Fact 1: Few biblical sites have ever been identified using an inscription.

September 12, 2013, 6:27 am

≫ Next: Fact 2: The Dead Sea is at its lowest point in history and there are no exposed ruins.

In the course of my interactions with other scholars and students I continue to encounter misinformation about the location of Sodom and arguments based on incorrect facts. I will begin a series today of some of the most common misconceptions and hopefully provide a bit of clarity to the misleading arguments being used. Then hopefully people can make at least informed decisions based on the evidence and properly understood facts.

Fact 1: Few biblical sites have ever been identified using an inscription. I sometimes hear that "there is no inscriptional evidence to support the case"1. that Tall el-Hammam is Sodom. Of all the biblical cities on your Bible maps only Dan, Gezer, Gibeon, Hazor, Hebron, Shiloh, and Jerusalem have a secondary inscription identifying their location.2. Collins points out “only one identified biblical site – Ekron – has such an identifying, in situ, in-period, unquestioned inscription naming the city.”3. Collins further identifies what he means by this:

For Old Testament sites, a primary inscription is one found in situ in a sealed archaeological context [locus], specifically providing the name of the site in question. Further, the inscription must date from the Old Testament period, i.e., either the Bronze Age or Iron Age. It must also be unquestionable as to translation.4.

Not even Jerusalem has a primary inscription but obviously we do not dispute its location. Usually scholars use geographic indicators to identify a cities location (i.e., by this river, by this mountain, near this city, etc.). Collins is quoted stating:

Well, to start with, the Tall el-Hammam site has 25 geographical indicators that align it with the description in Genesis. Compare this with something well known—like Jerusalem—that has only 16. Other sites have only 5 or 6. So, this site has many times more indicators than any other Old Testament site. That is truly amazing.5.

Collins further describes his methodology:

One chronological criterion is always included based on a face-value assessment of the biblical chronology. One criterion is assigned for each general archaeological period during which a city/town is said to have been occupied according to the biblical text. For example, if a site is included in the Joshua narrative (Late Bronze Age), one geo-criterion is assigned. If the same site is mentioned during the reign of Solomon (Iron 2), another geo-criterion is assigned. Further, if it is specifically stated or implied that a site was unoccupied during a given archaeological period, another geo-criterion is assigned.6.

The Biblical Archaeology Review notes that the city of

Gezer was the first biblical city to be identified by an [secondary] inscription found at the site… In 1873, the great French scholar Clermont-Ganneau found a boundary inscription dating from the Herodian period which reads in Hebrew script, ‘boundary of Gezer.’” 7.

Thus, proper use of geographical indicators rather than waiting for an inscription appears to be the better approach and in fact the common approach for identifying a site. The biblical text which provides the geographical clues is most always the method used to locate a site mentioned in the Bible. The odds of an inscription appearing which will absolutely identify a site is like winning the lottery. The method relied on by all scholars is to use the geography of ancient texts to locate the site. This was the method used by Heinrich Schliemann who used the text of Homer's Illiad to locate ancient Troy.8. Surely we can use the text of the Bible to locate biblical sites such as Sodom.

Footnotes

1. Gnana Raj, “Fire from Heaven? Archeological Light on The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:23-28).” New Life Review 1 [July 2012]: 9.
2. Steven Collins, and Latayne C. Scott. Discovering the City of Sodom: The Fascinating, True Account of the Discovery of the Old Testament’s Most Infamous City (New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 2013), 273-96.
3. Collins, and Scott. Discovering the City of Sodom,142.
4. Ibid, 277.
5. Brian Nixon, “Sodom Found? The Quest For The Lost City Of Destruction -- Part 3,” ASSIST News Service, June 16, 2009. See also Collins, and Scott. Discovering the City of Sodom, 278-96.
6. Collins, and Scott. Discovering the City of Sodom, 296.
7. Hershel Shanks, “The Sad Case of Tell Gezer,” Biblical Archaeology Review 9, no. 4 (1983): 30-42.
8. Susan Heuck Allen, Finding the Walls of Troy: Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann at Hisarlik (Berkeley, Calf.: University of California Press, 1999), 1.

↧

Fact 2: The Dead Sea is at its lowest point in history and there are no exposed ruins.

September 12, 2013, 5:45 pm

≫ Next: Fact 3: Bab edh-Dhra and Tall el-Hammam are both located in the Great Rift Jordan Valley

≪ Previous: Fact 1: Few biblical sites have ever been identified using an inscription.

Map of the Dead Sea levels. Link to interactive site.

Fact 2: The Dead Sea is at its lowest point in history and there are no exposed ruins. I still hear people claiming the old view of William F. Albright who claimed that Sodom was buried under the Dead Sea. In 1924 Albright led an archaeological expedition to locate the Cities of the Plain but after an investigation of the area could not locate any suitable sites, it was suggested that they were swallowed up by the Dead Sea and undiscoverable.1.

This theory was further substantiated by Ralph Baney’s discovery in 1960 of small trees in the upright growth position beneath the southern basin of the Dead Sea but did not find any ancient structures.2. Albright did, however, find the ruins of a fortified site, named Bab edh-Dhrâ, overlooking the deep ravine of Wadi Kerak.3. Taking into consideration the lack of occupational debris and seven fallen limestone monoliths found a short distance east of Bab edh-Dhrâ, Albrightconcluded that this was a place of pilgrimage where annual feasts were celebrated.

More recently in 2011 a Russian exploration group used submarines to explore and photograph the bottom of the Dead Sea. Needless to say nothing was found.4.

The Dead Sea is one of the most interesting bodies of water particularly as it is the lowest point on earth along the Great Rift Valley in Jordan (both Tall el-Hammam and Bab edh-Dhra are situated the Great Rift Valley). According to the Israel Marine Data Center (ISRAMAR) "Monitoring of the Dead Sea"along with geological and archaeological evidence, today the Dead Sea is -423 meters (1,388 ft) below sea level.5.

Extensive geological and archaeological research has been carried out by Frumkin and Elitzur who summarize their research:

There are three historically documented phases of the Dead Sea in the Biblical record: low lake levels ca. 2000–1500 B.C.E. (before common era [MB]); high lake levels ca. 1500–1200 B.C.E.[LB]; and low lake levels between ca. 1000 and 700 B.C.E. [IA]. The Biblical evidence indicates that during the dry periods the southern basin of the Dead Sea was completely dry, a fact that was not clear from the geological and archaeological data alone.6.

The only period of time when the Dead Sea was lower than today was during the Byzantine period (500 AD) at about 440 m below sea level and visible on the Madaba map where there is only water evident in the northern basin. The research all translates into the following measurements and periods compiled by Frumkin, Kadan, Yehouda, and Eyal:

Dead Sea Level* Period 14C BP Calibrated age range Archaeology Period

–340? 9200–7000 8300–6000 BC Pre-Pottery Neolithic

–385 3100–2600 1400–800 BC EB, LB, IA**

–390 2100–1700 332–63 BC Hellenistic

–392 60–0 1890–1950 AD British Mandate 7.

* Approximate maximum level of meters below sea level. Remember measurements are in negative value because they are below sea level.
** EB = Early Bronze Age; LB = Late Bronze Age; IA = Iron Age

The result is that the Dead Sea is at its lowest it has ever been, except for the Byzantine period, and no archaeological ruins or sites are visible anywhere on the shores of the Dead Sea today. Bab edh-Dhra is situated at an elevation approximately -240 m. below sea level well above the Dead Sea level in any period and was never under the Dead Sea.8.

