Let the Stones Speak

Host Brent Nagtegaal interviews Let the Stones Speak contributor Christopher Eames about his article in the May-June 2026 magazine, proposing the identity of this elusive queen on the scene some 3,000 years ago. https://armstronginstitute.org/1495-interview-has-the-queen-of-sheba-been-found

On today’s program, Dr. Van Huss explains the three areas of excavation, including further indication that an emerging monumental structure may indeed be the biblical tabernacle. https://armstronginstitute.org/1492-unearthing-the-tabernacle-site-at-shiloh-interview-with-dr-abigail-van-huss

Brand-new archeological evidence he discovered at Tel ‘Eton in southern Israel supports the biblical case for King Hezekiah’s reform. On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal explains the new evidence in the context of the biblical narrative. https://armstronginstitute.org/1483-new-archaeological-evidence-of-king-hezekiahs-religious-reform

A personal retelling of the discovery of seal impressions discovered on Dr. Eilat Mazar’s excavations https://armstronginstitute.org/1470-discovering-the-seal-impressions-of-the-prophet-jeremiahs-captors

Since their unearthing in the 2010–2011 excavations of Eli Shukron and Ronny Reich, the City of David “rock-cut rooms” have generated significant interest and speculation. The unusual nature of the rooms, including apparently cultic installations, has led some to associate them with Melchizedek (known to some as “Temple Zero”), King David or even the work of a later biblical king. Melchizedek, David or Neither? What to Make of the Mysterious Rock-Cut Rooms in Ancient Jerusalem

While excavating Tel Azekah in the Judean lowlands in 2012, archaeologists discovered the remains of over five dozen young children. This is the first time a mass burial of children was ever discovered from the Persian Period in the land of Israel. Research about the discovery was published in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly on March 27. On today’s podcast, host Brent Nagtegaal analyzes the study and pushes back on some of the archaeologists’ claims in light of the Bible and known Judahite burial practices. https://armstronginstitute.org/1454-bodies-of-dozens-of-infants-from-2500-years-ago-discovered-in-cistern-at-tel-azekah

Carved into a wall of bedrock, the Siloam Inscription is the longest piece of writing ever discovered in biblical Jerusalem. The question then arises: If it’s so important, why hide the inscription inside the darkened tunnel where almost no one could read it? Prof. Ariel Cohen, from the Department of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, believes he may have the answer. https://armstronginstitute.org/1453-new-research-is-the-hezekiah-tunnel-inscription-evidence-of-an-ancient-deadly-workplace-accident

The earliest evidence of a grouping of iron blooms has been discovered in a shipwreck off the Carmel coast. On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal interviews lead author Prof. Tsilla Eshel of the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures, University of Haifa, about the discovery. https://armstronginstitute.org/1451-israeli-underwater-excavations-reveal-earliest-hoard-of-iron-blooms-from-c-600-bce

From ancient shipwrecks to an Egyptian fortress and New Kingdom Period tomb, as well as new research relating to two of Judah’s notably righteous kings—Hezekiah and Josiah—2025 brought us many new and exciting discoveries illustrating the biblical account. https://armstronginstitute.org/1408-top-10-biblical-archaeology-finds-of-2025

Around 170 years ago, British archaeologist Sir Austin Henry Layard excavated much of Assyrian King Sennacherib’s palace in ancient Nineveh. In the royal throne room, there stood a stunning 3-meter-high carving of a majestic city that was utterly unique in all of Sennacherib’s reliefs. Atop the tallest tower in the city was one individual holding up a royal standard. Could this be a depiction of ancient Jerusalem and could the lone figure be Judah’s King Hezekiah, of whom Sennacherib boasted that he besieged as a “bird in a cage.” Revealed: A 2,700-Year-Old Depiction of Jerusalem and King Hezekiah

Ivory was a luxury item in the ancient biblical world, associated exclusively with royalty and the rich. King Solomon sat on a throne of ivory in Jerusalem. King Ahab had a famous house of ivory in Samaria. Where did the Bible’s ivory come from? Dr. Harel Shochat from the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa answers this question in a recently published article titled “A Thousand Years of Nubian Supply of Sub-Saharan Ivory to the Southern Levant, ca. 1600–600 B.C.E.” Dr. Shochat explains how ivory was exported from Nubia, Egypt’s southern neighbor on the Nile, to the Southern Levant. On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal and Dr. Shochat take a deep dive into his paper. They analyze what the data shows about ivory exports during biblical times.

