Archaeological Views: Is Biblical Archaeology Passé?

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Many archaeologists today claim that Biblical archaeology is a parochial, narrow field, based on antiquated, Judeo-Christian-centered viewpoints—not a field that fits the multi-cultural, global, post-modern society in which we live. According to these scholars, we should distance ourselves from archaeological perspectives dealing with limited cultural horizons (such as the Bible).

To counter this view, Bar-Ilan University has initiated an ambitious campaign to raise $50 million for a new Institute of Biblical Archaeology.

We reject the notion that Biblical archaeology is, by definition, a subjective and ideologically motivated field. We likewise reject the notion that Biblical archaeology is a “dead field” that has been replaced by more modern archaeological practice.

We also recognize that Biblical archaeology today must be a far cry from what it was in previous decades. In earlier generations, Biblical archaeology was used—or misused—for ideological reasons. But the field has changed. The aims and goals of Biblical archaeology do not lie in proving, or disproving, the Biblical (and related) texts.

Moreover, although Biblical archaeology focuses on specific periods and cultures, it does not limit its perspectives or methods when relevant to other facets of its study. Biblical archaeology serves as a tool in which scientists study the ancient cultures of the region(s) in which the Biblical text and its cognates were formed, and all this over an extended period of time. Just as Classical archaeology endeavors to study the material remains relating to the Greco-Roman world and its surroundings, the same can be said of Biblical archaeology.

In order to conduct proper science, it is not necessary to take what some would call a “global,” non-parochial perspective. It is quite appropriate to focus on fields of research connected to the origins of specific cultures and groups, as well as the historical sources relating to these topics. If a scholar implements the most modern perspectives and research methods in the study of the past, there is no reason why he or she cannot place a particular focus on certain periods and/or cultures—in this case, that of the Bronze Age through Roman periods in the Ancient Near East.

Researchers have every right, and in fact perhaps it is their duty, to study aspects of the past that are relevant to the societies in which they live. In France, the study of French language, culture and history is widespread; similarly for “American studies” in the United States; or Russian studies in Russia. Of special relevance for Jews, Christians and Muslims is the study of the ancient cultures of the Holy Land that serve as the backdrop for the Biblical text. There is no reason why this should not be a major focus of our research.

This does not mean that other facets of the past are to be pushed aside. Other periods, cultures and perspectives must be studied as well. Just as in the excavations that I conduct at Tell es-Safi/Gath, we excavate, study and publish both the Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as the medieval and modern periods, so students and researchers must deal with other components of the past—from the prehistoric through the modern periods.

The public image of Biblical archaeology has diminished in recent years. Many of our colleagues shrink from “confronting” the archaeological remains with the Biblical and cognate texts for fear of being viewed as “old-fashioned” and outmoded.

It is precisely this perception that we wish to counter with our new Institute of Biblical Archaeology. Our research facilities will use all the traditional archaeological tools—pottery typology, stratigraphy and architecture, as well as philology and historical geography—but we will also use the most modern perspectives and methods, such as social, anthropological and sociolinguistic perspectives, along with tools from the so-called hard sciences, such as archaeobotany, geo-archaeology, remote sensing, cosmogenic dating and geographic information systems.

It is only through the synthesis of these various analytic perspectives that one can truly study the past of the region in which the Bible appeared, and fully appreciate the interface between the text and the spade.

Many archaeologists today claim that Biblical archaeology is a parochial, narrow field, based on antiquated, Judeo-Christian-centered viewpoints—not a field that fits the multi-cultural, global, post-modern society in which we live. According to these scholars, we should distance ourselves from archaeological perspectives dealing with limited cultural horizons (such as the Bible). To counter this view, Bar-Ilan University has initiated an ambitious campaign to raise $50 million for a new Institute of Biblical Archaeology. We reject the notion that Biblical archaeology is, by definition, a subjective and ideologically motivated field. We likewise reject the notion that Biblical archaeology is a “dead […]