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, L...
Jul 02, 2025•19 min•Ep. 54
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...
Jun 24, 2025•23 min•Ep. 53
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.
May 05, 2025•16 min•Ep. 52
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...
Apr 30, 2025•37 min•Ep. 51
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 a...
Apr 04, 2025•36 min•Ep. 50
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 in...
Feb 26, 2025•31 min•Ep. 49
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...
Feb 24, 2025•43 min•Ep. 48
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 ”...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 47
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.
Feb 05, 2025•44 min•Ep. 46
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
Jan 15, 2025•35 min•Ep. 45
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?...
Dec 22, 2024•26 min•Ep. 44
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...
Dec 05, 2024•24 min•Ep. 43
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...
Sep 26, 2024•34 min•Ep. 42
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.
Aug 26, 2024•29 min•Ep. 41
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 pro...
Aug 07, 2024•17 min•Ep. 40
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...
Jun 27, 2024•18 min•Ep. 39
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...
Jun 03, 2024•47 min•Ep. 38
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 c...
May 22, 2024•27 min•Ep. 37
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
Apr 22, 2024•37 min•Ep. 36
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 ...
Apr 11, 2024•30 min•Ep. 35
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
Mar 06, 2024•45 min•Ep. 34
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
Nov 15, 2023•36 min•Ep. 33
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...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 32
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
Aug 17, 2023•18 min•Ep. 31
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
May 24, 2023•28 min•Ep. 30
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
May 17, 2023•24 min•Ep. 29
Interview with excavation director Prof. Uzi Leibner VIDEO HERE
May 04, 2023•16 min•Ep. 28
A journey through one of the most important sites in biblical archaeology Video HERE
May 01, 2023•14 min•Ep. 27
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
Apr 23, 2023•22 min•Ep. 26
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
Mar 17, 2023•45 min•Ep. 24
