by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel has opened the vaults of its past to the world, unveiling a sweeping online archive of archaeological treasures that spans millennia of history.
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Tuesday the launch of the Israel National Archaeological Database, a free digital platform offering access to more than 3.9 million records, nearly one million artifacts, 1.2 million images, and over 15,000 3D models of excavations and finds across the land.
“This project gives us, for the first time, a true bird’s-eye view of the entire discipline,” said Dr. Débora Sandhaus, the IAA’s Chief Scientist. “Israel is the most excavated country in the world, and this immense trove of data will now be readily accessible to researchers both here and abroad.”
The initiative integrates every stage of archaeology — from excavation planning to final publication — making it one of the largest online repositories of its kind. Users can explore an interactive map of Israel, view selected 3D models, and search by site, artifact, historical period, or researcher.
“Until now, those who were looking for this kind of information would need to sit in our archives for months,” Sandhaus explained. “Now they can just look for, let’s say, Byzantine churches, and find thousands of entries. It will help advance research immensely.”
The database highlights sites central to biblical and historical studies, including Tel Lachish, the Crusader-era Nimrod Fortress, and the Nabatean city of Avdat in the Negev.
Alby Malka, head of the IAA’s Technologies Division, noted the project’s educational potential. “Teachers could really benefit from using the database, especially the 3D models, with their students — alongside scholars and people passionate about archaeology.”
Both Malka and Sandhaus emphasized that the platform is still growing. “This is only the beginning,” Malka said. “We’re going to add a lot more data, 3D models, and more. It was important for us to launch now to give people a taste of what will come.”
The online portal is available worldwide, offering unprecedented access to Israel’s unburied treasures — a digital bridge to one of history’s richest landscapes.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel has opened the vaults of its past to the world, unveiling a sweeping online archive of archaeological treasures that spans millennia of history.
Yang Guoliang, a paralyzed farmer in eastern China, lives under the glare of police floodlights and cameras pointed at his modest home. Every phone call, bus ticket, and hospital visit is tracked. His wife and daughter are in jail for petitioning Beijing after officials seized their farmland. “Every move in my own home is monitored,” Yang said. “Their surveillance makes me feel unsafe all the time, everywhere.”
U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday rushed to assure Qatar that Israel would not carry out another strike on its soil after the Israeli military launched a rare airstrike in Doha targeting Hamas leaders.
one of the deadliest anti-Christian atrocities in recent months, attackers linked to the Islamic State group used machetes and guns to kill at least 61 civilians at a funeral in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Monday night, local officials said.
Ethiopia on Tuesday inaugurated the $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, hailing it as a unifying national achievement that will double the country’s power generation capacity.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday the start of Operation Midway Blitz, an immigration enforcement campaign targeting criminal noncitizen migrants in Chicago, drawing sharp pushback from Illinois leaders.
The Spirit of God is stirring hearts at Ohio State University, where hundreds of students gathered in a powerful display of worship, repentance, and surrender to Jesus.