Studies of Biblical Interest
@biblicaljournal.bsky.social
Studies of Biblical Interest (SBI) publishes a journal by scholars and students who are interested in espousing their new and original ideas about the Bible.
Learn more: https://www.biblicaljournal.org/
Learn more: https://www.biblicaljournal.org/
Pinned
Studies of Biblical Interest is officially in print! Our first issue marks a milestone in fact-based biblical studies. Copies are on their way to our authors and selected libraries. Thanks to all who made this possible—here’s to more insights ahead. #BiblicalStudies #Academia
A survey of 1,048 ancient Sudanese individuals identified 27 with tattoos. Evidence from Kulubnarti shows early Christian tattooing illuminating embodied faith in the Nile Valley and inviting comparison with biblical debates over marks.
#BiblicalStudies #Archaeology #Sudan
#BiblicalStudies #Archaeology #Sudan
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly…
www.pnas.org
February 12, 2026 at 9:24 AM
A survey of 1,048 ancient Sudanese individuals identified 27 with tattoos. Evidence from Kulubnarti shows early Christian tattooing illuminating embodied faith in the Nile Valley and inviting comparison with biblical debates over marks.
#BiblicalStudies #Archaeology #Sudan
#BiblicalStudies #Archaeology #Sudan
Sudan has recovered hundreds of artefacts looted during the civil war, though the National Museum’s “gold room” remains missing. Warfare and exile threaten cultural memory, underscoring archaeology’s role in safeguarding history.
#CulturalHeritage #Sudan #Archaeology
#CulturalHeritage #Sudan #Archaeology
TRT World - Sudan recovers hundreds of artefacts looted during war, 'gold room' still missing
The museum’s most valuable collection, the “gold room”, is still missing, including ancient jewellery and 24-carat gold pieces, some nearly 8,000 years old.
www.trtworld.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Sudan has recovered hundreds of artefacts looted during the civil war, though the National Museum’s “gold room” remains missing. Warfare and exile threaten cultural memory, underscoring archaeology’s role in safeguarding history.
#CulturalHeritage #Sudan #Archaeology
#CulturalHeritage #Sudan #Archaeology
Two cylinders of Nebuchadnezzar II from Kish record his restoration of a ziggurat. The same king dominates the Bible, showing how royal building ideology and legitimation in Mesopotamia framed the world behind the texts.
#BiblicalStudies #AncientNearEast #Nebuchadnezzar
#BiblicalStudies #AncientNearEast #Nebuchadnezzar
TWO INSCRIBED CYLINDERS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR II FROM THE ZIGGURAT OF KISH | IRAQ | Cambridge Core
TWO INSCRIBED CYLINDERS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR II FROM THE ZIGGURAT OF KISH
www.cambridge.org
February 11, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Two cylinders of Nebuchadnezzar II from Kish record his restoration of a ziggurat. The same king dominates the Bible, showing how royal building ideology and legitimation in Mesopotamia framed the world behind the texts.
#BiblicalStudies #AncientNearEast #Nebuchadnezzar
#BiblicalStudies #AncientNearEast #Nebuchadnezzar
Go behind the scenes with Friends of ASOR in Philadelphia, April 16–17 🏛️✨ Exclusive access to the Penn Museum, Barnes Foundation, and Philadelphia Museum of Art.
#ASOR #Archaeology #AncientNearEast
#ASOR #Archaeology #AncientNearEast
Friends of ASOR Tours: Philadelphia 2026
This tour takes place between April 16-17, 2026 with visits to and guided tours of museums in Philadelphia.
www.asor.org
February 10, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Go behind the scenes with Friends of ASOR in Philadelphia, April 16–17 🏛️✨ Exclusive access to the Penn Museum, Barnes Foundation, and Philadelphia Museum of Art.
#ASOR #Archaeology #AncientNearEast
#ASOR #Archaeology #AncientNearEast
Mudbrick architecture shaped daily life across the biblical world. More than building material, mudbrick encodes labour and social meaning behind homes, temples, and cities of the Bible.
