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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Canaan

The top of the Merneptah Stele includes a carving of Merneptah receiving a sword from the god Amun, but it is the text of the stele which is most fascinating. Source: Alyssa Bivins / CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Merneptah Stele: Proof Ancient Egypt Knew of the Israelites

The Merneptah Stele, also known as the Israel Stele or Victory Stele of Merneptah, in considered to be one of the most significant archaeological artifacts ever discovered in ancient Egypt. Carved...
AI Illustration of Moses with the 10 Commandments Tablet. Source: Jim Vallee/Adobe Stock

Moses: Myth, Fiction or History?

In the early days of biblical archaeology there was a lot of optimism that the new science could verify the existence of Moses by proving that there was indeed a great migration of people from Egypt...
Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle, wearing the breastplate by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, (1836-1902) Jewish Museum, New York (Public Domain)

The Israelites’ Lost Urim And Tummim, Divine Divination Of Yahweh

The story of the settlement of the Israelite tribes in the Promised Land has long been the subject of controversy among scholars. Moreover, the narrative of the Book of Judges has been regarded as...

Giants In Canaan: Anakim, Rephaim And Nephilim

In the biblical tradition, the enigmatic Nephilim, or Fallen Ones, are mentioned in two very different contexts. The first mention appears in Genesis 6 and refers to the period before and after the...
One of the 14th-century-BC Canaanite burials at Tel Yehud associated with vessels containing traces of opium. Source: Assaf Peretz / Israel Antiquities Authority

Evidence of Opium Use By Canaanites in 14th Century BC Found

Human beings have been using hallucinogenic or psychoactive drugs to experience pleasurable sensations or induce altered states of consciousness for thousands of years. It is possible this activity...
The aftermath of the Gezer fire of early July 2022 shown in this image reveals that ancient stone ruins can survive grass fires, but that climate change is making more fires overall. Source: Roee Shtrauss / INPA

Gezer Fire Engulfs Canaan Site, But With Little Permanent Damage

The Gezer fire that broke out on Monday in Israel’s Biblical Tel Gezer National Park was fierce and swift. Initial reports of the fire at Gezer “proclaimed” widespread damage to this protected and...
One of the 13th-century-BC Tell el Kedwa fortress water wells recently found in the North Sinai Governate of Egypt, along the ancient Horus military road to Canaan.	Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Unique 13th-century-BC Water Wells Discovered Near Fortress in North Sinai

The Sinai Peninsula, the only part of Egypt located in Asia, sandwiched between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, is a land bridge between Asia and Africa. This peninsula has been the subject of...
Ezekiel’s vision The Valley of Dry Bones: loswl / CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Seeking The Ten Lost Tribes Of Israel, Finding DNA

The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel have been considered lost for over 3,000 years, but recent evidence demonstrates that they were not lost, they had merely been scattered around the world and had...
Biblical illustration showing manna falling from heaven. Source: University of Edinburgh / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Manna: What Was the Mysterious Substance that Fed the Israelites for 40 Years?

Are you wondering what exactly “manna” is? Well, you are not alone. It may be something of a familiar word, but what it originally was is a bit of a mystery. According to the Bible, manna refers to...
The Anasazi and Anakim: Nephilim Ruins and Evidence of Ritual Murder

The Anasazi and Anakim: Nephilim Ruins and Evidence of Ritual Murder

Across the ancient world, from the rocky deserts of the American West all the way to the shores of the Mediterranean, enigmatic parallels between ancient myths and archaeological sites are emerging...
Ahmose I against Hyksos.   Source: Public Domain

Ancient Egyptian Wars – Navigating the Millennia of Bloodshed

In the histories of great ancient empires there was one thing that was always a certainty: war. To maintain power, to achieve wealth, and to ensure the prosperity of the people, war had to be waged:...
The Great Court of ancient Heliopolis's temple complex

Finding Canaan: Ancient Roots of the Lost Phoenician Civilization

Of all the seafaring civilizations who, to our knowledge, first explored the vast oceans, none are more mysterious than the ancient Phoenicians. How far did their voyages take them? What lands did...
The Levite of Ephraim avenging the death of his wife as the victim of brutality by the Benjamites  by  Alexandre-François Caminade  (1837)

The Gibeah Incident: Ancient Israel’s First Civil War Over a Concubine

The first civil war among the tribes of Israel broke out over the Gibeah incident, which was between the Israelite confederation and the tribe of Benjamin. While this incident is normally placed...
Joshua’s armies depart a burning and looted Ai.

