Recent finds in the Middle East include what is believed to be the palace of Herod the Great in the Judean desert. Archaeologists, led by Ehud Netzer from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, are excavating the grand winter palace and have attributed the architecture, sarcophagi and ornamentation to the era in which Herod ruled. It appears to be unique to the region and of very high quality ("King Herod's Tomb Almost Certainly Found," FoxNews.com, Nov. 20, 2008).

Herod was king during the time when Jesus Christ was born and was known for his impressive building projects and persecution of potential political enemies, including the infant Jesus.

In Jerusalem, an ancient papyrus document, also from nearly 2,000 years ago, was confiscated from two men who were trying to sell it illegally. The text contains 15 lines inscribed in ancient Hebrew outlining the transfer of a widow's property to other relatives. It is very rare and valued in the millions of dollars. The Hebrew script is associated with that of the Dead Sea Scrolls ("'Ancient Text' Seized in Israel," News.BBC.co.uk, May 6, 2009).