1139-1140 The Temple Mount Sifting Project

On our 25th Anniversary Holyland Study Tour earlier this year we did something that we haven't done on our earlier tours, we actually did some archaeology. On our free day in Jerusalem, ten of us made our way to the Emek Tzurim Park on Mt. Scopus to participate in the sifting of the dirt that was removed from the Temple Mount in 1999.

Before we started sifting the dirt we were briefed on the history of the Temple Mount and the background of the sifting project by a member of the project crew.

These two programs come from the informational briefing that preceded our hands-on sifting. What did we find? Well, nothing that will revolutionize archaeology: a couple of coins, some Roman glass, a few rusty nails, some mosaic tesserae, and of course. But we did have a unique, hands-on experience and joined in the camaraderie with other volunteers who have participated in the same project.

Tour Note: The website with reports of our 2008 Book & the Spade Tour, written by tour members, is finally online.

1138 - The Dead Sea Scrolls at 60

A conference was held in Jerusalem earlier this summer, marking the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The occasion gives us the opportunity to review the status of Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship, and explain once again why the Dead Sea Scrolls are one of the most important discoveries in Biblical Archaeology.

With impeccable timing, the Israel Antiquities Authority has just posted a 7-minute video with the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

1137 - Gedaliah, son of Pashur

More and more names mentioned in the book of Jeremiah are being found in seal impressions recovered from the oldest area of Jerusalem. Archaeologist Eilat Mazar reports the discovery of a bulla bearing the name of Gedaliah, son of Pashur, who is mentioned in Jeremiah 38:1 in excavations in the city of David area. Also on this week's program, we review archaeology in relation to the seven cities of the book of Revelation.

1136 - The Sanhedrin and the Priests

On this week's program we review news reports relating to the revival of the Sanhedrin and the Jewish priesthood. The discussion includes a mention of the Temple Institute, which is working towards the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

1135 - The "Gabriel's Vision" inscription

A rare 2,000-year old inscription, written in ink on stone, is starting to generate some interest among Bible scholars, especially after one of them said "it will change our concept of Christianity." It's been called the "Gabriel's Vision" inscription, and it's also been called a Dead Scroll in stone. It dates to the same era and has many stylistic similarities to the Dead Sea Scrolls. To asses its significance, I talked with two of the top New Testament scholars, Darrell Bock of Dallas Theological Seminary and Ben Witherington of Asbury Theological Seminary.