Footnotes

1. William F. Albright, “The Jordan Valley in the Bronze Age,” Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 6 (1925 1924): 13–74; The Archaeology of Palestine (London, U.K.: Penquin, 1956), 135–36; Paul W. Lapp, “Bâb edh-Dhrâʿ, Perizzites and Emim,” in Jerusalem Through the Ages: The Twenty-fifth Archaeological Convention (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1968), 25; Joseph Free and Howard F. Vos, Archaeology and Bible History (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1992), 57; David Neev and Kenneth O. Emery, Destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah and Jericho: Geological, Climatological and Archaeological Backgrounds (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1995), 30.
2.Ralph E. Baney, Search for Sodom and Gomorrah, 2nd ed. (Kansas City, Mont.: CAM Press, 1962), 178.
3.William F. Albright, J. L. Kelso, and J. P. Thorley, “Early Bronze Age Pottery from Bab-ed-Dra in Moab,” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 95 (1944): 1–13.
4.David Lev "Russia Decides to Search for Sodom and Gomorrah - in Jordan."Arutz 7 Israel National News Dec 14, 2010. Collins and Scott, Discovering the City of Sodom, 101.
5.Gertman, H. Hecht. “The Dead Sea Hydrography from 1992 to 2000.” Journal of Marine Systems 35 (2002): 169–81.
6.Frumkin, Amos, and Yoel Elitzur. “Historic Dead Sea Level Fluctuations Calibrated with Geological and Archaeological Evidence.” Quatenary Research 57 (2002): 334–42.
7.Frumkin, Amos, Galit Kadan, Enzel Yehouda, and Yehuda Eyal. “Radiocarbon Chronology of the Holocene Dead Sea: Attempting A Regional Correlation.” Radiocarbon 43, no. 3 (2001): 1187.
8.http://www3.nd.edu/~mchesson/edsp_beddescription.html

↧

Fact 3: Bab edh-Dhra and Tall el-Hammam are both located in the Great Rift Jordan Valley

September 13, 2013, 2:51 pm

≫ Next: Noah's Ark Research Symposium Report

≪ Previous: Fact 2: The Dead Sea is at its lowest point in history and there are no exposed ruins.


Natural formed asphalt/Bitumen collected at the Dead Sea shore.

Fact 3: Both Bab edh-Dhra and Tall el-Hammam are located in the Great Rift Jordan Valley along a fault line which is known to have asphalt /bitumen, sulfur, tar, and natural gas.1 Ben-Avraham and Niemi describe the area as:

The Dead Sea lake (Fig. 5-1) occupies part of a long and narrow continental trough - the Dead Sea basin [Dead Sea-Jordan Transform] - located in the Dead Sea rift. Tectonically, the Dead Sea rift is a transform fault system that separates the Arabian plate on the east from the African plate on the west, connecting the spreading zone of the Red Sea in the south to the Taurus collision zone in the north.2.

The majority of the asphalt blocks are located along what is called the "tar belt" on the western side of the Dead Sea between Masada and En Gedi.3. This is likely where the famed "bitumen pits" (Gen 14:10) were located on the western side of the Dead Sea that the Elamite solider fell in (See Fact 4 for more details). It is a misconception to believe that just the southern end of the Dead Sea has asphalt /bitumen, sulfur, tar, and natural gas features. The reason it is so seldom associated with the northern end of the Dead Sea is because it is covered by the salt water of the Dead Sea. Amit and Bein explain:

to date, no exploration well has been drilled in the northern part of the Dead Sea north of the En Gedi-2 well (Fig. 5-2). Most of this area is covered by the hypersaline, approximately 300-m-deep Dead Sea lake, and its hydrocarbon potential is poorly known.4.

Josephus used its Greek name, Asphaltites which the Romans called Asphalt Lake (Palus Asphaltites).

And when they were come over against Sodom, they pitched their camp at the vale called the Slime Pits, for at that time there were pits in that place; but now, upon the destruction of the city of Sodom, that vale became the Lake Asphaltites, as it is called. (Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 1.9)

Josephus gives the impression that he is describing the creation of the Dead Sea from the results of the destruction of Sodom but geologist know that the Dead Sea has been around for many years prior to that.5. Josephus is no doubt recounting an ancient tradition and not describing a scientific fact.
Some look to the southern end of the Dead Sea and see salt pillars that remind them of Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt, bits of asphalt lying around, sulfur balls, see what looks like the structures of buildings, and a mountain called "Mount Sodom" and believe that it looks cursed therefore it must be the land of the Sodomites. (i.e., Ron Wyatt, Sodom and Gomorrah: The Cities of the Plain: Ash and Brimstone Remain) This is nothing more than pseudo-archaeology and pure nonsense. Collins provides a word of caution here:

people who look only at geological features to ascertain the location of a site for an event, and ignore the geographical details in the only ancient document that describes the event, become etiological legend-spinners themselves.6.

Ma'in hot spring -264 metres below sea level.

On a personal note I am working at Tall el-Hammam (means "Hill of the Hot Baths"7.) next to the thermal springs (aquae calidae). The word Hammam in Arabic means ‘hot spring/well’ and most commonly refers to ‘hot baths’ similar to the Hebrew hamat which means "hot springs." It is the only site in the region with a name associated with thermal springs. I can smell the pungent sulfur smell of the hot water from where I am excavating. The southern region of the Dead Sea is not the only place in the Dead Sea region that has sulfur, bitumen, and other petroleum products. The Ma'in hot springs are located on the edge of Wadi Mujib close to Tall el-Hammam and feed into the Dead Sea. The Tall el-Meselhleh, hot springs are just on the other side of the wadi from Tall el-Hammam and part of the same hot spring system. The hot springs at Tall el-Hammam are caped and used for irrigation of the local banana fields by the local farmers.

If an earthquake took out Bab edh-Dhra it would have also taken out Tall el-Hammam. A hypothetical geological description of the destruction of Sodom is no indication to its location.

Tall el-Meselhleh, hot springs

INTERESTING FACT:The Dead Sea Asphalt was used in Egyptian mummification.8.

Footnotes

1.Ben-Avraham, Zvi, and Tina M. Niemi. “Active Tectonics in the Dead Sea Basin.” In The Dead Sea: The Lake and Its Setting, edited by Zvi Ben-Avraham, Tina M. Niemi, and Joel R. Gat, 73–81. Oxford Monographs on Geology and Geophysics 36. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, USA, 1997. Amit, O., and A. Bein. “The Genesis of the Asphalt in the Dead Sea Area.” Journal of Geochemical Exploration 11, no. 3 (1979): 211–25.
2.Michael Gardosh et al., “Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Southern Dead Sea Area,” in The Dead Sea: The Lake and Its Setting, ed. Zvi Ben-Avraham, Tina M. Niemi, and Joel R. Gat, Oxford Monographs on Geology and Geophysics 36 (New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, USA, 1997), 58. See also Z. Garfinkel, “Internal Structure of the Dead Sea Leaky Transform (Rift) in Relation to Plate Kinematics,” Tectonophysics 80 (1981): 81–108; David Neev, and Kenneth O. Emery. Destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah and Jericho: Geological, Climatological and Archaeological Backgrounds (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1995).
3.Gardosh et al., “Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Southern Dead Sea Area,” 58.
4. Ibid 58. See also Amit, O., and A. Bein. “The Evolution of the Dead Sea Floating Asphalt Blocks: Simulations by Pyrolisis.” Journal of Petroleum Geology 2, no. 4 (1980): 429–447. Ben-Avraham, Zvi, Tina M Niemi, and Joel R. Gat, eds. The Dead Sea: The Lake and Its Setting. Oxford Monographs on Geology and Geophysics 36. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, USA, 1997.
5.Gardosh et al., “Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Southern Dead Sea Area,” 58.
6. Steven Collins and Latayne C. Scott. Discovering the City of Sodom: The Fascinating, True Account of the Discovery of the Old Testament’s Most Infamous City (New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 2013), 102.
7. Kay Prag "Preliminary report on the excavations at Tell Iktanu and Tall el-Hammam, Jordan 1990."Levant 23 (1991): 57.
8.Rullkötter, J., and A. Nissenbaum. “Dead Sea Asphalt in Egyptian Mummies: Molecular Evidence,” Naturwissenschaften 75, no. 12 (1988): 618–621.

