Digging In: Back in the Trenches

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Glenn J. Corbett

Over the past year, biblical archaeology, like many fields and professions, has thankfully seen a gradual return to the familiar rhythms of pre-pandemic life. Scholars are again meeting at conferences to present their latest findings, BAR readers and archaeology enthusiasts are once again traveling to BAS seminars and taking part in overseas study tours, and now, for the second year in a row, archaeologists will be back in the field, unearthing remarkable finds from the biblical past.

There is therefore a welcome and refreshing comfort in introducing our Spring issue, which by tradition is when BAR highlights volunteer opportunities for the upcoming summer dig season in Israel, Jordan, and elsewhere. In addition to seeing what sites are being excavated this season, you can also read about a few sites “off the beaten path” and why they have just as much archaeology to offer as better-known biblical sites and cities.

With many excavations now back in full swing, our features showcase the many ways that archaeology continues to open up new vistas on key figures and events from the Bible. In his article “Jeremiah’s Journey to Egypt,” archaeologist James Hoffmeier traces the textual, archaeological, and geological evidence for the prophet’s little-known escape to Egypt following the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. Similarly, in “Jesus in the Synagogue,” scholar Jordan Ryan examines the growing number of first-century synagogues that have been discovered and what they reveal about the early Jewish communities Jesus encountered during his ministry.

Just in time for our dig issue, archaeologist Shlomit Bechar invites BAR readers to join her in the new excavations of Hazor’s Lower City to help answer the question, “Who Lived at Hazor?” Hazor was the largest Canaanite city during the Bronze Age and remembered by the biblical writers as “the head of all those kingdoms.” And in “Set in Stone?” text scholars Matthieu Richelle and Andrew Burlingame question whether new photographs of the famous Mesha Stele presented in BAR’s Winter 2022 issue actually confirm the inscription’s much-debated reference to the “House of David.”

In Strata, archaeologist Laura Mazow explores the many bath-shaped vessels found throughout ancient Israel and why most were not actually used for personal bathing. Beyond our always interesting and thought-provoking news articles, tributes, and quizzes, observant readers will also notice our latest department, World Wonders, where we profile remarkable finds, sites, and monuments from across the ancient world, such as a wondrous clay mask from Iraq that depicts the face of the Mesopotamian monster Humbaba.

In Epistles, Lee Jefferson discusses the complicated and sometimes troubling history of early Christian depictions of Moses and why later medieval and Renaissance artists often showed Judaism’s most important prophetic figure with horns. Barbette Stanley Spaeth examines Paul’s reference to the prostitutes of Corinth (1 Corinthians 6), often interpreted as sacred prostitutes. The surprising archaeological and historical evidence paints a far less salacious picture of cultic life in the prosperous Greek city where the apostle spent so much of his mission. Finally, Jean-Georges Heintz reveals the broader Near Eastern context for the language, meaning, and symbolism of the covenant relationship in ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible.

I hope that this issue of BAR serves as just one more sign that things are gradually getting back to normal. And the return to normal is also an invitation to try new things. If you have ever wanted to join a dig, this issue is your chance to start a new adventure!

Over the past year, biblical archaeology, like many fields and professions, has thankfully seen a gradual return to the familiar rhythms of pre-pandemic life. Scholars are again meeting at conferences to present their latest findings, BAR readers and archaeology enthusiasts are once again traveling to BAS seminars and taking part in overseas study tours, and now, for the second year in a row, archaeologists will be back in the field, unearthing remarkable finds from the biblical past. There is therefore a welcome and refreshing comfort in introducing our Spring issue, which by tradition is when BAR highlights volunteer opportunities […]