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

"THESEAREYo RGODS, 0 ISRAEL":

TilECHALLENGE OFRECONSTRUcnNG ISRAELITE

RELIGIONUSING BonlTEXTANDARCIIAEOLOGY

BethLaHocca~Pi/ts

Unil'Crsitya/Georgia

INTHODlTCl10N

Bcc.llI5eweliveinaculturethatconstantlyhasitsmythiccorpusas
wellasitsreligioushislOryn~lrratcdbacktoitthroughthemediaoftelevi-
sionandfilm.Icachingeachsuccc~i\'egenerationofstudentsaboutthe
religiouslifeofancientIsmelonenneccs..,itatesclearingtheairofimages
gainedfromexposure(0IndianaJones.'tbeRelicHunter.andHercules:
7belRgell(/aryjourueys.Nothingbmorefascinating(0thecitizensofour
modernagethanthe-actuallac(s~behindancientritualobjectsfabledto
containsupernaturalpower.Whetheroneisdealingwiththearkofthe
covenant,thetempleofSolomon,theIlalyGr::lil,orthewoodofthetrue
cross,ritualobjectsdescrilx"{lin~llldentreligioustextsstirtheimagination
ofprofessionalsandlayreadersalike.f\luchiswriucn~lholltthem,and
mostofit is1::lrgelyfanciful.
Thisdoesnot mean, however.that weshouldcease toinvestigate
ancient cultlifeordismissdiscussion ofreligiousartifactsas somuch
hokum.Contemplationofreligiousissuesandthepracticeofculticritual
arckeycomponentsofvirtuallyallancient<lndtraditionalcultures.Aswdy
ofancientIsrael,therefore,cannothopetobecompletewithoutanalysisof
ancient ISl<lelitereligion. Althoughtheprocessofrediscoveringandcor-
rectly labeling religious structures :lnd artifacts known from the
archaeological record is frauglH with difficulties, noreconstruction of
ancient IsraelilereligionGillhopetobeaccuratewithoutaccountingfor
andincludingcertainarchaeologicalremains.

TilESrG"IFlCA'CEOFARCHAEOLOGICALDATAFORTEACIIl'GTIlEIIEUKEWBnu.E

Oneoffhemainthingsthaihihlic.J1scholarswantarch~leolob')tfObe
abletodoforthemistomalchphysic.llobjectsrecoveredfromexcavations

53