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

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thedatathatconstitutethearch:Ieologicalrecord,andhowdoesoneeval-
uatethisdata vis-a-visthe claims ofbiblical literature?Ilowdoesone
presentthesetypesofquestionsintheclassroom?HowdocsoneIllove
beyondtherelativelysimplisticuseofarchaeologicaldataand re:.i1ia as
"visualaids"Ihaloftencharacterizesinappropri:'Hcattemptstoverifythe
historicityofbiblicalclaims?
Finally,apartfromtheseconsiderations,thereis alsothebasicproblem
ofthemechanicaldifficultiessometimesinvolved.Slides,video,andcom-
puterresourcesarealleffectivetoolsforintroducingarchaeologyintothe
classroom.buttheawarenessofspecificresourcesinthesemediaishitand
missformanynonarchaeologists.Thefacilitiesatdifferentinstitutionsfor
usingsuchmediaalsoV:'llYinconvenience,andprobablyatleasta partof
thehesitationtomakeuseofthesethingsis relatedtothephysicaldifficulty
ofgettingtheequipmenttotherightplace:..11therighttime.
ThesumofalloftheabovefaclOrs-tendcncytowardspecialization;
graduatetraining;thenalUreofbiblicalstudies,whichhas:.lliterarycanon;
religiouspredispositionsofsomestudents;interpretivequestions-results
inmaintainingcircumstancesthat routinizethedistancingofrealiafrom
textinthetaskofteachinga courseinbiblicalstudies.Tohesure,prefer-
enceoftextstorealiainacademicstudyandteachingisatendencythat
appearsinallmannerofdisciplint::>.Ont:couldsaythatreligiousstudiesin
generalfocusonthewrittenmedi~lofreligiollsmessages,asopposed1O
theremainingmaterialsth:Hcomprisetheenvironmentinwhichreligious
instructionandritual:lreconduch:d.
Theopeningoftraditionalbihlicalstudiespedagogytoarchaeological
dataand, moreover,demonstrationsofthe richnessandtexture ofthe
resultingreconstructionscould rrovide:.t usefulimpetusforotherreli-
gioniststoattendtoartifactsandtextsalike.Nowmorethanever,wearc
subjecttoacademicimpulsesthatwishtorepairthisdivision.Weexistin
anenvironmentthatvaluesinterdisciplinaryworkandencouragesoneto
transcenddisciplinaryboundariesand toemploytht: toolsofmultiple
fields,producingresultsthatan:meaningful{oavarietyofaudiences.In
suchanacademicenvironment.it isbecomingincreasinglycounterintu-
itive to neglect the reali:'l contemporary to biblical society when
reconstructingbiblicalhistory.Agrowingnumberofdisciplinesneedto
be consultedwhen attempting tocontextualizebiblical voicesand to
sharpenourunderstandingsofs()cbl,political,andeconomicdimensions
ofbiblicalliteralUre.Interdisciplin:llyworkpushestextualscholarstoturn
uparchaeologic~lldatamadeaccessiblethroughreferencematerials,jour-
luIs,studytrips,documentaries,andtextbooks.[naddition,thebenefits
orbringingarchaeological resourcestostudents inthe classroom are
excitingforinstructorsandstudentsalike.Theuseofimagesthatinclude
visual and material evidence engage students and readily work to