Between Text and Artifact: Integrating Archaeology in Biblical Studies Teaching (Archaeology and Biblical Studies)

Dr:.SSEL:INSEARCHOFTilEGOOD[lOOK

Theexistingh:mdJ.xx)ksaboutthehistoryofIsraelandJudahallhavetheir

limitations.Theirmainconcernhasbeenapresentationofthepeoplesof

IsraelandJudah,andtoooftentheymerelyaccepttheviewsofthebibli-

t.:alwritcr~a~reliablerdlectionsofPilstevenl5andtheircausalrelation-

ships.ThroughoutmyyearsofteachingSyro-PalestinianhistoryIhavefelt

theneedtotrytopresentthehistoryofthepeoplesofPalestinethrough

themillenniainaformfreedfromthebiasofthebiblicalwriters.8'i

95

AhlstromsawthiseffortasacomplementtoHelgaWeippert'sstudyof

thearchaeologyofthesouthernLevant.8S Bothstudiesarcquitedense,

detailed,andlengthy; HistoryojAncientPalestinealoneisoverninehun-

dred pages and represems Alhstrom's life's work. One of the most

importantaspectsofitisAhlstrom'sapproachtowardthesourcematerial

(biblicaltexts,eXlmbiblicaltexts,andarchaeologicaldata)forwriting this

hislory. Considerhisviewsonwritinga historyoftheunitedmonarchy,

nowa flashpointinthecontroversybetweenbiblicalmaximalist.minimal-

ist,andself-styledcentristpositions:^86

Aperiodcompletelyunknownin NearEasterntextsexceplfrom the

HebrewBibleisthatoftheso-calledunitedmonarchy.Nokingdomcalled

IsraelorJudah.muchlessanIsr.leliteempire,isanywhereanestedinthe

1MAhlstrom.1Ii.s!oryofAllciemPates/ine,10.
8SHelgaWeippert,PaJas/inaillvorhellenistiscberZeit(Munich:Beck,(988).Thistext
hasbeenomittedfromthisoverviewforseve"tlreasons.Whileitisa comprehensive,thor-
ough.:llldwellregardedwork,itisalsodenseandhardtouse.ThoughWeippenpresents
anextremelylarge;lmountofdata,sheislessinterestedinfullydigestingit.Forthesere:l-
sons,itisnotparticularlyeffectiveforundergraduatelise.Itis,however,anexcellent
referencevolume.
86 Thereisanever·growingbodyofliteratureontherninimalistlmaximalistcontroversy
regardingthehistoricityofthebiblicaltexts(seceSIX-'Ciallylevit,"ThreeDebalesaboutBible
andArchaeology").Itisincreasinglydifficulttoignorethistopic,inadditiontotheissueof
IronAgechronology,thatis,whetherthearch;leologicalstr::.tatraditionallydatedtothetenth
centuryIl.C.E.andthoughttobeevidenceofaunit<.-'dIST'".aelunderDavidandSolomonshould
bedatedtothetenthcenturyIl.c.~:.(thetraditionalpositionincreasinglyseenasa maximalist)
orratherIll'toa centuryI;lter.thusrcneclingtheperiodofthedividedkingdomsof[smeland
Judah.Foranoverviewofthiscomplicatedandincreasinglypolemicalsetofissues,see
FinkelsteinandSilberm:lll,1beBibleUllem1hed;Dever,Il7bmDidtheBihlicalW'n'/e~Know,
andthebibJiogr:lphieswithin.13rieny,theminimalistsseenoevidencefora unitedmonarchy
andhavea dubiousviewevenoftheperiodofthedividedmonarchies(fortheminimalists.
seeGrabbe,C(IIIa"Historyoffsracl"Be\'(In·lIen?).MinimaliststendtosectheHebrewBible
asa verylatedocumentedited,ifnotwriuen,intheHellenisticperiodandtheproductof
Hasmont:ilnpolitiC-AIambitions.WithinthiscontroversyFinkelsteinstyleshimselfa centrist,
viewingtheunitedmonarchyasgre;ulyeX:lggemtcdintheHebrewBiblebutendorsinga his-
toricalrealityforthemomlrchiesofancient1.~T'"JdandJudahintheninthcenturyII.c.E.and
fullysupJXlrtinglhe"lowchronology."