Archaelogy and Biblical Interpretation

Archaeology and Biblical Interpretation. Edited by John R. Bartlett. London: Routledge, 1997, xv + 176 pp., $18.95 paper.

The seven essays in this small publication can be read quite independently of one another. Their common core is that most originated in colloquia held in 1994 and 1995 in Dublin, and are published "to show that ancient writings and modern archaeology can illuminate each other, but only when used with professional care."

In the opening chapter Bartlett deals with the long-simmering debate over the relationship of archaeology to the Bible. Although he sees the Bible as an anthology begun about the eighth century BC, Bartlett does find fault with some current critical use of the data. Still, it is not surprising that he is most troubled by what he sees as .simplistic" and "misleading" understandings of the Bible and archaeology by conservatives. Within that mindset, Bartlett calls for a critical use of both archaeology and the Bible.

The next chapter covers familiar ground for anyone who has kept current with William Dever's writings. Dever finds the archaeological evidence does not support a 13th-century conquest; therefore the "historicised myth" is wrong. As he interprets the data, it also rejects "peaceful infiltration" and "peasant revolt" theories, and points to a "proto-Israel" emerging in the late 13th century from "motley," largely Canaanite origins. Dever's attempt to explain why Israel would invent their origin stories is freighted with speculation and concludes with such rhetoric as: "We are what we believe we are, just as ancient Israel was" (p. 48).

In chap. 3 A. D. H. Mayes sees the Biblical account of Israel's religious origins as distorted by experiences of destruction and exile. He argues for a strong Canaanite heritage in Israelite religion that, until the time of Elijah and Elisha, accepted the worship of a plurality of gods. His interpretation of the controversial eighth century Kuntillet 'Ajrud Hebrew inscriptions and painted scenes is that they represent a stage in Israel's absorption of other gods and religious practices to the exclusive worship of Yahweh in the exilic period.

The remaining chapters will be less troubling to the conservative reader. In chap. 4 Bartlett focuses on "The Archaeology of Qumran" and provides a nice summary of the scroll discoveries and the architectural development of Kh. Qumran. He touches on several debated points (e.g. Was there a break in the occupation? Was there a scriptorium?) without strongly committing himself to any one position. He believes the scrolls and the Khirbet are connected, but cautiously qualifies his preference that Qumran was an Essene settlement.

Brian Lalor's chapter on "The Temple Mount of Herod the Great at Jerusalem" interests itself only with its southern area. He finds that excavation reveals Josephus as highly reliable in his description and justified in his use of hyperbole. Sketches complement the article and help the reader appreciate the "technical sophistication" and "superb craftsmanship" involved. Labor concludes that the Temple Mount "deserves to be better appreciated as among the most spectacular building projects of antiquity."

In "Archaeology and the Historical Jesus," Sean V. Freyne calls for a "dialogue between literary, historical and archaeological approaches to the understanding of the rise and identity of early Christianity." Freyne brings archaeological finds to bear on the view that Galilee was largely non-Jewish or at least open to every Greco-Roman cultural influence. To the contrary, he finds enough evidence of cultural and religious links with Jerusalem and its Temple to question the position of those who would picture Cynic influences on Jesus and his audience.

Claudine Dauphin's concluding chapter first surveys the emergence of Jerusalem as the focus of Christiandom, and the growth of a pilgrimage infrastructure. She then turns to her excavations at Dor, one of the gateways into Palestine, where a huge Byzantine church complex has been found. Well illustrated, this chapter is a model of the way a site report and historical summary can be blended into an informative whole.

Alfred J. Hoerth

Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL

Copyright Evangelical Theological Society Sep 1999
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