Matthieu Richelle - The Bible and Archaeology

Can we see the remains of Davids palace in Jerusalem? visitors ask. Yes! says one archaeologist, Ive found some of its walls. No! says another, those walls were built one hundred years later! Why does archaeology not give a clear answer to the question? Matthieu Richelle explains in his clearly written study what archaeology can offer to help us understand the Bible and what it cannot. Museums are full of ancient objects, and archaeologists find more every year; and many others are found by accident when foundations are dug or roads cut through the landscape. Yet in addition to the great range of artifacts recovered, we should remember that many more still lie buriedor, more significantly, have disappeared. Textiles, leatherwork, basketry, and woodwork rot in even slightly damp conditions, so a large part of the equipment of ancient life is lost. Only rare circumstances allow books written on papyrus or leather to survive, as the Dead Sea Scrolls have done in the arid climate on the border of the Dead Sea. They are about two thousand years old, and no older copies of books in Hebrew have been discovered. Did any exist? Richelle discusses the debated question of when the histories of Israel and Judah were written and shows that it is reasonable to suppose that the books of Samuel rest on records from the days of David and Solomon, rather than being wholly later compositions, as many modern writers assume. Part of the evidence comes from his research on ancient Hebrew inscriptions found in the Holy Land.

To come to archaeology expecting to make particular discoveries is the wrong approach. The archaeologist seeks to learn about a place, its buildings, its people and their activities, the changes the place experienced over the centuries, and its relations with other places. When discoveries do produce a link with the Bible, they need very careful evaluation before any conclusions can be drawn. Carved ivory fragments found at Samaria hint at the splendor of king Ahabs palace there, although they may not actually have decorated it. There are Hebrew writings apparently acknowledging the goddess Asherah beside Israels God, but they should not lead to the conclusion that all Israelites worshipped her.

Matthieu Richelle demonstrates the positive contributions that archaeology can make to a better understanding of the Bible in its ancient world. He uses the most recent debates about the dates of buildings that might have been erected at Solomons orders, or at Ahabs a century later. He shows how the uncertainty results in part from the way some scholarsnotably the authors of Th e Bible Unearthed: Archaeologys New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts (2001)assume that the biblical reports have little factual basis, and also in part from attempts to use the carbon 14 technique to define the dates of the structures. The differences of opinion among scholars continue, but through Richelles book readers will be better able to disentangle the factual from the hypothetical as they try to evaluate the evidence. The endnotes guide readers to major sources and discussions.

Rightly interpreted, archaeological findings and the Bible are complementary. Some questions and problems cannot be resolved at present because the evidence from outside the Bible is too meagre, a fact often ignored, so there is more work to be done, more to be found, more to be learned. However, readers should always be aware that the Bible is primarily a book of theology that demands a response of faithyet it also provides facts to accompany that faith.

The well-organized chapters that follow present a selection from the contributions archaeology makes to our understanding of the Bible, and their judicious and fair assessments make them a reliable introduction to the subject. Since this books original publication in French in 2011, the author has revised the work to strengthen his arguments and to bring it up to date. It will be a welcome guide for anyone interested in archaeology and the Bible.