↧

Noah's Ark Research Symposium Report

October 14, 2013, 10:58 am

≫ Next: Key Themes of the New Testament - Just released

≪ Previous: Fact 3: Bab edh-Dhra and Tall el-Hammam are both located in the Great Rift Jordan Valley


This image was taken on Mt. Ararat in 2006 with a local shepherd between Rex Geisler, the president of ArcImaging, and myself on the right.

Those wanting to know what is going on with Noah's Ark Research can find it here from a few of my friends/colleagues (Bill Crouse, Mark Wilson and Gordon Franz). This blog posts a REPORT ON THE “INTERNATIONAL NOAH AND JUDI MOUNTAIN SYMPOSIUM”– SIRNAK, TURKEY by Gordon Franz.

↧

Key Themes of the New Testament - Just released

October 28, 2013, 12:52 pm

≫ Next: Biblical Writings Website Instructions

≪ Previous: Noah's Ark Research Symposium Report

The companion volume to the Key Themes of the Old Testament is now ready for purchase. The Key Themes of the New Testament is now available at Amazon. and Createspace. At over 440 pages and over 100 photos, maps and charts this will complete your set. It will be priced at just $26.49 US.

Ever wonder what the Bible was all about but were nervous about reading such an intimidating book?
Graves provides an informative and accessible read that explores the Bible, not as a survey of history, but by examining nine interconnecting themes, including the kinds of biblical literature, birth and early years of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the founding, development, formation and future of the Church. He provides an overview of what the New Testament is all about and how it relates to the Old Testament. Learn how the person and work of Jesus is connected to the Messiah. What has the Church to do with the rest of the Bible? Graves answers the kind of questions that the average reader of the Bible wants answered and not simply the answers that scholars think readers should hear.

Numerous detailed maps, charts, tables, and photographs are included illustrating the New Testament context. Helpful breakout panes, dealing with “Quotes from Antiquity,” “Moments in History,” and “Facts from Archaeology,” provide an interesting and informative understanding of the cultural and historical background of the Bible. A glossary defines technical terms, and extensive footnotes and the hundreds of books listed in the “For Further Study” breakout panes and bibliography provide an invaluable resource to readers for future study.

An engaging resource intended for laypeople who want to know more about the New Testament, whether in seminary courses, college classrooms, church groups or personal study.

↧

Biblical Writings Website Instructions

January 22, 2014, 3:48 pm

≫ Next: Liberty Students - Online Resources

≪ Previous: Key Themes of the New Testament - Just released

Biblical WritingsRecently I stumbled on an excellent site for doing research. It is called Biblical Writings dot com.LINK. There are many excellent reference works (Bible Dictionaries, Bible Encyclopedias, Bible Commentaries) listed to assist in biblical research. Here is a list of some of the resources, that they have posted online (Copyright may be an issue for them posting this material, but they do have their own copyright at the bottom of the page). I have not listed the large selection of Pastoral helps available on their site.

However, for some of the books listed there is an issue navigating their articles. Some of the links are broken, so I have indicated which books (links) don't work properly and a work around below. Unfortunately there is no way to contact the person or organization hosting the website. It may be a Seventh-day Adventist website as they have posted Ellen White's sermons, however, most of these books are current mainline Christian works and most are found nowhere else on the web unless for purchase and cost thousands of dollars. This is a great help to any student of the Bible.

TIP: right click on the title and choose "Open link in new tab/window.". This will keep my blog opened.

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Jeffrey, David L, ed. A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English LiteratureGrand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1992. Use the A-Z index.
Bartholomew, Craig G, Daniel J Treier, Kevin J Vanhoozer, and Nicholas Thomas Wright, eds. Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. London: SPCK, 2005. Use the A-Z index.
Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid, eds. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1998. Use the A-Z index.
Toorn, K. van der, Bob Becking, and Pieter Willem van der Horst. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1999. Use the A-Z index.
Dictionary Of Some Of The More Common Biblical Words And Phrases Use the word index on the first page.
Easton, Mathew George. Easton’s Bible Dictionary. 3rd ed. Nashville, Tenn.: Nelson, 1897.An older standard work by a Presbyterian minister. Use the A-Z index
Freedman, David Noel, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck, eds. Eerdman’s Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2000.Use the A-Z index.
McKim, Donald K, and David F Wright, eds. Encyclopedia of the Reformed Faith. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox, 1992. Use the word index on the first page.
Avi-Yonah, Michael, and Ephraim Stern. The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land.4 vols. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1978. (See ** instructions below) There is a newer version with updated articles but not online: Stern, Ephraim, Ayelet Levinson-Gilboa, and Joseph Aviram, eds. The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. 4 vols. New York, N.Y.: MacMillan, 1993.
Pallen, Condé Bénoist, Charles George Herbermann, and Edward Aloysius Pace, eds. The Catholic Encyclopedia. 19 vols. New York, N.Y.: Appleton Company, 1913. Use the A-Z index. Also at New AdventNot to be confused with the newer work Carson, Thomas, ed. The New Catholic Encyclopedia. 15 vols. 2nd ed. Detroit, Mich.: Gale, 2003.
Myers, Allen C. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1996.Use the A-Z index.
Collins, John J., and Daniel C. Harlow, eds. The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2010.(See *** instructions below) .
Cross, Frank Leslie, and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2005.Use the A-Z index and words listed.
Tenney, Merrill C., and Moisés Silva, eds. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of The Bible,Vols. 1-5. Revised, Full-Color ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2009. (See ***** instructions below).
Pfeiffer, Charles F, Howard Frederic Vos, and John Rea, eds. The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago, Ill.: Moody, 2005.Use the A-Z index.

Commentaries

Strong

Greek and Hebrew words are listed and numbered to Strong's. Use the New Strong's guide to Bible Words to find the English word and it will link to the corresponding Greek or Hebrew words.

Library

All these works are entered like a blog as individual pages sometimes chapters sometimes topics and sometimes individual words. The best way to find items in this section is to use their online search or scroll through the pages using the Next/last buttons. Strangely all the entries for these books start with the end of the book and not the beginning. Use the Last button at the bottom to go to the first of the book or topic (A).

