Archaeology And Biblical Interpretation

The contributors in this book use the most recent research in key areas - the early settlements of Israel, early Israelite religion, Qumran, Jerusalem, early Christian churches - to show that ancient writings and modern archaeology can illuminate each other, but only when used with professional care. The essays represent a new generation of archaeologists and historians, with new social, political and religious concerns who draw a fresh and vital picture of the emergence of ancient Israel.

The contributors in this book use the most recent research in key areas - the early settlements of Israel, early Israelite religion, Qumran, Jerusalem, early Christian churches - to show that ancient writings and modern archaeology can illuminate each other, but only when used with professional care. The essays represent a new generation of archaeologists and historians, with new social, political and religious concerns who draw a fresh and vital picture of the emergence of ancient Israel.

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, conservative scholars claimed archaeology had validated the biblical record. This book explores how traditional scholars seized upon archaeology to advocate biblical truth. It examines the conflict between critical theories of biblical interpretation and traditional methods. It delineates the tension between scholarship and the business of theology in the process of evaluation of the archaeological evidence at the beginning of the twentieth century.

In recent times Biblical archaeology has been heavily criticised by some camp who maintain that it has little to offer Near Eastern archaeology. However, some scholars carry on the fight to change people's views and this collection of essays continues the trend towards reassessing and reemphasising the link between the Bible and archaeology.

Using Bible history as the unifying element rather than a topical approach, this book shows how archaeological discoveries in Bible lands have helped to confirm the accuracy of Scripture. The authors also deal with issues of Biblical interpretation and criticism not strictly archaeological in nature. Free's text has been updated and revised by Vos.

Anthony J. Frendo introduces biblical students and scholars alike to the discipline of archaeology by explaining how the minds of professional archaeologists work, explaining what archaeologists seek, how they go about doing so, and how they interpret their data. Frendo shows those engaged in biblical scholarship how they can properly integrate biblical research with archaeological discoveries in a way that allows the bible and archaeology to be viewed and kept as distinct disciplines, the respective results of which, where relevant, may be integrated in productive discussion. Frendo also examines how the archaeology of the ancient Near East (particularly that of the southern Levant) has an essential bearing on how scholars can better appreciate the text of the bible, including its religious message. Frendo examines such matters as artefacts, stratigraphy and chronology, and archaeological reasoning. He also demonstrates that, whilst generally it is archaeology that casts light on the biblical text, at points biblical interpretation can help archaeologists to understand certain data.

Each volume in the Insights series presents discoveries and insights into biblical texts from a particular approach or perspective in current scholarship. Accessible and appealing to today’s students, each Insight volume discusses: • how this method, approach, or strategy was first developed and how its application has changed over time; • what current questions arise from its use; • what enduring insights it has produced; and • what questions remain for future scholarship. Archaeological exploration of Syria-Palestine and the ancient Near East has revolutionized our understanding of the Bible. In this volume, David A. Fiensy provides a brief survey of a discipline that was once called “biblical archaeology” and describes how the conception of the field has changed; recounts how key discoveries have opened up new understandings of Israel’s own history and religion as well as the ancient Near Eastern and later Greco-Roman environments, and the impact on biblical studies and theology; discusses how archaeological study has shaped the task of biblical interpretation, with illustrative examples; analyzes specific texts through archaeological perspectives; and provides conclusions, challenges, and considerations for the future of archaeology and biblical