Dever, Archaeology, and Biblical Studies

I’m in the initial stages of writing a book about the intersection of archaeology and Biblical Studies. More precisely, I am writing on some of the most important archaeological finds for Old Testament studies. You know, which find revolutionized the field? Which ones created new paradigms? Which ones proved something about the Old Testament? As it is an expansion of blog series I did for Wesley Biblical Seminary in the Fall semester of 2017, the topics that will be covered range from Mari, Sennacherib’s Annals, Ketef Hinnom, and others. You can read all about it here.

A by-product of this project is the need to fall-off-the-log when it comes to my understanding of the relationship between archaeology and Biblical Studies. What is the purpose of archaeology, and what is its relationship to Biblical Studies? Is there a relationship? And what about the popular term “Biblical Archaeology?” So, when I scanned my most recent volume of Biblical Archaeology Review (43.3 [May/June 2017]) yesterday, I quickly moved to William Dever’s article “Whom Do You Believe—The Bible or Archaeology?”

Dever is one of the world’s most respected Syro-Palestinian archaeologists, and certainly the most famous American. But more to the point, I have found myself agreeing with a lot of what he says about the nature of archaeology and its relationship to Biblical Studies. I was first exposed to him during my Biblical Archaeology course during my post-graduate studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. And truth be told, this article, although brief, personal, and informal, reinforced my appreciation of the guy’s position.

One of the first things that peaked my interest came shortly after he asked why reconstructing a history of ancient Israel mattered. He initially gave the typical, non-offensive, cookie-cutter answer: “…because it provides perspective.” However, he quickly went somewhere that I didn’t necessarily expect. He also linked the answer to authority. Acknowledging “people of faith” within the debate, he said, “Unless God is manifest in history…he is invisible. It is ultimately a question of authority. What can we believe and what moral imperative do we have” (p. 44)? Sure, Dever doesn’t necessarily align himself here with people of faith, but linking the important of history, particularly Israel’s history, with moral authority is an interesting, and ultimately laudable, angle to take. I study history, particularly Israel’s history, because I want God to be visible in real space and time. And when God is visible, his authority becomes more difficult to brush aside and/or ignore.

Another important implication he offers is that archaeology and Biblical Studies are two independent sources that must be synthesized in the pursuit of historical Israel. “Both [archaeology and Biblical Studies] are valuable, but both have obvious limitations. Beyond recognizing that fact, sound method and honest require that these two sources for history be dealt with independently and then compared. At that point, we have what I call “convergences”—points at which parallel lines of evidence come together” (p. 44). Such convergences sound like what I call potential “points of synthesis,” which are the phenomena that construct Biblical Archaeology—the application of archaeological data upon the Biblical Studies.

Many Evangelicals don’t like Dever, and I understand why. Some people may criticize Dever’s historical pursuit of “ancient Israel” as naïve and fundamentally flawed. I’m in neither of those camps. What I appreciate about Dever is his ability and willingness to keep archaeology and Biblical Studies separate and yet emphasize that in many instances the two disciplines can augment each other in the pursuit of a common goal.

So, back to the title of the article. Whom do I believe? I believe both, and I think Dever would echo this.

Woah! A Philistine Cemetery!

Over the weekend, news hit major media outlets regarding the excavation of a Philistine cemetery just outside the ancient city of Ashkelon. You can find here the National Geographic, NY Times, Biblical Archaeological Review, and Haaretz releases. Ashkelon was one of the 5 major Philistine cities that populated the Coastal Plain during Biblical times, and excavations there have gone on now for over 30 years, thanks to the Leon Levy Expedition. It is one of the most important sites for understanding Philistine culture.

It goes without saying that the immediate importance of this find is that Philistine burial practices can now be examined in detail without the shadow of classification. Indeed, there have been other sites linked to Philistine burials, but they have also been disputed and questioned. Here, it's undeniable. We are dealing with a Philistine site that exhibits over 200 skeletons, of all ages. Consequently, the excavators can work with a little more certainty, analyzing these burial customs against known baselines to understand relationships and developments. So, for example, what does the material culture interned with the bodies tell us about their value and thought systems? What does it mean that the burial practices of the Philistines were significantly difference than their Canaanite neighbors?

