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

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presented,whichbecamethebasallevelforallsubsequentchronological
refinements.
AlbrightcoveredthegeologicalhistoryoftheregionaswellasthePale-
olithicthroughtheNeolithicperiods.Thischapterisa classicarticulationof
Albright'sviewoftheall+encompassingnatureofthe"BiblicalWorld,"a sec·
ular archaeo-historical approach integrating prehistoric periods into a
culturehislorysquarelyderivedfromandfocusedonthebiblicalnarratives.
Albright's "Biblical World" spanned prehistoryandhistory and had an
extremelywidegeographicdistribmion,fromsouthernUussiatoEthiopia,
acrossNorthAfricaandovertoImo.ll
Thearchaeologicalcoreofthebookischapters4-7,whichcoverthe
Chalcolithicthrough"Graeco-Roman"times,withthegreatestemphasison
the BronzeandIron Ages, thefoundationofbiblicalhistory. AJbright's
inclusionofthelaterperiods(especiallytheRomanperiod)isevenmore
essential thanhisinclusionoftheprehistoricperiods,for thesearethe
periodsduringwhichtheeventsoftheNewTestamentlr:lnspired.
Thefinalchaptersofthebookarethematicinnature,discussingsuch
topicsaslanguage,writing, litemture,anddailylife.Theuseofthematic
chaptersisanotherenduringlegacyofAlbright'Slandmark volume.Most
interestingischapter9,"DailyLifeinAncientPalestine,"whichisdivided
intosholtaccountsofselectedperiodsdesignedtohelpilluminatekeybib-
lical figures. IlereweseeAlbright'svisionoftheinterplaybetweenthe
biblicaltexts,archeology,andhistory,aswellashisinterestintheenviron-
ment,technology,andsocialorganization. Hecorrelatesthepatriarchsto
theMiddleBronzeIIandcomparespatriarchalsocietytothecontempor.lry
AmbbedouinandjelJabinoftheregion.Thisisthenwovenintoa more
wide-rangingsynthesisoftheentireperiod,incorporatingotherdata,such
astheMiddleBronzeAgearchivesfromMariandAlalakh,Egyptiantomb
paintings,andpopulationmovementsoftheIndO-Europeans.Laterperiods
arcalsoconsidered,suchastheIronAgeII,whichislinkedtoElijah.
Thefinal threechaptersreturntothefamiliarthemesthalAlbright
treatedmoreformallyinhisearlierbooks.^12 Inthesechapterswefinda
IISCcG.VanBeck,·WilliamFoxwellAlbright,A ShortBiography,"in1beScholarship
ofWilliamFox/lieUAlbright:AnAppmiSal(ed.G.VanBeek;HSS33;Atlanta:ScholarsPress,
1989),7-15. FormoreonAlbright'Sperspa:tivesonfieldarchaeology,seeJ.P, Desscl,
"Readingbetweenthe!.ines;WilliamFoxwellAlbright'In'theFieldand'On'theField,"NEA
65 (2003):43-50,andespeciallythebibliography.
12 seenote7 aswellasWilliamF.Albright,FromtheSloneAge 10 Christianity(Balti-
more:JohnsHopkinsUniversityPress,1940);andidem,History,Archaeology,andChristian
Humal/iSm(NewYork:McGraw-l-liIl,1964).Albright'SprotegeG.ErnestWrightwrotea sim-
ibrlystyledbiblicalhistory,BiblicalArchaeo/o&>,(Philadelphia:Westminster,1957),thatis
veryreminisccntorAlbright'sArch(leologyofPalestineandtheBible.