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.
Archeology
Ancient coffins found with the elephants at the zoo
While building a wildlife hospital at a zoo in Israel, developers came across an interesting find: two ancient stone coffins called sarcophagi.
Who was Maria, who lived an immaculate life 1400 years ago?
Ancient Greek burial stone discovered while clearing paths for nature park in Israel's Negev Desert
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.
Ancient grotto projects Ivo Bisignano’s human forms
The ancient caves at Beit Guvrin in southern Israel opened for the first time in 25 years with an art exhibit by sculpture Ivo Bisignano.
Ancient Buried Treasure Unearthed In Israel
A treasure trove of ancient Islamic coins was discovered in an Israeli archaeological dig.
Ancient Roman Facial Cream Found In London Excavation
Excavations in London turned up a pot of ancient Roman facial cream.
Have a little faith? How Islam dealt with its first plague, the Plague of Amwas
The plague of Amwas first struck the Muslim Arab troops encamped there before spreading across Syria–Palestine and affecting Egypt and Iraq. The Plague of Amwas was the first major pandemic that hit the early Muslim communities.
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.
Strange Desert Kites are how ancient man trapped his kill
The local Bedouin knew about them for thousands of years but in the 1920s, pilots of the Royal Air Force flying over the deserts of Israel, Jordan and Egypt saw mysterious line shapes in the ground that they named “Desert Kites”. Because their outlines, as seen from the air in their planes, reminded them of airborne kites.
6000 years before Stonehenge, there was Göbekli Tepe
Believed to be the oldest known temple, and where modern agriculture first began. The sprawling 11,500-year-old stone Göbekli Tepe complex in southeastern Anatolia, Turkey.
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.
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?
Archeologists unearth ancient “New York City” in Israel
In a region where it feels like everything under the sun has been worshipped and discovered, yet another ancient city, 5,000 years old has been uncovered. They are calling it the Bronze Age New York City. According to excavation directors this was among the first cosmopolitan and planned cities where thousands of people lived. Massive […]
One Of The World’s Oldest Mosques Excavated In The Negev
The rocky brown soil of the Negev desert suggests an empty environment, but recent excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority have brought to light an ancient mosque from the 7th-8th centuries CE there. It’s one of the earliest known mosques in the world, a surprising find in the area. Dr. Jon Seligman and Shahar Zur, […]
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 […]
Ancient Samaritan’s wealth uncovered in Jerusalem
We’ve all heard about the Good Samaritan. What about the Wealthy Samaritan? And did you know that two small groups of native Samaritans still live in Israel protecting their customs as they did in biblical times? A 1,600 year old estate of a wealthy Samaritan covered in Central Israel at Zur Natan. The estate, discovered in […]
Jerusalem in writing, the oldest inscription found!
An exciting find from Jerusalem was presented for the first time today (Tuesday) during a joint press conference of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Museum: a unique stone inscription dating to the Second Temple Period (First Century CE), mentioning Jerusalem, written in Hebrew letters, and using the spelling as we know it today. […]
Sailing around the beauty of Croatia
Not so long ago the dream vacation included a sail around Italy or a cruise around the Greek Isles. As adventurers become better travelled they look to novel destinations not covered widely in travel books or in Hollywood movies. One of those secret places, unspoilt nature, lovely locals, with a European vibe is Croatia. There […]
Uri Geller predicted it: An ancient, kosher natural soap factory found in Jaffa
Mentalist Uri Geller is building a museum in the world’s most ancient port city, Jaffa. When they start digging, an ancient olive soap factory is unearthed. The impressive masbena – or soap-manufacturing factory – dates back to the nineteenth century was discovered along with several large underground chambers. “Our work on the museum required, among […]
Oldest Known Bread Discovered In Jordan
Fancy some fresh bread, right out of the fire pit? It was fresh…14,400 years ago. Until recently, it was thought that the earliest bread, discovered in the 9,500-year-old settlement of Çatalhöyük, Turkey, was the product of Neolithic grain farming. But charred crumbs discovered in northeast Jordan reveal that Paleolithic hunter-gatherers in this region ate bread […]
Middle Eastern artefacts looted by 95-year-old “Indiana Joan”
The Australian government is investigating the case of a 95-year-old Perth woman accused of looting artefacts from Middle Eastern countries including Egypt. Joan Howard – now dubbed “Indiana Joan” – lived in during the 1960s and 70s with her husband, a senior official with the United Nations.
Ancient jar of decapitated toad heads puzzle archeologists
They were found in a 4000 year old tomb. Begging the question – why a jar of decapitated toads? What strange customs did our ancestors practice? According to archaeologists who uncovered the recent finding, the frogs were part of ancient funeral practices. Researchers say these fascinating findings from an Israel Antiquities Authority excavation near the […]