Book Briefs: March 16, 1984

Digging into Recent Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology

A survey of fascinating excavations and controversial conclusions.

Few things are more fascinating to the student of the Bible than new archaeological discoveries. These discoveries are more and more frequent, but it would be impossible to enumerate even the most significant ones. Instead, the more important books in this field are annotated here, emphasizing books for the nonspecialist and those published after 1979.

Two short paperbacks provide an excellent place to begin. R. Moorey’s Excavation in Palestine (Eerdmans, 1983, 128 pp., $6.95) is actually an introductory and background volume to a new series, Cities of the Biblical World. (Two others in the series, Jericho and Qumran, are referred to below.) Seven chapters provide basic information, including what archaeology is, its history, methods, process of excavation, and interpreting of the finds. Expecially valuable is the last chapter on the use and abuse of archaeology in biblical studies. This chapter is essential reading because it succeeds so well in showing both the values and limitations of archaeology for the study of the Bible.

Since archaeology usually provides general background information rather than specific details, it can neither prove (nor disprove) the accuracy or historicity of the Bible. In fact, Moorey points out, when applied too specifically it gives information that differs from the biblical text on the conquest of Ai and Jericho.

Another good book for beginners is H. D. Lance’s The Old Testament and the Archaeologist (Fortress, 1981, 112 pp., $4.50). Lance is a field archaeologist who succeeds well in showing both the values and limitations of archaeology. By referring to some of his own experiences, he makes very clear some of the uncertainties in interpreting archaeological discoveries. Two chapters include material not covered by Moorey. One is on archaeological publications and their use, and another deals with the future of biblical archaeology, an issue creating a good deal of controversy and dividing archaeologists. On the one side are archaeologists who (for various reasons, including what they believe has been an overenthusiasm in using archaeology to illuminate the Bible) completely abandon the term “biblical archaeology.” Instead, they prefer the term Syro-Palestinian archaeology and concentrate on archaeology (and to some extent anthropology or history) rather than try to illuminate the Bible. The other side (including Lance) prefers the term Biblical Archaeology (or Archaeology and the Bible) and continues to use archaeology as an aid to understanding the Bible. This is a very significant issue that will influence the field for several years to come.

Old Testament

The last decade of excavations and research has revealed the complexity of such biblical events as the exodus from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan. Gone forever are the days of the past when one scholar, such as W. F. Albright, could dominate the field with his views. The explosion of new information made an old standard synthesis, such as Albright’s Archaeology of Palestine, very dated, and yet no one immediately stepped forward to provide a good synthesis of all the new discoveries. At the same time, the last several decades saw the rapid development of a new generation of Israeli archaeologists trained primarily by Y. Yadin and Y. Ahroni. It was Ahroni who wrote such a synthesis in Hebrew (now available in English). In The Archaeology of the Land of Israel (Westminster, 1982, 344 pp., $27.50; paper, $18.95), Aharoni builds on his expertise in historical geography and excavations he directed, such as Arad, Beersheba, and Ramat Rahel, to produce an excellent textbook that may well become the standard in university and seminary courses. Almost one-third of the book is devoted to the period before Abraham, while the period after the fall of Jerusalem, 587–86 B.C., is not covered at all. It is written for the student of archaeology, is more technical than the other books mentioned here, and makes little direct reference to the Bible.

A simpler textbook would be Keith Schoville’s Biblical Archaeology in Focus (Baker, 1978, 511 pp., $19.95). However, there is less synthesis here because the last two-thirds of this book is devoted to a site-by-site survey.

J. A. Thompson’s The Bible and Archaeology (3rd ed., Eerdmans, 512 pp., $17.95) covers both the Old and New Testaments and follows the biblical order of events. Thompson writes simply and with a minimum of unfamiliar terms. He tends to emphasize the positive way that archaeology illuminates the Bible and minimizes problems and difficulties that archaeological discoveries sometimes create. Unfortunately, the revision could have been more thorough; but extensive indexes, a good bibliography, and chronological charts make this a useful volume.

J. R. Bartlett’s Jericho (Eerdmans, 1983, 128 pp., $5.94) is another book in the new Cities of the Biblical World series. It is a readable summary of the literary and archaeological evidence of the city of Jericho throughout history. A helpful section deals with the apparent lack of archaeological evidence for occupation at the time of Joshua’s attack. Bartlett concludes that there is no solution yet to the apparent conflict between literary and archaeological evidence. He believes any solution is likely to come from further evaluation of the biblical text rather than from further excavation.

New Testament

On the whole, New Testament scholars have stressed literary sources and been much less involved in archaeology than their Old Testament counterparts. However, the last decade has seen an increasing number of excavations at sites relating to the New Testament period. Not all the results of this field activity are readily accessible yet, but a very significant (some would say groundbreaking) book makes some of this material available. It is E. M. Meyers and J. F. Strange’s Archaeology, the Rabbis and Early Christianity (Abingdon, 1981, 208 pp., $7.95). Both authors are superb field archaeologists with a decade of excavation experience in Galilee. They are selective rather than exhaustive in attempting to show the importance of nonliterary (as well as literary) evidence in the reconstruction of early Christianity and Judaism. This is a stimulating book with a useful glossary, index, maps, and diagrams, but no photos.

Two books deal with early Christianity in Asia Minor and the western Mediterranean. The more narrowly focused is Edwin Yamauchi’s The Archaeology of New Testament Cities in Western Asia Minor (Baker, 1980, 180 pp., $7.95). Twelve cities, including the seven cities of Revelation, are covered. Each chapter is logically organized, including sections on New Testament references, excavations, and monuments. This book is not intended to discuss the specific implications of New Testament references to the cities but rather the broader historical background of them.