#BiblicalWorld #AncientNearEast #Archaeology
#BiblicalWorld #AncientNearEast #Archaeology
Mudbrick Architecture: Social Meaning and Functionality - The Ancient Near East Today
Since the Neolithic, mudbrick architecture has been one of the most widespread building traditions across the world. But a mudbrick is more than a structural unit: it is also a repository of…
anetoday.org
February 10, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Mudbrick architecture shaped daily life across the biblical world. More than building material, mudbrick encodes labour and social meaning behind homes, temples, and cities of the Bible.
#BiblicalWorld #AncientNearEast #Archaeology
#BiblicalWorld #AncientNearEast #Archaeology
Chalcolithic ceramic “cornets” from Teleilat Ghassul may have held burning substances, linking light, ritual, and holiness in the southern Levant long before the Bible.
#BiblicalWorld #Levant #Chalcolithic
www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancien...
#BiblicalWorld #Levant #Chalcolithic
www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancien...
Israel’s Long History of Ritual Light
Recent research on Chalcolithic cornets reveals their role as ritual lamps, shedding light on ancient ceremonial practices that predate the Bible.
www.biblicalarchaeology.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Chalcolithic ceramic “cornets” from Teleilat Ghassul may have held burning substances, linking light, ritual, and holiness in the southern Levant long before the Bible.
#BiblicalWorld #Levant #Chalcolithic
www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancien...
#BiblicalWorld #Levant #Chalcolithic
www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancien...
New research argues a relief from Sennacherib’s palace at Nineveh once depicted Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and King Hezekiah, offering rare Assyrian visual testimony to events described in 2 Kings, Isaiah, and Chronicles.
#Assyria #Sennacherib #KingHezekiah
#Assyria #Sennacherib #KingHezekiah
Smashed by ISIS, a 2,700-year-old carving may have been the earliest-known depiction of Jerusalem
New research suggests a long-overlooked bas-relief in King Sennacherib’s palace in modern-day Mosul, Iraq, destroyed with other priceless artifacts, showed the Temple Mount and Bible's King Hezekiah
www.timesofisrael.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:24 AM
New research argues a relief from Sennacherib’s palace at Nineveh once depicted Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and King Hezekiah, offering rare Assyrian visual testimony to events described in 2 Kings, Isaiah, and Chronicles.
#Assyria #Sennacherib #KingHezekiah
#Assyria #Sennacherib #KingHezekiah
Excavations at Tapeh Tyalineh have uncovered over 7,000 seal impressions and related administrative tools from c. 3000 BCE. The finds illuminate early bureaucratic systems behind economies later echoed in Mesopotamian and biblical worlds.
#AncientNearEast #Archaeology
#AncientNearEast #Archaeology
The late prehistoric administrative artefacts from Tapeh Tyalineh, Kermanshah, western Iran | Antiquity | Cambridge Core
The late prehistoric administrative artefacts from Tapeh Tyalineh, Kermanshah, western Iran
www.cambridge.org
February 7, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Excavations at Tapeh Tyalineh have uncovered over 7,000 seal impressions and related administrative tools from c. 3000 BCE. The finds illuminate early bureaucratic systems behind economies later echoed in Mesopotamian and biblical worlds.
#AncientNearEast #Archaeology
#AncientNearEast #Archaeology
The Nimrud Letters offer a window into imperial policy, warfare, deportations, and administration under Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II. They show the Assyrian world behind biblical accounts of Israel and Judah.
#Assyriology #AncientNearEast #BiblicalHistory
#Assyriology #AncientNearEast #BiblicalHistory
The Nimrud Letters
Discover the Nimrud Letters—Assyrian royal archives from Kalhu—revealing eighth-century BCE imperial politics, administration, and insights into Israel and Judah.
www.biblicalarchaeology.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:30 PM
The Nimrud Letters offer a window into imperial policy, warfare, deportations, and administration under Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II. They show the Assyrian world behind biblical accounts of Israel and Judah.
#Assyriology #AncientNearEast #BiblicalHistory
#Assyriology #AncientNearEast #BiblicalHistory
Archaeologists in northern Turkey report the discovery of the long-lost Temple of Kubaba, a major Iron Age cult center.
