During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn about the Neo-Babylonians’ defeat by the Persian Empire and how that changed all exiles’ lives; understand the differences between the terms “Hebrew,” “Israelite,” and “Jew”; and consider why Chronicles is critical to the re-development of Jerusalem in the 6th and 5th centuries. Episode links: Tablet from the Marushu Archive, Penn Museum: https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/372377 “cylinder,” British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1880-0617-1941 “Cyrus Cylinder,” Livius: https://www.livius.or ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn how both Egypt and the Southern Kingdom fell to Nebuchadnezzar of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, what ancient documents help us to better understand the biblical narrative of ancient Israel’s fall, and where some traditions locate the Ark of the Covenant today. Episode links: “Why the brick lions that protected the streets of Babylon feel alive” The Met Museum, https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/videos/2013/10/babylonian-striding-lions-art-explained Tower of Babel Stele: https://www.schoyencollection.com/history-collection-in ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn about Josiah's religious reforms and military interactions. Consider what the "book of the law" looked like and contained, how the Neo-Assyrian Empire lost ground to the growing Neo-Babylonians, why Egypt flipped from friend to foe, and where the first (and last?) battle in recorded history was fought. Episode links: The Dead Sea Scrolls: https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive Ketef Hinnoam scroll: Jeremy D. Smoak, “Words Unseen,” Biblical Archaeology Review 44, no. 1 (2018): 52–59, 70; https://library.biblical ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn about Hezekiah’s successor and son, Manasseh. Consider why a wicked man was allowed to be the longest-reigning monarch in ancient Israel, when and where the stories of his life were recorded, and how sibling rivalry may have been the beginning of the end of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Episode links: Victory Stele of Esarhaddon: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/victory-stele-of-king-esarhaddon-unknown/VQEu-T-wE5Tf7w?hl=en Tel Lachish: https://www.parks.org.il/trip/lacish/ Stone stele of Ashurbanipal (British Museum): https ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn about one of the Southern Kingdom’s most righteous kings, Hezekiah. Understand what he did to restore right-worship of Israel’s God to his nation, why the mighty Neo-Assyrians didn’t conquer Jerusalem, and how his final actions foreshadowed Jerusalem’s future fall to the Neo-Babylonians. Episode links: Tel Beer Sheva National Park: https://en.parks.org.il/reserve-park/tel-beer-sheva-national-park/ Tel Arad National Park: https://en.parks.org.il/reserve-park/tel-arad-national-park/ “An Important Archaeological Discovery: A Gat ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn about the collapse of the Northern Kingdom to the Neo-Assyrians. Understand why the conquerors are “neo,” where the “lost tribes of Israel” went, and how the Samaritans’ culture developed. Episode links: “House of David“ inscribed on a victory stele, (now at the Israel Museum): https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/371407-0 Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1848-1104-1 “Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat),” UNESCO World Heritage Convention, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1130/ Timeline of ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn what caused the ancient United Kingdom of Israel to split into the North and the South, why religion impacted that action, where the Northern tribes attempted to worship God, and how Israel’s dead were buried. Episode links: “Two Riddles of the Queen of Sheba,” tapestry from Strasbourg, Germany (ca. 1490-1500), Metropolitan Museum of Art, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/465954 J. Gordon Edwards, dir., The Queen of Sheba (1921; Hollywood, CA, Fox Film Corp.), https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/499794/the-queen-of ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn about the extrabiblical evidence of David and Solomon, including the Tel Dan Stele and Solomon’s “great” cities of Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer. Then consider the differences between what Scripture says about the first Temple and the Queen of Sheba and how other traditions have influenced our interpretations.   Episode links: Michael D. Danti et al, “Special Report: Current Status of the Tell Ain Dara Temple,” ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives (7 March 2018): https://www.asor.org/chi/reports/special-reports/tell-ain-dara-te ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn why David was up on his roof staring at Bathsheba, what made Hebron so important to Israelite leaders, and how lamps were made and used in antiquity. Episode links: “Tour” a 4-Room House at Harvard’s Museum of the Ancient Near East: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=sQamX7QGS2v Matti Friedman, “In an ancient figurine, an ordinary and human scene,” Times of Israel (4 June 2012): https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-an-ancient-figurine-an-ordinary-and-human-scene/ Kochavi, Moshe, et al. “Rediscovered! The Land of Geshur,” Biblical A ..read more

During this episode of the Red-Haired Archaeologist® Podcast, learn how "ruddy" David was chosen to be Israel’s second king, why there is confusion about Goliath’s height, what happened in a cave in En Gedi, and where the City of David is located. Episode links: Edward Burne-Jones, “David and Goliath” (1872), Vyner Memorial Window, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford: https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral/visiting DSS 4Q51, Plate 1097, Frag 2: https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/image/B-484181 Gath’s discoveries: https://www.timesofisrael.com/colossal-ancient-structures-found-at-ga ..read more