ANE Today, 16 October 2025
Alexander the Great in Jerusalem, FOA Webinar: Ory Amitay, Tunisia Tour, plus the usual round-up of news, podcasts, lectures, and other media.
Alexander the Great in Jerusalem
By Ory Amitay
One of the famous scenes of antiquity, certainly one that still raises interest today, is that of the visit purportedly paid by Alexander the Great to the temple of Jerusalem. Josephus’ vivid description has the young Makedonian approaching the holy city, ready to wreak vengeance on it for disobeying his orders, only to be smitten by the image of the Judean high priest and bow down before him. It is easy to see how such a powerful story has captured the imagination of readers over centuries, even millennia. So did Alexander the Great visit Jerusalem, or didn’t he? Either way, a much more important question for me is not what happened when Alexander passed through the Levant, but rather what it was that generations of Judean storytellers intended when they made up stories about Alexander in Jerusalem that were clearly fictional.
After you’ve read this week’s article, learn more by joining us for the next Friends of ASOR Webinar: “Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History”, presented by Dr. Ory Amitay and moderated by Professor Erich Gruen.
In this talk, Dr. Amitay will explore how stories of Alexander in Jerusalem emerged as a result of the changing relationship between the people of Judea and their foreign rulers. This free webinar will take place Wednesday, October 29 at 12:00pm ET via Zoom. Read more about Dr. Amitay’s talk and register here.
In the News:
Excavations of three Iron Age shipwrecks (11th-7th centuries BCE) off the coast of Dor, Israel, offer insights into the political and economic landscapes. Read more at UCSD news.
Recent geoarchaeological survey reveals insights into the founding of the Temple of Amun at Karnak, Egypt. Read more at Phys.org
After years of searching, archaeologists find a 1,500-year-old synagogue in a nature reserve in the Golan Heights. Read more at the Jerusalem Post.
New isotopic analysis of ancient teeth from Syria reveals Late Neolithic farming communities integrated outsiders—especially migrating women—into their societies. Read more at Brighter Side News
Syrian researcher George Zaarour strives to preserve the Aramaic language in one of the few places it is still spoken. Read more at SyriacPress.
After more than 20 years of restoration, Egypt has reopened one of the Valley of the Kings’ largest tombs — Amenhotep III — unveiling exquisite wall paintings, grand chambers, and ornate architecture to the public once more. Read more at DW.
The crescent moon and star are symbols strongly associated with Islam today, but their origins go far back through the Crusaders, Sassanians, Parthians, Romans, and all the way to early Mesopotamia. Read more at LBV.
Museum Exhibits:
Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures is on display at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, presenting the award-winning contemporary artist’s works alongside ancient artifacts from the Institute of Ancient Cultures at the University of Chicago and the Thanos N. Zintilis Collection of Cyrpiot Antiquities at the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens. Read more at The Art Newspaper or visit the exhibition homepage.
Latest Podcasts:
Carnival in Babylon with Rocío Da Riva and Nathan Wasserman (Thin End of the Wedge)
The Rise of Islam (The Ancients | History Hit)
Latest YouTube:
The Oldest Temple in the World (Göbekli Tepe; BBC)
Oman’s Hidden Past: Secrets Beneath the Arabian Sands (Histoire & Civilisations)
*NEW* Friends of ASOR Tunisia Tour
Join Friends of ASOR for an unforgettable journey across Tunisia, where the legacies of Phoenician traders, Roman conquerors, early Christian communities, and Berber kingdoms intertwine. Learn more and reserve your spot here!
From the ANE Today Archives:
Temples and Cult Places in Iron Age Transjordan
By Margreet L. Steiner
Many temples and cult places are known from Iron Age Israel but what about in Transjordan? What does a look at these sites reveal about cult and religion in Moab, Ammon, and Edom? Read more here.
Biblical Archaeology Forum Lecture: Ancestors, Animals, and Alphabets in the “Royal” Tombs at Umm el-Marra
Are you in the greater Washington D.C. area? Professor Glenn Schwartz (John Hopkins University) will be talking about archaeological discoveries from Umm el-Marra in northern Syria, including what might be the oldest examples of alphabetic writing. This event will be held on Tuesday, October 21, 7:45 ET, at the Bender JCC in Rockville, Maryland. Find more details here.
Online Lecture: The Real Lives of Blind Mesopotamians
Join the Badè Museum of Biblical Archaeology next Thursday, October 23 at 9:30am PT for the second installment their 2025-2026 lecture series, “Disability in the Ancient Middle East and Mediterranean”. Dr. Eric Harvey will present “The Real Lives of Blind Mesopotamians.” This lecture series is co-hosted by Pacific School of Religion and the Archaeological Research Facility at UC Berkeley. Watch live on the ARF YouTube channel here.
Calling All Teachers! Online Teacher Workshop Series on Ancient Sculpture (ISAC, University of Chicago)
The Education Department at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures is offering online sessions examining ancient sculpture from Mesopotamia and Roman North Africa in the Institute’s collection. Using the concepts of observation, inference, and evidence, we will explore how to use close looking to examine sculpted artworks. The sessions will also include an interactive overview of lesson plans plus suggestions for tying lessons into ISAC’s online and virtual program resources. The instructors will be Tasha Vorderstrasse (PhD, Manager, Continuing Education Program) and Madeleine Roberts-Ganim (Youth and Family Program Coordinator). More details and registration is available here.
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Published with the assistance of The Lanier Theological Library and Stevan Dana
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing this!