It’s very likely that the story you’ve heard about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the young shepherd boy who was chasing the goats… isn’t quite the way it really happened. In this final episode of Season 2 of the Digging Deeper Podcast, Barry and Dan talk with Shebly Kando, the grandson of the famous Khalil Eskander Shahin “Kando”, the antiquities dealer that played a key role in the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls after they were find found by Bedouin shepherds, and hear him retell the story of what is considered to be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th centuries. 

Discovered in the caves near Qumran, the Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient scrolls that include portions of nearly every book of the Old Testament scriptures, dating back over 2,000 years and dramatically closing the gap between our modern Bibles and their earliest sources. From the handwritten scrolls written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, to the copper scroll and jars (some of which are still owned by the Kando family today), this episode describes the evidence that shows how faithfully the Bible has been preserved across centuries.

In this episode of Digging Deeper, Dan and Barry discuss the fascinating story of how the renowned Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay, together with an overly curious 13-year old boy, discovered the Ketef Hinnom Scrolls-the oldest known copies of biblical text every found. Hidden in a tomb in the Hinnon Valley in southwest Jerusalem, these tiny silver scrolls contain portions of the Priestly blessing in Numbers 6, as well as a portion of Deuteronomy chapter 7. 

Hailed by many as the greatest of Dr. Barkay’s many discoveries, these scrolls give us a remarkable glimpse into the early uses and reverence of the Old Testament scriptures. The find not only preserves the sacred name of YHWH, but also challenges many false assumptions of when the Bible was written. 

Special thanks to the sponsors of this season of Digging Deeper: 

CEI Bookstore (https://truthbooks.com) - CEI Books is a retail supplier of Bibles, books, and other religious materials to individuals and churches nationwide.

Sacred Connections (https://www.sacredconnections.com) - Sacred Connections is a safe, online space for Christians to connect and build meaningful relationships. With a focus on community and channels dedicated to various interests and events there is something for users at every life stage.

What can a small piece of clay tell us about the Bible? In this episode of Digging Deeper, Barry and Dan talk about the world of bullate-ancient seal impressions used to secure and authenticate documents. Found across the ancient world, these tiny artifacts carry huge significance when they contain names we recognize from scripture.

From King Hezekiah's seal to the possible bulla of the prophet Isaiah, these discoveries offer powerful archaeological proof of the people and places mentioned in the Bible. 

Special thanks to the sponsors of this season of Digging Deeper: 

CEI Bookstore (https://truthbooks.com) - CEI Books is a retail supplier of Bibles, books, and other religious materials to individuals and churches nationwide.

Sacred Connections (https://www.sacredconnections.com) - Sacred Connections is a safe, online space for Christians to connect and build meaningful relationships. With a focus on community and channels dedicated to various interests and events there is something for users at every life stage.

Step into Hezekiah’s Tunnel, a water channel built around 701 BC to secure Jerusalem’s water supply during the Assyrian siege led by Sennacherib. Ordered by King Hezekiah and referenced in 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32, this impressive feat of ancient engineering brought water from the Gihon Spring safely into the city.

In this episode of Digging Deeper, we walk through the very tunnel dug by Hezekiah’s men and explore how this historical site aligns with both archaeological evidence and biblical accounts. Discover how faith, history, and ingenuity come together beneath the streets of Jerusalem.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this season of Digging Deeper: 

CEI Bookstore (https://truthbooks.com) - CEI Books is a retail supplier of Bibles, books, and other religious materials to individuals and churches nationwide.

Sacred Connections (https://www.sacredconnections.com) - Sacred Connections is a safe, online space for Christians to connect and build meaningful relationships. With a focus on community and channels dedicated to various interests and events there is something for users at every life stage.

In this episode of Digging Deeper, Barry Britnell and Dan Kingsley discuss the fascinating world of ossuaries—stone boxes used primarily in Jewish burial practices during the time of Christ. From the ossuary of Caiaphas, the high priest who condemned Jesus, to the discovery of a heel bone pierced by a Roman crucifixion nail, these artifacts offer powerful connections to biblical history.

Join Barry and Dan as they explore burial customs from the time of Jesus, how archaeology sheds light on New Testament culture, and how these discoveries reinforce the historical reliability of Scripture. Plus, hear insights from Dr. Scott Stripling during a tour of the Israeli Antiquities Authority's warehouse in Jerusalem on what these ancient remains teach us about faith, death, and eternal hope.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this season of Digging Deeper: 

CEI Bookstore (https://truthbooks.com) - CEI Books is a retail supplier of Bibles, books, and other religious materials to individuals and churches nationwide.

