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ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 623

archaeology in Israel

A third-century marble sarcophagus engraved with scenes of Greek mythology was uncovered in Caesarea, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on June 9, 2025. In this scene, Heracles lies on a lion’s skin. (Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
June 9, 2025, 4:38 pm
Archaeologists find unique 1,700-year-old sarcophagus depicting booze battle with a god
A marble coffin with vivid carvings of a fabled face-off between Heracles and Dionysus discovered in Caesarea is the sole example in the region and likely belonged to a wealthy family
By Rossella Tercatin
Illustrative: A police car at the scene of a crime. (lunopark/Shutterstock.com)
June 4, 2025, 7:00 am
Daughter of famed Noahide archaeologist found dead in her home; son suspected killer
73-year-old Sarah Richardson moved to Israel with her father, later converted to Judaism; police find son digging in yard, suspect he was trying to bury mother, hide evidence
By Charlie Summers
A 1,600-year-old mosaic discovered in a Byzantine monastery is on display for the first time at Merhavim Regional Council’s headquarters in Western Negev, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on May 27, 2025. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority)
May 27, 2025, 2:08 pm
Kaleidoscopic 1,600-year-old monastery mosaic on display for first time in the Negev
Roaring lions, gazelles fleeing wolves and a farmer wiping sweat from his forehead are among the scenes from Byzantine Israel depicted on the artifact
By Rossella Tercatin
2,300-year-old gold rings found at the Givati Parking Lot excavation, outside Jerusalem's Old City in 2024 and 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
May 21, 2025, 5:02 pm
2nd gold ring found in City of David sheds light on enigmatic Hellenist era in Jerusalem
The artifacts might have been buried by a young girl on the eve of her wedding, but whether she was Judean, Greek or both remains a mystery
By Rossella Tercatin
Left: Ebony figurine discovered in an excavation at Tel Malhata in the Negev. Right: Tomb excavated at the site of Tel Malhata in the Negev. (Dafna Gazit, Israel Antiquities Authority; Svetlana Talis/Israel Antiquities Authority)
May 14, 2025, 4:39 pm
Wood from India, made in Africa: 6th century figurines found in Christian tombs in Israel
Mysterious owners of the artifacts, possibly a mother and child, might have moved to Byzantine village in the Negev from Egypt or the Horn of Africa
By Rossella Tercatin
The 'Natan-Melech/Eved Hamelech' bulla found in the City of David. (Eliyahu Yanai, City of David)
May 13, 2025, 10:15 am
Ancient Israelites were more worldly than their insular Judean cousins, study shows
Using statistical methods from field of ecological biodiversity, Israeli scholars analyze 1,000 First Temple period names and find that the northern state was likely more ‘cosmopolitan’
By Rossella Tercatin
Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Dr. Uzi Ad with the ancient capital decorated with menorahs discovered in Jerusalem, which will be displayed for the first time in May 2025. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority)
April 29, 2025, 4:36 pm
Mysterious capital depicting menorahs found in 1,500-year-old Roman site in Jerusalem
Artifact, made of local limestone, was discovered in a settlement dating from a time when no Jew was allowed to live in the region
By Rossella Tercatin
Remains of a large Neolithic settlement on alluvial soil in the Motza Valley near Jerusalem. (Amos Frumkin)
April 25, 2025, 7:43 am
Israeli study finds burst of fires 8,000 years ago forced humans to become farmers
Hebrew University researcher says lightning-ignited blazes transformed Levant’s landscape, ending hunter-gatherer lifestyle but creating perfect condition for birth of agriculture
By Sue Surkes
Looted artifacts seized at the house of a Dimona resident suspected of illegal antiquities trafficking on April 21, 2025. (Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)
April 21, 2025, 6:32 pm
Hundreds of artifacts, some nearly 2,800 years old, seized from suspected looter
In search of suspect’s home in Dimona, police also find metal detectors, guns and ammunition, and NIS 150,000 in cash
By Rossella Tercatin
Prof. Jacob Ashkenazi from the Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee as he cleans an inscription found in Horvat Hesheq, between Carmiel and Maalot, in 2018. (Prof. Jacob Ashkenazi)
April 20, 2025, 9:02 am
In early Christian Holy Land, private churches rose as acts of faith — and displays of power
During 4th-7th century CE, new research shows, Christian elites built numerous private churches, while Jewish donors appeared to pool their resources in a communal synagogue
By Rossella Tercatin
Screen capture from video of a murex mollusk. (YouTube)
April 17, 2025, 9:37 pm
Made from snails and fit for kings: First biblical-era dye factory found on Israel’s coast
Ancient Tel Shiqmona site yields first evidence of large-scale purple dye production centuries before Roman times, possibly supplying First Temple in Jerusalem
By Rossella Tercatin
The archaeological site known as Solomon’s Pools near Bethlehem in Area A, West Bank. (Wikipedia)
April 11, 2025, 11:26 pm
IDF to allow rare visit to ‘Solomon’s Pools’ archaeological site in West Bank
Tour organized by Kfar Etzion Field School of site near Bethlehem — in PA-controlled Area A — is set to take place on Thursday, during Passover
By Rossella Tercatin
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu arrives at a government meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, December 10, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
April 3, 2025, 6:02 am
Major archaeological conference canceled after interference by far-right minister
Israel Exploration Society calls off event with less than a day’s notice due to Amichai Eliyahu’s objection to participation of archaeologist who opposed confab on West Bank archaeology
By Rossella Tercatin
From right to left – Tel Aviv University Prof. Oded Lipschits, Noga, Ziv and Omer Nitzan, and Antiquities Authority archaeologist Semyon Gendler. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority)
April 1, 2025, 12:21 pm
Three-year-old girl finds Canaanite seal where Bible says David battled Goliath
Ziv Nitzan was hiking with her family near Tel Azeka when she picked up a small stone that her sisters later realized was shaped like a scarab, revealing 3,800-year-old finding
By Rossella Tercatin
Archaeologists excavating at Megiddo in northern Israel in 2022. (Courtesy: The Megiddo Expedition)
March 30, 2025, 9:10 am
Archaeologists find first evidence of epic biblical battle at ‘Armageddon’
Pottery excavated at Megiddo in northern Israel suggests a military presence, possibly confirms the battle between King Josiah and Pharaoh Necho, and hints at Gog and Magog narrative
By Rossella Tercatin
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