Real life genie lamp found in Jerusalem
Disney makes genies sound like fun and games but genies, or jinns, in the Middle East are serious business. Especially if one has moved into your house and won't leave the couch.
Ancient
King David’s Purple Cloth Unearthed
“The color immediately attracted our attention, but we found it hard to believe," one of the archeologists said.
Meet the face of Pharaoh Thutmoses IV
The reconstructed face of Pharaoh Thutmose IV is startlingly life-like, and makes you wonder what secrets the ancient king still hides.
This ancient Arab irrigation system invented before Rome’s aqueduct
An ancient water management system engineered 3000 years ago is still keeping farms and oases green in the UAE and Oman.
Ancient Date Palm That Lived 2000 Years Ago Bears Fruit Again
Date pits from 2000 years ago have born viable fruit in Israel.
Ancient olive oil soap factory unearthed in Bedouin city
Israel’s most ancient soap making workshop - a soapery - has been exposed in recent weeks at an excavation site run by the Israel Antiquities Authority and young Bedouin participants and volunteers.
Ancient Roman Facial Cream Found In London Excavation
Excavations in London turned up a pot of ancient Roman facial cream.
The Al Baydha Project: How Regenerative Agriculture Revived Green Life In A Saudi Arabian Desert
The Al Baydha project: a piece of Saudi Arabian desert is brought back to thriving life through ancient/innovative water conservation, and plenty of grit.
Maraya the biggest mirrored building in the world
Maraya contains a total of 9740 square metres of mirrors reflecting the vast and stunning desert surroundings of AlUla. The building set a Guinness World Record for being the largest mirrored building in the world in 2019 with its 26-metre-high theatre.
A holy high? Ancient cannabis traces found at Jewish shrine
Holy high? For the first time archeologists reveal that psychoactive cannabis was part of ancient worship rituals in the Holy Land.
What’s Smudging, And Why Is Everyone Doing it?
Burning medicinal herbs may clear your mind and heart - and drive bad vibes away.
If you think the Middle East is dramatic now, 2000 years ago it was a telenovela
The relations between the Herodian Kingdom and the Nabatean Kingdom were very complex and involved political, economic and marriage ties. Through the institution of marriage with local dynasties, Herodians consolidated power in the southern Levant and later became Rome’s client state. Intermarriage between religious groups was not uncommon, people were open-minded, until they were not. Here’s […]
King David tolerated cults in Jerusalem? Archeology reveals religious diversity
Cult worship was largely practiced and even sanctioned in the Holy Land while Jerusalem's Temple stood.
These dinosaurs were warm blooded
How Did Dinosaur Parents Know When Their Kids Had a Fever? Prehistoric egg shells provide clues to dinosaurs’ evolution from cold- to warm-blooded creatures.
Learning the art of ancient irrigation the Nabatean way
The Nabateans were like the Mayans of the Middle East. The ancient people were developed in agriculture, spirituality and architecture. Archaeologists dig into how they dealt with drought in Jordan, one of the driest countries on earth.
Boy mushroom hunting uncovers ancient “Bel Air” tombstone in Israel
You never know what you might find mushroom hunting. Wild boars, bears and ancient archeology!
The Mysterious Nabatean Gods of the Ancient Middle East
They were harmonious with other peoples' gods; they were nomads and travellers and master builders and expert at conserving rare winter rains. Some history of the Nabateans, forerunners alongside the major religious groups and we people we know today in the Middle East. What they teach us? Why can't we all just get along?
How the pagans touched the East and West Banks and influenced your religion
The transition between paganism and three major monotheistic religions in the southern Levant is one of themes that intrigues Professor Robert Schick from the University of Mainz in Germany. Pagans were very connected to the cycles of the earth, and like all ancient people reckoned with nature to understand why they exist and how to survive.
Ancient fish sauce factory revealed in Israel
The Romans loved them some stinky fish sauce. Vats and vats of it. With wine. Vats used to produce fish sauce (garum) that are among the few known in the Eastern Mediterranean, were recently uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority in Ashkelon. The excavation was done before building and Eco-Sport Park, has revealed evidence of […]
The Olive, Its History
The history and legends of the noble olive.
Khirret, A Vanishing Iraqi Sweet Made from Cattails
Khirret is still made in southern Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, but it's appreciated for its rarity, rather than a sweet that stands in competition with commercial candies.
Bread Baked With 5000-Year-Old Egyptian Yeast
A curious physicist revived 5000-year-old yeast and baked delicious bread from it.
Enormous Neolithic Site Near Jerusalem Reveals 9000-Year-Old Secrets
Conventional thought among archaeologists was that Neolithic people didn’t settle in the area around the Judean Hills. Yet Motza, 5 kilometers west of Jerusalem, was always within easy distance of fresh water from the Sorek river, and near good agricultural ground. A trail coming from the southern foothills allowed access to traders and emigrants. All […]
Bible-Era Dye Factory Discovered in Northern Israel
Terracotta vats and vessels stained purple from the fabulous dyes of the Bible era were excavated 50 years ago at the site of Tel Shikmona, south of Haifa. But no further studies were done on the Iron-Age findings. The pottery sat gathering even more dust on storehouse shelves at Haifa University. History waited to be […]
Mummy limbs smugglers hide “loot” in speakers, foiled in Egypt
What would Tutankhamun say? Remember when mummies starting floating up in sewage? This story is even better. Security officials at the Cairo International Airport foiled a plot to smuggle ancient mummified limbs out of the country in a couple of loudspeakers. On a plane to Belgium, the X-ray technicians noticed something fishy and looked deep […]