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

WHYDECLARETHETHINGSFORBIDDEN?CLASSROOM

INTEGRATIONOFANCIENT NEAREASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY

WITH BIBLICALSTUDIES INTHEOLOGICALCONTEXT

ScottR.A.Starbuck

GonzagaUniversityandWhitW011hCollege

Whetherdeliberdtclyaddedasmultimediatoa biblicalstudiescurricula
orsimplyincludedasillustrationsinanintroductorytext,thepedagogical
impression lefl by archaeological remains, even when usedsimplyas
"visualaids,"(<In hardlybeoverstated.Theintegrationofancient Near
Easternarchaeologywithbiblicalstudiesintheologicalcontexts,however,
isanOlhermatter.Thisarticleoffersempatheticandpracticalretlectionfor
biblicalstudiesinstructorswhorecognizetheinlcgralrelationshipbetween
theologicalrefledionandtheassessmentofarchaeologicalrcaliabutare
perplexedifnOlbeleagueredbystudentresistancetothetask.Tothisend,
thearticlebeginswithanelucidationoftheepistemologicalculturethatis
oftenimplicitinlhebiblicalstudiesclassroom.Second,a particuhlrtheo-
logicalhermeneuticisofferedasaworkingexampleofonesustainable
approachtoa theologicalintegrationoftextandartifact.Finally,thearticle
offersateSIcasethroughanexaminationofthematerialremainsofKun-
tillet<AjrOd(HorvatTeiman).

THE:CHALLENGEOFINTEGRATION

Itisimportantforme 10 clarifythatI writefromthetheologicalper-
spectiveofa Christian biblicalscholar. In doingsoJam remindedof
Moshe1-1,Goshen-Gottstein'scommentlhat"Jewishscholarsinstinctively
shrinkbackfromtheverymentionof'theology'inIhecontextofbiblical
studies."lPerhapsexcusably,then,the"theologicalcontext"Iknowand,

IMosheHen!)'Goshen-Gollslein,-T~lnakhThl."Ology:TIleReligionoftheOldTeslamenl
andthePlaceofJewishBiblicalTheology:inAlleiclI!IsraeliteReligioll:EssaysillHonorof
FrfillkMooreCross(ed.1'.D. MillerJr.,P. D. Hanson,;lndS.D. McBride:Philadelphia:
Fortress,1987),611:1.

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