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Search museums for archaeological artefacts connected with the Bible
Julian Spriggs M.A.
This page lists over two hundred important artefacts in Biblical archaeology held in museums around the world. It gives the name and location of the museum, the museum's exhibit reference, and links to the page on the museum's collection website, if available. It also gives the period in Biblical history, the approximate date, and the ruling empire that the exhibit is associated with.
Artefacts are listed in alphabetical order, and can be filtered by Bible period, ruling empire, museum name, museum location, or object type. Artefacts can also be searched by word(s) in the name and description of the artefact. Once a museum is selected, for some museums the artefacts can then be searched by the gallery in the museum.
The page also contains information about exhibits which have an interest to Biblical archaeology held in a particular museum, but which are not currently on display.
Click on the link in the first column to view the exhibit on the museum's collection website.
Click on the 'Photo' link in the right-hand column to view the exhibit on this website (if available). There is also a link to the page on Wikipedia about the artefact, and to other sites containing a description and photographs, if one exists. For some inscriptions there is a link to an English translation on another website.
New exhibits are regularly added to this page.
Select bible period
Select empire
Select museum name
Select museum location
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245 exhibits found
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Adam and Eve seal
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British Museum, London, UK
Seal / Bulla (89326) Room 56 (Mesopotamia < 1500 BC) Case 10
Ancient Babylonia (2200 - 2100 BC)
Patriarchs (Gen 2)
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This is a Babylonian cylinder seal, used by impressing the design into soft wax. It shows a tree with fruit in the centre, with two god-like figures pointing at it. One is a male, with horns, the other is female. Behind the female figure is a snake. We can wonder where the Babylonians got this idea from.
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Agrippa I coin
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Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Coin (79.3521) Numismatics
Roman (AD 42 - 43)
Acts (Acts 12)
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A coin from the reign of Agrippa I. It was Agrippa who had James executed and Peter put in prison, before his gruesome death. (Acts 12).
The front shows a bust of Agrippa facing right. The reverse shows a tyche of Caesarea standing facing left, resting her extended right hand on a rudder, and holding palm branch in left hand, with an inscription in Greek.
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Agrippa II coin
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Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Coin (71.53) Numismatics
Roman
Acts (Acts 26)
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A bronze coin from the time of Agrippa II of Judah. Agrippa and Bernice listened to Paul's testimony, and declared that he was innocent.
The front shows the head of the Emperor Nero, and the reverse has an inscription surrounded by a wreath.
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Ahaz seal
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Private collection,
Seal / Bulla
Israel (720 BC)
Divided monarchy (2 Kg 16, 2 Chr 28)
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A bulla, or impression of the seal of King Ahaz, the seal contains an ancient Hebrew inscription mentioning the name of Ahaz of Judah, as well as the name of his father, Yehotam (Jotham), identifying Ahaz as the "king of Judah". The inscription is, “Ahaz (son of) Jotham, Judah’s king". The left side of the bulla contains a fingerprint which may belong to Ahaz himself.
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Aleppo Codex
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Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Papyrus Document 2004.27/292 Shrine of the Book
Israel 10th century AD
(Old Testament)
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The Aleppo Codex is the earliest known Hebrew manuscript containing the full text of the Hebrew Scriptures. It is also the most authoritative, accurate, and sacred source document, both for the biblical text and for its vocalisation, cantillation and the transmission of the Bible.
The Codex was copied by the scribe Shlomo Ben-Buya'a over one thousand years ago. The text was then verified, vocalized, and provided with the Masorah by Aaron Ben-Asher, the last and most prominent member of the Ben-Asher dynasty, which shaped the Hebrew text of the Bible. It was probably the manuscript used by Maimonides when he set down the exact rules for writing scrolls of the Torah.
