Welcome Thanks for stopping by
Hi, I’m Stephen Compton, an ancient historian—increasingly in both senses of the term. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of editing and refining academic work from some of the world’s brightest minds, including for eight years at Oxford University Press. Now that I’m an empty nester, I’ve cleared my schedule (and tightened my belt) to focus on my own research and writing. I enjoy the process of taking apart and puzzling through unsolved corners of ancient history, and there is nothing like the thrill of making a new discovery.
Upcoming:
Presentation at the ASOR Annual Meeting, Boston, November 19–22, 2025
Paper forthcoming in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies in October 2025
Paper forthcoming in the Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History
BLOG
Magazine Article: Third Most Important Discovery of the Year!
I’m so honored and grateful that Let the Stones Speak magazine selected “Compton’s Assyrian Camps” as number 3 on their list of Top Ten Biblical Archaeology Discoveries of 2024. Here is the link to the full article. (It’s also in the print version of the […]
New Book Recommendation
For those interested in Assyrian history, brilliant Assyriologist (and friend) Alexander Johannes Edmonds has a new book coming out on April 21 that will make an enormous contribution to Assyrian history. Most notably, he has discovered two Assyrian kings that had been lost to history […]
Third Biggest Find in Biblical Archaeology
Honored to have made #3 on the Armstrong Institute’s recap of 2024’s ten biggest finds in Biblical Archaeology. (At minute 24:30)
ASOR 2024
Had an amazing time at the ASOR 2024 conference and seeing Boston. Below is the abstract from my presentation interspersed with the relevant slides (photos courtesy of Professor Takayoshi Oshima): The Visual Storytelling on Sennacherib’s Throne-Room Wall: New Insights into His Invasions of Ushu and Jerusalem […]
Presentation
In case anyone happens to be in the Milwaukee area, I’ve been invited to speak to the Milwaukee Area Biblical Archaeology Society and the Wisconsin Lutheran College:
Magazine interview
This magazine has an interview with me about locating the Assyrian siege camps: https://armstronginstitute.org/1102-the-assyrian-military-camp-at-lachish-and-maybe-at-jerusalem-too-an-interview-with-stephen-c-compton
“History is a cyclic poem written by time upon the memories of man.”
—Percy Bysshe Shelley
contact