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

DESSEI.;INSEARCH01'HIEGOODnOOK 75

Neolithic,EarlyBronze I(Kenyon'sPrOLO-Urban period), EarlyBronze

IV,26MiddleBronzeAge,andIronAge.Certainlythearchaeologicaland

historical recordsabound with examplesofthemovements ofsocial

groups,butthe relationshipofthese movementstoactualchanges in

materialcultureorsite-specificeventsisnotaxiomaticandmustbecare-

fullydocumented.

AfinalprobleminArchaeologyintheHolyLandisKenyon'suseof

idiosyncraticchronologicalterminology;shereferredtotheEarlyBronzeI

as theProto-Urban periodandtheEarlyBronzeIVas the Intermediate

EarlyBronze-MiddleBronzeAge.^27 Inbothcases,whiletheterminology

mightbeapt,sincetheynicelydescribetheperiodstheyname,(heywere

neverfullyadoptedintheliterature.

ThelastofthefoundinggenerationofhandbooksisTheArchaeology

oftheLandofIsraelbyYohananAharoni.2HIntheforeword,writtenbyhis

wifeMiriam,shenotesthatAluroniquiteconsciouslyfollowedAlbright's

modelusedintheArchaeologyofPalestine,publishedsomethirtyyears

earlier.^29 ShethenaddsthatArchaeologyofIheLandofIsraelwasnecessi-

tatedbytheneedtoupdateAlbright'sworkbothintermsofthedataand

unewconcepts."MiriamAharonialsonotedthatthisworkwouldreflect

someoftheconlroversialviewsherhusbandhadheld:"Fromthebegin-

ningofhiscareer,however,it wasalwayshispracticetodisregardthe

maiorityopinionwhenhe[Y.Aharonilbelievedinsomenewideabased

onaClllal finds in thefield."3O Such candorregardingthe interpretative

processisrefreshing.

Aharoni'shandbookwasnotjustanupdatedrecapitulationofAlbright

but anopportunitytopresent an Israeliviewoftheirown pas!.31 The

26 AlbrighthadalreadysuggestedthattheEarlynronzeIVanditsdistinctmaterialcul-
tureandthechangeInsettlementpauemswereindiC:lIiveofthearrivaloftheAmorites
27 Thereis still.somelingeringambiguityoverEarlyBronzeIV(ca,2200-2000II.C.E.)ter-
minology,whichAlbright(ArchaeologyojPalestille,80)referredtoastheMiddleBronzt:I.
Somestillrefer 10 itastheMiddlellronzeIoreventheEllIV!MUI(e.g.,MaZ.1r,Arch(leolog)'
ojtheUmdojtheBibleI.<;('{'below]),somewhatprescrvinKKenyon'sterminology.Morecorn-
monlyit is referredtoastheEarlyBronzeIV."l1l<11beingsaid,somelsmeliarchaeologistsuse
thetermIntermediateBronzcAgc;forinstance,R.GophnainA.Ben-Tor's,Archaeologyoj
AnciemIsrael.
28 YohammAharoni,tbeArchaeologyoJtheumdojIsrael:FromthePrehistoricBegill-
1/1'//85tothe£//dojtheFirstTemplePeriod(muls.A.F.Rainey;Philadelphia,Westminster,
1982).ItwasoriginallypublishedinHebrewin 1978 lfla-Archeolo81)'O!JShe'HretzYisrac{
{Jerusalem:ShikmonaPublishingCompany)1.Bothversionswerepublishedposthumously.
2IJMiriam"lmroniinY."haroni.Archacolo&yof/beumdofIsmel,xv.
30 Ibid..xvi.
31 Foraninterestingreviewofarcha<.'OlogicJIschoolsoflhough!.S(."CpanIinl'erdue,
Toombs.;tndJohnson,Archa('(Jlo8Y(mdIJiblicallllterjm'lalioll,ontherolesofAlbrightand