** Avi-Yonah, Michael, and Ephraim Stern. Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land.4 vols. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1978. Finding the articles is a challenge because the word index does not work. When it is clicked nothing happens. However, from the online index if your place the article name at the end of the link you may find the article from the index. (i.e., for the article on "Masada"you would add the name to the end of this link and the Letter "M" before the "&word." ( if the article is on Corinth then add a C instead of M; everything in red): this link will bring up the Masada article: http://www.biblicalwritings.com/the-archaeological-encyclopedia-of-the-holy-land/?alfa=M&word=Masada). The difficulty is what do you do with compound words. For example execration texts is listed as http://www.biblicalwritings.com/the-archaeological-encyclopedia-of-the-holy-land/?alfa=E&word=execration. However, sometimes the link works like with http://www.biblicalwritings.com/the-archaeological-encyclopedia-of-the-holy-land/?alfa=M&word=MAMREH%0A. "Musical Instruments" is simply http://www.biblicalwritings.com/the-archaeological-encyclopedia-of-the-holy-land/?alfa=M&word=musical

*** Collins, John J., and Daniel C. Harlow, eds. The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2010. Finding the articles is a challenge because the word index does not work. When it is clicked nothing happens. However, from the online index if your place the article name at the end of the link you may find the article from the index. (i.e., for the article on "Hasideans"you would add the name to the end of this link and the Letter "H" before the "&word." ( if the article is on Corinth then add a C instead of M; everything in red): this link will bring up the Masada article: http://www.biblicalwritings.com/the-eerdmans-dictionary-of-early-judaism/?alfa=H&word=hasideans). The difficulty is what do you do with compound words, like the article "The amphitheater-hippodrome built by Herod the Great at Caesarea Maritima." I was not able to locate this entry although it is listed in the index. Occassionally you can try adding just the first word in the compound word for example for Caesarea Maritima just use Caesarea. Sometimes you can add + between words to locate compound words but this does not always work. The search feature on the website only seems to work with Holeman Atlas, Anchor Bible Dictionary and Anchor commentaries along with a few books but there are too many topics to sort through to find what you are looking for.

**** Freedman, David Noel, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, and John David Pleins, eds. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 vols. New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1992. Selecting the Anchor Bible Dictionary brings you to a Category Archive list of web pages starting with Z. The easier way to find articles is to use their website search engine. However, this search produces many works but is the best way to use this source. You may also try adding the article name to the URL link but notice that it is in a different place (for Jericho (place): http://www.biblicalwritings.com/jericho-place-the-anchor-bible-dictionary/). for a person you might try adding Manoah-personfor Manoah: http://www.biblicalwritings.com/manoah-person-the-anchor-bible-dictionary/

***** Tenney, Merrill C., and Moisés Silva, eds. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of The Bible,Vols. 1-5. Revised, Full-Color ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2009. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1978. Finding the articles is a challenge because the word index does not work. When it is clicked nothing happens. However, from the online index if your place the article name at the end of the link you may find the article from the index. (i.e., for the article on "Jericho"you would add the name to the end of this link and the Letter "J" before the "&word." ( if the article is on Corinth then add a C instead of M; everything in red): this link will bring up the Masada article: http://www.biblicalwritings.com/the-zondervan-encyclopedia-of-the-bible/?alfa=J&word=Jericho). Most of the words are single words and not compound so makes it easy to locate the articles.

↧

Liberty Students - Online Resources

January 23, 2014, 11:31 am

≫ Next: Map of the Dead Sea with Southern and Northern location of the Pentapolis

≪ Previous: Biblical Writings Website Instructions

Liberty Students - Online Resources

BIBL 471 - Biblical Archaeology

Liberty University Students

Doing an online courses can be difficult, especially when the local library does not have a good selection of resources on the Bible or archaeology. Perhaps you are on a ship deployed in the middle of the Pacific or a housewife living in a small town. You don't have access to a good theological library and where can you go to find resources. Here is a list of sources that will help, which are academic and accessible from anywhere you have the internet. Now you have no excuse for producing quality research. Liberty Students: Be sure to set up an off campus access account and use the Ezproxy loginto gain access to many online articles and books.

Index

LEARNING VIDEOS

Helpful Student Videos
"The purpose of these videos is to teach students the basic cognitive principles they need to understand in order to become effective learners. The lack of adequate preparation of high school graduates for college level work is of tremendous concern. In 2011, only 25% of high school seniors met all four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks in math, science, English, and reading. That means a large percentage of high school graduates are capable of college level work, but ill equipped to handle it. The success of these students depends on their ability to transform themselves into effective college learners. The video series is intended to help students accomplish that. The videos present a comprehensive, empirically validated framework of principles on how people learn that enables students to develop their own learning strategies and skills. There is really no other resource like it. The videos translate cognitive theory and research into simple, accessible, and practical practices that students can use in their study. The videos are broken down into brief modules, so that students can choose the ones that are most relevant to their needs, and each module is designed to be clear and engaging." Liberty Staff

5 Video Guide:How to Study Long and Hard and Still Fail…or How to Get the Most Out of Studying.
The overall theme of the videos is if students use ineffective or inefficient ways of studying, they can study long and hard and still fail; but if they use effective strategies, they will get the most learning out of your study time and be more likely to succeed. Each video lasts 7-8 minutes.

Video 1:Beliefs That Make You Fail…Or Succeed
The first video examines common mistaken beliefs students often possess that undermine their learning. The video tries to correct those misconceptions with accurate beliefs about learning.

Video 2:What Students Should Understand About How People Learn.
The second video introduces a simple but powerful theory of memory, Levels of Processing, that can help students improve their study.

Video 3: Cognitive Principles for Optimizing Learning.
The third video operationalizes the concept of level of processing into four principles that students can use to develop effective study strategies.

Video 4: Putting the Principles for Optimizing Learning into Practice.
The fourth video applies the principles of deep processing to common study situations, including note taking and highlighting while reading.

Video 5: I Blew the Exam, Now What?
This video addresses what students should and should not do when they earn a poor grade on an exam or quiz.

Research

My Blog. Your looking at it!! Check out the right column for books and links under these headings.

Sources on Archaeology: with links to good books for research in alphabetical order. Click on the book or article to download the file. You will need either Acrobat Reader for the PDF or WinDJview for the DJVU files (download the software to read DJVU at LINK).
Archaeology: with links to museums and websites related to archaeology.
Research:with links to ancient documents, abbreviations, Journals, and maps.

My Books. Key Themes of the Old Testament, Key Themes of the New Testament and Key Facts for the Location of Sodom are full of side bar sections on archaeology.
Sodom Papers:For Liberty Students writing their papers on the location of Sodom I would highly recommend the new book Key Facts for the Location of Sodom Student Edition: Navigating the Maze of Arguments, 2014. ISBN: 978-1499660241. The book includes 62 facts you should know about, helpful maps of the Dead Sea area, charts and visual timelines for identifying their place in history, but you are not obliged to purchase it. It is available at CreateSpace eStore.
Google Booksand Amazon.com. Search for a book and use the Look Inside feature. This can be a big help. Use the table of contents of the book. You will need to set up a Google account to view the pages but this is free. Sometimes if the page is not available on one Amazon it is in Google books so make sure to check both sites if you don't see what you need. You do need to watch carefully the quality of the books. (From a reputable publisher with University in the name i.e., Oxford University Press, Harvard, etc.). Don't use "Archaeology for Dummies!!!" it does exist!!
Renfrew, Colin, and Paul G. Bahn. Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: Thames & Hudson, 2012. Look Inside This is the standard work on archaeological methods and theories.
Kaiser, Jr., Walter C., and Duane Garrett, eds. NIV Archaeological Study Bible: An Illustrated Walk Through Biblical History and Culture. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2006. About 90% of the articles were written by Dr. Bryant Wood which is not stated anywhere in the book but know this from personal correspondence. There are a few inaccuracies but most information is reliable. Good to double check the fact, however with another Bible Encyclopedia or Dictionary.
Internet Archive. This site has the largest collection of scanned (PDF) works in the world. Almost anything that is prior to 1923 is available because of the copyright laws.
Wikipedia. Don't use it!!! The material is notorious for being unreliable and inaccurate. If you do look at an article like Jericho in the link check out the footnotes and bibliography at the bottom where they will often have links to PDF files you can download or books you can look up in Google books or get at the Library. NEVER place Wikipedia in your bibliography.

