The International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament (IOSOT) will hold its 20th meeting in Helsinki, 1–6 August 2010.
Scholars from all over the world are invited to attend the lectures, participate in the discussions, and give papers. Associated events will be held July 29-August 6.
The organizers are giving a 'local colour' to the congress by giving priority to main papers on topics that are crucial for Old Testament Studies in Helsinki, such as Textual History, Septuagint, Qumran, and Deuteronomistic History, as well as Archaeology. Other subjects are addressed in short paper sessions and in sessions of different research groups.
Ms. Jutta Jokiranta, DTh
Research Fellow
Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies
P.O. Box 4
FIN-00014 University of Helsinki
Email: iosot-2010 AT helsinki.fi
Phone: +358-9-191 24348
Sutton Hoo is the site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries dating from the 6th and 7th century near Woodbridge, Suffolk. Suttton Hoo is of great importance to early medieval historians as the site during the time of use was under ruler Raedwald of East Anglia, who played an important part in establishing Christian rulership in England. Sutton Hoo contains a ship burial which includes a wealth of artifacts dating back to the 6th and 7th century and thus holds great archaeolgical significance.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Wed, 12/02/2009 - 18:39
Did you know Christmas dates back to Roman times? Want to find out more? You could do worse than head down to the British Museum this Sunday (Dec 6) then, where popular children's writer Caroline Lawrence will head up a day of Roman fun based around the ancient festival of Saturnalia, aptly named 'A Roman Christmas'. Visitors can get stuck into music, quizzes and prizes - and enjoy a talk and book signing from the author of Roman Mysteries, which has also been made into a CBBC series.
Submitted by veigapaula on Tue, 11/10/2009 - 23:54
The Christian Monastery of Saint Anthony, or Deir Mar Antonios, is the the first ever monastery, and lies at the coast of the Red Sea, to the east of the Fayum oasis. Dedicated to St Anthony, it was founded in 356 AD immediately after the saint's death, and is now the oldest Christian monastery still active in the world. Near the monastery (2 km away) there is also St. Anthony's cave, where he lived as a hermit.
This video provides a rare glimpse inside this wonderful monastery, filled with art and the postumous home of a hermit saint, Saint Anthony. Monasticism was a reality in Egypt after the first followers of Jesus entered the country and from here, from the land of the extinct pharaohs, monks and monastic life spread out to all the rest of the world.
This active monastery is a box full of surprises as the restoration works have uncovered exquisite medieval paintings, mostly of Holy Knights and Saints. It is really worth the three-hour drive from Cairo to visit this piece of architecture, built as a fortress as a result of Bedouin 'activity' in the past.
According to Abuna ('our Father' in Arabic) Maximos, a resident monk and the brain behind the restoration works, Bedouins still come for food. They have a trap door at the monastery for these occasions.
Jerusalem is one of the oldest, most famous and most controversial cities in the world. It has existed since the Stone Age, and in that time been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.
Currently it is the capital of Israel (although the United Nations do not recognise it as such), the country's largest city and the spiritual centre of the Jewish people. Jerusalem also has a wealth of Christian sites, and is seen as the third city of Islam. The city is one of the key issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem, which - up until the Six-Day War of 1967 - was held by Jordan, remains a bone of bloody contention between Israelis and Arabs.
Sites of ancient significance in Jerusalem are almost too many to list. Most are situated in the space of just 0.35 square miles, in the Old City. They include the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.
Around 73% of the city's modern population is Israeli, the rest is predominately Palestinian Arab.
The old city of Lod has a history that spans over 7,000 years, having switched hands from one civilization to the next. It is located near Tel Aviv in Israel. Archaeological finds place its earliest settlement to the 5th millenium B.C. It later became home to Jewish scholars and merchants during the Hellenestic period. But in the Roman-Jewish war starting in 66 A.D., the city was destroyed.
Eventually the city was established once again under Roman rule, with many of the inhabitants now Christian. St. George, the martyred Roman soldier in the Guard of Diocletian, is said to have been killed in the city during the 4th century AD, according to legend. By the 7th century, the city fell in the Arab conquest of Palestine, and become a capital for the caliphate. Centuries later it would also be taken over and under the control of the crusaders from 1099 to 1191.
Madaba is a Jordanian city of 60,000 people which is about 20 km southwest of Amman. It has a settlement history going back at least 5,000 years. At the end of the 4th millennium a small agricultural village existed there.
In the Iron Age, about 3,000 years ago, a 16 hectare settlement appeared that had a fortification wall five meters high and seven meters thick (at its strongest point). The city is mentioned in the bible as being near a battle between King David and a coalition of Ammonites and Aramaeans.
The city was destroyed later in the Iron Age and was re-occupied, after the fall, by people living in poorly built, simple houses.
In late Hellenistic and Early Roman times it was used as a small fort. In the Byzantine era it became a substantial town, famed for its mosaics. The most famous of which, the Madaba Map, is a 6th century cartographic depiction of the holy land, the oldest map to show this territory.
It declined again in medieval times and appears to have been abandoned during the 9th century AD. It didn't re-emerge until the 19th century when it was settled by Christian tribes from al-Karak and grew into the modern city it is today.
Did you know Christmas dates back to 