However, in my opinion, the most interesting possibilities will come in the form of DNA analysis. Ever since the human genome was mapped in 2003, genetic analysis in the scientific community has exploded. Indeed, DNA sequencing has been around for sometime, but the ability to map out where human genes sit on our chromosomes has opened up a world of opportunity. Biblical archaeology needs to properly harness these genetic tools, for I think a new world awaits.

Most immediately, we may be able to put to bed the long debate of Philistine origins.Consider this, if the skeletons contain enough usable DNA (and from the suggestions of the articles, this may be the case), then they will likely be able to sequence the DNA. Whether it's the entire thing or just chunks of it, scientists may be able to use that sequence against known base lines to determine the relationships and developments of the Philistines. In a word, we may be able to identify whence they came. Burial customs are neat, and they are very important to understanding the thought-world of any culture. But sign me up for harnessing the implications of genetic analysis.

All of this is another example of how science is manifesting itself in new ways in the field of Biblical Archaeology, and, by implication, Biblical Studies. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few months. Certainly, this will give the field plenty to talk about in San Antonio this coming November. I look forward to how our understanding of the Philistines will be rounded out through this site. This will in turn allow us to understand better the acidic relationship between the Israelites and the Philistines that informed so much of the Old Testament and ancient Israelite identity.

Harry Potter's Forbidden Forest and the Wilderness Concept in Scripture

The other day I found myself watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. You may ask “Why would you do that? Are you 12?”

I can understand that line of inquiry. But for the record....I like watching my favorite movies and movie series over and over because they always seem to give me something to notice. This time I found myself thinking about the Forbidden Forrest.

In the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry descends into the forest with a group of his friends, a dog, and one of his nemeses. They are on the hunt for something that has been killing off unicorns, and ultimately they find what they are looking for. In the process, Harry meets the spirit-form of Lord Voldemort, the one responsible for destroying his family and setting his life on particular path.

The Foribidden Forest is a recurring location throughout the Harry Potter saga, and so let’s tease this out for just a moment. To be overly abstract, the Forbidden Forest is a definable region that exists on the fringe of the Hogwarts grounds and is associated with concepts of disorder, chaos, danger, and sinister forces. It is distinct from other sections within the grounds that are orderly, hospitable, and largely safe. In a word, the Forbidden Forest is a type of “wilderness.”

Yet there is something important about this forest as one progresses through the Harry Potter saga. Harry can’t avoid the Forbidden Forest. No matter how much he wants to, he finds himself going back there again and again. Climactically, this is the location where he faces the biggest choice of his life—the sacrifice of his life to stop forces of evil.

So, this got me thinking. How does the “wilderness” function within the Biblical narrative?

For many of us, the wilderness is profoundly negative. It is the location of one of Israel’s greatest historical failures and the location of years of wandering and the death of an entire generation. Furthermore, there are very powerful voices in the New Testament that want the reader to remember those failings so that they are not repeated (for example, Paul in 1 Corinthians and the writer to the Hebrews). However, this perspective does not represent the entire picture painted by Scripture.

The reality is that there is a duality associated with the wilderness throughout Scripture. To put it crudely, it is both positive and negative. For example, it was indeed the place of Israel’s failures on their way to the Promised Land. But it was also the location of Israel's encounter with God at Sinai. [Remember that half of the Pentateuch is set in the Sinai Wilderness!] Indeed, the wilderness is a place of banishment and isolation, but in the case of Hagar and Elijah, it was also the place of personal provision and intimate encounter with God Almighty. Jeremiah remembers it as the place of Israel’s (short lived) innocence, and many prophets envision the wilderness as being a place that will reflect God’s future glory. Perhaps most importantly, the wilderness was a necessary place of preparation for Jesus. In the words of Randall Kohls, “The Gospel Begins in the Wilderness.”

Naturally, this begs the question. “What dictates a positive or negative experience associated with the wilderness?”

In many instances, it is choice.

It was the actions and choices of a generation that transformed a time of encounter and intimacy into a time of death and isolation. It was the persistent rebellion and inability of a people to look beyond their uncomfortable state of affairs that allowed them to forget their salvation and, in time, forfeit their future. It was unfaithfulness to God’s expectations that shattered what was supposed to be a time of innocence. And true to form, it will be our choices and actions that will dictate our experience with the gospel.

