Sample Sources

The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.

A shallow, round clay bowl with an inscription in a Semitic script written in concentric circles surrounding a central drawing of a human-like figure.

Incantation Bowl for Divorce

This magic bowl from Mesopotamia requests a “divorce” from a demon. The Aramaic text contains multiple magical formulae and calls upon angels to aid the victim. An image of a demon appears in the…

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A detailed scale model of an ancient stone building featuring rectangular walls and small window openings, displayed against a stone backdrop.

The Herodian Quarter

Reconstruction of a Herodian House. © Z. Radovan / Bible Land Pictures.

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An illustrated reconstruction of an ancient temple complex with high stone walls, arched gateways, and several large buildings, set against a hilly landscape with scattered trees.

Wilson’s Arch

Wilson’s Arch Reconstruction. Illustration by Dalit Weinblatt.

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Aerial view of ancient stone ruins with rectangular and circular structures, surrounded by trees and pathways.

The Ḥammat Tiberias Synagogues

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Ancient mosaic showing a large armored figure holding four small soldiers, with Aramaic text below, two fallen figures to the left, and a horse with a rider to the right. Some sections are missing or damaged.

Samson Mosaic, Wadi Ḥamam

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A rectangular floor mosaic with Hebrew and Aramaic inscriptions in black letters, bordered by a geometric pattern, set in a tiled hallway with stone walls.

Mosaic Inscription, ‘En Gedi

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Ancient rock-cut tombs set into a grassy hillside, with arched entrances and stone walls partially covered by green vegetation. One entrance is barred with metal grates.

Akeldama Burial Caves

Burial Cave Entrance. Photo: www.HolyLandPhotos.org.

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A collection of ancient red-glazed pottery, including a large jug with a tall neck and handle, a wide shallow dish, and four smaller dishes.

Eastern Terra Sigillata

Photo: Miki Koren, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

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Ten ancient stone weights of various sizes and shapes, mostly cylindrical and one roughly rectangular, arranged on a plain gray background. The stones appear worn and textured, with earthy beige tones.

Limestone Scale Weights

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Two sides of an ancient coin: one side shows an anchor surrounded by a Greek inscription, and the other shows a small circle with eight rays radiating from it within a larger circle. Paleo-Hebrew letters are inscribed between the rays.

Coin of Alexander Janneus

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Ancient mosaic depicting a human face with red hair, large eyes, and a neutral expression, made from small colored tiles. The face is outlined with a halo-like border.

Woman Floor Mosaic, Huqoq

This image of a female head comes from the mosaic floor of the Ḥuqoq synagogue, approximately seven miles north of Tiberias. The woman has thick, wavy hair and brown eyes and wears stud earrings.

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Map showing the eastern Mediterranean region in ancient times, with the sites of ancient synagogues labeled. The bottom section enlarges the area around the Sea of Galilee and Dead Sea.

Map of Synagogues in Antiquity

Synagogues in Antiquity. Map by Bill Nelson.

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