Under the United Monarchy of Kings David and Solomon in the tenth century B.C., Israel truly became a force to be reckoned with. In “The Rise of the Israelite State,” Professor Dever examines the social organization and monumental architecture that marked the rise of a centralized kingdom—from the fortified cities with their massive gates to […]
Ancient Jerusalem
The Rise of the Israelite State: the “United Monarchy”
Jerusalem and the Garden of Eden
Lawrence Stager discusses biblical descriptions of several gardens, including the Garden of Eden. A description in the Book of Ezekiel locates the Garden of Eden close to Jerusalem. Taking his cue from Ezekiel, Stager postulates that the garden in the Valley of Kidron might be Eden. He tests this theory against passages in the Psalms, […]
Is Mt. Ebal Deuteronomy’s ’Place of the Name’?
A vexing irony inhabits the Book of Deuteronomy. On the one hand, the book makes exclusive worship at a single site chosen by Yahweh the defining criterion of community faithfulness. On the other hand, the book fails to tell the reader where that sanctuary actually is. Over the generations, the quest to resolve this conundrum […]
Excavating Mt. Zion: Past, Present and Future
As codirector of “Dig Mt. Zion,” the first archaeological excavation project to be allowed just outside the southern Old City wall in 30 years, Professor James D. Tabor offers a glimpse of this prime property of ancient Jerusalem. Learn the history of traditional Mt. Zion, the higher hill west of the ancient City of David. […]
The Search for Jerusalem’s Essene Gate and the Church of the Apostles
The late Father Bargil Pixner’s well known proposals regarding the location of Jerusalem’s Essene Gate and the Church of the Apostles on Mt. Zion have received a measure of popular acceptance, including in the pages of BAR. This lecture offers an updated evaluation of Pixner’s theory in light of recent textual studies and the findings from […]
Jerusalem Discoveries from the Time of Jesus
In this exclusive collection of video lectures, renowned Biblical scholar James D. Tabor reviews some of the most exciting and controversial archaeological discoveries from Jerusalem in recent years, including his important findings from the Talpiot tombs and the Mt. Zion excavation. In his characteristically accessible and familiar style, Tabor examines questions surrounding the authenticity of […]