6 llETWf.ENTIXT"'''DARTIFACT
enhancehistorical-criticalinstruction,encouraginguseofmediathalpro-
videanalternativeto"chalkand(alk~lectureleaching. \Vhen viewed
alongsidethegrowingpopularilyof"biblicalarchaeology~innonacademic
spheres,currentinterdisciplinarysensibilitiesmaketheabsenceofvisual
andmaterialculturemtherconspicuous.
TheobviousIarge-scdlcanswertothedifficultyisastruauralreshaping
ofthefield,staningwithgraduatetrainingandextendingtomoreinte-
gratedscholarlyactivitiesatconferences.IForthepresent,theapproach
morclikelytobeeffectiveisprobablyalthegrass-rootslevelandinsit-
u,lIionsthatcanproducesomepracticalassistanceforthosealreadyin
theclassroom.
Fullyawareofthemanytypesofobstaclesfortextualscholarswishing
toaskquestionsofmaterialremains,theorganizersofthisvolumehave
dmwntogethervoiceswhoencoumgeandexemplifythefruitfulinregm-
tionofarchaeologicaldataandbiblicalliteratureinteaching thereligion
andcultureofthebiblicalworld.Theessayscollectedherearedesigned(
articulate the valueofhistorical reconstructions that dmw from many
media,(0provideguidanceforthosewhowouldliketodothesame,and
toofferC.lSCstudiesandmodelsforreaderstouseasstartingpoints.
Theworkrepresentedinthisvolumeissuesfroma consultationseries
entitled"IntegratingArchaeologyandBiblicalStudies"thatwasconducted
inDurham, 'onhCarolina,andEugene,Oregon,duringthe2000---
academicyear.Themeetings,fundedbyagmntfromtheWabashCenter
forTeachingandLearninginTheologyandReligion,occasionedpresenra·
tionsandexchangcsdevotedtointegratingknowledgefromthefieldof
biblical(orSyrcrPalestinian)archaeologyintobiblicalstudiescoursesthat
havebeenlraditionallylimited 10 theliterature(nottherealia)ofbiblical
cultures.Asarchaeologistsandhumanists,theparticipantsintheseconsul-
tations understand how pedagogy in biblical litemture can bedeeply
enrichedbytheimportationofarchaeologicaldat~1andwishtointroduce
thepossibilitiesofthisintegmtiontobiblicalscholars.
Inordertofacilitatetheconnectionbetweenthetr.lditionallydistinct
subdisciplinesofbiblicalarchaeologyandlitcmrystudiesoftheBible,we
specificallyexploredcogentandpracticalexamplesthatwillpersuadebib-
licalstudiesinstructorstoconsiderincorpor'dlingvisuaVarchaeologicaldata
intotheircourses.Weindicatepedagogicalstr.ltegiesforusingvisualand
material culturein coursesthat tmditionally focuson biblicalliterature
only,producinga varietyofoptionsforrevisingdifferenttypesofbiblical
I Thus,onemightsu&g('Stlhat!heincreasingsepar3tJOnoftheSocieIyofBiblicalLiter3-
lureand!heArneri<:anSchoolsofOrienlalResearchinthisn:.-gardisunfortunate.