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

178 BE"IWEENn:xrANDARllFACr

thetext(texttypes,corrections,sensedivisions,etc.)andthequestionof

provenance:Whicharcsectariantexts?Beyondthis,thescrollsareprime

dataforfascinatingsociologicalquestionsoflitemcy,scrollproductionand

preservation,and(helike(hathavebarelybegun[Qbepursucd.^47

TEACHINGQUMRAN

Itneedstobemadeclearthattheexamplesdiscussedabovedonot

representattemptsbyscholars{Qdeceiveorskewtheresultsofresearch.

Onthecontrary,itisa testamentto[heremarkablequalityofRolandde

Vaux'sexcavationofQumran thatthe majorityofhisobservationsstill

stand.Thepurposeofthisessayisrathertodrawlessonsfromwhatistoa

certainextentinevitable:itisneverpossible(0researchanysubjectwitha

tabularasa. Whetheroneisconsciousofitornot,therewillalwaysbe

controlling questionsthat influence howone filtersdata and presents

results.ThebeSllhatonecandoistobeawareofthepitfalls,tobeas

explicit aspossibleaboutdistinguishingdatafromhypotheses,andcontin-

uallytobepreparedtoasknewquestionsandtoreviseoldhypotheses.

Theseproblemsrelaledtoresearchcallforhumilityandcautiononthe

partoftheteacher,asNickelsburgadmonished:"Ofcourse,likeSocrates,

weknowthatwedon'tknow.Butdoweactandteachinthismode,ordo

wepresentourhypotheseswithmorethana tingeofpositivism,anddo

weputforthourgeneralizationsasrepresentationsoftherealthing,mther

thanasmodels?~48

Forintegratingarchaeologyintoteaching,IwoulddistillthefollOWing

lessonsfromtheexampleofQumran.First,bewareoftheviciouscircleof

hypothesisbecomingdata.Onemustclearlydistinguishbetweenmaterial

dataandsynthetichypotheses. Second,bewareoftheinfluenceoflan-

guageandthepowerofimageto mislead. Particularlyto nonspecialist

students,thepresentationofarchaeologicaldatacangivetheimpressionof

concreteandincontrovertibleprooffora particu!<lrview.Onemustbeclear

aboutthe limitsofknowledgeand the ambiguityofmaterial evidence.

London: Brilishlibr:lry;Newcastle,Del.:OakKnoll.inaSSOCi:ltionwiththeScriptorium,

CenterforChristianAntiquities,1998).9-33;idem,"ScribalPr:ldicesRenectedintheTexts

fromtheJudaeanDesert:inFlint,mdVanderKam,DeadSeaScrollsaj1erFiftyYears,1:403...-29.

47 Ste!)t:mannarguesthatoneofIhemajorfunctionsofIheQumrJncommunitywas

scrollproduction:Har1mUISlegem:mn.7beLibra')'oJQulllrcm: 011 tbeE.Sselles,Qumrml,Job"

tbeBaptist(lmijesus(Gr:mdRapids:Ecrdmans:L.eidt:n:Brill.19(8).'>1-'>'5.

48 GeorgeW.E.Nickelsburg,"CurrentsinQumrnnScholarship:TheInterplayofData,

. Agendas,andMelhodology.·in71Je[)e(u/&>aScrolL~ll/Fifty:Procet.>dj'lgsojtbe 1997 Society
ojlJib/icalUWrtlfllreQumranS!.'CtiollMeetillgs(cd.R.A.KuglerandE.Schuller;SBLSymSIS;
Atlant:l:Schol:lrsPress,1999),97.