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

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studiescoursesthroughtheintegrationofvisual/materialculture.Wehope
tohelpreaderstonndpracticalapproachesforintegratingsuchdataintoa
syllabusinmeaningfulwaysforstudentsandinstructoralike.Inaddition,
thecontributors tothisvolume expressacommon concern 10 make
explicitcertainimplicitagendasthathavefiguredbothinthereconstruc-
tion of the history of biblical cultures generally and in the use of
archaeologic<llevidencetofurthercertainideologicalpositions.
The essays included here cover a wide range ofsubject maHer
designed toprove useful for instructorsin both NewTestament and
HebrewBible.Ofcourse,thehistOlyofPalestineneednotbemarkedby
NewTestament/HebrewBibledivisions,butbecausethisbookis designed
witha readershipofbiblicalstudiesinstructorsinmind,theessaysarepre-
sentedinwaysthatdemonstratethepallicularcontributionsofarchaeology
ininstructionforthesefields.
Thefirstessay,"BetweenHeavenandEarth:EducationalPerspectives
ontheArchaeologyandMaterialCultureoftheBible,"sumsupthediffi-
culties in using both archaeological and literary data for historical
reconstructionsincontextsthatareinfusedwithpoliticalandspiritual
claimstothelandsunderstudy.Byexaminingtheclassicpublicationson
archaeology and the Bible, Ann E. Killebrewcomments on selected
aspectsofthepolitical,theological,andethicalissuesathandwhenone
teachesreconstructionsofIsnlelitehistoryth:1l,IresometimescounterLO
biblicalclaims.
Twoessaysinparticularillustratehowarchaeologicalevidencecan,in
conjunctionwithliterarydata,providetexturedreconstructionsofelements
inIsraeliteculture.CarolMeyers'scontributiontothisvolume,"'Wherethe
GirlsAre':ArchaeologyandWomen'sLivesinAncientIsrael,"indicatesthe
biasesinthebiblicalrecordthatresultinthesilencingofwomenandthe
undervaluingofwomen'scontributionstoIsraelitesociety.Meyersreviews
resourcesinsecondaryscholarshipthatprofitablyusearchaeologicalevi-
dencetoindicatewomen'srolesanddiscussestheimpactofsuchroleson
thedynamicsofdailylifeinhouseholdsoftheperiodoftheHebrewBible.
BethLaRocca-Pitts'sessay,'''TheseAreYourGods, 0 Israel';TheChal-
lengeofReconstructingIsraeliteReligionUsingBothTextanclArchaeology,~
explores the methodological issues encountered when one seeks to
accountforarchaeologicalremainslinkedtoIsraelitereligion,discusses
relevant archaeological finds germane toa historicalreconstruction of
Israelitereligion,andsuggestswaysofappro<lchingsuchreconstrUClions
whenteachingtheculturalcontextsoftheHebrewBible.
Fouressaysarcdevotedtoprovidingoverviewsofavailabletoolsand
strategiesforprofitablyusingthe fruitsofarchaeologicalresearchinclass-
roomsituations.J. P. Dessel's "InSearchofthe Good Book: ACritical
SurveyofHandbooksonBiblicalArchaeology"contex[ualizesthevarietyof