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

100 1J1::~IWt::ENTEXTANDAlfl1FACf

hence,haveinmindthroughoutthisarticleisaseminaryorachurch-

related liberal artscollege or university. Myassumption is thatthese

theologicalcontextshaveaninterestedstakeinbiblicaltheologyaswell

asdoctrinalandsystematictheology.Althoughtherelationshipbetween

archaeologicalreconstructionandbiblicalhislOriographyiscomplex,mul-

tifaceted,and controversial, theaimhere is toprovide hermenctHical

sophistication fortheintegrationofNearEastern archaeologicaltheory

andbiblicaltheologicalreflection.Forthesakeofthisessay,allofthese

termsmustbeheldralherloosely.Sufficeittosaythatbiblicaltheology,

at leastin theviewofthisessay,is notsynonymouswith a historyof

Israelitereligionbutinclusiveofit.

Therearedifferent waystoquantifytheoutcomesofintegrationof

NearEastern archaeologyandbiblicalstudies.^2 Forthepurposesofthis

essay,Iwillisolatefourprimaryoutcomes:

Outcome1:Archaeologicalfindingsholdessentialcontinuirywith

thebiblicaltext..

Outcome2:Archaeologicalfindingsprovideadditionalinformation

beyondwhatisprovidedinthebiblicaltexl.

OUlCome3:Archaeologicalfindingsconnictwithand/orcorrectthe

biblicaltext.

OutcomeIi:Archaeologicalfindingsconflict withassumeddogmatic

perspectives,necessitatinganewunderstandingofthetextand

itstheologicalclaims.

Outcome Iexampleswouldincludefindingssuchasthe"Houseof
David"inscriptionfoundatTel Dan.Abroadlistingofdatawouldfitunder
outcome2,muchofwhichhasprofitablybeenimplementedinclassroom
sertingsas "visualaids" thatilluminetheculturalandideologicalmilieu.
IconographicrepresentationofacherubthroneontheMeggidoIvories,for
example,expandsastudent'sunderstandingbyanalogytotheJerusalem
templethrone.Likewise,thediscoveryofa first-century"fishingvessel"in
themudoftheSeaofGalileecanhelpstudentsenvision,atleastpartially,
theplightoffishermanat thetimeofJeslls.3Atthesametime,itmustbe
admiuedthatthearchaeological data unearthed thusfar has rendered,
practicallywithoulexception,outcome3,withregardtothenarrativesof

"1ForarcCt:n1example,secjaniceCatron,~Di~ingforTruth:ArcheologicdStudiesAre
SheddingNewLightonBiblicalAccounts:Presb)'f(!rialls7"o<Iay(April2002):lo-t5
3 j:llnes H. Charlesworth, -Arch:leology, jesus, and Chris[ian l'ai[I1," What lias
Archal.-'(JIOl{)'toDo tn/bFai/b?(0:.'<1.J. II. Charlesworth and W.? \,(leaver; I'ai[h and
SChO);lfShipColloquies:Philadelphia:TrinityPressInternational,1992)10.