Wounded Israeli soldier, Adam Zertal (1936-2015), became a giant in the field of modern biblical archaeology - this article honors his memory and highlights his important life's work and discoveries in Judea and Samaria, namely Joshua's... more
Wounded Israeli soldier, Adam Zertal (1936-2015), became a giant in the field of modern biblical archaeology - this article honors his memory and highlights his important life's work and discoveries in Judea and Samaria, namely Joshua's Altar on Mount Ebal and multiple Gilgal sites from the early Israelite conquest period.
The Book of Joshua records the stories of two unique stone altars—one in chapter 8 and the other in chapter 22. The first of these altars was discovered in Samaria (1980), atop Mount Ebal, by the late Professor Adam Zertal and his team... more
The Book of Joshua records the stories of two unique stone altars—one in chapter 8 and the other in chapter 22. The first of these altars was discovered in Samaria (1980), atop Mount Ebal, by the late Professor Adam Zertal and his team and although this Ebal site was excavated using modern archaeological practices, its discovery and interpretation remain controversial. Meanwhile, a second stone altar, (mentioned in chapter 22) was erected by ancient Israelites somewhere near the Jordan River, and up to now has never been found. Since the Mount Ebal altar managed to survive into our time, could this second altar have survived as well? The Bible is quite explicit as to where this altar might be—so is it unreasonable for us to try and find it?
A team of scholars recently announced the discovery of a lead amulet (defixio) in 2019 by wetsifting dirt excavated by Adam Zertal in archaeological seasons from 1982 to 1989. This article provides the basic story, a brief overview of the... more
A team of scholars recently announced the discovery of a lead amulet (defixio) in 2019 by wetsifting dirt excavated by Adam Zertal in archaeological seasons from 1982 to 1989. This article provides the basic story, a brief overview of the search for the elusive biblical Mount Ebal, and then considers the biblical Ebal narratives in the light of Moses Wilhelm Shapira's MSS and the recent discovery.
The site was found during an archaeological survey in April 1980 by the mount Menashe Survey Group. It was excavated between 1982 and 1989 by a delegation led by Prof. Adam Zertal. The ritual site at Mount Ebal was excavated for eight... more
The site was found during an archaeological survey in April 1980 by the mount Menashe Survey Group. It was excavated between 1982 and 1989 by a delegation led by Prof. Adam Zertal. The ritual site at Mount Ebal was excavated for eight seasons. The similarity between the ritual site at Mount Ebal and the biblical description of the altar mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy and Joshua is undisputed. Among the archaeologists there is a fierce debate about the source of the site, it´s interpretation, the ethnicity of the people who founded it, and its purpose and function.
From Samaria, my colleague Aaron Lipkin is capturing footage from an aerial drone (named Penelope) to view and analyze ancient biblical sites. These are early Israelite sites from the period beginning at Joshua and the crossing of the... more
From Samaria, my colleague Aaron Lipkin is capturing footage from an aerial drone (named Penelope) to view and analyze ancient biblical sites. These are early Israelite sites from the period beginning at Joshua and the crossing of the Jordan, inclusive of the ensuing Conquest years, up through the times of the Judges to Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon and the first Temple.
