Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Awards
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The 2003 Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Awards recognize the best books on archaeology and the Bible published in 2001 and 2002.
The biennial awards are made possible by a generous grant from the Leopold and Clara M. Fellner Charitable Foundation through its trustee, Frederick L. Simmons.
Best Book Relating to the Hebrew Bible
The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls
James C. VanderKam and Peter Flint
(San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002)
The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls by James C. VanderKam and Peter Flint deserves citation for several reasons: It is exemplary in its clarity and balance; it can inform both specialist and layman; it explains how the scrolls revolutionized our understanding of the Bible’s transmission; it refers the reader to further sources, including Web sites; and it chronicles the scrolls’ notoriety, from their initial discovery to the recent controversies and lawsuits over their publication. In short, the work is indispensable. Moreover, beyond aiding and abetting the work of Hebrew Bible scholars, the book is a boon to students of apocryphal and pseudepigraphical literature as well as to New Testament scholars. It is even physically attractive and can be proudly given as a gift.
Judges:
Marc Z. Brettler, Brandeis University
William H.C. Propp, University of California, San Diego
Jack M. Sasson, Vanderbilt University Divinity School
Best Book Relating to the New Testament
The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man
Walter Wink
(Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2002)
Walker Wink’s The Human Being is at once brilliant, innovative, provocative and challenging. Displaying rigorous historical-critical scholarship while being attuned to recent developments in literary and sociological method, the volume is nonetheless thoroughly readable, even also inspirational. Interpreting the phrase “the son of man”—an expression found both in Hebrew sources and on the lips of Jesus—as referring to a human being, Wink explores what it means in Jewish and Christian texts to “become more human.” Wink weaves together an impressive mix of textual analysis, politics, psychology and ethics. His volume is an essential contribution to studies of Paul, John, Gnosticism and even Jewish mysticism.
Judges:
Bruce Chilton, Bard College
Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt University Divinity School
James D. Tabor, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Best Scholarly Book on Archaeology
Life in Biblical Israel
Philip J. King and Lawrence E. Stager
(Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001)
Philip J. King and Lawrence E. Stager present an astonishing amount and variety of information, synthesizing archaeological and biblical data in a clearly written and wonderfully illustrated volume that presents many new interpretations. Topics include Israelite medicine, agriculture, crafts, trade, household, warfare, clothing, jewelry, music, sacred sites, religious practices, and burial customs. The opening chapter presents an imaginative reconstruction of the household of Micah (Judges 17–18) and is an example of biblical archaeology at its best. An extensive bibliography and indexes of biblical passages and subjects enhance the volume’s usefulness. This book is sure to become a classic.
Judges:
Andrea Berlin, University of Minnesota
Michael Coogan, Stonehill College
Ann E. Killebrew, Pennsylvania State University
Best Popular Book on Archaeology
The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Jodi Magness
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002)
Jodi Magness has written a superb account that summarizes the available evidence for the archaeology of Qumran and integrates it with the Dead Sea Scrolls. She distinguishes what we know and can reasonably infer, from what is still unknowable. She discusses in detail such issues as the nature of the site and its occupational history, the presence of women at the settlement, and the relationship of the sectarians there to the Temple priesthood in Jerusalem. Her summaries of the evidence are balanced, and her conclusions, some of which are original, are presented with sufficient detail and rigor to enable others to assess them critically. This book is an important contribution.
Judges:
Andrea Berlin, University of Minnesota
Michael Coogan, Stonehill College
Ann E. Killebrew, Pennsylvania State University
The 2003 Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Awards recognize the best books on archaeology and the Bible published in 2001 and 2002.
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