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.
Uzziah’s Reinterment Inscription
Uzziah’s reinterment inscription, Jerusalem. King Uzziah (reigned 785–733 BCE) was a leper and therefore, according to the book of Chronicles, could not be buried in the royal tombs and so had to be…
Arad Letter (Military Orders)
Arad letter (Military Orders). The letter, from the latter days of the Judean monarchy, refers to sending reinforcements to a town in the Negev, “Lest Edom should enter there.” It illustrates the…
Musicians on Ritual Stand
Musicians on ritual stand, Ashdod, late 11th or early 10th century BCE. Music and dance played an important role in Israel and the ancient Near East in both daily life and special occasions such as…
Model Shrine from Tirzah
This terra-cotta model of a shrine from Tirzah stands 8 inches (21 cm) tall. The façade has an entrance with a grooved threshold flanked by fluted pilasters, with inward-curling volute capitals topped…
Bird Figurine with Pillar Base
This terra-cotta bird figurine from Lachish, about 4 inches (10 cm) high, has outspread wings indicating flight. Like the Judahite pillar figurines discussed earlier, its base is a solid pillar…
Seal of Shema, Servant of Jeroboam, with Lion
A large lion dominates this seal, appearing between the owner’s name (Shema) and his title (servant of Jeroboam). The lion’s jaws are open and its tail curves upward, making the animal appear larger…
Crouching Ivory Lion Figurines
In the ancient Near East, images of paired lions served as guardians at building entrances and on furniture, where these two figurines from Samaria were presumably placed. According to 1 Kings 10:19…
The Night of the Twentieth
Moshe:How? There’s no inner sanctum in my life, my life is secular, absolutely secular, from beginning to end. And what’s not in my psyche, I’ll not let you erect between us. Neither you nor anyone…
Seashell with Geometric Patterns
This shell from Mizpah is incised with concentric circles with dots in the center. The circles on the outer ring are combined into a guilloche. There are two perforations at one end and three (not…
A Trumpet in the Wadi
This fictional exploration of interethnic relationships is set in 1980s Israel, a time of significant political and social turmoil owing to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Lisistrata 2000
Bigdickus:Where’s he going? [shouting at an aide who has just exited] Where do you think you’re going?!Prostitutus:He thinks he’s going to baby-sit.Bigdickus:Babysitting? I sent him to kill her and he…
Cosmetic Bowl
This limestone cosmetic bowl from Megiddo has mosaic decoration around the rim. It consists of alternating circular and bud-shaped inlays of blue and brown glass. Some are now missing. The central…