History Round-up

The following is a round-up of the most interesting articles and websites I've found recently that shed light on the life and times of places mentioned in the Bible.

ISREAL/JUDEA 

Aerial Video from Over Isreal
Some gorgeous shots you won't want to miss, and an epiphany from the photographer. 

Philistines Introducted New Plants to Coastal Plains
Article tells how plants introduced to the Holy Land when the Philisteens migrated there included cumin, sycamore, and opium poppy.

Seal Found in Jersulamen from Time of King David


EGYPT

Critique of the David Rohl's Revised Egyptian Chronology
...which was recently promoted in the movie Exodus: Patterns of Evidence

Roman-era Egyptian Mummy Paintings Show Egyptian Blue Paint
This was interesting to me because it reveals some things we didn't know about  ancient painting techniques and coloring.


ROME

6th Century BC Home Discovery Changes Ancient Rome Map


MULTI-LOCALITY

Travel Costs in Roman Times
This is an interactive tool where you can calculate travel costs from any two cities in the 1st century Roman world...in Roman denarius.  According to the Bible, a days wage for farm work was 1 denarius.  In Egypt around the same time there's records of a denarius (based on conversion from other coin used there) being worth about a weeks wage (7 days...not OUR 5 day work week). 

The History of the Color Blue
The "Egyptian Blue Paint" story above lead me to this one.  Blue was a hard color to make naturally, so how artists and craftsmen managed to incorporate this color throughout history is a fascinating story talked about here.