THE
TEMPLE
EMANU-EL
STREICKER
CENTER
For centuries, archaeologists have raided ancient tombs, explored caves, unearthed watercourses, sifted through rubble, measured skulls, romanced stones and reconstructed pots from tiny shards in their quest to unlock the riddles of biblical times.
In this series, eight distinguished biblical archaeologists will discuss their detective work: the questions they ask; the finds they’ve uncovered; the technology they employ that adds science to spades and brushes; their interpretation of evidence; their struggle against fake news, both ancient and modern; and the tightrope they walk between belief in the Bible and evidence.
A virtual series
Related links:
The New Yorker article "In Search of King David’s Lost Empire"
Biblical Archaeology Review
The Biblical Archaeology Society
This program is sponsored by The Streicker Family and Dr. Masha Mimran.
THE BIBLICAL PAST AIN’T
WHAT IT USED TO BE
DR. ZIONY ZEVIT
GOOD FAITH ARCHAEOLOGY – BIBLICAL CLAIMS CONFIRMED AND CHALLENGED BY ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
DR. ROBERT R. CARGILL
Wednesday, October 7 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Archaeology takes us into a world we can barely conjure up, throwing the past into an entirely new light.
Dr. Zevit will lead us into the realities of our ancestors, the ancient Israelites, based not on the Bible but on the work of archaeologists.
Using an examination of Kuntillet Ajrud, a small, isolated archaeological site in the Sinai, he will provide a window into Israelite history and the religious beliefs of those who built and decorated the site.
Dr. Ziony Zevit is Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles.
Dr. Zevit’s bio
Purchase Dr. Zevit’s book, What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden
REGISTER
Wednesday, October 14 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Many people today use archaeological evidence to prove — or disprove — the myriad of claims made in the Bible. But how can we tell which evidence and which claims are trustworthy?
Dr. Cargill, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, will discuss how to discern legitimate evidence from suspect claims and survey evidence that both corroborates and challenges many of the Bible’s teachings.
Dr. Robert R. Cargill is Associate Professor of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is a specialist in the literature and archaeology of Second Temple Judaism.
Dr. Cargill’s bio
Dr. Cargill’s Biblical Archaeology background
REGISTER
RECONSTRUCTING THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT ISRAEL: THE BIBLE VS. ARCHAEOLOGY
DR. ISRAEL FINKELSTEIN
BIBLICAL CONUNDRUMS: FROM THE EXODUS TO THE TEN LOST TRIBES
DR. ERIC CLINE
Wednesday, October 21 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Discovering the history of ancient Israel demands bridging the gap between biblical texts and archaeological findings. How should we balance the stories we read against the evidence uncovered in the field? How do we manage the tension between theology and history?
Dr. Finkelstein will discuss the rules he follows and the advantages and limitations of each kind of evidence in the context of an examination of the dichotomy in power and prosperity between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the rise of literacy in ancient Israel and when and why biblical texts were composed.
Dr. Israel Finkelstein is Jacob Alkow Professor of the Archaeology of Israel in the Bronze and Iron Ages at Tel Aviv University and director of the Megiddo Expedition.
REGISTER
Wednesday, October 28 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Every year, new archaeological evidence is discovered that is relevant to the Bible. But despite thousands of hours of efforts, archaeologists have uncovered scant — perhaps nonexistent — proof of the Exodus, the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Lost Tribes.
Citing his book From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible, Dr. Cline will discuss the Exodus story, the historical context for the Lost Tribes, where the Ark might have gone and what we can — and cannot — demand of archaeology. Dr. Eric Cline is Professor of Classics, Anthropology, and History at George Washington University. He directs the Tel Kabri Expedition and co-edits the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.
A recent article on Dr. Cline’s work in the Nature Research Journal
REGISTER
THE ANCIENT GENDER GAP: THE BIBLE, ARCHAEOLOGY AND ISRAELITE WOMEN
DR. CAROL MEYERS
FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON: DAILY LIFE IN BIBLICAL TIMES
DR. ODED BOROWSKI
Wednesday, November 4 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Time and again, scholars have found stark differences between the images of women in standard texts and information from other sources, and ancient Israel is no exception when we glean our view of Israelite women from archaeology as well as the Bible.
Using both these sources, Dr. Meyers will provide a glimpse into women’s roles in both household economy and in household religion, offering some intriguing conclusions about women’s power.
Dr. Carol Meyers is the Mary Grace Wilson Professor Emerita of Religion at Duke University, specializing in biblical studies, archaeology and gender in the biblical world. She has been a staff member or co-director of numerous archaeological field projects and has written hundreds of articles, reviews and books. A frequent consultant for media productions, she recently served as President of the Society of Biblical Literature.
Purchase Dr. Meyer’s book, Rediscovering Eve: Ancient Israelite Women in Context
REGISTER
Wednesday, November 11 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
For decades, biblical archaeologists have excavated major sites to study important events, historical personalities, architecture and battles. But recently, they’ve begun excavating smaller sites and using new types of laboratory analysis to unlock the secrets of how ordinary people lived.
Household archaeology provides the context for the world and history that fascinate us, and using its techniques, Dr. Borowski will take us on a tour of the daily lives of our ancient forebears.
Dr. Oded Borowski is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Archaeology and Hebrew at Emory University and director of the Lahav Research Project, Phase IV, and of the excavations at Tel Halif.
REGISTER
THE NOT-SO INNOCENTS ABROAD: AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
PROFESSOR RACHEL HALLOTE
THE EVIDENCE OF THE BIBLE
AS HISTORY
DR. YOSEF GARFINKEL
Wednesday, November 18 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Motivated by deep political and religious interests in the Holy Land, the British carried out the first modern archaeological projects in the second half of the 19th century. But Americans were also active in 19th-century Palestine — and proved innovative and no-nonsense in their approach.
Dr. