Archaeology


Pompeii's Finest Mosaic?

Pompeii’s Finest Mosaic?

The use of mosaics is one of the hallmarks of finer homes and businesses of the Greco-Roman world. Mosaics are made by laying small stones called tesserae into a matrix of mortar. Mosaics were most commonly used as floor surfaces, although they were sometimes used on walls as well, especially in the later periods. Floor mosaics were often relatively simple geometric designs, sometimes using just a few colors. Sometimes, if the owner could afford it, mosaic floors depicted other things, such as scenes from mythology, historical events, or other things. Sometimes an......


James and the "Gold Ring"

James and the “Gold Ring”

James chapter 2 begins with a warning against showing favoritism in the church. James starts with a hypothetical scenario where “a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes” (James 2:2). Today, it seems that nearly everyone in North America wears a gold ring. It is commonly used to signify that a person is engaged or married, but the modern use of gold rings goes far beyond that as well. So what was James getting at when he described a person who wears a gold ring? The word......


Archaeology and the Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God

Archaeology and the Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God

Revelation 15:7 describes seven angels who are given seven bowls full of the wrath of God which are to be poured out on the earth. The concept of pouring out a bowl is foreign to most modern readers, but it was a very well-known religious concept in the 1st century AD. The practice of offering liquid or “drink” offerings is known from a very early period. Genesis 35:14 records that Jacob poured out a drink offering on a pillar that commemorated the place where God spoke to him at Bethel. Wine in......


Roman Background of the Seven Trumpets of Revelation 8

Roman Background of the Seven Trumpets of Revelation 8

Revelation 8 describes seven trumpets that were blown by seven angels as part of the judgment of earth’s inhabitants. What were trumpets like in the 1st century AD, and how would John’s audience have envisioned his description? During the time of the Hebrew Bible, the typical “trumpet” (Heb. shofar) was a hollowed out animal horn, often from a sheep or goat. The shofar is still used by Jews today in some contexts. However, this is not the kind of trumpet with which most of John’s audience would have been familiar. Instead, the......


Roman Eye Salve

Roman Eye Salve

In Revelation 3:18, God advises the church in Laodicea to purchase eye salve from him, “so that you may see.” In the context this is clearly a metaphor for gaining spiritual sight and  avoiding spiritual blindness, but the metaphor is based off of a well-known Roman practice. A good deal is actually known about Roman “eye salve” (κολλούριον). It is attested in numerous written sources, and a surprising amount is also known from archaeology. One of the interesting aspects of Roman eye salve is that it was mixed as a paste, then......


Was Jesus Black?

Was Jesus Black?

Was Jesus black? This question comes up from time to time. After all, how do we know what ancient people looked like? In this case, archaeology provides a clear answer. In a nutshell, no, Jesus was not black. This is clear from two perspectives. The first is that the Jewish people of the OT period were not black, a fact that is made abundantly clear by ancient depictions of people in that region. The second is that depictions of people from the area of Judea/Palestine in Jesus’s day make clear that the......


A Letter About the Temple

A Letter About the Temple

The small potsherd with writing shown here (also known as an ostracon) was discovered by archaeologists digging at a Judean fortress in southern Israel. The name of the site is Arad; this ostracon and the others found at the same site are known as the Arad Letters. They date to about 600 BC, not long before the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. Arad is located in the desert, about 35 miles straight south of Jerusalem. Both Arad and Jerusalem can be seen on this Google Earth map. What is most interesting about......


Ring of Pontius Pilate Discovered

Ring of Pontius Pilate Discovered

A ring that once belonged to Pontius Pilate has been discovered at Herodium in southern Judaea. We know it belonged to him because it has his name inscribed on it. The Greek letters read “ΠΙΛΑΤΟ”, “Pilate.” The first two letters are on the right, the last four are on the left, bottom to top (meant to be read around the frame). This find is interesting for several reasons. One is that, outside of the Bible, very little is known of Pilate. He is mentioned several times by the contemporary historian Josephus, and......