The Naked Archaeologist

The Philistines were a highly cultured people who left behind a rich legacy. We examine the tribe of Delilah and Goliath, their fertility cults, a temple like the one Samson may have destroyed with his bare hands, see some surprising artifacts and get the scoop on who the Philistines really were.

Everyone assumes the Greeks invented the alphabet, but what are its real origins? Archaeological finds tell us that it originated in Egypt where Hebrew slaves began the process of turning hieroglyphics into a series of symbols which convey sounds that can be used to form words.

It's been an enduring mystery for two thousand years; what stopped the brutal Assyrian army from sacking Jerusalem in 701 BCE? The army was poised outside the walls of Jerusalem - imagine the US Army against the Saskatoon police force - but at the last moment, according to the Bible, "an angel of God" intervened and the Assyrians were defeated.

One of the most brutal and brilliant leaders of ancient times, the first century King died with worms crawling from his flesh before he expired. On the one hand he was famous for impressive public works and architecture; on the others, for the Biblical slaughter of the firstborn sons of Israel and extraordinary cruelty including murdering his own family.

In North America it would be pretty unusual to have a bulldozer hit anything besides a hidden gas line or cable...but in Israel the cumbersome building tool often unearths ancient treasure. While digging a foundation for a new home, it's not uncommon to find the remains of an ancient city.

The Bible is full of references to the kinds of food ancients ate - but there are no recipes. Simcha learns what archaeology tells us about what people ate in ancient times; shops in Jerusalem for ingredients noted in the Bible and attempt to cook a meal fit for a king.

The Gospels sometimes contradict each other in their descriptions of Jesus' early years and not much is known about how he spent his childhood. Now archaeology can help uncover some clues about his early influences and even his birth.

New archaeology has revealed what may be the cave where St. John baptized new converts to Christianity.

The first century historian, Flavius Josephus, is the most frequently quoted scholar when it comes to the history of Jesus' time. But are his views accurate? We get a profile of the controversial historian.

In ancient times, thousands of people's lives ended, excruciatingly, on the cross. Despite the fact that so many were crucified, little physical evidence of it remains. We investigate why there is so little archaeological proof and visit the only known artifact - a foot with a nail through it - in an Israeli museum.

The Bible paints a picture of King David as a mighty hero, but for decades archaeologists have been struggling to find evidence of David's mighty kingdom.

How did this Phoenician princess become one of the Bible's best, or worst, femme fatales? Jezebel married Israelite King Ahab. But the Israelites new queen didn't move into the bridal chamber alone.

Ancients suffered from hundreds of ailments, some of which still plague us today. Leprosy is mentioned in the Bible frequently, and now archaeology has uncovered what may be the bones of the oldest leper. Scientists studying those bones can now tell us more about the disease than we may ever want to know.

Joshua is one of the Bible's greatest generals who conquered Canaan, the land God promised the Israelites. From Joshua came Israel, from Israel Jesus, from Jesus, Christianity and much of the Western World. But did the Old Testament's fiercest warrior even exist?

After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, legend has it that a group of about 1,000 politicized Jews committed suicide rather than be taken into slavery by Rome. Archaeological evidence has proven the legend to be real.

n the 1950s a Bedouin shepherd's sheep stumbled upon some ancient scrolls in a cave on the shores of the Dead Sea. This accidental find would prove to be the greatest archaeological discovery of the twentieth century.

For Jews, Christians and Muslims the Temple Mount or Al-Haram al-Sharif, is one of the holiest places on the planet. What does archaeology reveal about this holiest piece of the Holy Land?

For Jews, Christians and Muslims the Temple Mount or Al-Haram al-Sharif, is one of the holiest places on the planet. What does archaeology reveal about this holiest piece of the Holy Land?

St. Helena was the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. She convinced him to establish Christianity as the official state religion in the 4th century. She was also the first Christian pilgrim. Simcha visits some of the holiest Christian sites to find out how accurate St. Helena was.

The Bible is made up of dozens of books, but tradition has it that the first five books were dictated to Moses, by God. But could Moses have really written down the words that God spoke, including the Ten Commandments?

For thousands of years people have wondered which peak in the Sinai Peninsula is the legendary mountain where Moses is supposed to have received the 10 commandments.

For thousands of years people have wondered which peak in the Sinai Peninsula is the legendary mountain where Moses is supposed to have received the 10 commandments.