#Archaeology
#Archaeology
Lost Temple of Hittite Goddess Kubaba Discovered in Turkey Sheds Light on Ancient Anatolian Worship - GreekReporter.com
Archaeologists uncover a 2,600-year-old Kubaba Temple at Oluz Mound in Turkey, revealing rare evidence of Iron Age rituals.
greekreporter.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Archaeologists in northern Turkey report the discovery of the long-lost Temple of Kubaba, a major Iron Age cult center.
#Archaeology
#Archaeology
A 3,800 yo tablet from Ur records a complaint against a copper merchant named Ea-Nasir. Beyond its meme fame, the text offers rare insight into Bronze Age trade, ethics, and dispute resolution in Mesopotamia.
#AncientNearEast #Mesopotamia #Cuneiform
#AncientNearEast #Mesopotamia #Cuneiform
Why a Bronze Age trade complaint still resonates in internet age - Türkiye Today
A Bronze Age complaint tablet transformed Ea-Nasir from an obscure copper trader into a global internet meme and a bridge between archaeology and pop culture
www.turkiyetoday.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:30 PM
A 3,800 yo tablet from Ur records a complaint against a copper merchant named Ea-Nasir. Beyond its meme fame, the text offers rare insight into Bronze Age trade, ethics, and dispute resolution in Mesopotamia.
#AncientNearEast #Mesopotamia #Cuneiform
#AncientNearEast #Mesopotamia #Cuneiform
Mesopotamian medical texts sometimes prescribed visits to temples as part of therapy. New evidence suggests this ritual act helped navigate inauspicious days or secure favorable omens.
#AncientMedicine
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
#AncientMedicine
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
PATIENTS SEEKING OUT SANCTUARIES OF DEITIES IN MEDICAL PRESCRIPTIONS | IRAQ | Cambridge Core
PATIENTS SEEKING OUT SANCTUARIES OF DEITIES IN MEDICAL PRESCRIPTIONS
www.cambridge.org
February 5, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Mesopotamian medical texts sometimes prescribed visits to temples as part of therapy. New evidence suggests this ritual act helped navigate inauspicious days or secure favorable omens.
#AncientMedicine
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
#AncientMedicine
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Long before modern politics, ancient Mesopotamian societies recognized gender-diverse people in formal, respected roles. Texts from 3rd-millennium BCE Mesopotamia name assinnu serving Ištar and ša rēši at royal courts.
#AncientNearEast #BiblicalWorld
#AncientNearEast #BiblicalWorld
Gender ambiguity was a tool of power 4,500 years ago in Mesopotamia
Gender-ambiguous people in ancient Mesopotamia were powerful and important members of society more than four millennia ago.
www.livescience.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Long before modern politics, ancient Mesopotamian societies recognized gender-diverse people in formal, respected roles. Texts from 3rd-millennium BCE Mesopotamia name assinnu serving Ištar and ša rēši at royal courts.
#AncientNearEast #BiblicalWorld
#AncientNearEast #BiblicalWorld
Underwater archaeologists in Alexandria have uncovered a 1st-century thalamagos, a luxury barge used by Ptolemaic elites and in cultic processions near the temple of Isis. Such vessels illuminate the royal and religious world of late Hellenistic Egypt.
#Archaeology
#Archaeology
Divers off the coast of Egypt find an amazing 2,000-year-old “floating palace” in the ancient harbor of Alexandria
Underwater archaeologists have stumbled across the remains of a pleasure barge dating from the first half of the 1st century AD in the harbor of Alexandria.
en.as.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Underwater archaeologists in Alexandria have uncovered a 1st-century thalamagos, a luxury barge used by Ptolemaic elites and in cultic processions near the temple of Isis. Such vessels illuminate the royal and religious world of late Hellenistic Egypt.
#Archaeology
#Archaeology
Archaeologists at Karnak have uncovered a sacred lake at the Montu Temple in Luxor, highlighting ritual water use in ancient Egypt. Sacred lakes illuminate the cultic world behind biblical references to temple purity, priests, and holy space.
#AncientEgypt
#AncientEgypt
Egyptian-Chinese archaeologists uncover ancient "sacred lake" in S. Egypt
Egyptian-Chinese archaeologists uncover ancient "sacred lake" in S. Egypt-
english.news.cn
February 3, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Archaeologists at Karnak have uncovered a sacred lake at the Montu Temple in Luxor, highlighting ritual water use in ancient Egypt. Sacred lakes illuminate the cultic world behind biblical references to temple purity, priests, and holy space.
