92 I3ETWt-:fo:" TEXTAI,J)AR1WACr
tackled.However.wht:therthis issuewouldbeconstructedinthesame
wayiftherewerenobiblicallexlSisimportant 10 consider.
Thebibliographyiscumulative,makingithardertouseforthebegin-
nerinterestedinfindingtopicalre-ddings.ThereafCalsoendnotesforeach
chaplerthaiareoftcnquiteilluminating,touchingonsomeofthemost
currentfindsandcomroversies.Thereareonlytwenty-fourillustrations,
includingcharts,sileplans, phologrdphs,andlinedraWingsofartifaclS,
architecture,poncry,andreliefs.Imcreslingly,Laughlinincludesanumber
ofarchitecturdlreconstrudions,whichcanbehelpfulforilluminalingstatic
architecturalplansbutarealsoveryproblematicifnoth~lOdledproperly.
Manyofthebl:KkandwhitepholOgmphsweretakenbyLaughlinhimself,
andwhilesomeareacceptable,quitea fewarefoundlacking.
Laughlin'sbookisunusuallyengaging;theuseofthefirst person,
drawingon hisownexcavationexperiences, theinclusionofhisown
photographs,andhispersonalperspectiveonunderstandingthem.tte-
rial.11handmakesfora vcrylivelyandagreeablebookThereisasense
ofasharedjourney(atermLaughlinusesfreely),andonegelS.1 real
feelingofjusthowhardLaughlinisworking 10 comprehendthisdiverse
bodyofmaterialanditspurportedbiblicalcomext.In thisregard,itis
moreofapersonalandexperientialaccountthantheothers.Whilethis
mightnotbethebestapproachfora handbook,onecannothelpbUl
admireandenjoyLaughlin'svcryreadableaccoun!ofonescholar·strek
throughthetrialsandtribulationsofarchaeologyinthe"HolyLand."
Severalhandlxx:>ksreflccta higherdegreeofbiblicallitemlism,indud·
ing ArchaeologyandtbeOld Testament, by Alfred HoeIlh;-~ Biblical
Archaeology:tbe\fIor/d,tbeMediterwneall,theBible,byHenryO.Thomp.
son;-';andDoingArchaeologyintbeLandojtbeBible,byJohnCurrid.^76
Eachofthesescholarsappearstoacceptthebasichistoricityofthebiblical
narnllivesandusesarchaeologyforsupport.Theinabilityofthesehand·
bookscriticallytoeX<lminethebiblicalnarrativcsmakestheirattemptsat
integratingtext witharchaeologyproblematic. Iloerth1ll.IY bethemost
doctrinaireofthethree.lieflatlyassertsthat"Abrahamwasbornshortly
after2000."-7Anotherexampleofthiskindofinappropriatemixing.md
matchingofarchaeologywithwhatJ-1ocrth mightconsider"tradition" is
"PredynasticEgypt:EgyptbeforeJoseph.-71lFormoste-eryhistorian.mel
-IAlfredHoenh,Arroo£'Oi<lg)'mullheOldTestmmml(GrandRapids:Baker.1998).
-<;lienryO.l1lomP5Qn,BibhCidArrbam/o8Y.·The\for/tl,theM£'(/,termnetm.lbeBIble
("icy,York,ParagonHou.se.11)8-:')
76 JohnCurrid.DolI/gArrbtlCoIOR,l'illthelmulvftbemble(GrnndRapids:Baker,1999)
77 Hoenh.Arrbaeol'og)'amilheOldTestame"'. 60 "'iOlCthatthereisnoiooic.lllonof
whetherthisdateisD,C.£.orCL
78 Ihid..128.