The Old Testament and the Archaeologist

by H. Darryll Lance

The recovery of the history of the ancient Near East through archaeology is one of the major achievements of the modern age. Although the impact of this new knowledge on biblical matters is briefly surveyed, the main concern of this book is with the methods that archaeologists use in going about their work. Lance discusses the principles of excavation and how materials recovered are brought to bear on biblical studies. The book explains in detail the principles of stratigraphy and typology, suggests practical ways for the beginner to find needed information in the confusing array of primary and secondary publications, and takes a brief look at the future of biblical archaeology as a discipline.

112 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1981

Reviews

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the art and science of archeology, focusing on Syrio-Palestine, an area that has very little in the way of epigraphic evidence and a lot in the way of pottery remains to work with. The complexity of uncovering and deciphering finds at archeological digs, combined with a history from teh 19th and early 20th century of using the Bible as a primary source of historical accuracy confounded some of the progress in the region. Interesting read/