Over the past three decades, Tabor has combined his work on ancient texts with field work in archaeology. He has worked at several sites in Israel and Jordan including Qumran, the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1991, 1996), Wadi el-Yabis in Jordan (1992, 1996), Masada (1994), and Sepphoris (1996, 1999, 2000). In 2000 he teamed up with Dr. Shimon Gibson to excavate a newly discovered cave at Suba, west of Jerusalem that dates back to the Iron Age but was used for ritual rites in the early Roman period (2000-2006). Tabor and Gibson were also the principals involved in the discovery of a 1st-century Jewish burial shroud in a looted tomb at Akeldama. Their latest project is an ongoing excavation in Jerusalem on Mt Zion (Southwestern Hill) just outside Mt Zion Gate along the Turkish city wall (2006-2022).

 

In the early 1990s, Tabor was involved in the release of the unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls and was one of the first scholars to examine them. He has also published extensive studies on several Jerusalem tombs related to Mary and her family, as well as research on the skeletal remains at Masada, the last stand of Jewish refugees in the first-century revolt against Rome. Tabor combines his work on biblical texts with newly discovered manuscripts and archaeological findings to get at the social and historical contexts that make Mary’s life and world come alive.

 

Tabor is a popular public lecturer and writer and is often consulted by the national and international media (Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report (cover story), NY Times, LA Times, Wash Post, Wall St. Journal, Harpers, Vanity Fair, AP, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, Der Spiegel, Profil Magazine, The London Times, LeMonde, Sabato ), with over 650 TV, radio, and print interviews. He is a regular blogger at the Huffington Post and does lectures, blog posts, and articles for the Biblical Archaeology Society. His work has been featured in dozens of TV documentaries and news shows (PBS Frontline, Discovery Channel, Nightline, 20/20, 60 Minutes, Learning Channel, History Channel, National Geographic, Smithsonian, BBC, Channel 4 UK, ZDF Germany, and RMC France).

 

Tabor’s publications include over 50 published articles as well as eight academic books, including two international best sellers. You can find links to many of the articles, available as free PDF downloads, here: https://jamestabor.com/academic-papers/