#AncientEgypt
#AncientEgypt
A massive stone fortress has re-emerged from the sands of North Sinai, reshaping views of how Egypt guarded its northeastern frontier—an area tied to the “Way of Horus” and Egypt–Levant borderlands.
#BiblicalWorld #ExodusStudies #AncientEgypt #Levant #Archaeology
#BiblicalWorld #ExodusStudies #AncientEgypt #Levant #Archaeology
Massive Egyptian fortress rediscovered after 3,000 years under the sand
A massive Ancient Egyptian fortress emerges in the Sinai and redefines how the empire's eastern border was defended.
www.earth.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:24 AM
A massive stone fortress has re-emerged from the sands of North Sinai, reshaping views of how Egypt guarded its northeastern frontier—an area tied to the “Way of Horus” and Egypt–Levant borderlands.
#BiblicalWorld #ExodusStudies #AncientEgypt #Levant #Archaeology
#BiblicalWorld #ExodusStudies #AncientEgypt #Levant #Archaeology
Sudan’s civil war has devastated museums, with thousands of artifacts looted and trafficked. The losses threaten material culture from ancient Nubia and Kush, key contexts for the biblical world’s southern neighbors.
#BiblicalWorld #AncientNearEast #Nubia #Kush
#BiblicalWorld #AncientNearEast #Nubia #Kush
Race to save Sudan's plundered heritage as museums fall victim to war
In almost three years of civil war in Sudan, the country's museums have been ravaged, with thousands of its archaeological treasures looted and feared trafficked. Researchers in Sudan and beyond are…
www.rfi.fr
February 2, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Sudan’s civil war has devastated museums, with thousands of artifacts looted and trafficked. The losses threaten material culture from ancient Nubia and Kush, key contexts for the biblical world’s southern neighbors.
#BiblicalWorld #AncientNearEast #Nubia #Kush
#BiblicalWorld #AncientNearEast #Nubia #Kush
The Egypt Exploration Society has secured £2.03m to protect and open its world-class archives, including the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vital for studying early Judaism and Christianity in Roman Egypt and the textual world behind the Bible.
#BiblicalStudies #Papyrology
#BiblicalStudies #Papyrology
‘Building the Future’ campaign awarded £2.03 million grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The transformational support will help create an accessible and sustainable future for the EES and its collections
www.ees.ac.uk
February 2, 2026 at 9:24 AM
The Egypt Exploration Society has secured £2.03m to protect and open its world-class archives, including the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vital for studying early Judaism and Christianity in Roman Egypt and the textual world behind the Bible.
#BiblicalStudies #Papyrology
#BiblicalStudies #Papyrology
Medieval frescoes in rural Piedmont churches are being reopened via a simple phone app, unlocking spaces of prayer and art long kept closed.
#BiblicalArt #MedievalChristianity #SacredSpace
#BiblicalArt #MedievalChristianity #SacredSpace
‘When the church door opens, it’s like a miracle’: the phone app that’s a key to Italy’s religious art
A cultural initiative in Piedmont is unlocking a trove of priceless medieval frescoes in rural churches
www.theguardian.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Medieval frescoes in rural Piedmont churches are being reopened via a simple phone app, unlocking spaces of prayer and art long kept closed.
#BiblicalArt #MedievalChristianity #SacredSpace
#BiblicalArt #MedievalChristianity #SacredSpace
Archaeologist Flint Dibble challenged Graham Hancock on Joe Rogan, stressing that claims of a lost advanced civilization lack archaeological evidence. The exchange highlights how method, data, and peer review shape credible history.
#Archaeology #AncientHistory
#Archaeology #AncientHistory
Flint Dibble is on a mission to debunk ancient civilisation myths
Flint Dibble's high-profile debate with Graham Hancock on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast has opened up the debate around the dangers of pseudoarchaeology
www.newscientist.com
January 20, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Archaeologist Flint Dibble challenged Graham Hancock on Joe Rogan, stressing that claims of a lost advanced civilization lack archaeological evidence. The exchange highlights how method, data, and peer review shape credible history.