Back to the Outline at the Top

Website Bible Tools

StudyLight.orgMuch of the older material is repeated from other sites.
Rob Bradshaw'sbiblicalstudies.org To make high quality theological material available throughout the world. Digitising and uploading in co-operation with authors and publishers, rare and out-of-print theology books and articles. Over 18,000 articles (PDF) are now available for free download here or via the subject menus on the left hand side of the page.
BibleStudyTools.comAlmost all their works are older and out of date for research but good for searching the Bible.
StepToolsby Tyndale. Very Powerful online tool. Various Bible Translation and language helps along with older commentaries and dictionaries.
Christian Information Ministries provides information on Noah's Ark research by Bill Crouse but many other issues.

Back to the Outline at the Top

Ancient Texts

Ancient Near Eastern Texts: Like the Epic of Gilgamesh, Code of Hammurabi, Hittite and Sumerian texts.
Christianity:Gnostic, Medieval and other texts related to Christianity.
Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library Leon Levy: High resolution images of the actual scrolls.
Eisenman, Robert H, and Michael Owen Wise. The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered: The First Complete Translation and Interpretation of 50 Key Documents Withheld for Over 35 Years. Rockport, Mass.: Element, 1992.
Early Christian Writings: such as the Didiche, and Gnostics.
Early Jewish Writings: Includes Pseudepigrapha, Philo of Alexandria and Josephus.
ETANA: Electronic Tools and Ancient Near East Archives: Links to many books that deal with archaeology and the Ancient Near Eastern are available here.Use the Browse by Author Feature.
Greco-Roman:Text by Josephus, Strabo, Tacitus, Philo, Pliny etc.
LacusCurtius: Into the Roman World by Bill Thayer. Text by Strabo, Tacitus, Polybius, Suetonius, etc.
POxy: Oxyrhynchus Papyri Online

Back to the Outline at the Top

Books

These books are suitable for doing research in archaeology and most of the complete books are available in either PDF or DJVU format. The DJVU reader can be found at LINK.Use the index in the book or search using the Adobe Edit/Find feature (Ctrl+F).

Graves, David E., Key Facts for the Location of Sodom Student Edition: Navigating the Maze of Arguments, 2014. ISBN: 978-1499660241. Very helpful for Liberty students writing their Sodom papers. The book includes 62 facts you should know about, helpful maps of the Dead Sea area, charts and visual timelines for identifying their place in history, but you are not obliged to purchase it. It is available for purchase at CreateSpace eStore.
Flint, Peter W., and James C. VanderKam, eds. The Dead Sea Scrolls After Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment. Vol. 2. Leiden: Brill, 1999. DJVU
Galor, Katharina, Jean-baptiste Humbert, and Jürgen Zangenberg, eds. Qumran. The Site of the Dead Sea Scroll: Archaeological Interpretations and Debates: Proceedings of a Conference Held at Boston University, November 17-19, 2002.Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah 57. Leiden: Brill, 2006. DJVU
MacDonald, Burton. East of the Jordan: Territories and Sites of the Hebrew Scriptures. Edited by Victor H. Matthews. ASOR Books 6. Boston, Mass.: American Schools of Oriental Research, 2000. PDFSee chapter chapter 4 “Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, Bela (=Zoar)—the 'Cities of the Plain'—and Lasha,” Page 45-62.
Ramsay, William M. St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen. London, U.K.: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887.
Ramsay, William M. The Letters to Seven Churches of Asia and Their Place in the Plan of the Apocalypse. London, U.K.: Hodder & Stoughton, 1904.
Vaux, Roland de. Archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Schweich Lectures of the British Academy, 1959. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1973.

Back to the Outline at the Top

Journals

Most Journal articles will be available through the Liberty Library online or JSTOR.

American Journal of ArchaeologyJSTOR

Archaeology Address: Subscription Service P.O. Box 420423 Palm Coast, FL 32142-0423, Publication Frequency: Bi-monthly; Published by: Archaeological Institute of America

The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research (AASOR) Published by the The American Schools of Oriental Research from 1922-2010 JSTOR

The Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin. (NEASB) Address: Horn Archaeological Museum, Andrews University 9047 Old US 31, Berrien Springs, MI 49104-0990.

Publication Frequency: Annually; Published by the Near East Archaeological Society.

ARTIFAX, Publication Frequency: quarterly; 2175 Bicentennial Ct., New Brighton MN 55112; Published by the Institute of Biblical Archaeology, the Near East Archaeological Society and SCRIBE Media. Free with subscription to the Near East Archaeological Society and full of news about Biblical archaeology from the various biblical countries doing archaeology.

Australian Journal of Biblical Archaeologypublished by the Department of Semitic Studies in The University of Sydney from 1968-75. Most of the articles are available as PDF online.

The Biblical Archaeologist (BA) Published by the The American Schools of Oriental Researchfrom 1938-1997. JSTOR Not all recent articles are available online

BiblicalStudies.orgJournals.Over 18,000 theological articles are now available on this site free of charge.

Biblical Research Bulletin(BRB) Published by Trinity Southwest University. All of Dr. Steven Collins' Sodom Research is available online here.

Bible Review Magazine (BR), Address: 4710 41st Street, NW Washington, DC 20016; Publication Frequency: Bi-monthly; Published by: Biblical Archaeology Society

Bible and Spade(BS) Publication Frequency: Quarterly (with bi-monthly newsletter). Edited by Bryant Wood. It is a non-technical magazine published by the Associates for Biblical Research. It is written from a scholarly and conservative viewpoint, supporting the inerrancy of the biblical record.These articles may need to be ordered through ILL.

Biblical Archaeology Review(BAR) Edited by Hershel Shanks who is Jewish which is reflected in his selective articles dealing with the OT and his viewpoint on the NT. These article can be acquired online through the ezyproxy longin.

Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR) Published by the The American Schools of Oriental Researchfrom 1921-2014 JSTORNot all recent articles are available online

Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research. Supplementary Studies(BASORSup) Published by the The American Schools of Oriental Researchfrom 1945-1991 JSTOR

Israel Exploration JournalJSTOR
Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt.(JARCE)Published by: American Research Center in Egypt from 1962-2008. JSTOR
Journal of Egyptian Archaeology(JEA) Published by: Egypt Exploration Society from 1914-2008 (Vols. 1-94). JSTOR

Journal of Near Eastern Studies; Address: 5720 S. Woodlawn Avenue Chicago, IL 60637; Publication Frequency: Quarterly; Published by: University of Chicago. JSTOR

Journal of Cuneiform Studies(JCS) Published by the The American Schools of Oriental Research from 1947-2014. JSTORNot all recent articles are available online

Near Eastern Archaeology1998-2014 (Vols. 61-77) (prior to March 1998 called The Biblical Archaeologist (BA) 1938-1997); Address: Subscriber Services P.O. Box 15399 Atlanta, GA 30333-0399; Publication Frequency: Quarterly; Published by The American School of Oriental Research (ASOR). JSTOR Not all recent articles are available online

Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement (1869 - 1878). (PEFQst) Many good British archaeologists like Wilson, Warren, Conder, Kitchener, Petrie, Garstang, T. E. Lawrence, and Kenyon, etc. have posted material in this journal. You may also use the Internet Archive to find and download the entire Quarterly Journal to find your material.

Palestine Exploration Quarterly. (PEQ) is the peer-reviewed quarterly journal of the Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF).

