Biblical Heritage Center Blog

A massive entranceway has been revealed at King Herod’s palace. Archaeologists from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem have been excavating the Herodian Hilltop Palace over the past year. This entranceway is one of the most impressive features found at the site so far. One of the most startling features of the entryway is a corridor with complex systems of arches spanning its width on three separate levels. The arches act as buttresses for the corridor’s vast side walls; these would have allowed the King and his entourage direct access to the Palace Courtyard.  See picture and read article at -- http://www.newhistorian.com/magnificent-entryway-king-herods-palace-revealed/2524/

Scholars from the University of California at Berkeley have brought to life the ancient sounds of Mesopotamia following the decryption and study of a set of ancient cuneiform texts that date back 3,400 years, according to a report on WFMU. The result is the recreation of a piece of music unheard for thousands of years. Although nearly 40 hymns in cuneiform writing were found on fragments of clay tablets, only one of these tablets, the Hurrian hymn to Nikkal, was found to be nearly complete. The tablet contains the lyrics for a hymn to a goddess of orchards, Nikkal, and instructions for a singer accompanied by a nine-stringed sammûm, a type of harp or, much more likely, a lyre. One or more of the tablets also contains instructions for tuning the harp. Listen to song, see pictures and read article at -- http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/882920-listen-here-ancient-song-recreated-from-3400-year-old-cuneiform-tablets/

A 1,500-year-old fragment of Greek papyrus with writing that refers to the biblical Last Supper and "manna from heaven" may be one of the oldest Christian amulets, say researchers.  The fragment was likely folded up and worn inside a locket or pendant as a sort of   protective charm, according to Roberta Mazza, who spotted the papyrus while looking through thousands of papyri kept in the library vault at the John Rylands Research Institute at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. See pictures and read complete article -- http://www.livescience.com/47705-last-supper-papyrus-discovered.html

“The only ancient description we have of the making of papyrus is that of Pliny the Elder in his Natural History Book XIII. He wrote in the latter half of the first century A.D., and while some scholars have questioned whether he had actually seen the process due to some of his remarks, even if he got it second hand, this is valuable first century information… (Pliny, Natural History, 13.74-82)” Paper is made from the papyrus plant by separating it with a needle point into very thin strips as broad as possible. The choice quality comes from the center, and thence in the order of slicing. The (choice) quality in former times called ‘hieratic’ because it was devoted only to religious books has, out of flattery, taken on the name of Augustus, and the next quality that of Livia, after his wife, so that the ‘hieratic’ has dropped to third rank. Paper of whatever grade is fabricated on a board moistened with water from the Nile: the muddy liquid serves as the bonding force. First there i...

Excavations in town of Magdala in Golan Heights reveal remains of ancient structure; “historic and rare findings” include fragments of columns, parts of benches and pottery. The structure's grandeur led researchers to conclude that the site contained the ruins of an ancient synagogue. "We're still at an early stage of unearthing the structure," they said. "We found parts of the structure, fragments of columns, parts of benches, the threshold of a door and pottery fragments." See pictures and read complete article at -- http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4608001,00.html

Blessed are the SHALOM makers, for they shall be called sons of God . Who are the SHALOM makers? TZEDAQAH ( righteousness ) is one of the most important words in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Bible of Yeshua (the real Jewish Jesus). The teachings of Yeshua make it very clear that TZEDAQAH is the most important word to him, too. We have witnessed what happens when “believers in Jesus” understand the teachings of Yeshua – they stop believing institutional doctrines and start revealing the image of God through their acts of TOV. Read the complete blog at -- http://therealyesua.blogspot.com/2014/12/hearing-real-yeshuas-voice.html

A First World War soldier’s account of the Christmas truce of 1914 has been released for the first time, chronicling “one of the most extraordinary sights anyone has ever seen”. Captain A D Chater was serving with the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders when peace came briefly to the English and German trenches on the Western Front. His letter to his “dearest mother”, describing the famous moment former enemies risked their lives to walk out into no-man’s land to wish each other a happy Christmas and play football, has been released . See pictures and read article at -- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/christmas-truce-of-1914-letter-from-trenches-shows-football-match-through-soldiers-eyes-9942929.html