Sacred Connections (https://www.sacredconnections.com) - Sacred Connections is a safe, online space for Christians to connect and build meaningful relationships. With a focus on community and channels dedicated to various interests and events there is something for users at every life stage.

What if you could see a picture of a biblical event carved in stone? In this episode of Digging Deeper, we explore the Lachish Reliefs, ancient carvings commissioned by King Sennacherib of Assyria to commemorate his brutal siege of the city of Lachish—one of Judah’s last strongholds. These detailed panels, now housed in the British Museum, vividly align with the biblical account found in 2 Kings 18–19, offering a striking example of how archaeology and the Bible intersect.

Discover the historical context of the Assyrian invasion, the significance of Lachish in the biblical narrative, and how these reliefs serve as a powerful reminder of God's justice and the consequences of turning away from His commands. Featuring insights from archaeologists and Bible scholars, this episode sheds light on one of the most dramatic and visually documented moments in ancient history.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this season of Digging Deeper: 

CEI Bookstore (https://truthbooks.com) - CEI Books is a retail supplier of Bibles, books, and other religious materials to individuals and churches nationwide.

Sacred Connections (https://www.sacredconnections.com) - Sacred Connections is a safe, online space for Christians to connect and build meaningful relationships. With a focus on community and channels dedicated to various interests and events there is something for users at every life stage.

The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient artifact that provides insight into King Cyrus the Great's rule and policies, including the decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem. This moment in history aligns with accounts in the Bible and offers a fascinating look at the intersection of archaeology and Scripture.

In this episode of Digging Deeper, we examine the significance of the Cyrus Cylinder and what it reveals about biblical prophecy, ancient Persia, and the historical events recorded in Scripture.

📜 Visit https://www.appianmedia.org for more biblical archaeology and history content!

Special thanks to the sponsors of this season of Digging Deeper: 

CEI Bookstore (https://truthbooks.com) - CEI Books is a retail supplier of Bibles, books, and other religious materials to individuals and churches nationwide.

Sacred Connections (https://www.sacredconnections.com) - Sacred Connections is a safe, online space for Christians to connect and build meaningful relationships. With a focus on community and channels dedicated to various interests and events there is something for users at every life stage.

Welcome to Season 2 of Digging Deeper, the podcast where we explore biblical history through archaeology and geography! In this episode, hosts Barry Britnell and Dan Kingsley take a deep dive into the Rosetta Stone—the key that unlocked the mysteries of Egyptian hieroglyphics and revolutionized our understanding of ancient civilizations. How did this remarkable discovery impact biblical archaeology? Why is Egypt’s history so vital to the biblical narrative? Join us as we uncover the significance of this artifact and its role in shaping our knowledge of the Bible’s historical backdrop.

🔎 Key Takeaways:

The Rosetta Stone helped decode Egyptian hieroglyphics, unlocking vast historical knowledge.
Egypt played a major role in biblical history, from Joseph’s time to Jesus' early years.
The artifact, now in the British Museum, remains one of the most visited pieces of ancient history.

📌 Watch more episodes and explore biblical archaeology at https://appianmedia.org

Special thanks to the sponsors of this season of Digging Deeper:

CEI Bookstore (https://truthbooks.com) - CEI Books is a retail supplier of Bibles, books, and other religious materials to individuals and churches nationwide.

Sacred Connections (https://www.sacredconnections.com) - Sacred Connections is a safe, online space for Christians to connect and build meaningful relationships. With a focus on community and channels dedicated to various interests and events there is something for users at every life stage.

In this special episode, Stuart Peck and Craig Dehut (hosts of the inRoads podcast) interview Dr. Scott Stripling about the recently released peer-reviewed article regarding the Mount Ebal Curse Tablet.

When the announcement of the discovery of the Mount Ebal Curse Tablet was made in 2022 and sent shock waves through the archaeological community. It was met by some with extreme excitement and, by many, with heavy skepticism. Dr. Scott Stripling, the Head of Excavations at the Associates for Biblical Research and his team, asserted that this folded lead tablet contained the earliest known "proto-alphabetic" Hebrew text. The inscription, which they date to the end of the Late Bronze Age (c. 1200 B.C.E.), is a legal text and curse that invokes the god Yahweh. The team believes the tablet to be one of the most important inscriptions ever found in Israel and one that could drastically alter our reconstruction of ancient Israel’s earliest history. But after waiting nearly a year for the official peer-review process to complete, many began to doubt the validity of the find. Until today... 

Hear from Craig Dehut & Stuart Peck, co-founders of Appian Media, as they talk about plans to produce a documentary on Revelation. Lots of great conversation about the content we've produced during the pandemic and what's next for the organization.