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

132 13ElWEENTEA,ANDARTIFACT

andothercultfigurines;and(5)writingmaterials,includingostrJca,seals,
andinscriptions:13

CON"CtuSION

Althoughllyingtointegratearchaeologyinlomoretraditionalliterary
approaches[QtheHebrewBiblemayrequirea considerableamOLlnlof
limeandefron,theresultscanbesatisfyingtobothteacherandstudent.
[nmy ownexperience,I havediscoveredthat, formanystudents,just
"seeing"whatsomeofthisancientworldlookedlike(andstilllookslike!)
isaneducalionalexperienceinandofitself.Furthermore, forsludenLS
wholearnbetterthrough"visual"stimulation,suchanapproachcanbe
quitebeneficial.^44
Furthermore,giventhenowfairlywellacceptedscholarlyconsensus
concerningthehistoryandproductionoftheDH,thearchaeologicalevi-
dence istheonlycontemporary materialwe haveoftheissues under
discussion.Thisfactinitselfshouldwarrantitsuseineverylegitimateway
possiblebythosewhoclaimtobeseriousstudentsoftheHebrewBible.
AsDeverconcludedinhis"archaeologicalcommentary"on2 Kgs23:"The
pastwasalwaysmorecomplex,moreintractablethanwethink;letitspeak
foritself,ifpossible,"45

43 Especi;lllyusefulhereisMcCarter,Allciell/Il/scriptiollS,102-21.
44 Whilethereisd;mgerinusingslidesorothervisual:lidsinthiscontext(nappingSlll-
dents,forone!),tothearCh:leologically<.:halJenged;1picturere,lllycanbewortha lotof
words.Whileone'sownpersonalarchivesmayprovidesufficientresources,I amgoingto
assumeth;ltnoteveryonehashadtheopportunitytotravelthroughouttheMiddleEast,par-
licul;lrlyIsrael,toproducea privatecolk.--ctionofuS;lblematcrial.Consequently,itishighly
recommendedthatprofessionallyproducedresourcesbeused.Readilyavailableareslidesets
from111eBiblicalArchal---ologySociety,Particularlyusefularetheslidesetsentitled"BibliC'J.1
Archaeology.""Arch;leologyand Religion,""JemsalemArch;K"ology,~and "Ancient Near
EastcrnInscriptions."(Mostoftheseslidesets<Irenowavailableon;lcd-romfromtheBiblical
Arch;leologySociety.)For;1bird's·eyeviewofm:myofthefamoussites(andmaybenotso
famoulS),R.Ck;lVC'S;u"rial.sctiswellworththeinvestment.
45 Dever,'TheSilenceoftheText,~161.