"In an age of sensationalism, propaganda, and even ‘fake news,’ people often do not know what to make of claims that the latest archaeological discovery has either proved or disproved the Bible. With the combination of deep and wide learning so characteristic of all his writings, David Fiensy here provides a clear explanation of how archaeology relates to biblical interpretation. In a clear and engaging writing style, he explains the uses and abuses of archaeology with examples from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Reading his guided tour of an ancient Israelite house is almost like taking a time-machine back into the Iron Age and living with an Israelite family, and his review of skeletal remains from the Second Temple period gives one a glimpse into the personal world of the men and women who lived during the period of the Jesus Movement and the Gospels. This volume will be required reading for my introductory course in archaeology and the Bible!"
Insights from Archaeology: Reading the Bible in the Twenty-First Century
Each volume in the Insights series presents discoveries and insights into biblical texts from a particular approach or perspective in current scholarship. Accessible and appealing to today’s students, each Insight volume discusses:
• how this method, approach, or strategy was first developed and how its application has changed over time;
• what current questions arise from its use;
• what enduring insights it has produced; and
• what questions remain for future scholarship.
Archaeological exploration of Syria-Palestine and the ancient Near East has revolutionized our understanding of the Bible. In this volume, David A. Fiensy provides a brief survey of a discipline that was once called “biblical archaeology” and describes how the conception of the field has changed; recounts how key discoveries have opened up new understandings of Israel’s own history and religion as well as the ancient Near Eastern and later Greco-Roman environments, and the impact on biblical studies and theology; discusses how archaeological study has shaped the task of biblical interpretation, with illustrative examples; analyzes specific texts through archaeological perspectives; and provides conclusions, challenges, and considerations for the future of archaeology and biblical interpretation.
Read What Do Old, Dirty, Broken Pieces Of Pottery Have To Do With The Bible? an article by author David A. Fiensy introducing his book!
- Publisher Fortress Press
- Format Paperback
- ISBN 9781506400143
- eBook ISBN 9781506401089
- Dimensions 6 x 9
- Pages 188
- Publication Date July 15, 2017
Endorsements
This volume will be required reading for my introductory course in archaeology and the Bible!
Ralph Hawkins | Averett University
This concise book is well worth the read.
"David Fiensy’s Insights from Archaeology succeeds in doing what it sets out to do: It explains what archaeology is, what it is not, and how it can help us understand better the Bible and its world. Professor Fiensy is a great scholar and a wonderful writer. This concise book is well worth the read."
Craig A. Evans | Houston Baptist University
Not only does this book belong in institutional libraries, it also should find its way onto the shelves of seminary and university students and the professors who teach them. I anticipate that interested laypeople who pick it up will only reluctantly put it down.
"David Fiensy has given us what we want in an introductory volume on archaeology and the Gospels. In addition to the information he presents, how Fiensy writes provides its own lessons. His clear, spare prose and his careful sieving of his sources set forth the evidence that makes his thesis stick. He has read widely and deeply. He both summarizes previous work and produces original research. His sober conclusions avoid facile claims. Consequently, not only does this book belong in institutional libraries, it also should find its way onto the shelves of seminary and university students and the professors who teach them. I anticipate that interested laypeople who pick it up will only reluctantly put it down."
James R. Strange | Samford University