Excavating the time of David and beyond at Abel Beth Maacah with Prof. Naama Yahalom-Mack https://armstronginstitute.org/1328-a-3000-year-old-palace-on-israels-northern-frontier

Excavators in the City of David have uncovered a massive dam built during the time of Jerusalem’s biblical kings. The dating of the reservoir to about 800 B.C.E., two hundred years after King David reigned, was determined following the publication of new carbon-14 results of the dam wall. On today’s program, Brent Nagtegaal reviews the discovery in light of biblical history. https://armstronginstitute.org/1285-massive-2800-year-old-dam-discovered-in-ancient-jerusalem

The Bible records that King David’s grandson, King Rehoboam, fortified 15 cities in the kingdom of Judah almost 3,000 years ago. The biggest of these was Lachish, recognized as Judah’s second most important city after Jerusalem. Prof. Yosef Garfinkel of Hebrew University is currently excavating at Tel Lachish. Two days before the end of the excavation, Let the Stones Speak host Brent Nagtegaal sat down with Professor Garfinkel to view the massive city wall his team is unearthing. https://armstronginstitute.org/1257-new-excavations-king-rehoboams-fortifications-at-lachish

Shiloh is famous as the location of the biblical tabernacle. Archaeological excavations have been taking place annually on the north side of the ancient tel. Excavation director Dr. Scott Stripling believes his team may have found remains from the tabernacle itself, as well as the city gate and sacrificial deposits. In this end-of-season interview, Dr. Stripling leads Let the Stones Speak host Christopher Eames through the three main areas of excavation at Tel Shiloh. Let the Stones Speak May-June 2022: SHILOH: Israel's First Capital Interview: Tel Shiloh 2024: End-of-Season Interview With Dr. Scott Stripling (2024) Interview: Uncovering Shiloh at the Time of the Tabernacle (2023) Interview: Will the Location of the Tabernacle be Soon Discovered at Tel Shiloh? (2022)

The biblical city of Ai was one of three cities that met a fiery demise when the Israelites conquered the Promised Land: “So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap …” (Joshua 8:28). Over the years, archaeologists have proposed a few sites as being biblical Ai. One such site is Khirbet al-Maqatir. Al-Maqatir was excavated by the Associates for Biblical Research for 14 seasons. This small site conforms with a number of key parameters for Joshua’s Ai. In today’s interview, which was recorded in May, Let the Stones Speak co-host Christopher Eames speaks with Abigail Van Huss, one of the site’s excavators, about the history of the site and its identification as Ai. Jericho, Ai, Hazor: Investigating the Three Cities ‘That Did Joshua Burn’ Et-Tell: Joshua’s Ai After All?

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) safeguards the history of Israel. We've had the opportunity to work closely with the lAA on many projects over the years. Most recently, we've been working with Dr. Amit Re'em, the lAA director of Jerusalem district archaeology. Re'em is a man who has been "working, exploring, writing on ancient Jerusalem for more than 30 years." In today's interview, Let the Stones Speak co-host Christopher Eames interviews Re'em about his background in archaeology and his role at the Israel Antiquities Authority.

After three weeks of excavation, our work at Jerusalem’s royal quarter has ended. We had a successful and productive season in an area of the Ophel that has not been touched since Dr. Eilat Mazar’s 2009-2010 excavations. In today’s episode, Let the Stones Speak co-host Christopher Eames interviews excavation director Prof. Yosef Garfinkel about his perspective on the season and the future of the site.

Over a century of excavations at Tel Megiddo have finally unearthed a construction layer from the late seventh century B.C.E. and with it the largest assemblage of Egyptian pottery ever discovered in the southern Levant. This is at the precise time the Bible says King Josiah traveled to Megiddo to war against Egypt. On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal talks about the new discovery as well as the broader biblical context for King Josiah’s last stand at Megiddo. https://armstronginstitute.org/1221-the-egyptian-army-at-megiddo-a-window-into-king-josiahs-last-stand

On April 2, renewed excavation began in Jerusalem's biblical royal quarter in preparation for reconstruction work to highlight the ancient city's famed past. The three-to- four-week excavation is the first return to the area, known as the Ophel, since the excavations led by the late Dr. Eilat Mazar in 2009–2010. This current excavation is led by Hebrew University's Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, staffed by the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology (AIBA) and funded by AIBA alongside Daniel Mintz and Meredith Berkman. On today's program, host Christopher Eames interviews aiba staff member Brent Nagtegaal who was on the 2009 excavation and is helping coordinate the excavation this year. https://armstronginstitute.org/1217-excavating-the-ophel-water-gate

The Temple Mount Sifting Project has produced some remarkable finds. The discoveries are diverse—from arrowheads to astragals—and unique, including items made of gold! Each discovery, just like the sifting project itself, makes a great contribution to the archaeological record of Jerusalem. During their December interview, project co-director Zachi Dvira gave Let the Stones Speak co-host Christopher Eames an inside look at some of these finds. You can now see these for yourself in this second installment of that interview.