Back to the Outline at the Top

Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

See the list of 27 Bible Dictionaries at Study Light.com LINK Many of these dictionaries are outdated for archaeological research but will give you some of the older research. Use these with caution.
Archer, Gleason Leonard.Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1982. PDFExcellent treatment of difficult passages of the Bible from a conservative perspective.
Negev, Avraham, ed. Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land.3rd ed. New York, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1996.*Not to be confused with:Stern, Ephraim, Ayelet Levinson-Gilboa, and Joseph Aviram, eds. The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land.4 vols. New York, N.Y.: MacMillan, 1993. Available online through Liberty Library search.
Berenbaum, Michael, and Fred Skolnik, eds. Encyclopedia Judaica.22 vols. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: MacMillan, 2006. Available online through Liberty Library search.
Blaiklock, Edward M., R.K. Harrison, eds. The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology.Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1983. Available on Campus
Butler, Trent C., ed. Holman Bible Dictionary. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman, 1991. Not to be confused with the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary(2003), which is expanded and updated, but this original work is packed full (6,672 entries) of good material.
Carson, Thomas, ed. The New Catholic Encyclopedia. 15 vols. 2nd ed. Detroit, Mich.: Gale, 2003. Written from a Roman Catholic perspective. Not to be confused with the older outdated online work:Pallen, Condé Bénoist, Charles George Herbermann, and Edward Aloysius Pace, eds. The Catholic Encyclopedia. 19 vols. New York, N.Y.: Appleton Company, 1913. also at New Advent
Easton, Mathew George. Easton's Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 3rd ed. Nashville, Tenn.: Nelson, 1897. Older research available on many sites but good for an overview of previous views.
Elwell, Walter A., ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. 2nd ed. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 1996. Standard dictionary on biblical theology from an evangelical perspective.
Freedman, David Noel, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, and John David Pleins, eds. The Anchor Bible Dictionary.6 vols. New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1992. Often minimalist in its conclusions but good academic research and good bibliographies. Only available on campus.
Hastings, James, and John A. Selbie, eds. A Dictionary of the Bible. Single Volume. New York, N.Y.: Scribner’s Sons, 1909. LINKNot to be confused with the 5 volume edition which completely different articles. Hastings, James, and John A. Selbie, eds. A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature and Contents Including the Biblical Theology. 5 vols. New York, N.Y.: Scribner’s Sons, 1911.
Murray, Tim, ed. Encyclopedia of Archaeology: History and Discoveries. 3 vols. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001.Ezproxy Link
Orr, James, and Melvin Grove Kyle, eds. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. 5 vols. Howard-Severance Co., Chicago, 1915; Grand Rapids, Mich..: Eerdmans, 1989. Also available at StudyLightand Gospel Hall Bible Search
Pearsall, Deborah M., ed. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. 3 vols. San Diego, Calif: Academic Press, 2008. Ezproxy Link
Singer, Isidore, Cyrus Adler, Gotthard Deutsch, Kaufmann Kohler, and Emil G. Hirsch, eds. The Jewish Encyclopedia. 12 vols. New York, NY: Funk & Wagnalls, 1906. Research from a Jewish perspective. Not to be confused with this less academic, single volume work. Bridger, David, and Samuel Wolk. The New Jewish Encyclopedia. Springfield, NJ: Behrman, 1962.
Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. London, U.K.: Murray, 1875. Standard reference work for many years, although outdated it is still a valuable source if handled carefully and with common sense.
Tenney, Merrill C., and Moisés Silva, eds. Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vols. 1-5. Revised, Full-Color ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2009.BS440 .Z63 2009. Only available on campus

Back to the Outline at the Top

Bible Commentaries

Many older commentaries such as John Gill, John Calvin, Matthew Henry, Scofield's Notes, Adam Clarke, etc. and available online and are great for devotions and sermon preparation but not suitable for academic research. Here are a few that are suitable and online.

Barclay, William. Barclay NT Commentaries.17 vols. New Daily Study Bible. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox, 2004. Barclay (1907-1978) was a Scottish author, radio and television presenter, Church of Scotland minister, and Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University of Glasgow. Skeptical about the Trinity, believed in universal salvation, and a pacifism but maintained great insights into the text.
Jamieson, Robert, Andrew Robert Faussett, and David Brown. A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments.Oak Harbor, Wash.: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. Considered to be conservative and orthodox teachers of the Christian faith which was first published in 1871. Jamieson (1802-1880) and Brown (1803-1897). Dated but still considered helpful.
Keil, C. F., and Franz Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament. 10 vols. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2006. Conservative German Lutheran Old Testament scholarship from the nineteenth century which is still helpful.

Back to the Outline at the Top

Maps and Charts

The Oriental Institute of the University of ChicagoMap Series which contains maps in the Ancient Near East.
Interactive mapof first century Israel by Bible History Online.
Madaba Map
Virtual Numeira is a great site to feel the area of Bab edh-Dhra.
Interactive Dead Sea Level chart.
Map of the northern Dead Sea sites including Tall el-Hammam.
Map of the northern and southern locations of the Cities of the Plain.

Back to the Outline at the Top

Archaeological Excavations

Okeanoslist of archaeological excavations by region.
Tall el-Hammam

Back to the Outline at the Top

Turabian Format

For the Turabian format all you need to do is copy and paste the following books or articles into your bibliography to preserve the proper format. Need more help with Turabian see this LINK.

Back to the Outline at the Top

↧

Map of the Dead Sea with Southern and Northern location of the Pentapolis

January 25, 2014, 12:33 pm

≫ Next: Books by David E. Graves

≪ Previous: Liberty Students - Online Resources

Northern and Southern location for the Cities of the Plain

To assist my student working on the proposed sites for the northern and southern location of the five Cities of the Plain (Pentapolis), I have created this map of the sites. Note that the Southern cities were destroyed in the Early Bronze Age (EB ca. 2350 BC), while the Northern locations were destroyed in the Middle Bronze Age (MB ca. 1600 BC). Most evangelical scholars place Abraham in the period of the Middle Bronze Age (1950 and 1550 BC). See Kenneth A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2003, 313-72 and Price, J. Randall. The Stones Cry Out: What Archaeology Reveals About the Truth of the Bible. Eugene, Oreg.: Harvest House, 1997, 106. Here is another close-up map of just the Northern end of the Dead Sea. LINK

↧

Books by David E. Graves

March 10, 2014, 1:19 pm

≫ Next: Aerial view of the Roman Area Building

≪ Previous: Map of the Dead Sea with Southern and Northern location of the Pentapolis

I currently have four books published. The first was the publication of my PhD dissertation by Gorgias Press in 2009 under the title The Seven Messages of Revelation and Vassal Treaties: Literary Genre, Structure, and Function. in their Gorgias Dissertations Biblical Studies series 41. ISBN-10: 160724568X; ISBN-13: 978-1607245681 Amazon.com, Gorgias Press and Eisenbrauns.

This is the hardcover edition.

This is the paperback cover of my dissertation titled The Seven Messages of Revelation and Vassal Treaties: Literary Genre, Structure, and Function. in their Gorgias Dissertations Biblical Studies series 41, 2014. This is considerably less expensive than the hard cover. ISBN-10: 1463203780; ISBN-13: 978-1463203788

The second volume came out in 2013 and is self-published under the title of The Key Themes of the Old Testament: A Survey of Major Theological Themes. 2013 available on CreateSpace eStore, Amazon.com and Barnes and Nobles. Surveys 12 Old Testament themes written for the undergraduate audience from a themes perspective. The themes include history of the English Bible, biblical revelation, inspiration, transmission of the text, creation context, sovereignty of God, sin and the human condition, protoevangelium, covenant, biblical law, Israelite worship, and prophets. ISBN-13: 978-1478122692; ISBN-10: 1478122692.

The third book is The Key Themes of the New Testament 2014. It is now available at Createspace eStore, Amazon. com and Barnes and Nobles. Themes covered include the kinds of biblical literature, birth and early years of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and the founding, development, formation and future of the Church. At over 440 pages and over 100 photos, maps and charts this book will complete the Biblical Themes series. ISBN-10: 1490922741; ISBN-13: 978-1490922744.

