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

KILLEHliEW:llET\X'EENHEAVENANDEAlf111 21

educatingfuturearchaeologists.Inadditiontomaterial-culturestudies,stu-
dents are encouraged (0 enroll in courses in :m:haeometry, geology,
epigraphy,Assyriology,Egyptology,geography,andBible.Withthecom-
plelionofthe undergraduatedegree, a student isconsidered atrained
archaeologist.Gt<lduateprogramsaredesignedtoproducescholarswho
arcfullytraincdprofessionalarchaeologistsandacademics.InIsrael,the
termsbiblicalarchaeology,!»lJ"o-Pales/illiaitarchaeology,archaeologyof
theLevant,archaeologyofthekme!ofIsrael, arc!Jtu..-'Ologyofthelandqlthe
Bible,andarc!Jtu..>ologyoftheIlo~yI..al/darebasicallyinterchangeable,lack-
ingtheAmericanideologicalconnotations.^29
ByIhe1970s,Albright'svisionofbiblicalarchaeologywasunderfirein
the UnitedStates,inpart duetomoreprofessionalapproachestofield
archaeologythatdemandedpractitioners todevotefull-limeenergiesto
masteringtheexponentiallymultiplyingareasofexpertiseanddata.The
biblicaland theological communitiesbecame increasinglydisillusioned
witharchaeologyasthe"savior"'ofanoncriticalhistoricalreconstruction
focusedonthebiblicalaccount.Atthesametime,archaeologyinIsrael
witnessedthe risinginfluenceoflocal,professionallytrainedIsraeliarchae-
ologistswhobegantodominatethefield.ThisW:.lSbest reflectedinthe
peculiarly American debate regarding lhe pros and cons of "biblical
archaeology"versusSyro-Palestinianarchaeology.30
What,then,is"'biblicalarchaeology'"?Itencompassesawiderangeof
definitionsdependingonitscontext.ForAmerican,French,andGerman
scholars,it hastraditionallybeenpartofbiblicllstudies,whileformost
IsmeliandBritishacademicsit hasbeentreatedasa relatedbutdistinct
disciplinefrombiblicalstudies,InIhisessay, followingthebr;lclidefini-
tion, I use the term biblicalarcbaeologyin itshroadest meaningthat
encompassesvariousapproachestothematerialcultureofthe landof

2')for:1funhcrdiscussionoflIw~tcrm.sandbibBed:Irch:l(.-'Ologyint"rad,<,('cEphr.lim

Slern,-TIl("Hible,mellsr;leliArch,lI:olo~y:inI'erdue,Toombs.;mdJohnson.tlrt:!Ja,'OIORY

am!Bibfical!lI/crprc/(l!iOIl.31-"lO.

j(IThereha\"l_obeennumcroll~anidc:>wrillenonthi:>topic.mostnotablybyWi!li:11l1G.

Dever,HeproposedthetermSyro-I'a/i'slimml(/rcb(/('u!OKJ';lSIhepreferredterm 10 indicate

a profession;llversionofbiblic;11'Irch:u:ology.Sec.e,g.,WilliamG.Dever,"Iklrospccls;lnd

I'ro:>pe<:tsinl3iblil;;l1:tndSyro-I'alcslinianArdlCology."Btl 45 (982);103-7;idem."'Syro-

I':destinianandijiblic;tlArch:leoloJ.:Yo"'in"{1JeHebrewBiN,·(IIllllbModerllIn/erprelcn;(ed.

D.A.Knight,IndG.i\l,Tucker;Chil;O.C:lliLSchobrsPress.t985).31-74;idem.-Biblkal

t\rdIJeology:De;uh:mdIicbinh?-IIIBiblicalArchaeoloKYToday.t9'..JO:Pr(X('I'dll1gsof/be

Second!II/enw!ioll(//COllgress 011 lJilJ/iC(I!Arc!)(ICv!op,y.jen/salem.jlll/I.....jllly/990(cd.

A.Bi,an'lIlJJ.A'i""11:JCHloS,dem:br,lelExplor.llionSociety.mJthebradAGldemyofSci-

ences;lnJHumanilies.11)93).706-22:kktn."BihlkalArdlaeology,"OllANH1:315--19and

bibJiogr.lphythere.for:ldditio!l:11rcr~p(~cli\'es.secLawrenceE.Toombs."TheDevelopment

ofI'alestinianArcheologyA.sa Discipline."'lhl 45 (1982),89-91