In 1959, J. Finegan authored The Archaeology of the New Testament: The Life of Jesus and the Beginning of the Early Church (Princeton, 297 pp., $45.00; paper, 1978, $8.95). Finegan has followed this with a companion volume, The Archaeology of the New Testament: The Mediterranean World of the Early Christian Apostles (Westview, 1981, 282 pp., $36.50). The first two chapters deal with literary sources and chronological issues. Then, moving geographically, he starts with Paul and his beginnings and follows him to Rome. The emphasis is on statues, frescoes, mosaics, art, and architecture. However, there is next to nothing on everyday life to illustrate how Paul lived, ate, and worked.

Two other books are more narrowly focused. P. R. Davies’s Qumran (Eerdmans, 1983, 128 pp., $6.95) is another in the new Cities of the Biblical World series. It maintains the high standards of the others in the series, focusing on the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were produced. Although the nonspecialist will find the going a little difficult in places, numerous pictures and diagrams will help make the text understandable and maintain the reader’s interest. Davies is effective in demonstrating the interrelationship of the literary (Dead Sea Scrolls) and archaeological evidence of Qumran. Most of J. Murphy-O’Connor’s St. Paul’s Corinth (Glazier, 1983, 214 pp., $7.95) is devoted to texts. However, 20 pages are devoted to archaeology, with very interesting results. One example would be the study of the homes in Corinth that helps explain the divisions surrounding the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.

Reference

A helpful new reference work is The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology (Zondervan, 1983, 540 pp., $24.95), E. M. Blaiklock and R. K. Harrison, editors. Twenty scholars (including the editors) contributed over 800 articles, ranging from a few sentences to over 14 pages. Coverage is quite broad, including the Greco-Roman and Ancient Near Eastern worlds, and articles cover peoples, places, characters, and texts or inscriptions bearing on the Bible. Most daily life—type items are grouped by topic and discussed there. “Spear,” for example, is discussed under “Arms and Weapons.” The usefulness of the volume is increased with good cross referencing, 16 colored plates, over 240 black-and-white photos, 16 pages of colored maps with an index of all places noted on the maps, and 4 pages of black-and-white maps. Especially helpful are the articles on archaeological techniques and methods and the two-page list of briefly annotated archaeological periodicals in English.

Unfortunately, there are several significant weaknesses:

1. It appears that the majority of articles were written six-to-ten years ago since they show no awareness of archaeological discoveries during that time. Some of the articles and bibliographies are brought up to 1979 and a few up to 1981, but they are the exception. This is unfortunate, because the field changes so rapidly.

2. Although the editor’s preface states that archaeology should not be used to prove the Bible, too little of the limitations (or values) of archaeology are discussed in articles such as “Archaeology.” Furthermore, there is a general reluctance to discuss apparent conflicts between archaeological and literary (biblical) evidence. Good examples would be the articles on Jericho, Ai, Heshbon, and Beersheba: each of these sites seems to have little or no evidence of occupation at the time of Israel’s conquest.

3. Synthesis is always difficult for dictionaries or encyclopedias. However, the omission of articles such as archaeology-Old Testament; archaeology-New Testament, exodus, conquest, and so on, where at least something of the current state of research could be given, is regrettable.

4. The articles on daily life are far too brief and omit discussion of some artifacts and procedures that the reader would expect to be covered.

5. Over one-half of the articles are contributed by the two editors, with Blaiklock doing about one-third of all the articles himself. This means the editors, especially Blaiklock, have done articles outside their special expertise.

6. Finally, the articles are often quite brief; much fuller coverage on most of the articles in this dictionary can be found in multivolume dictionaries or encyclopedias, such as The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (1975); the revised International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979–); and the Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (1962, 1976).

Despite these weaknesses, this is a handy one-volume dictionary that is sigificantly better than its only competitor, A. Negev’s Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (SBS Publishing, 1972, 356 pp., $14.95).

Other

Intellectually curious travelers to Bible lands are often disappointed by the standard travel guidebooks or superficial tour guides who tell them only what (they think) they want to hear. J. Murphy-O’Connor has now rectified this with The Holy Land: An Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700 (Oxford, 1980, 336 pp., $9.95). Part 1 is devoted to Jerusalem and part 2 covers the land (Israel and the West Bank—not Jordan and Sinai). This is the finest guide available and is best used on location rather than read at one sitting. The treatment of archaeological remains is so well done that even archaeologists will find it useful.

G. Cornfeld and D. N. Freedman’s Archaeology of the Bible, Book by Book (Harper & Row, 1976, 352 pp.) first appeared as a hardback. It has been reissued in paperback (1982, $12.45) in slightly larger page format to avoid the crowded appearance of the hardcover edition. Numerous mechanical errors have been corrected and page numbers added where they were omitted in the earlier edition. This book is unique in that it claims to give an archaeological commentary on the Bible. However, it is often disappointingly selective, and it sometimes includes such nonarchaeological material as the author, date, and purpose of a biblical book.

Finally, another unique set of books is The Book of Life, by V. G. Beers (Zondervan, 1980, 8,000 pp., 24 vol., $299). These volumes cover most of the Bible and are designed as a set for Bible reading. Beautiful color pictures and drawings abound and are well worth the price of the set. It is not an archaeological work as such, but it puts the Bible into the context of daily life and uses archaeology to illuminate the Bible. It would be an excellent aid to personal or family Bible reading.

Reviewed by James C. Moyer, professor, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri.

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