Queries & Comments

008

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

Shocked and Comforted

SHOCKED was my initial reaction to Hershel Shanks’s last “First Person” column (“My Final ‘First Person,’” BAR, November/December 2017). His column has always been the first thing I read. But after my emotions abated, I just wanted to say to you a very well-deserved “job well done”!

Hershel, I shall miss your imprint and brilliant contributions. You have moved Biblical archaeology onward for all of us. I am, however, comforted by your comments about not disappearing completely, and, at the same time, I eagerly anticipate getting to know Bob Cargill better.

Thanks for Making a Difference

Congratulations, Hershel Shanks, for the many years that you piloted BAR with fine presentations in each issue. I have really enjoyed the articles written on subjects as varied as my interests.

You have done your share of making our lives interesting. Thanks for your expertise. I have enjoyed reading BAR and especially looked at the pictures of people who gave their time and labor to start digs and make discoveries at them.

May you find happiness as you find more time for getting things done at an easier pace.

Also, thank you for sharing your daughters with us. They are precious to all of us.

Gratitude and Ongoing Support

I have enjoyed BAR for many years and am sure I will continue to do so. As an outsider (no specific theological axe to grind), I have enjoyed the back and forth by the many contributors!

Someday I hope to visit Israel, but for now I will continue to read, make contributions, and hope to provide more for the volunteers who go on the digs [via the BAS Dig Scholarship Program].

Thank you sincerely for your many years of hard work and dedication.

Say It Isn’t So!

Ah, Hershel Shanks, say it isn’t so. But thanks for choosing a Midwesterner to succeed you. I will look forward to BAR articles penned by you.

Go Hawks!—B.C.

“Digging” Hershel Shanks

You have been the best excavation that Biblical archaeology has “dug” up. You will be sorely missed, and although we readers will welcome Bob Cargill as Editor, you will always be the “First Person” of this magazine.

A Profound Coup

Congratulations on your being promoted to Editor Emeritus. As your last official act as Editor you performed the profound coup of revealing the big archaeological story of the century with the Te’omim Cave piece.

Feeling Nostalgic

Hershel, we are sorry to see you go as Editor. It’s been your magazine since the start, and you have led it well and interested us all for many years. We will miss you at the helm.

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A Broad Perspective

I want to both congratulate you on assuming emeritus status and thank you for the hard work you have put in these many years to make BAR a success. I appreciate your viewpoints, as they have 010covered a broad range of topics other than pure archaeology, such as conservation, looting, and the antiquities trade. I am going to miss that, and I hope Bob Cargill will continue to explore that wide range of issues.

I, too, have always appreciated Hershel’s dedication to covering a broad range of topics and underscoring the relevance of each discovery and issue to the reader. I shall continue this editorial practice of finding and discussing the “so what” of every discovery. And, yes, I’ll have plenty to say about looting, issues of provenance, and the antiquities trade.—B.C.

A Lifetime of Work

I want to say a huge thanks for your lifetime of work in this important field. I am grateful your daughter picked up that pottery sherd so many years ago. A single event changing the course of a life sounds a bit Biblical.

An Indelible Mark

Thank you for everything you have given us. Many of us long to leave some mark to show where we have passed. Your mark is indelible.

Shanks Is the Man

I am going to sorely miss your commentary in each issue. Even though we’ve never met, I feel that you are an old and dear friend. Bob is surely a great fellow, and I know he will do well. But you will always be the man.

On this we agree: Hershel is “the man”!—B.C.

A Man of Valor

Hershel Shanks, a man of valor, a man who has thrown bright light into dark corners, regardless of what might be seen there. Thank you, Hershel.

Bravo

Thanks to Hershel Shanks for a great magazine.

WELL WISHES FOR SHANKS

From a Longtime Subscriber

I have thoroughly enjoyed BAR for the past 31 years. I wish you all the best and hope you will continue to contribute your thoughts.

Enjoy!

I want to wish you the best. I was introduced to BAR through my daughter. I am now into year five, and I read every one cover-to-cover. Enjoy partial retirement. I know that I enjoy mine at age 85.

All the Best

I always read Hershel Shanks’s First Person column with interest, and I am saddened at reading his final column. I shall miss his insightful remarks and wish him the best in his new venture as Editor Emeritus!