The fourth volume is the Key Facts for the Location of Sodom Student Edition: Navigating the Maze of Arguments. 2014. ISBN-13: 978-1499660241 ISBN-10: 1499660243. It is available at Liberty Bookstore,CreateSpace eStore,and Amazon.com. Have you ever wondered where Sodom was located? The Bible describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 in terms of fire and brimstone falling from heaven. But what actually happened to these cities? Where are they today? Did they survive the cataclysmic destruction? Two archaeological sites have recently been identified as Sodom, but which is the best candidate for the location of Sodom: Tall el-Hammâm, at the northern end of the Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley, or Bâb edh-Dhrâ, at the southern end of the Dead Sea in the Ghor? Trying to navigate the maze of arguments can be a daunting task.

Graves provides a useful tool for students and other researchers in their quest for the location of this illusive biblical city. This work provides sixty-two helpful facts grouped together in methodological, hermeneutical, geographical, chronological, archaeological, cataclysmal, and geological chapters, which set the stage for further research and consideration.

The advantage of such a book is that it provides a collective source of material for students that would otherwise take a long time to assemble or otherwise be inaccessible. Numerous detailed maps, charts, tables, and photographs are included which will help facilitate understanding of the unfamiliar terrain of the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley. A glossary defines technical terms, and extensive footnotes, a bibliography, and reference to a large index of subjects and authors provides an invaluable resource to students for future study.

I am currently writing my fifth volume titled Biblical Archaeology: Introduction and recent discoveries that Support the Reliability of the Biblical Text. ISBN-10: 1502467070; ISBN-13: 978-1502467072. The cover is currently being designed.

↧

Aerial view of the Roman Area Building

March 10, 2014, 2:31 pm

≫ Next: Start of Season 9 of Tall el-Hammam Excavation

≪ Previous: Books by David E. Graves

My apologies for not posting updates from the Tall el-Hammam excavation this season, but I was unable to access my blog from Jordan as it was blocked for security reasons outside of my usual location. I am now back in Portugal and can now access my bog and will attempt, in the next few days, to bring you up to date on the various discoveries of this years excavation of the Roman Bath Complex.

These photos are aerial shots of the Roman area (2010) that we are excavating. The south wall of the Bath complex is visible along with the black covered (for protection) bath installation in the center of the photograph. The building is 35 meters by 40 meters. I have highlighted the photo to the right to help identify the walls as they are under trees but we have identified all four corners of the building. We excavated two squares highlighted in yellow this season (2014). The excavation revealed another room with plastered walls and a reddish stone cut floor. There will be more photos to follow of our progress this season and what we discovered.

Here is a larger map that may help locate us in Jordan. LINK

↧

Start of Season 9 of Tall el-Hammam Excavation

March 11, 2014, 9:04 am

≫ Next: Jar of the Day Feb 10, 2014

≪ Previous: Aerial view of the Roman Area Building

This is the two squares after we cleaned off the top layer of dirt and debris.

The picture to the right is how it looked after one month of excavations. The team removed a room full of dirt however the crew in the corner room were slowed down by the amount of pottery we discovered (See the following posts for pictures of the wonderful pottery that would be there waiting for us to uncover).

↧

Jar of the Day Feb 10, 2014

March 11, 2014, 9:44 am

≫ Next: Jar of the Day Feb 11, 2014

≪ Previous: Start of Season 9 of Tall el-Hammam Excavation

One of two handles with the rim attached that we excavated Feb 10th in the corner of the square (16B1) from the Roman Bath complex building. We found several pieces in the same area so we bagged them for possible mendable.

I'm holding the jar of the day admiring its size and shape. Tall el-Hammam is visible in the background over the top of the jar.

Once we washed up the pieces we found that much of the top of the jar was mendable. It really helps to see the stance of the jar once the pieces are put together.

A few days later I was visiting the new St. Lot Museum at the southern end of the Dead Sea and spotted this same style vessel. It is a similar Byzantine transport amphora jar that dates to the 6th century AD. Such pots were used to store honey, a product of monasteries. Amihai Mazar, an Israeli archaeologist and Professor at the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, also had just lectured for us on his discovery of the 30 unusual ancient Beehives at the ancient city of Rehov. It was interesting to see a reference to honey from the land of Milk and Honey.

↧

Jar of the Day Feb 11, 2014

March 11, 2014, 11:56 am

≫ Next: Vessel of the Day Feb 18, 2014

≪ Previous: Jar of the Day Feb 10, 2014

On Feb 11 this was the vessel of the day. It is a Roman Terracotta Trefoil Spouted Wine Pitcher, 3rd cent. AD.

This is it after it was cleaned up. You can see where the handle attaches. Unfortunately we did not recover the handle.

This is another similar jar which we also found. this one has part of the handle still attached to the rim and the trefoil spout is in good condition. There is a picture of the full jar at this LINK. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the jar. It is the last piece of pottery displayed.

↧

Vessel of the Day Feb 18, 2014

March 11, 2014, 12:08 pm

≫ Next: Find of the Day Feb 24, 2014

≪ Previous: Jar of the Day Feb 11, 2014

A complete Byzantine oil lamp with a Maltese cross. Pear shaped with nozzle as part of the body with double rim. Even lines around the body with the cross on the nozzle. It has a ring base. It is very rare to find these in one piece. Several small pieces of other similar oil lamps were discovered.

Dates to the second half of the 4 cent. to the 5th century AD. Noam Adler, Oil Lamps of the Holy Land from the Adler Collection (Jerusalem: Old City, 2005),147. style No. 907.

Two years ago (Feb 2012) we discovered a part of an oil lamp with a Greek inscription from a bit later period (end of the 5th to the 7th or 8th century AD). It reads "Jesus light shines for all."
[WCXPФENXACINФ]. LINK

↧

Find of the Day Feb 24, 2014

March 11, 2014, 1:12 pm

≫ Next: Jars of the Day - Jars of the Season

≪ Previous: Vessel of the Day Feb 18, 2014

Here is the room all cleaned out. Irina and her team removed every gouffa of dirt from the room and swept the floor. The floor was a beautiful red tinted color. The walls are plastered with a mixture of terracotta pottery crushed and mixed into the compound. There were vents in the wall above the floor to allow for water to escape.

You can see a doorway in the upper right hand side with a raised threshold so we know that there was another floor laid on top (perhaps a mosaic floor since we did discover some tessera). The door frame was installed during the Byzantine period as there was plaster between the door frame and the wall.

Here in the corner of the floor (upper right hand corner) is where we found a Byzantine oil lamp. (It was found turned over). We keep saying the good stuff is in the corners and here is a good example.

Here is the close up of oil lamp which was found in the corner of the room. Adler states "common motif is a candlestick, which is sometimes referred to as a palm branch or a Menorah design." Noam Adler, Oil Lamps of the Holy Land from the Adler Collection (Jerusalem: Old City, 2005), 146 Nos. 933-940. Stylized menorah on spout: six candles flanking central pole, the spout of the lamp acts as the 7th candle when lit! It dates to the second half of the fourth cent. to the fifth cent. AD. Some of these style also have the Greek inscription "Jesus light shines for all" which we have on our site. LINKThis example may have two of the Greek letters on the side but it is not clear whether it was a decoration or the Greek Letters.

↧

Jars of the Day - Jars of the Season

March 11, 2014, 1:57 pm

≫ Next: Jar of the Day Feb 13, 2014

≪ Previous: Find of the Day Feb 24, 2014

The day ended with this pottery hoard. Tucked in under a tree and into the baulk there were three visible jars which we had to remove before we left or they would not be there in the morning (night diggers). They appeared to be whole vessels. We were hoping.

