Earliest Depiction of the Crucifixion?
It is somewhat ironic that the oldest known depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus comes from Rome, and its in the form of a grafitto that mocks a follower of Jesus. This grafitto was discovered in a room on Palatine Hill (the area of the palaces of the Roman emperors) around 1856. It dates to about AD 200. The inscription features two characters: a soldier who has a hand raised in worship, and a donkey-headed figure on a cross. To the Roman mind, the idea of a crucified God was scandalous. Of......
Portrait Art in the 1st Century AD
Among the many interesting discoveries from Pompeii and Herculaneum are the frescoes that graced the walls of the 1st century homes. They reveal a mastery of painting that would have been largely lost to us were it not for the preservation of these amazing 1st century AD towns. In fact, two frescoes from Pompeii actually depict artists (both women) in the process of painting portraits. One is the cover photo for this post; the other (below) is even more well-preserved. Artists had been experimenting with various pigments for centuries, and the Egyptians......
A Stone Altar Southeast of Shiloh
A large, stone-built altar has been discovered southeast of the ancient city of Shiloh. Like the altar at nearby Givat Harel, this one is about a mile from the ancient city. Unlike the altar at Givat Harel, this altar is not monolithic, but is built of un-worked field stones. This is in accordance with the guidelines in the Hebrew Bible for the construction of an altar built to Yahweh. “‘If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool......
An Altar West of Shiloh
A rock-hewn altar was discovered west of ancient Shiloh in 2002. It is situated at the edge of the Israeli settlement of Givat Harel, about a mile west of Shiloh. The altar is hewn from a single, massive stone, and features four horns. The altar was studied by Yoel Elitzur, an archaeologist who lives in nearby Ophrah. Part of what makes this altar so interesting is its massive size, as well at its proximity to Shiloh, home of the Israelite tabernacle for over three centuries. The altar is located about half way......
“Manoah’s Altar” Near Ancient Zorah
I recently had the opportunity to visit the site of a large stone altar near the ancient city of Zorah. This altar has been known to scholars since the late 1800’s, but to my knowledge it has never been thoroughly investigated. The name “Manoah’s altar” reflects its proximity to Zorah, the hometown of Samson and his father Manoah (Judg 13:2). When Manoah and his wife were informed that they would have a son, Manoah made an offering. “So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the......