In a first for Israel, a tomb complex holding the bones of about 60 individuals was recently uncovered in the Negev region of southern Israel. On today's program, Let the Stones Speak host Brent Nagtegaal speaks with Israel Antiquities Authority senior researcher and Negev expert Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini about the unique discovery. https://armstronginstitute.org/1189-2500-year-old-tomb-complex-discovered-at-critical-crossroads-in-southern-israel

The Bible says King Solomon possessed such quantities of bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) that it became a common material, not worthy of being enumerated. From where did Solomon acquire such vast supplies of copper? Let the Stones Speak co-host Christopher Eames interviewed Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef, director of excavations at Timna, to discuss the copper mines of Israel’s united monarchy. “Copper Mines of the United Monarchy” “David’s Edomite Garrisons”

In December, Let the Stones Speak co-host Christopher Eames interviewed Zachi Dvira. In this first installment of the interview, Dvira discusses the history of the project, as well as some details about where the project stands today.

From the biggest of shipwrecks to the smallest of pendants—here’s our list of 2024’s greatest hits in biblical archaeology. https://armstronginstitute.org/1145-top-10-biblical-archaeology-discoveries-of-2024

The book of Esther contains one of the most riveting and dramatic stories in the Bible. But is it true? There are those who have tried to discredit the book of Esther, relegating it to myth and fables. However, what does the evidence say? On today’s program, host Nicholas Irwin interviews staff writer Christopher Eames about his article “The Book of Esther: Fact or Fiction?” The Book of Esther: Fact or Fiction? Esther in the Dead Sea Scrolls?

On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal speaks to Hebrew University Archaeologist Prof. Yosef Garfinkel about a recently discovered city wall at Lachish during his excavations in collaboration with Prof. Hoo-Goo Kang of Seoul Jangsin University, Korea. The interview occurred on the sidelines of the American Schools for Oversees Research annual meeting held in Boston in late November. https://armstronginstitute.org/1138-king-rehoboams-fortifications-found-at-biblical-lachish

The Tel Dan Stele is arguably the most important artifact ever discovered in the world of biblical archaeology, containing the earliest confirmed mention of King David. In light of the opening celebration, Let the Stones Speak host Brent Nagtegaal interviewed epigrapher and historian Prof. Michael Langlois, who is currently researching the Stele. https://armstronginstitute.org/1110-new-research-on-the-house-of-david-inscription-with-prof-michael-langlois

The team from Hebrew University and the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology is about to start excavations again in the royal quarter of ancient Jerusalem—the Ophel. On today’s program, host Christopher Eames talks with excavation directors Prof. Uzi Leibner and Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat about the upcoming Ophel dig.

The Givati Parking Lot excavations at the northwestern edge of the City of David have upended our ideas about what ancient Jerusalem looked like. A sensational new discovery has revealed the city had a moat. Not one that contained water but rather a monumental artificial valley that separated the northern part of the city (the Ophel and Temple Mount) from the southern region (the City of David), serving as a distinguishing feature of the city during the days of the biblical kings. On today’s program, host Christopher Eames interviews Givati Parking Lot excavations co-director Dr. Yiftah Shalev to find out the latest about this astonishing topographical feature being uncovered at the site. “An Early Iron Age Moat in Jerusalem Between the Ophel and the Southeastern Ridge/City of David” “The Moat of Ancient Jerusalem” “Top 10 Biblical Archaeology Discoveries of 2023” “Mysterious Bedrock Cuts From the First Temple Period Jerusalem”

Shiloh is famous as the location of the biblical tabernacle. Archaeological excavations have been taking place annually on the north side of the ancient tel. Excavation director Dr. Scott Stripling believes his team may have found remains from the tabernacle itself, as well as the city gate and sacrificial deposits. In this end-of-season interview, Let the Stones Speak host Christopher Eames interviews Dr. Stripling about finds from the 2024 season, including some intriguing gold items—offerings for the tabernacle? Let the Stones Speak May-June 2022: SHILOH: Israel’s First Capital Interview: Uncovering Shiloh at the Time of the Tabernacle (2023) Interview: Will the Location of the Tabernacle be Soon Discovered at Tel Shiloh? (2022) WEBSITE: https://armstrongInstitute.org MAGAZINE: https://armstronginstitute.org/reques... EMAIL UPDATES: https://armstronginstitute.us12.list-... ARMSTRONG INSTITUTE EXHIBIT: https://armstronginstitute.org/exhibit-2024 CONTACT US: [email protected]

Over the past decade, archaeologists and scientists have collected and analyzed carbon samples from archaeological strata dating from 3,000 years ago—the time of the biblical kings of King David’s dynasty. Now, the results are finally in. What it revealed is a stunning overlap between biblical history and who built what in Jerusalem during the time of the biblical kings. A Revolutionary Carbon-Dating Study of Ancient Jerusalem

Can you confirm the identity of Moses in Egyptian history? Can you confirm the identity of Moses in Egyptian history? There is one particular princely individual in the New Kingdom Period who remarkably parallels the biblical account of Moses. The similarities are so close, one key proponent believes the evidence is secure. Has the question of Moses’s identity in Egyptian history been solved? On today’s program, host Nicholas Irwin interviews staff writer Christopher Eames about this potential candidate for biblical Moses.

