Special Collections Hand-selected by the Biblical Archaeology Review editors
While the BAS Library is completely searchable by topic, author, title and keyword, we have also put together a number of “Special Collections” that allow you to browse a selection of relevant articles on popular topics in one place. Take this opportunity to access excellent scholarship on specific topics, easily and quickly.
Ancient Art of the Biblical World
Art provides an unparalleled record of purposeful expression in the ancient world. Hellenistic and Roman-era art from the Biblical world shines a spotlight on Judean identity and cultural influences during a formative period in the region’s history. From the fourth century B.C.E., when Alexander the Great conquered Judea, through the Roman occupation in the first century B.C.E. and onward, Jews were exposed to Greco-Roman culture. Much of the population adopted western ways of life to elevate their political and social standing in the eyes of their rulers. Hellenistic and Roman-era art is an expression of the reconciliation of Biblical and Greco-Roman culture. BAS editors have arranged a special collection of articles on ancient art in and of the Biblical world in a BAS Library Special Collection.
The Canonical Gospels
The four canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John narrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Biblical Archaeology Review editors have hand-selected articles from the BAS Library that cast each of the canonical Gospels in a new light. Explore the earliest-known versions and authors of the canonical Gospels in this BAS Library Special Collection.
Victor Hurowitz
Recently deceased, Victor Hurowitz was a professor of Bible, archaeology and ancient Near Eastern studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel, and will be remembered as a scholar who shaped our understanding of religion in the ancient Near East. In commemoration of his illustrious career, BAR editors have put together a collection of his most popular articles from BAR and Bible Review exclusively for BAS Library Members.
Messianic Figures in the Bible
“Christ” is probably the most frequently used—and least understood—word in the Bible. The term “Christ” (Greek christos) is equivalent to “messiah” (Hebrew mashiah), which literally means “anointed.” It was first used for a reigning monarch: David, for example, spoke of King Saul as “Yahweh’s messiah.” Eventually the term came to refer to God’s agent who would liberate the oppressed and introduce a new era, the Reign of God. What does archaeology tell us about ancient Jewish understanding of messianic figures? And how would a “messiah” be received by contemporaneous people?
Ehud Netzer
Herod was the ancient world’s builder par excellence. And it could be said that Herod’s architectural achievements were Ehud Netzer’s obsession.
Galilee
Explore the area where Jesus was raised, where many of the Apostles came from, and where Jesus first began to preach.
The Philistines
The Philistines have a three-millennia-old reputation for being a society of warlike pagans, devoid of aesthetic or intellectual values. What does the archaeological evidence say? BAS editors have arranged a special collection of articles on the Philistines exploring their origins, cities, Biblical ailments and even their status as modern fashion icons.
The Miracles of Jesus
That Jesus was a miracle worker is central to the Christology of the New Testament Gospels and Acts. Biblical scholars and archaeologists working in Israel have explored archaeological sites and historical records to provide context for the Biblical text. How are we to understand the miracles Jesus performs, as related in the New Testament?
Warfare in the Biblical World
Biblical societies grew, flourished and fell within an ancient world torn by warfare and defined by power struggles. What do we know of warfare in the ancient world? BAS editors have arranged a special collection of articles on, military perspectives in the Bible and Biblical world, ancient siege techniques and individual sites whose varied histories highlight the many sides of warfare.
Israel and the Empires of the Near East
Ancient Israel did not develop in isolation in the ancient Near East. Much of Israelite history took place within and alongside the great Mesopotamian empires that left behind an abundant archaeological and textual record. How do Biblical archaeologists approach Assyriology and the history of the broader Near East?
David and Solomon’s Jerusalem
“Among the most controversial issues in both Biblical archaeology and Biblical studies is the nature of Jerusalem in the tenth century B.C.E. Why the tenth century? Because in the Bible that is the time of Israel’s glory, the time of King David and King Solomon, the time of the United Kingdom of Judah and Israel.”
Biblical Archaeology’s Biggest Digs
Megiddo, Hazor, Dan, Gezer, Ashkelon. In many ways, these sites have come to define the field of Biblical archaeology. On the one hand, they are the massive, imposing mounds of stratified remains that give archaeologists material insight into the ancient past. On the other, they are Biblical cities, associated with some of the Bible’s most famous events and figures, from the conquests of Joshua to the building programs of King Solomon.
Dead Sea Scrolls
Everyone has heard of the Scrolls, but what do they actually say?
Ancient Israelite Religion
The Bible makes it clear that the official state religion of Israel was the sole worship of the God Yahweh, centered at the Jerusalem Temple. Archaeological remains, however, demonstrate that popular Israelite religion was in fact quite diverse.
Women in the Bible
Although the Bible is largely a product of the patriarchal, male-dominated societies of ancient Israel and the first-century C.E. Roman world, some of its most fascinating, evocative and inspiring characters are women.
Famous Biblical Archaeologists
BAR readers have long enjoyed learning about the Biblical world’s most important and exciting finds from the actual archaeologists who excavate and study them—legendary archaeologists and Biblical scholars like Yigael Yadin, William F. Albright and William Dever.
The Historical Jesus
Is it possible to identify the first-century man named Jesus behind the many stories and traditions about him that developed over 2,000 years in the Gospels and church teachings?
Easter
Explore Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, his trial, passion, death and burial, and the disciples’ astonishment as they encounter the resurrected Jesus.
The Forgery Trial of the Century
With a verdict soon expected in the six-year-long Jerusalem trial to determine whether or not the James ossuary, the Yehoash tablet and other ancient artifacts were illegally forged, the articles below highlight the various scholarly and scientific arguments that have been made both for and against the authenticity of these remarkable finds.
Egypt, Canaan and Israel
Throughout its long history, the land of ancient Canaan and Israel was often inseparably linked with the customs, traditions and military ambitions of its powerful neighbor to the west, Egypt.
Exodus/Egypt
It’s the most dramatic event in the Hebrew Bible—the flight of the Israelites from Egypt and their miraculous escape across the Red Sea.
Temple Mount
Sacred ground even before Biblical times and bitterly contested at present, the Temple Mount is one of the most fascinating and important places on earth.
Archaeological Digs
Many people have told us that it has been their lifetime dream to work on an excavation. With numerous digs being conducted every year, you can make that dream come true.
Alan D. Crown
A renowned scholar of Samaritan studies, Alan D. Crown’s work made him one of the foremost experts on the Abisha Scroll, a copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch that was supposedly penned by Aaron’s great-grandson Abisha.
Avraham Biran
From Petrie and Albright to the 21st century, this prolific excavator had a profound impact on Israeli archaeology.
David Noel Freedman
The great Bible scholar provides a wealth of insights into the Hebrew Scriptures and the ancient world.
Shroud of Turin
Is the Shroud of Turin the burial cloth of Jesus Christ? Many scientists are convinced that the shroud is a medeival forgery, yet many others have presented evidence supporting the shroud’s authenticity. How can you sort through the news reports, the scientific evidence and the media hype to make your own decision about the authenticity of this famous object?