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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 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
A Dutch community remained in shock Saturday after a 13-year-old girl was detained following the discovery of her parents’ bodies in their home in the northern Netherlands.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a 90-day state of emergency Saturday, empowering the military to clear road blockades after nearly 50 days of anti-government protests that have included widespread road blockades, leaving at least 14 people dead and crippling the nation’s economy.
A powerful thunderstorm system sweeping across Western Europe killed at least one person in the Netherlands, injured several others in Belgium and Germany, and caused widespread damage as nearly 190,000 lightning flashes illuminated the skies, authorities said Saturday.
Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people in Lebanon on Saturday despite a ceasefire that took effect hours earlier, officials said, with Israel claiming it was responding to attacks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire that was to begin Friday afternoon, Worthy News learned.
At least 10 people, including four children, were injured in a Russian strike on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian authorities said Friday. In southern Ukraine, the State Emergency Service reported that one person was killed and four others were injured in a separate Russian attack on the Odesa region.
President Donald Trump signed the temporary peace deal with Iran ahead of schedule Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles in France, kicking off negotiations over a final nuclear deal.
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