By definition, Biblical archaeology seeks to unearth remains that illuminate the Bible (and other ancient Near Eastern texts). The results may corroborate or refute what these texts claim, but the quest is certainly guided by our desire to get closer to the realia of ancient life, be it quotidian or historical. We modern archaeologists pride ourselves in our ability to move beyond simplistic equations of “text and spade” or “pots and people,” however. Our goal is to ask more complex questions about the past, even if it means living with the uncertainty of ambivalent answers. This was the situation […]