Potsherds, Computers, and the Composition of the Bible

This week, the National Academy of Sciences published a new type of study on some of the Arad Ostraca. The shock headlines have read something like, "New Evidence of when the Old Testament was Written!" Or, "Bible Written Earlier Than Thought!" It really appears to be an interesting article, and in light of a late night text message from my older brother, I felt compelled to register some of my knee-jerk reactions.

I posted them on a blog site for Wesley Biblical Seminary, which is a school with which I do some teaching. You can access it here.

The Bengals, Sports, and Character

I like sports, and I like competition. I grew up on it, played college athletics, and it taught me some of my most valuable lessons. I believe that competition breeds excellence in a way that very few things can. So...compete on!

Social media blew up over the weekend in response to the implosion of the Cincinnati Bengals when they played the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL's Wildcard Weekend. From what I can tell, the responses took a variety of forms, particularly from Bengals fans. Some were so dumbfounded with what they observed and could only communicate their frustrations through the briefest of commentary. Others took to online diatribes aimed at anyone who would listen and empathize.

Don't get me wrong. I am with all these people. I root for Cincinnati sports, and I have a particular dislike for all things Steelers. Ever since Kimo von Oehlhoffen rolled into Carson Palmer's knee...the gold and black irritates me.

Yet there is another reason why I like sports, whether playing them or watching them. For the sports fan, they often indict us. You see, for many sports have a unique way of triggering that slope of emotion that, more often than not, results in some of our worst moments. Whether it is a heated argument or just a sour disposition for an extended period of time, sports have the capacity of bringing out the worst in us. The game over the weekend and the reaction afterwords evince this.

So what am I trying to say?

People will form conclusions about you in your worst moments. Be conscious whence those moments come, and do your best to remove yourself from those moments. Also, when you find yourself in one of those moments, know that how you respond to getting yourself out of that moment will also be a powerful indictment on your character. 

Responsibility and the Syrian Refugee Crisis

Recently, the governor elect of Kentucky went on record saying that he opposes the relatively uncontrolled resettlement of Syrian refugees. This of course was stated in response to the news that one of the people responsible for the terrorist attack in France over the weekend posed as a Syrian refugee. Bevin’s statement was countered by the sitting governor who stated something to the effect that the “Christian thing to do” is to accept the resettlement of Syrian refugees.

 

In some ways, this banter between Bevin and Beshear anticipated some of the contours of the debate, at least within the general populace. For instance, I saw numerous people invoking an appeal to national security in opposition to any resettlement. Then I saw many espouse some type of Christian responsibility in support of the resettlement of Syrian refugees.

As I pondered these battle lines and opinions on this geo-political crisis, I came down on a few pillars that should frame everyone’s opinion on the matter.

First, let’s not trivialize this crisis by suggesting that there is some easy solution. This is one of the most complex geo-political situations in my lifetime (perhaps the most complicated) and it has been festering for years. Furthermore, I am a Christian, and please don’t try and simplistically tell me that it is my Christian duty to support the resettlement of Syrian refuges.

Second, ISIS represents a particular tradition within the larger Islam, and as such, they do not represent the whole of the religion. Anyone who suggests that they do is either misinformed or disingenuous. However, it is also clear that ISIS exploits elements of the larger Islamic religion as well as prevailing Western sentiments in order to accomplish their agenda.

 

Therefore, and this is the third pillar, if the federal government does not have a proper vetting system for these refugees, then everyone should be cautious of any attempt to resettle Syrian refugees in mass. This is not “fear mongering” or “Islamaphobia.” Rather, it is common sense in response to an established modus operandi.  

In the end, I find it ironic that the federal government does not to want ask people about their religious convictions but sees little problem with what are essentially mass-level spy programs. So, we will drop in on conversations, put people on watch-lists for a variety of reasons, but balk at asking them if they feel that the morals of Western society embody and perpetuate the moral decay of humanity.

Look, I don’t know what the answer is. I certainly don’t think that the global community should sit by and close their doors as a particular group wages a brutal war. The lives of the innocent are in the blast zone. Yet if we do not take seriously the way that they wage their war, and we do not take steps to combat their tactics, including their clandestine tactics, then we may be risking another attack on American soil.