Books in Brief
008
The Archeology of the New Testament: The Mediterranean World of the Early Christian Apostles
Jack Finegan
(Westview Press: Boulder, Colorado; Croom Helm: London) 250 pp., 35 maps and plans, 126 illustrations, $36.50
Professor Finegan has provided in this volume the long-awaited sequel to The Archeology of the New Testament (Princeton University Press, 1969). The first volume concerned itself with archaeological sites connected with the life of Jesus and with the beginning of the early church in Jerusalem. The wider canvas of the Diaspora and the Roman Empire were reserved for the second volume, published now in a smaller format than the first, but equally as well-illustrated and lucidly written.
The organization of this book follows the Acts of the Apostles. Thus, the primary focus is on sites associated with the life of Paul, from Tarsus in Asia Minor to Damascus and Antioch in Syria. A secondary discussion includes the cities visited on the apostle’s missionary journeys ending in Rome. Finegan excels at combining reports and descriptions from historical and archaeological sources in a way that allows the reader to visualize the settings of the events recorded in the New Testament. Sketch maps of various cities and copious illustrations complement the text. For anyone following in the footsteps of Paul, whether literally or as an arm-chair traveler, this book is the guide to have and use.
One reservation concerns an overly long chapter that deals primarily with chronology and stretches to include the projected Spanish trip of Paul as well as the excavations of Christian Rome from the Vatican to the catacombs! Much of this material should have been included in the final chapter on Rome.
Also, by focusing on the itineraries of Paul, Finegan is obliged to insert the descriptions of the seven churches/cities of the Apocalypse (Revelation 1–3) as an appendix to the third missionary journey in Asia Minor. The result is that these cities (with the exception of Ephesus) are given rather short shrift, a treatment especially unfortunate in the case of Sardis. The excavations conducted at Sardis since 1958 merit greater attention in a book like this; the recovery of the synagogue and the Christian quarter tells us a great deal about the development of these religions in the Roman Empire.
Another reservation pertains to the treatment of sites associated with the beginning and end of Paul’s career. For example, Damascus could benefit from fuller treatment. Finegan makes only brief note of the Church of St. Ananias and of the building identified as the House of Judas. Readers might be interested to know that the former still functions under the care of the Franciscan Friars of the custody of the Holy Land while the latter is now an Islamic school. St. Paul’s Church in the City Walls supposedly marks the place where Paul escaped (Acts 9:25) and is pictured in the text; but a new church at the site of Paul’s conversion (in Kaukab, 15 km southwest of Damascus) is not even mentioned.
Scholars have long debated whether or not Paul ever got to Spain. Clement of Rome (c. 95 A.D.) wrote in his First Letter to the Corinthians that Paul did go to Spain. In a detailed chronology of Paul’s life, Finegan shows that there was time for such a trip. Moreover, the tradition that Paul did visit that country remains solidly entrenched within Spain. More could and should have been said about Spanish sites and traditions, such as Tarragona with its large Christian cemetery (200 square meters with over 2,000 graves), one of the most important in Europe.
Finally, the cartographer has perhaps given us an answer to the identity of the man “caught up in the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2). He was an Athenian. Why else would the Ellinikon Airport be included in the map of Athens to Corinth (p. 142)—unless it was intended for the Thessalonians to use along with other Greek Christians who would be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17)!
Discovering Israel
Jack Finegan
(Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1981) 143 pp., $6.95
Finegan begins his three-part discovery of Israel with a brief geographical description of the Holy Land. The largest section of the book (82 pages) follows, dealing with the historical past. And what a past! The author sketches historical developments that have taken place on this most strategic territory, starting with the Old Stone Age (500,000 B.C.) up to and including the late President Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem in November, 1977! The times before the Common Era are treated by ages (The Early Bronze, the Iron Age, etc.). Beginning with the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, Finegan includes references to various Biblical events such as the arrival of the Patriarchs and the Exodus. For the Common Era there are more detailed century-by-century descriptions of major events, concluding with independence for the State of Israel.
The final section of the book deals with today’s Israel. The focus here is on personalities. Finegan gives short biographies of the leading figures in Israel’s modern history, along with analysis of the various religious and ethnic groups that comprise Israel’s population. Throughout the book Finegan has included helpful lists of other books for additional reading.
It’s unfortunate that the title page calls this book “an archeological guide to the Holy Land.” It is not. The cover more accurately reads “a popular guide to the Holy Land.” Although the fine photographs are mostly of archaeological sites and remains, these receive only cursory treatment in the text. Too frequently the pictures are more decoration than illustration of the text.
While Finegan does refer to Biblical narratives, especially in the earlier periods, Biblical history after the Exile is slighted. The Hellenistic Period, so critical for the revival of the Jewish state under the Maccabees, gets only ten lines on page 41. In the author’s defense, however, David and Solomon together get the same amount of space on page 38.
Discovering Israel is not a guide for those who are visiting Israel and want detailed information about the places they see on tour. It is a guide for the prospective visitor or the armchair traveler looking for a concise overview of the history of the Holy Land.
The Archeology of the New Testament: The Mediterranean World of the Early Christian Apostles
Jack Finegan
(Westview Press: Boulder, Colorado; Croom Helm: London) 250 pp., 35 maps and plans, 126 illustrations, $36.50
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