Military Blunder and the Death of a King: Joshua’s Debacle at Ai – Part II

The battle of Ai is probably one of history’s most overlooked battles in which military trainees or cadets can learn valuable lessons. Joshua—new leader of the tribes of Israel, great military leader...
Joshua’s armies use horns of war in siege against Jericho.

Sounding the Horns of Doom at the Battle of Jericho – Part I

Joshua was a great military leader and a controversial figure in the Bible. With Moses’ death at Mount Nebo, Joshua was elected the new leader of the tribes of Israel. Under Joshua’s leadership, the...
Thutmosis III statue and Ancient Egyptian military in battle

What Was in Store for the Citizens of the Besieged City? The Battle of Megiddo—Part II

Pharaoh Thutmose III pushed his 12,000-strong army towards the banks of the Orontes River. His scribe, Tjaneni, kept a daily journal in order to have the Pharaoh’s military exploits inscribed by his...
A Pharaoh’s Exploits Recorded for All Time: The Battle of Megiddo—Part I

A Pharaoh’s Exploits Recorded for All Time: The Battle of Megiddo—Part I

With the death of the famous female Pharaoh – Hatshepsut – Thutmose III rose to power and knew there would be trouble. On the banks of the Orontes River, a revolt was brewing. Amassing a huge army...
Only 11 Tribes of Israel? Controversial Findings Reveal Danites Might Not Be Sons of Israel But Sons Of Greece

Only 11 Tribes of Israel? Controversial Findings Reveal Danites Might Not Be Sons of Israel But Sons Of Greece

Three thousand-year-old archaeological discoveries that came to light recently at Tel Dan in northern Israel, indicate that the Danites were possibly Aegean (Greek) soldiers hired by Canaan's...
The monumental Egyptian statute of a high official from the Middle Kingdom in Egypt, found in the administrative palace at Hazor, north of the Sea of Galilee in Israel.

Monumental 4500-Year-Old Statue of an Egyptian Official Discovered at Tel Hazor

The monumental statue is a one of series of recent discoveries that proves that Hazor was one of the major cities in the region, heading a league of Canaanite city-states. A team of archaeologists...
Ancient Canaanites Imported Animals from Egypt to be Sacrificed

Ancient Canaanites Imported Animals from Egypt to be Sacrificed

The skeleton of a donkey and several other animals, which were ritualistically sacrificed by Canaanites, have been found at the archaeological site of Tell el-Safi in Israel. An analysis of the...
Archaeologists say they can piece together these wine jars, which are in excellent condition compared to other ceramic artifacts from ancient times. (Photo by Eric Cline)

A royal find of ancient grapes and wine residue may help resurrect Canaanite vinting

Archaeologists digging in a kingly palace in Israel have found 120 large wine jars, some with residue, and grape seeds from 4,000 years ago from which they may be able to resurrect some ancient...
Sea Peoples - Philistines

In Search of the Origins of the Philistines – Part 2

(Read Part 1 here ) Commonly referred to as the modern Queen of the Philistines , archaeologist Trude Dothan, believes that in some part, the Philistines originated from the island of Cyprus to the...
Delilah’s Betrayal and Samson’s Imprisonment by the Philistines

In Search of the Origins of the Philistines - Part 1

They would be immortalized as ancient Israel’s worst enemy in the scriptures of the Old Testament. They are the Philistines. Much like the ancient Israelites, the Philistines were strangers to the...