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

STAIl.IIUCK: WilYDEClAIl.ETilEnllNGSFOll.lIII)DEN? 101

Joshu~~ andJudges,Finally,theepigraphicfindsal Kuntillet<AjrOd that
makementionof"Yahwehand hisAsherah" haveprovidedadditional
insightintothestrugglewithinIsmelbetweenpolytheismandmonolatry,
nottomentionmonotheism.Whenstudent.')arepresentedwiththesefinds,
theiroften-inheritedassumptionsaroundtheperspicuityofmonotheismin
ancientIsraelischallenged,ofteninsuchaway;:IStocall intoquestion
theirowntheologicalbeliefs,
Amongstudentsin thebiblicalstudiesclassroomintheologiGtlcon-
texts,outcomes1-2aregenerdllygivenenthusiasticwelcome.However,
whentheinstructorpresentsdataorinterpretationsthatleadtooutcomes
3-4,manystlldentswill,ataminimum,experiencesignificantcognitivedis-
sonance. Fortheinstructor,thismeansthat,inadditiontothechallenge.';
inherentinworkingwitharchaeologicallydiversematerial,evolvingcon-
cepts,andcompetingscholarlypositionsoutsideone'sexpertise,onemust
alsospendsignificant energyonhelpingstudentsthroughtheiranxiety,
doubts,andconfusions,whileatthesametimemitigatinga regressivedrive
toprejudgeallarchaeologicaldatabywhetherornottheyconfirmnonnative
belief(outcomeI).Thisregressivedrive,ofcourse,isfarfromaridiculous
orcompletelymisguidedassumptiononthepartofthestudents,consider-
ingnotonlythecomplexityofarchaeologicalpresentationbutespecially
giventhetendencyofreligiousleaderstousearchaeologicalfindingsrdther
simplisticallytobolsterandillustratethebiblicalnamltive.Moreover,it has
notbeensimplytheproclivityofreligiousleaders."ConselV:ilivescholarsin
particular,butIiberdlscholarsaswell,"remindsZionyZevit,"assumedthat
ifarchaeologycoulddemonstratethatsomethingmighthaveoccurred,that
wasproofsufficientthatit hadoccurrediftheBiblesoindicated.-^4
Indeed,intheologicalseningstheclassroomexperiencecanbeconfus-
ingforteacher~mdstudentalike.Alltoooftenwhenarchaeologicaldawmis
presentedthatdisconfirmsorcontradictsthepresumedhistoriciryofthebib-
lical account, p:lssions nair :.lIld insecurities circle. From a student
perspective,things"faSCinating'"quickly[urntothings"forbidden,"especially
whentheclassisunpreparedtoprocessunanticipatedorcompetingtrulh
claims.Many<IninstructorhasfoundherselfechoingRobertFrosl'swonder-
ment:"ButwhydeclarethethingsforbiddenthatwhiletheCustomssleptI
havecrossed(0Safetywith?" PoellYaside,thequestionbecomes:Howdoes
theinstructorintegrdtearchaeologicalfindingsimplyinganarrayofoutcomes
(1-4)anclthat,havingsafelysUlVivedcenturies,nowpressthemselvesupon
biblicalaswellas"normative"beliefdevelopedthroughtrdclitionaltheologi-
caldiscussionandpracticeovercennJries?Iiisseldomane;:lsyorsimpletask.

4 ZionyZcvi\."ThrccDd);l\e~about13ibk:andArdl,ICQlo~y:BibR3(2002'1:7.