MCCANE:"IlEREIAMATKlllRUI:ICANA" 199volumeofthedatawill tiltthescaleback towardequilibriumbetween
archaeologyandbiblical studies. Exposuretothe workofspecialists-
ceramicists, chemists, numismatists, epigraphers, paleobotanists-will
demonstrate moreconvincinglythan any lectureevercouldthai mere
interpretationofthetextisinsufficientfortheconstructionofbiblicalhis-
tory.Whentheymeetandseeand heararchaeologistsfrom countriesin
theregion,ourstudentswilldiscoverthattheyareinvolvedina project
pursuednotonlybymembersoftheirownfaithcommunityornationality
butbythoughtfulpeoplefrom manyperspectivestheworldover. Field
experiencewilldoall ofthisCandmore)becauseexcavationis, if I may
coina phrase,a totalsensorylearningenvironment.Studentswhohave
panicipaledina dighavenotonlyreadandthoughtandtalkedaboutbib-
licalstudiesandarchaeology,buttheyhavelivedit,workedit,sweatedit,
andtastedil.Asonestudentsuccinctlyputitinherevaluationofa season
ofexcavationsatSepphoris,"OnthistripI waslearning2417,whether[
wantedtoornol."
Neitherarestudentswhoparticipateinanexcavationlikelytomake
theoppositemistakeofoverlookingtheBiblealtogether,fortherewillbe
countlessopportunitiesoverthecourseoftheseasonforsustainedand
thoughtfulconsiderationoftherelationshipbetweentheBibleandarchae-
ology. In the field~whereIhe area supervisor is the mas! strategic
educator on the staff-and in the classes th,lt take place during the
evenings,aswellasonweekendtripsandtours,wecanandwillengage
ourstudentsinextendedandthoughtfulconversationabollltheconnec-
tionsbetweenbiblicalstudiesandarchaeology.Astudentoncepeppered
mewithquestionsaboU{thehistoricalJesusthroughmostofa busrideout
toMasada,andanotherstudent'scuriosityabouttheconnectionsbetween
Matthew,Sepphoris,andrabbinicJudaismconsumedmostofadinnerin
EastJerusalem.Thesecommentsbringustoanimportantobservationabout
thepedagogicalvalueoffieldexcavalion.EarlierI remarkedthatarchaeol~
ogyisnotanindoorsport.Indeed,consideringthevarietyofchallenges
thatitentails,panicipatinginanexcavationmightrightlybedescribedas
the"X"Gamesofundergraduateeducation.Asonestudenlwroteofher
seasonal Sepphoris,"Ican't imagineanyotherexperiencewhichcould
offersomuch-physically,intellectually,emotionally,spiritually."Itispre-
ciselythetotaldemandofexcavating,onbody,soul,mind,andspirit,Ihat
opensupunusualopportunitiesforusasteachers.Overthecourseofthe
dig season, barrierscome down that never could be surmounted on
campus.Bondsoftrustareformed,andweenterwithourstudentsintoa
teachablemomentthelikesofwhichneverhasandneverwilltakeplace
ina classroom.
Ofcoursethereareproblems.In thesamewaythatthepedagogical
opportunitiesoffieldexcavationareextr.lOrclinary,so 100 arethedifficulties