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

12 tlET\\'EEN'I1XrANDAHTIFACr

betweenbiblic:tlstudiesandthearchaeologyofbiblicallandshasbecome
lessclear-clltandincreasinglyambiguolls.Muchofthereasonfortheambi-
guityistheresultofthedevelopmentofnewdirectionsinbiblicalstudies.
ThesenewdirectionsincludeapproachestotheBiblethaIafeahislorical,
literary,orposllnodernin nalure.^2 In manyofthesesublleldsofbiblical
studies.archaeologyis seenasirrelevantandusefulonlyinrelationtomore
traditionalandhistoricallybasedapproachestothetexl.Correspondingto
thistrendandinresponsetotheever-increasinglevelofexpeniserequired
toadequatelymasterthemassiveamountsofincomingdataandmaterial
culture, archaeologyreachedmaturityandachievedindependence,whileat
the sametime acknowledgingitsbiblicalroots. Inmydiscussionofthe
integr.ltionoftextand<lltifact,I addressthreemainissuesregardingtherole
ofarchaeologyinbiblicalstudiesandacademiccurricula.

1. Idefine"biblicalarchaeology"anditsintegrationinacademicpro-
   gramsduringthe1920s-1960s.


2. I tracethedevelopmentofbiblicalarchaeologyintoa separate,pro-
   fessional disciplineandexamine itsrelevance tobiblic::tlstudies
   duringthe1970sthroughthepresentatinstitutesofhigherlearning.


3. I address lhe future ofa broader-based approach to biblical
   archaeologyanditspotentialroleineducationalcurricula,espe-
   ci;llly its integr;ltion in the fieldsofhih\ic:lI studies andother
   liberalaltsdisciplines.

ThroughthediscussionofthesethreetopicsinIhisessay,Iexplorehow
theearthlyworldthatproducedthebiblicaltextsstillhasa Significantrole
toplay,notonly inthehistorical-criticalapproachtothe Bible, butin
broaderfieldsoftheancientNearEast,anthropology,andthegener.llcur-
riculaofinstitutesofhigherlearning.

"BIBLICALAaCHAEOl.OGY·'INACADEMIAANDCURRIClJL-\:

1'1110AUlIUGltTIANPERIOD

Overthepasttwocenturies,archaeologyofthelandsassociatedwith
theBiblehascapturedtheimaginationandsupportofforeignandlocal

InlroductiOIl 10 BiblicalCn'tici.>m$alld"I1JeirApplicatioll(<-'d.S.l..McKenzie:IndS,R.I t;lyncs;
rev.,lOdexp.cd.;loubvilh::WC~ll11in'lerJohnKnox.t999),17-34.
2 ForRener:!1overviewsorlht'newdevclopmemsinbiblicalSludicsandcrilidsm,see.
e.g.,LeoG.Perdue,71JCCol/apseoj(-!islor)":NeCOIlS/mctillgOldTeSlamem1beQlop,y(Min-
ne;lpolis:Fonress.1994);SlevenJ..McKo.:nzieandStephenH,II;lynes,cds.,ToHac/}lis011'11
M('tlllillg:ttllImruducliol/ 10 BiblicalCriti(;ismsalldnJeirtlpplicatiOlI(rev.andexpocd.,
Louisvilk:~lcsllninS1crJohnKnox,1999).