Here my wife (Irina) is holding one of the complete jars, a beautiful spouted wine jug. Five other vessels are in the black gouffa's. First there was one, then two, and by the time we were finished we had excavated six whole vessels. A couple were broken but we had most of the parts to mend them.

Byzantine strainer jug.This double handled vessel was beautifully painted with red paint. The neck contained a five hole strainer.

Roman terracotta wine jug ca.1st-2nd century AD. Sometimes the handle is on the side but here it is in the back.

Roman terracotta wine jug ca.1st-2nd century AD. This one is similar to the one above but the handle was missing and made of a lighter clay.

Roman terracotta wine jug ca.1st-2nd century AD. This is the third of this type found together in the same area.

Byzantine double handled ribbed vessel. The jar was laying together but broken so it was easily mended.

Byzantine single handled ribbed pitcher.

↧

Jar of the Day Feb 13, 2014

March 11, 2014, 2:32 pm

≫ Next: Pottery Puzzle

≪ Previous: Jars of the Day - Jars of the Season

A large commercial "bag-shaped" Roman storage jar common in Palestine and Dead Sea area.
Jodi Magness states:

"This type [bag-shaped storage jars] dates to the second half of the first century and first half of the second century and is well represented at sites around the Dead Sea and in the Bar Kokhba caves." Jodi Magness, “The Pottery from the 1995 Excavations in Camp F Masada.” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 353 (2009): 79.

We were able to find enough pieces to complete part of the shoulder and rim. We were unable to make the handle fit and we did have another complete rim of a similar jar. It might belong to the the other jar.

Magness goes on to describe our style of jar:

"A different type of locally produced, bag-shaped storage jar dating to the first century and first half of the second century is represented by a small number of specimens (figs. 4:2-3; 8:6). These jars are made of hard-fired, orange or orange-brown ware, some times with a light brown or light orange slip. They have an everted neck with a thickened, ledge-like rim and a ridge at the base of the neck. These are often referred to as "bell-shaped jars," identified as Type SJ5 at Ein Boqeq (where it is the second most common storage jar type), Group 13 at Machaerus (see Fischer and Tal 2000: 36-37; Loffreda 1996: 47), and Type M-SJ13 at Masada (Bar-Nathan 2006: 62-65)." Jodi Magness, “The Pottery from the 1995 Excavations in Camp F Masada.” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 353 (2009): 79.

During a visit to the New Archaeological museum in Amman I spotted this vessel (right) which is a similar style.

However, the label over the two jars at the Amman Museum stated they are Byzantine period (5th-6th century AD) jars. The Jordanian Museum may have mislabeled these jars as Byzantine when in fact they are from the Roman period although the form may have carried over into the Byzantine period.

↧

Pottery Puzzle

March 11, 2014, 2:46 pm

≫ Next: Arabic Umyyad Inscriptions Found

≪ Previous: Jar of the Day Feb 13, 2014

This is the display of just 2 weeks of excavation. We would average about 10 buckets of pottery a day. Once the pottery was washed by our pottery washing team we would separate the body shards from the diagnostic pieces (handles, bases and rims). You will notice that on the table nearest you are the various handles many of them with the rim still intact. We separated the diagnostics and shards to see if we could find some mendable pieces (my wife is holding one of them). We did manage to put many pieces together like a giant jig saw puzzle. From this selection we choose the publishable which are registered and later published in the official pottery book on Roman and Byzantine pottery. The pottery from the Bronze and Iron age are read separately pail by pail. It took the team an entire day to read the pottery from the rest of the dig. The Roman building we are excavating was backfilled by local farmers over the years so the pottery was mixed and therefore there was no logical stratification in our area. The Roman pottery was on the top of the Byzantine and Umyyad. To read the balk in our area one would have to stand on their head. Glen (at the end of the table in the photo) has a patch over his eye because of an eye problem he acquired while in Jordan, not from looking at all the pottery. :-)

↧

Arabic Umyyad Inscriptions Found

March 12, 2014, 2:22 am

≫ Next: Potters Marks Found

≪ Previous: Pottery Puzzle

This appears to be a part of a bowl. It has an Arabic inscription on the side which readsبسم الله‎, It translates as "By the name of Allah." This is part of the phrase recited before each sura (chapter) of the Qur'an. The Jordanian staff were able to read it even though the vowel pointings of the old script were not used. Several independent staff were shown the inscription and all read the same thing.

Terry one of our workers was clarifying the wall (I have my foot on it) when I walked over to see how he was doing. I looked down and said "Terry do you know that you have an inscription on the wall?" He said "No I've been working so close to it that I didn't see it." There was a large stone covering part of it and there was some controversy over what it said. Therefore we decided to take out more of the soil to see what the inscription would reveal.

Here is the final inscription. Like the oil lamp, the stone to the right stated: "By the name of Allah." The stone to the left translates as "By his prophet Mohammed." This would date to the Umyyad period (638-750 AD) as the building and city of Livias were destroyed in the earthquake of 749 AD (see evidence for the date below) that took out many of the cities in the Jordan Valley including Khirbet Mefjer near Jericho, Pella, Capernaum, Sussita-Hippos, and Bet Shean-Scythopolis.

Tsafrir and Foerster document that in:

Bet Shean much evidence was found of the tremendous earthquake that destroyed the city. One of the best examples is an arcaded commercial street of the Byzantine and early Arab period, which collapsed completely. Underneath the debris of the shops many artifacts were discovered that confirm the dating of the collapse to the mid eighth century, among them pottery, glass and metal vessels, as well as balances, jewellery and coins. Not one of the coins found dates from later than the first half of the eighth century. Most significant is a hoard discovered in one of the shops which included, among other finds, 31 gold dinars. The earliest coin in this hoard is dated A.H. 78 (March 697-March 698 C.E.) and the latest was minted in A.H. 131 (31 August 748-19 August 749). This coin is the latest in date of those found hitherto under the ruins of the earthquake by the excavation. Its discovery supplies a clear terminus post quem for the earthquake no earlier than the end of August 748. Clearly this coin, which has survived in mint condition, had found its way into the hands of the trader a very short time before it was buried by the earthquake of 18 January in the year 749.

Tsafrir, Yoram, and Gideon Foerster. “The Dating of the ‘Earthquake of the Sabbatical Year’ of 749 C. E. in Palestine.” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 55, no. 2 (1992): 231–235.

The conquest of the Byzantine empire took place at the Battle of Yarmouk between the Muslim Arab forces of the Rashidun Caliphate just north of us near the Yarmouk River in August 636. The Muslim presence at Livias was only 113 years but in that time they cut this inscription into the inside wall of the building designating their ownership of the bath complex.

↧

Potters Marks Found

March 13, 2014, 2:13 am

≫ Next: Liberty University Sodom Papers

≪ Previous: Arabic Umyyad Inscriptions Found

Here is an example of a potters mark on a piece of Terra Sigillata fine or red Ancient Roman pottery with glossy surface slips. This pottery from the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire were called African Red Slip wares or Eastern Sigillata. As yet I have been unable to identify the potters mark. There are 300,000 potters marks identified in Terra Sigillata in Hartley, Brian R., Brenda M. Dickinson, and Geoffrey B. Dannell, eds. Names on Terra Sigillata: An Index of Makers’ Stamps & Signatures on Gallo-Roman Terra Sigillata (Samian Ware). 9 vols. London, U.K.: Institute of Classical Studies, 2008. Iliffe, John Henry. Sigillata Wares In the Near East: A List of Potters’ Stamps. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1936. If anyone has access to these volumnes at their library I'd be grateful if you find something.

↧