The Storerooms at Masada
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The Earthquake of 363 CE
The Portrayals of Pilate
A Controversial Inscription in the News
Epigraphy in Context: The Bar Kokhba Revolt
Keep Out, for the Sake of All that is Holy! (A Temple Warning Inscription)
Mapping History: Retracing Roman Roads in Judaea
Slavery in Rome: A Badge of Honor?
Temple Raid Sparks Something Different
The Remains of a Society: Understanding the People of Zoar
The Synagogue as a Waypoint for Travellers
Theodotus Dialogue
Vespasian: The Story of an Emperor
Death and Taxes: An Imperial Revenue Office in Byzantine Caesarea
Blessings upon an Emperor?
Featured Stories
Intro
With Jerusalem vanquished and the Second Temple destroyed, a few hundred Jewish rebels who had survived the war fled to Masada. The desert fortress of Masada then became the site of a heroic last stand between Jewish Zealots and besieging Romans.
With all of the significance attached to the earthquake of 363, it is easy to forget that this natural disaster impacted people simply living their daily lives, unconscious of long-term trends in religion and empire.
Of all the provincial governors serving the frontiers of the Roman Empire, why does Pontius Pilate still capture our imaginations? What are we to make of this enigmatic figure?
An embittered debate concerning the authenticity of a simple unprovenanced ossuary box has broiled. The reason? The ossuary appears to read "James, brother of Jesus."
How much can a single inscription change our understanding of a time period or event? Turns out, quite a bit!
Keep Out, for the Sake of All that is Holy! (A Temple Warning Inscription)
Lauren Montieth
Read Full StoryTo satisfy both the interests of the Temple’s worshippers and those who profited from the Temple’s secular functions, Herod the Great’s builders erected strict physical boundaries separating the holy inner sanctum of the Temple from the bustling marketplace.
Abundant literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources attest to the extensive travel network that connected and enriched the various provinces of the Roman Empire. Over 100,000 km of Roman roads facilitated the spread of people, money, and ideas.
In what scenario might former slave status be a badge of honor? An epitaph of a middle-aged man from a prominent Jewish family near Jericho suggests that a slave’s service in Rome’s imperial palace may have conferred special honors following his manumission and return to Judea.
A king’s command to raid the Holy Temple’s coffers incites a bloody revolt. Epigraphic fragments of this king’s correspondence with high officials prove his role in the Temple’s desecration.
A single inscription can often provide valuable insights about both the person who sponsored or inscribed it and their society. Nevertheless, historians always run the risk of being misled, especially when data are few and far between.
Safety while traveling is an often underappreciated privilege, and the ancient traveller faced many dangers.The so-called "Theodotus inscription" references a hostel and safe space for travelers inside a 1st century CE synagogue in Jerusalem.
What were the functions of synagogues prior to the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem? A dedicatory inscription provides a tantalizing glimpse into the role of the ancient synagogue in Jewish culture.
Who was the emperor Vespasian? How was he able to consolidate power when three previous emperors had failed? And are our sources reliable or unabashedly attempting to legitimize his rule?
Death and Taxes: An Imperial Revenue Office in Byzantine Caesarea
Christopher B. Zeichmann
Read Full StoryFew people are particularly eager to pay their taxes. Whatever worthy causes one’s taxes go toward, most people would prefer to keep the money in their own pockets. This sentiment is hardly new, though the governor of Byzantine Caesarea had a particularly clever way of discouraging resentment.