The Codex was written in Tiberias in the early tenth century, looted and transferred to Egypt at the end of the eleventh century, and deposited with the Jewish community of Aleppo in Syria at the end of the fourteenth century. The rabbis and elders of the community guarded it zealously for some six hundred years. During the riots against Jews and Jewish property in Aleppo in December 1947, the community's ancient synagogue was put to the torch and the Codex, which was kept in the synagogue's "Cave of Elijah," suffered damage, so that no more than 295 of the original 487 leaves survived.
In January 1958 the Aleppo Codex was brought to Jerusalem, where it remains until today.
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Alexander the Great - carved head
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British Museum, London, UK
Statue (1872,0515.1) Room 22 (Alexander) Free-standing
Greece (c. 200 BC)
Inter-testamental (Dan 8, 5-6, 20-22, 11:3-4)
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Alexander the Great was the famous king of Greece, who conquered the Persian Empire while still in his twenties. After he died rather mysteriously while at the height of his power, his kingdom was divided between four of his generals, including Ptolemy in Egypt, and Seleucus in Syria. The rise of Alexander was predicted in the Book of Daniel, when Daniel was shown a vision of a male goat:
"As I was watching, a male goat appeared from the west, coming across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a horn between its eyes. It came toward the ram with the two horns that I had seen standing beside the river (v3 = Persia and Media), and it ran at it with savage force. I saw it approaching the ram. It was enraged against it and struck the ram, breaking its two horns. The ram did not have the power to withstand it; it threw the ram down to the ground and trampled on it, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from its power. Then the male goat grew exceedingly great; but at the height of its power, the great horn was broken, and in its place there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven." (Dan 8:5-6)
Daniel was given this explanation:
"As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. The male goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king. As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power." (Dan 8:20-22)
The prediction was repeated in later vision:
"Then a warrior king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and take action as he pleases. And when still rising in power, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his prosperity, nor according to the dominion which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted and go others beside these. "(Dan 11:3-4)
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Alexander the Great capture of Babylon
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British Museum, London, UK
Cuneiform Tablet (36761) Room 52 (Ancient Iran) Case 3
Persia (331 BC - 330 BC)
Inter-testamental
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This tablet describes the defeat of Darius III by Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC, and Alexander's triumphant entry into Babylon.
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Alexander the Great head
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Louvre, Paris, France
Statue (MND 2075) Sully 339 Case 1
Greece 300 - 160 BC
Inter-testamental (Dan 8, 5-6, 20-22, 11:3-4)
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Head of Alexander the Great who conquered the Persian Empire and spread Greek culture around the ancient near east. Predicted by Daniel as the male goat who grew exceedingly great (Dan 8:5-8).
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Antiochus I (Soter) coin
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State Museum, Berlin, Germany
Coin (18207752) Coin Cabinet
Seleucids / Ptolemies (281 - 261 BC)
Inter-testamental
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Silver tetradrachm showing head of Antiochus I (Soter)
The son of Seleucus I of Syria. He became known as the greatest founder of cities after Alexander the Great. He is not mentioned in the Book of Daniel.
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Antiochus III (Hefzibah) inscription
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Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Inscription (1960-52) Hellenistic, Roman & Byzantine
Judah (201 - 195 BC)
Inter-testamental (Dan 11:15-19)
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Transcript of correspondence between Antiochus III (223–187 BC) and Ptolemy son of Thraseas
Throughout the Seleucid Empire, correspondence between the king and his subordinates was publicized on stone monuments, which were set up in public places.
This monument is inscribed with an exchange of five letters. Ptolemy son of Thraseas, governor and high priest of Syria-Phoinike, asks King Antiochus III to forbid his soldiers from forcibly taking quarter in local homes and pressing the population into service. The king responds by ordering his subordinates to restrain and punish all offenders.
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Antiochus III coin
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Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Coin (71.725) Numismatics
Seleucids / Ptolemies (223 - 187 BC)
Inter-testamental (Dan 11:10-13)
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A coin from the reign of Antiochus III (the Great), the seleucid king who conquered Israel from Egypt.
The front shows the head of Antiochus III facing right, and the reverse shows Antiochus sitting on a stone.
