1178 - Foot-shaped stone structures and the world's longest aqueduct

Some intriguing stories discussed on this program. The first item is a series of discoveries of early Iron Age stone structures in the shape of a foot, which may have something to do with the relationship of the foot to the ownership of land (See Ruth 4:7). At least that's what archaeologist Adam Zertal is suggesting.

The second half of our program focuses on an example of Roman engineering at its finest, a second century aqueduct that stretched for 66 miles, across mountains and valleys, from a marsh in Syria to some of the cities of the decapolis in what is today the nation of Jordan.

1177 - Matt Waters on Cyrus the Great

A few months back we mentioned that the tomb of Cyrus the Great was being reconditioned. (Here's a recent update.) On this program we have a chance to learn a little more about Cyrus and what made him so great. Our guest is Matt Waters, a professor of ancient history at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The Cyrus Cylinder, a monumental inscription by Cyrus the Great, is on display at the British Museum. This article has a new translation of the cylinder and also points out that Cyrus the Great was the world’s first secular leader who championed human rights and freedoms. In the Bible, he championed the rights of Jews and other peoples to return to their homelands, after being captured and exiled by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

1174-1176 Ancient Synagogues of Israel with Jodi Magness

Jesus spoke often in the synagogues of the Galilee [Matt 4:23]. They were a part of Jewish life in the first century. But where and how they developed is still a mystery to scholars. In this series of programs, archaeologist Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, discusses the information that is available on ancient synagogues, including the synagogue in Capernaum, which is probably not as old as many scholars believe. Jodi Magness is one of the top scholars of Biblical Archaeology in the U.S. and this is an insightful series of conversations. It's always fun to talk with her because of the energy and passion she brings to her conversations and lectures on archaeolgy.

For a short summary of her presentation, here's a story on her lecture before the Madison Biblical Archaeology Society.



Last winter we talked with Timothy Harrison about his lectures at Tel Tayinat in southeast Turkey, near the area which later became Antioch on the Orontes. He's just announced the discovery of an important ancient temple on the site.