On today’s program, Prof Michael Langlois joins host Brent Nagtegaal to discuss the Mesha Stele along with current scholarship’s unscientific reluctance to accept the historicity of King David. https://armstronginstitute.org/1051-mesha-stele-the-second-house-of-david-inscription

The Bible describes several peculiar architectural features of Solomon’s temple and palace complex. Remarkable parallels to these features were discovered on a 3,000-year-old strange stone model at Khirbet Qeiyafa. On today’s program, Let the Stones Speak host Christopher Eames interviews Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, a lead researcher of the shrine model. They also discuss her discovery of the earliest alphabetical sentence ever found in Israel—the Lachish Comb Inscription. “Triglyphs: Another New Style of Monumental Architecture” “The ‘House of the Forest of Lebanon,’ an Impossible Equation, and the Danger in Trying to ‘Fix’ the Bible” “3,700-Year-Old Appeal Against Lice: Earliest(?) Alphabetic Inscription Discovered in Israel” RELATED PUBLICATIONS: Solomon’s Temple and Palace: New Archaeological Discoveries, by Yosef Garfinkel and Madeleine Mumcuoglu Crossing the Threshold: Architecture, Iconography and the Sacred Entrance, by Madeleine Mumcuoglu and Yosef Garfinkel

Another year in biblical archaeology is behind us—and a big year it was, particularly in discoveries and research relating to kings David and Solomon. https://armstronginstitute.org/980-top-10-biblical-archaeology-discoveries-of-2023

For today’s program, Let the Stones Speak host Brent Nagtegaal traveled to Ein Hatzeva, located in southern Israel, to interview Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini at what she believes is one of the many military outposts dating to King David’s time. https://armstronginstitute.org/969-outposts-built-by-king-david-discovered-in-southern-israel

On today’s podcast, host Brent Nagtegaal talks to Professor Ben-Yosef about how the copper production site in Timna—as well as the wider Aravah Valley area—could have contributed to the power and wealth of the kingdom of David and Solomon, as well as the Edomites. https://armstronginstitute.org/966-did-the-massive-copper-mines-of-edom-empower-the-kingdom-of-david-and-solomon

This amazing discovery was made on one of the final days of the Ophel excavation in Jerusalem. On this program, host Brent Nagtegaal speaks with dig codirector Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat, one of the world’s foremost experts on Second Temple Period architecture, about the ornate ceiling panel. VIDEO HERE -www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7VFJatNxqs

AIBA's Christopher Eames presents the first full accounting of Jerusalem inscriptions from the Iron ii period at the distinguished “Epigraphy in Judah” conference in Jerusalem. VIDEO HERE

On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal interviews the lead author of the paper, archaeologist Dr. Scott Stripling, about the discovery and its final publication. Video Here https://armstronginstitute.org/897-the-curse-tablet-from-joshuas-altar-on-mount-ebal

Interview with excavation director Prof. Uzi Leibner VIDEO HERE

A journey through one of the most important sites in biblical archaeology Video HERE

On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal interviews Dr. Vainstub about his new reading of the inscription and its connection to the biblical narrative. https://armstronginstitute.org/888-jerusalem-inscription-proves-link-between-king-solomon-and-sheba

On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal talks about how an honest archaeological mistake led to an all-too-wonderful discovery. Then he discusses how the famous Persian king was critical in the construction of the second temple in Jerusalem. https://armstronginstitute.org/871-king-darius-in-israel-an-almost-amazing-archaeological-discovery

A somewhat belated discussion about another amazing year of discovery https://armstronginstitute.org/861-top-10-biblical-archaeology-finds-of-2022

We talk with the City of David Foundation's Ze'ev Orenstein about an excavation two decades in the making. https://armstronginstitute.org/858-excavation-of-the-entire-siloam-pool-begins

A journey through one of the most important sites in biblical archaeology https://armstronginstitute.org/854-touring-the-bibles-buried-cities-gezer

One of the most important archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem is the Ophel Gatehouse, uncovered by the late Dr. Eilat Mazar. On today’s program, host Brent Nagtegaal takes you on a tour of the gatehouse and discusses its 10th-century B.C.E. dating. https://armstronginstitute.org/836-investigating-king-solomons-jerusalem-gatehouse

On today's program, host Brent Nagtegaal speaks with archaeologist Christopher Eames about four ancient gatehouses that have been attributed to King Solomon's era. https://armstronginstitute.org/830-king-solomons-gates