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Antiochus III head
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Louvre, Paris, France
Statue (MNE 909) Sully 340 Free-standing
Seleucids / Ptolemies 1st century BC
Inter-testamental (Daniel 11:10-17)
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Antiochus III 'The Great' was the ruler of the Seleucids from 222 - 187 BC. He expanded his empire and conquered Israel from Egypt. Israel then came under the control of the Seleucid Empire.
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Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) coin
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State Museum, Berlin, Germany
Coin (18207686) Coin Cabinet
Seleucids / Ptolemies (168 - 164 BC)
Inter-testamental (Dan 11:21-35)
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Silver tetradrachm of Antiochus IV (Epiphanes).
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Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) coin
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Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Coin (87.9.11949) Numismatics
Seleucids / Ptolemies (168 - 164 BC)
Inter-testamental (Dan 7:8-27, 8:9)
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A silver Tetradrachm coin of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the 'little horn' of Daniel. He was the Seleucid king who claimed to be a manifestation of Zeus, and attempted to destroy Judaism.
The front shows the crowned head of Antiochus IV. The reverse shows Antiochus as Zeus seated facing left on his throne, holding sceptre in his left hand and Nike in his right hand.
There are several coins in the Israel Museum depicting Antiochus IV.
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Antiochus IV Epiphanes coin
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Louvre, Paris, France
Coin (FG 536) Sully 340
Seleucids / Ptolemies 175 - 164 BC
Inter-testamental (Dan 7:8-12, 11:21-39)
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Silver tetradrachm of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Has representation of Zeus sitting on a throne, and inscribed 'King Antiochus, God manifested, victorious'.
The 'little horn' of Daniel, who claimed to be an incarnation of Zeus. He persecuted the Jews, and dedicated the temple in Jerusalem to Zeus (ie himself). He replaced the regular burnt offering of a sheep with the sacrifice of a pig, thus making the temple ritually unclean.
There is also another coin of Antiochus IV, exhibit number FG 544.
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Arch of Titus
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Roman Forum, Rome, Italy
Building
Roman (AD 81)
Early church (Mt 24, Mk 13, Lk 21)
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The Arch of Titus is located on the Via Sacra in Rome, south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed around AD 81 by Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus. It commemorates the victory of Titus and his father Vespasian over the Jewish rebellion in AD 70, when the city and temple of Jerusalem was destroyed.
The arch contains panels depicting the official triumphal procession celebrated in AD 71 after the Roman victory. The spoils of Jerusalem relief on the inside of the arch gives one of the few contemporary depictions of artifacts from Herod's temple. The lampstand, or menorah, shown on the arch was adopted as the emblem of the modern state of Israel.
Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in his olivet discourse (Mt 24:2, Mk 13:2, Lk 21:6).
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Asherah (Astarte) figurines
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Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Object / Artefact (1960-725, 1980-2) Israelite & Persian
Canaanite (8th - 6th century BC)
Exodus and Conquest
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Such figurines, with pronounced breasts, were found mainly in private dwellings. Usually identified with either the goddess Astarte or the goddess Asherah, they were kept as household amulets to enhance fertility and offer protection during childbirth.
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Ashurbanipal - prisoners of war
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Louvre, Paris, France
Wall-relief / Decoration (AO 19913) Richelieu 230 On wall
Assyria (668 - 627 BC)
Divided monarchy
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Wall relief from the palace of Ashurbanipal showing soldiers leading away prisoners of war.
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Ashurbanipal foundation cylinder
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Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin, Germany
Cuneiform Prism or Cylinder (VA Bab 00601)
Assyria (7th century BC)
Divided monarchy
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Foundation cylinder of Ashurbanipal of Assyria
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Ashurbanipal in war chariot
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Louvre, Paris, France
Wall-relief / Decoration (AO 19904) Richelieu 230 On wall
Assyria (668 - 627 BC)
Divided monarchy (Ezra 4:10 ?)
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Ashurbanipal was the final powerful king of Assyria. He is possibly to be identified with Osnappar (Ezra 4:10).
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