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

16 m,IWEENn,>.,ANDAItTlfACr

IOpicintothreeparts.InthefirstsectionAlbrightrecountsthediscoveryof
ancientPalestine,whereheplacestheemphasisondevelopmentofmeth-
odsratherthanresults.Inthesecondchapter, hepresentsapopularized
account 01 hisexcavationsatTellBeitMirsim.Histhirdchaplersumma-
rizestheBibleinlightofarchaeoloh'Y,specifically,theageofthepatriarchs,
the lawofMoses,andtheageoftheexile:Indrestoration.Todaymost
scholarswouldagreethatarchaeologyis ill-equippedasa disciplineto
dealwithsuchnonmaterialculture-baseddilemmasandhasverylitlleto
contributetothediscussion.
FromStol1eAgetoChris/iclI/ilyisconsideredbymanytobeAlbright's
mostimportantaodinfluentialbookInit hesurveysthestateofthedisci-
plincandinlcgratesarchaeologicaldiscoveriesintheancientNearEast
with the biblicaltexts, covering a range fromthe"stoneage"through
Roman(NewTestament)times.Thebookwasreprintednumeroustimes,
andAlbrightconfidentlyproclaimsinhis 1957 edition:

TurningtoIsrJeI,Idefendlilt;'suhstalllialhislOricityofpatriarchaltradi-

tion,withoutanyappreciablechangeinmypointofview,andinsist,just

asin1940-46,ontheprimacyoforaltr:<lditionoverwrillenliterature.I

havellot surrendereda singleposition withn:gard toearly ISr:<ldite

monOlheismhUl,onthecontrary,considertheMosaictraditionaseven

morereliablethanrdidthen. IrecognizeIhattheCovenantisnotonly

fUllyasancientasIhadthought,butwasmuchmorepervasiveinits

effectonthereligiousandpoliticallifeofISr.ld,.,t5

Again,archaeologicaldiscoveriesduringthelaStthirtyyearshaveseriously
ch;.lllengedtheseAlbrightianviews,andfcwscholarswouldsupportsuch
statementstoday.
MorethananyotherofAlbright'sstudenL"Wright,advancedhisteacher's
agendaofbiblicalarchaeologywitha focuson"biblicaltheology."From
1939 to 1959 hetaughtHebrewBibleatMcCormickSeminaryinChicago,
culminatinginhis 1957 landmarkIXlokBiblicalArchaeology.16Thispubli-
cationpresentedarchaeologyasa resourceforbiblicalhistoryandreligion.
Itisthebestexampleoftheutilizationofarchaeologyintheserviceof
socialhistOIYandtoillustratethehistoricityofthebiblicaltexts.Wright's
bookservedas atextbookoftheperiodfortWOdecades,reflectinghis
integrationoftextandanif;lclinhiscoursesaswellasapublicationwitha
broadpopularappeal.

15 WilliamF.Albright.F/"OmStolleAgeto(.1Jrisli(/lIi~)':Monotbeismandtbe/-lis/orical

Proct's.I"(GardcnCity.N.Y.:Doubled:ly,t957),2.

16 Wright.BiblicalArcfmealORY.~c:11"'.1lhecondcn»cdversion:G.ErncMWrighl,IJib-

ficalArcbaco/ngY(:lhridg(.'(1(.'(1.;I'hil:lddphia:Wcsollin~1Cr:196<».