Alcoholism in ancient Israel

Sexuality in Ancient Israel: Two Contrasting Models

Sexuality is certainly at the core of the HIV and AIDS threat and needs to be dealt from a biblical perspective. The word ―sexuality‖ is used mainly in two ways: The first signifies sexual orientation or preferences. A second prominent use of this word is to mean the sexual acts. It is in the latter sense the word is used in this paper. In this paper, I would like to describe and contrast two s...

The physician in ancient Israel: his status and function.

a tradition reaching back to Talmudic times when rabbis were frequently acknowledged for their healing skills.' This trend developed during the medieval period in Europe, when Jews, excluded from practically all the learned professions, turned to medicine as a means of livelihood.2 As a result, the Jews have been esteemed for their medical skills and, in our own time, continue to occupy a disti...

Intersectionality in the Book of Ruth: Constructing Ruth’s Identity in Ancient Israel

First evidence of “ancient deer” (cervid) in the late Miocene Bira Formation, Northern Israel

Despite the extensive geological and paleontological searches in the south Levant, no terrestrial fauna of late Neogene age was yet reported. Here, we report the first evidence of "ancient deer"-cervid in the late Miocene (Tortonian) lacustrine section of the Bira Formation at Hagal Stream, Jordan Valley, northern Israel. The section comprises rich assemblage of macrofauna fossils, mostly fresh...

Unusual pathological condition in the lower extremities of a skeleton from ancient Israel.

We report here an unusual pathology in a 1,500-year-old skeleton recovered from Bet Guvrin, Israel. The pathological changes in the lower extremities and the diagnostic difficulties are presented. We attribute this condition to Madura foot, found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions, although other diagnoses are possible and are noted. We discuss its appearance in the region in light o...