#Archaeology #AncientHistory
#Archaeology #AncientHistory
Lab’ayu emerges in the Amarna Letters as a disruptive Late Bronze Age ruler, leveraging ʿApiru alliances and trade routes to challenge Egypt’s vassal order. His highland power politics anticipate patterns later echoed in biblical figures like Abimelech and Saul.
#AmarnaLetters
#AmarnaLetters
Lab'ayu of Shechem: Amarna Era Supervillain
Lab’ayu of Shechem was one of the most dynamic and disruptive figures in the Amarna Letters and Late Bronze Age Canaan. Drawing directly from the texts, we reconstruct Lab’ayu’s political strategy,…
www.youtube.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Lab’ayu emerges in the Amarna Letters as a disruptive Late Bronze Age ruler, leveraging ʿApiru alliances and trade routes to challenge Egypt’s vassal order. His highland power politics anticipate patterns later echoed in biblical figures like Abimelech and Saul.
#AmarnaLetters
#AmarnaLetters
Did Moses receive the Ten Commandments at Sinai, or do the texts tell a more complex story? Comparing Exodus and Deuteronomy reveals tensions in law, theology, and morality, and how ancient Israelites understood divine authority and ethical obligation.
#BiblicalStudies
#BiblicalStudies
The Ten Commandments | The Ancients
A podcast for all ancient history fans! The Ancients is dedicated to discussing our distant past. Featuring interviews with historians and archaeologists, each episode covers a specific theme from…
shows.acast.com
January 19, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Did Moses receive the Ten Commandments at Sinai, or do the texts tell a more complex story? Comparing Exodus and Deuteronomy reveals tensions in law, theology, and morality, and how ancient Israelites understood divine authority and ethical obligation.
#BiblicalStudies
#BiblicalStudies
Why do archaeologists leave sites unexcavated? Because excavation destroys as it reveals. Preserving layers in the ground protects evidence for future study, including sites tied to the biblical world and ancient Israel.
#Archaeology #BiblicalStudies
#Archaeology #BiblicalStudies
Why Archaeologists Don’t Dig Everything
Why don’t archaeologists excavate entire sites? Sometimes, leaving things in the ground is the best way to protect the past and understand what we have.
📖 Reading Recommendation:
The Five-Minute…
www.youtube.com
January 18, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Why do archaeologists leave sites unexcavated? Because excavation destroys as it reveals. Preserving layers in the ground protects evidence for future study, including sites tied to the biblical world and ancient Israel.
#Archaeology #BiblicalStudies
#Archaeology #BiblicalStudies
Pope Leo XIV calls archaeology essential for today. In a 2025 letter, he argues archaeology grounds religion in real bodies, places, and memories, offering hope and credibility in a wounded world.
#BiblicalStudies #ChurchHistory #FaithAndHistory
#BiblicalStudies #ChurchHistory #FaithAndHistory
Why the Vatican is reinvesting in Christian archaeology
Archaeology, the Pope suggests, offers the Church a way to speak credibly to a wounded humanity by grounding faith in history rather than abstraction.
aleteia.org
January 18, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Pope Leo XIV calls archaeology essential for today. In a 2025 letter, he argues archaeology grounds religion in real bodies, places, and memories, offering hope and credibility in a wounded world.
#BiblicalStudies #ChurchHistory #FaithAndHistory
#BiblicalStudies #ChurchHistory #FaithAndHistory
Archaeologists uncover a massive sun temple at Abusir, built by King Nyuserre in the 25th century BCE. Covering 10,000+ sq. ft., it’s only the second sun temple ever found and reshapes our understanding of Egyptian solar worship. 🌞🏛️
#Abusir
www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancien...
#Abusir
www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancien...
Temple of the Sun Discovered at Abusir
Archaeologists working at the site of Abusir have uncovered an extensive temple complex dedicated to the solar deity.
www.biblicalarchaeology.org
January 17, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Archaeologists uncover a massive sun temple at Abusir, built by King Nyuserre in the 25th century BCE. Covering 10,000+ sq. ft., it’s only the second sun temple ever found and reshapes our understanding of Egyptian solar worship. 🌞🏛️
#Abusir
www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancien...
#Abusir
www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancien...