The Biblical Archaeology Forum (BAF) begins its thirty-fifth year this autumn. This season we will welcome presentations from Johns Hopkins Egyptologist Betsy Bryan, a scholar of early Judaism Lawrence Schiffman of NYU, and George Washington University professor Eric Cline discussing excavations at Megiddo (Biblical Armageddon). A National Geographic archaeologist will update us on the restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We will also be joined by the husband and wife team of Eric and Carol Meyer of Duke University; and by Christopher Gregg of George Mason University, who will lead us on a tour of the Roman Forum as it was in antiquity.
Please join us for a series of eight scholarly lectures on the latest archaeological research findings and related fields such as history, art, and texts of ancient times in the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean. No reservations.
Fees per lecture are
free – high school students;
$5 – Residents of CES Life Communities, college students, and co-sponsors;
$8 – BASONOVA & Bender JCC members, a
$10 – the general public.
To subscribe to the entire 8 session lecture series for $48, or for more information, please contact BAF.JCCGW@gmail.com.
2020-2021 SEASON all lectures via zoom
| From Sanctuary to Synagogue | Wednesday, August 11th - 8:00 PM |
| The Politics of Genealogies in Second Temple Times | Wednesday, August 25th - 8:00 PM |
From Sanctuary to Synagogue
Wednesday, August 11th
8:00 PM
Wednesday, August 11, 2021, at 8 pm via Zoom
From Sanctuary to Synagogue
Robert Stieglitz, Rutgers University
This illustrated lecture details the origins of the synagogue and its decorative arts. This religious institution and its practice have roots that can be traced back to the Biblical traditions of the “sanctuary”(miškan), also known as the Tabernacle, and the subsequent permanent “house” (bayit), or temple (miqdaš) built for the God of Israel.
Special attention will be given to the artistic motifs unearthed in the ancient synagogues unearthed in Israel, structures primarily datable to the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries C.E.). The synagogues and their art can be seen as the culmination of a long process of development, whose roots are traceable to the Hellenistic era (3rd-1st centuries B.C.E.).
Robert Stieglitz is Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University
BAF and its sister organization in Northern Virginia (BASONOVA), are delighted to announce a joint resumption of their lecture series on the ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean. This series will be broadcast “live” via Zoom, and “attendees” will be able to direct questions of the presenters.
How to Access the Lecture Series
We will announce additions to the line-up of presenters on a regular basis, as it is our aim to offer more than one event each month. Members will also receive a regular listing of recommended lectures in the public domain.
If you wish to subscribe to the series*, please access the BASONOVA PayPal portal and use a credit card for a one-year subscription ($35 per family). Go to: http://www.basonova.org/membership-form.html
It is also possible to access the series one lecture at a time, for $6 per lecture. To receive your single-lecture Zoom invitation, go to: http://www.basonova.org/next-lecture-reservation.html
*Maryland residents will be enrolled in BAF and Virginians will be enrolled in BASONOVA. There is no advantage in enrolling in one group versus the other, only that when in-person lectures begin again you will be apportioned to the group that matches your state of residence.
The Politics of Genealogies in Second Temple Times
Wednesday, August 25th
8:00 PM
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at 8 pm Eastern via Zoom
The Politics of Genealogies in Second Temple Times
Deirdre N. Fulton, Baylor University
Genealogies are a prominent feature in biblical literature, particularly in the Torah as well as sacred literature from the postexilic period, namely the books of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. This interest in including genealogies within the biblical texts serves many different purposes, including creating identity, making explicit family connections, enhancing one’s own pedigree, and asserting specific claims to a territory, position or a group of people.
This lecture surveys biblical genealogies, specifically royal and non-royal genealogies in Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The presenter will discuss the setting and structure of specific genealogies and place them within the broader Ancient Near Eastern cultural framework.
Deirdre Fulton is an Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Baylor University
BAF and its sister organization in Northern Virginia (BASONOVA), are delighted to announce a joint resumption of their lecture series on the ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean. This series will be broadcast “live” via Zoom, and “attendees” will be able to direct questions of the presenters.
How to Access the Lecture Series
We will announce additions to the line-up of presenters on a regular basis, as it is our aim to offer more than one event each month. Members will also receive a regular listing of recommended lectures in the public domain.
If you wish to subscribe to the series*, please access the BASONOVA PayPal portal and use a credit card for a one-year subscription ($35 per family). Go to: http://www.basonova.org/membership-form.html
It is also possible to access the series one lecture at a time, for $6 per lecture. To receive your single-lecture Zoom invitation, go to: http://www.basonova.org/next-lecture-reservation.html
*Maryland residents will be enrolled in BAF and Virginians will be enrolled in BASONOVA. There is no advantage in enrolling in one group versus the other, only that when in-person lectures begin again you will be apportioned to the group that matches your state of residence.
