result in a flood of important archaeological... Read Full Story
Legend tells of a Persian Army dispatched by the emperor Cambyses 50,000 strong to destroy an oasis temple in the Sahara desert. It was the emperor's revenge on the oracle who spoke out against his plans for world dominiation. The story goes on to tell how a violent sandstorm consumed the army and scattered it across the desert where the soldiers were buried beneath the raging sands. Sounds like something out of the next "Mummy" movie starring Brendan Fraser, but it may well be true... Read Full Story
The Israel Antiquities Authority reported a thrilling find Sunday — the discovery of 264 ancient gold coins in Jerusalem National Park.
The coins were minted during the early 7th century.
“This is one of the largest and most impressive coin hoards ever discovered in Jerusalem — certainly the largest and most important of its period,” said Doron Ben-Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets, who are directing the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Researchers discovered the... Read Full Story
Israeli archaeologists have found the 1,700-year footprints of people working on a mosaic during the times that the Romans were ruling the region.
The imprints of bare feet and sandals - sized 34, 37, 42 and 44 - were discovered under the Lod Mosaic, one of the largest and best-preserved mosaic floors ever discovered in Israel.
The mosaic floor is believed to be part of a villa that belonged to a wealthy man from the 4th century AD. At the time, what is now Israel and the... Read Full Story
The Israel Antiquities Authority says archaeologists have discovered a Byzantine-era bathhouse in the south of the country dating back more than 1,500 years. Archaeologist Gregory Serai headed the excavation and says the impressive size of bathhouse, 20 by 20 yards (meters), showed the area between Beersheba and Gaza was more heavily populated in the Byzantine era then previously thought. Serai added in Wednesday's statement that the evidence found at the site shows "the villagers based... Read Full Story
Representatives of the Italian government have taken possession of two ancient artifacts that have been circulating in the black art market for years. It's suspected that Giacomo Medici introduced a Corinthian vase into the art market around 1985. The vase dates back 2,600 years. and is believed to have come from a tomb in the Etruscan City of the Dead. Also recovered was a fresco painting lifted from an archaeological site near an ancient Pompeii village. That piece of art is believed... Read Full Story
