Depiction of the Philistines at Medinet Habu. Photo courtesy of BiblePlaces.com. The mortuary temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu depicts the victory over the Philistines who attempted to conquer Egypt- “They were coming forward toward Egypt . . . Their confederation was the Tjeker, Shekelesh, Denye(n), Wehesh and the Peleset (Philistines).” The Philistines are […]
“I was sent forth from the broad halls of the palace… following after two slaves. Now when I reached the enclosure-wall of the Tjeku… they told [me] they were saying to the south that they had passed by on the third of the month of the third season, day 10. [Now] when [I] reached the […]
“David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.” – Samuel 5-2-4 “And Nathan said to David, ‘That man is you! …Why then have you flouted the command of the Lord and done what displeases Him? You have put Uriah the Hittite to the sword; you took his wife […]
“The freedom of Israel” Like footprints in the sand, coins can mark the presence of people who left no other remains. These coins, minted during the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome (132–135 A.D.) led by the charismatic Bar-Kokhba, read either “year 1,” “year 2” or “year 3.” They display symbols typically found on coins of […]
Bible and Beyond “Simeon ben Kosba president of Israel and his economic chief. Peras.” Bar Kokhba Weight Simon Bar Kokhba Lead weight—found by Amos Kloner at Alim near Kiryat Gat. Face A of the lead weight discovered recently to a burrow, or low tunnel, used by Jewish defenders during the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome […]
Preparing for Sukkot “Shimon to Yehudah, son of Menasheh, at Qiryat Arabayyah- I have delivered to you two donkeys (in order) that you dispatch along with them two men to Yehonathan, son of Ba’yan, and to Mesabalah (in order) that they pack up and deliver to the camp, to you, palm branches and citrons. And […]
The Rebels Assert Independence “for the f[reedom] of Israel” Date- 132-135 CE Current Location- Private Collection, Shlomo Moussaieff. Language and Script- Hebrew, paleo-Hebrew alphabetic Bar Kokhba Coin – Front Bar Kokhba Coin – Back General Information- Sixty years after the destruction of the Temple, the Jews revolted against the Romans for a second time. Their […]
“Shekel of Israel” Rare Coin from Year 5 of the Revolt 1 Material- Silver Denomination- Shekel Size- 8/10 inch in diameter Rare Coin from Year 5 of the Revolt 2 General Information- As this rare Year 5 coin shows, the Jewish rebels were still minting coins even at this late stage of the […]
The Rebels Mint their Own Coins “shekel of Israel” Date- 66-70 CE Language and Script- Hebrew, paleo-Hebrew alphabetic Silver Shekel – Front Silver Shekel – Back General Information- • Before the summer of 66 CE and the beginning of the First Jewish Revolt against Rome, the ordinary bronze coins used in Judea were struck at […]
The Remains of a Temple Workman “Simon, the builder of the Temple” Date- 1st c. BCE – 1st c. CE Current Location- Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel Language and Script- Aramaic, alphabetic General Information- • The ossuary shown here was found in a tomb in the northwestern part of Giv’at ha-Mivtar, the Jerusalem suburb where numerous […]