Features

Syrian Ambassador to U.S. Asks BAR to Print Ebla Letter Rejected by New York Times
Reports attempt to remove irresponsible Biblical archaeologists from position of power.

BAR’s article, “Syria Tries to Influence Ebla Scholarship,” BAR 05:02, reported on Syrian government efforts to pressure Ebla scholars into emphasizing the Ebla tablets’ importance for “proto-Syrian” history and to play down the tablets’ Biblical connections. BAR’s article received world-wide publicity. Stories based on it appeared in scores of American and foreign newspapers and […]

Mystery Find at Lachish
Can BAR readers identify puzzling clay objects?

What are they? Petrified Tootsie-Rolls, ceramic hot dogs, toy cigars? Are they perhaps ancient exercise equipment used by pre-Israelite boxers? Do BAR readers have any better suggestions? If so, send them to us, and BAR will pass them on to the excavators, who readily admit they are stumped by this find of some 278 […]

Hittites in the Bible: What Does Archaeology Say?

People called Hittites are frequently mentioned in the Biblical account of Israelite history. In the past 100 years the archaeologist’s spade has unearthed Hittite civilization: It has proved to be both large and important. Does it accord, however, with what the Bible tells us about the Hittites? 023 One of the best-known references in […]

Was There a Seven-Branched Lampstand in Solomon’s Temple?

Did Solomon’s temple contain a seven-branched lampstand known as a menorah? Most people answer this question with an automatic “of course.”

The First Peace Treaty Between Israel and Egypt
3000 year old treaty sealed by marriage of Pharaoh’s daughter to King Solomon. By Abraham Malamat

The recent peace treaty between Egypt and Israel may have a historical precedent from almost 3000 years ago. Then too, these two nations wisely decided that peaceful co-existence was better than military confrontation. The peace accord in ancient times is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. The Bible was not written, however, for the […]

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