SHANKS SETS THE BAR HIGH

Historian Honors Shanks

While rummaging through my father’s study in the mid-1990s, I discovered a stash of magazines—Biblical Archaeology Review and Bible Review—to which he subscribed. Suspecting that there was more to understanding the Bible and its context than I learned in Sunday school, I began reading through his collection and was amazed at the BAR articles, authored by many of the most prominent archaeologists and Biblical scholars in the world. Covering a variety of new and fascinating issues, the articles were informative, challenging, and understandable to an interested layperson—but never oversimplified.

The man responsible for bringing this incredible group of experts together and making their scholarship accessible was Hershel Shanks, founder of the Biblical Archaeology Society and BAR.

Hershel has also promoted a better understanding of the Biblical world through other forums, such as the society’s annual Seminar at Sea, land seminars, and highly touted travel program. Each allows participants to meet and interact with one or two scholars for days or even weeks, listening to their presentations, getting to know them, asking questions, and sharing ideas. While these events emphasize depth, the annual BAS Bible and Archaeology Fest goes for breadth. Attendees may choose from lectures offered by more than 20 scholars during two and a half days. (The 2017 Bible Fest set a record for high attendance; one expects that will be exceeded in the coming years.)

I only met Hershel once, so I cannot offer any personal insights or anecdotal comments about him. I can, however, attest to the tremendous impact the society he founded has had on my life (with seven Seminars at Sea, several land seminars, six Bible Fests, and my own BAR subscription as the tangible proof). My original passing curiosity about the Biblical world has been transformed into a long-term, fascinating, and intellectually stimulating journey. And for that I have Hershel Shanks to thank. As a final thought, it would be nice if his approach to Biblical studies were adopted by other professions for which there is a large public interest and done so in comprehensible terms to informed laypeople.

Educator Appreciates Learning Forums

When I heard the news that Hershel Shanks was stepping down as Editor, I reflected on how BAS has become an integral part of my experience over the years.

I have been teaching religious studies for 23 years now. I honestly forget which BAS seminar I first attended, but I can tell you that I found it so 012informative and life-giving that I have been back many times since. As is common knowledge, the BAS Bible and Archaeology Fest is held at the same time as the annual meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Both BAS and SBL are important, and it comes down to an individual choice as to which one suits better. The BAS Bible and Archaeology Fest is admittedly smaller, more intimate, and less harried. Most importantly, it seems to bear the marks of its founder. Although, regrettably, I do not know Hershel Shanks personally, he generates a certain sense of comfortableness around heavy topics and has a great respect for the faith lives of others while not shying away from how that faith may be informed by new archaeological discoveries. He exudes a contagious curiosity.

There (in my impressions of Hershel) you have my experience of the Bible and Archaeology Fest: calm, comfortable, rational, and respectful. It gently provides attendees real depth of subject, along with the space needed to think about and digest it.

Attending the Bible and Archaeology Fest is like slipping into the comfortable shoes of academics and feeling the joy of the journey in them. I will be forever grateful for the great good that will continue to be Hershel’s legacy.

Pastor Values Bridge to Broader Public

Many years ago, up-to-date information on Biblical archaeology was in the possession of a small group of specialists—archaeologists and scholars—who didn’t think in terms of communicating that knowledge to a broader public. Hershel Shanks recognized the need for communication and, via BAR, became the bridge to a broader public.

Communication between specialists and the general public was difficult. Some specialists are very skeptical about the truthfulness of parts of the Bible. They didn’t communicate easily to a broader public, some of whom held fairly traditionalist views. Hershel filled this communication niche without ever talking down to those with different viewpoints.

Hershel paid careful attention to maintaining a tone of respect for diverse audiences wanting accurate information about Biblical archaeology. Parts of his readership (Jews, Christians, and nontheists, or liberals and conservatives) have had strong opinions about many Biblical matters. I think that Hershel monitored the tone of articles carefully to keep everyone’s attention on the unifying factor, which was accurate information about Biblical archaeology.

In my own case, I went from being a card-carrying atheist in my teenage years to being a fairly traditionalist 088pastor. I’m an Intentional Interim Pastor who has taught a survey course on the entire Bible 19 times in nine different congregations, and I care deeply about archaeological accuracy. I felt like Hershel spoke directly to me through BAR, without insulting me, and I appreciate it very much!

Recently, in retirement, I attended my first Bible and Archaeology Fest (organized by the Biblical Archaeology Society). What a delight! The opportunity to hear up-to-date information on Biblical archaeology and engage in dialogue with top experts was a great experience! I will be back again.

At Bible Fest, the new BAR Editor, Robert Cargill, gave an excellent talk on “Actual Fake News: Archaeology in the Public Media.” That talk gave me confidence that BAR will continue in the inclusive tradition that Hershel Shanks has exemplified. Thank you so much, Hershel!

FOSTERING DIALOGUE AND ADVANCES

Sharing Research Discoveries

We would like to express our deep gratitude for your support of our travel to the ASOR annual meetings in recent years. The society’s travel grants enabled us to present our latest discoveries and research at important archaeological meetings.

Dina Shalem lectured on the very latest research of the Chalcolithic period in the Galilee based on the unique artifacts from the burial cave at Peqi‘in, and Mordechai Aviam presented his recent discoveries on the Galilee in the Roman period. We believe that sharing these discoveries at the meetings was important for advancing research in our fields. This only happened thanks to your generous support.

Your support also strengthened the standing of our Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology, which is “young” in comparison with research institutions of well-established universities.

Thank you and all the best.

Spotlighting Unpublished Finds

My deep gratitude to Hershel Shanks and BAR for making my participation in the 2017 annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research possible. I was able to present my new research on Jerusalem’s Northern Aqueduct in a well-attended session on the Temple Mount. I discovered this “forgotten” aqueduct in the archives of the unpublished reports from the 19th century and have brought it into the spotlight of the 090scholarly community.

The conference provided me the opportunity for meeting many colleagues, establishing new collaborations, and exploring new research perspectives. I believe that this visit to ASOR will have an impact on my future career. All this could not happen without Mr. Shanks’s help, and I am most grateful for this.

THE LASTING IMPACT OF DIG SCHOLARSHIPS

Making Dreams Come True

I am grateful for the opportunity to dig at Abel Beth Maacah in Israel this past summer. Although I had enjoyed studying archaeology, I had never had first-hand field experience. Abel Beth Maacah proved to be an excellent first digging and learning experience. The directors Bob Mullins, Nava Panitz-Cohen, and Naama Yahalom-Mack were excellent at explaining dig strategy and what was being unearthed, and they answered my many questions.

Archaeological work is exhausting, but it is also extremely rewarding. Waking up early, digging into hard dirt with a pickaxe, and hauling buckets of dirt while working under the hot sun can quickly wear one out. However, the moment an ancient artifact begins to be uncovered, the weariness is forgotten in the excitement of discovery.

I have a new and greater understanding of archaeology and will never look at an archaeological artifact or report the same way again. I consider myself both honored and blessed to have been the recipient of a BAS scholarship. Receiving this scholarship made the dream of participating in a dig a reality.

Hooked on Digging

Thank you for awarding me with one of the annual summer dig scholarships, because without it, this experience would never have been possible. My involvement on the Mount Zion Archaeological Dig in Israel not only challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and learn something new, but it also made history come alive in a way that I could never have seen elsewhere.

I was amazed by the richness of our site. I particularly loved the fact that on the Mount Zion dig, we treated every single artifact—from the tiniest potsherd to the most intricate piece of glasswork—as precious and something that could teach us about the ancient past of this remarkable city.

I could not have asked for a better experience at my first archaeological dig … and I certainly hope this will not be my last!

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING Shocked and Comforted SHOCKED was my initial reaction to Hershel Shanks’s last “First Person” column (“My Final ‘First Person,’” BAR, November/December 2017). His column has always been the first thing I read. But after my emotions abated, I just wanted to say to you a very well-deserved “job well done”! Hershel, I shall miss your imprint and brilliant contributions. You have moved Biblical archaeology onward for all of us. I am, however, comforted by your comments about not disappearing completely, and, at the same time, I eagerly anticipate getting to know Bob Cargill better. Anthony […]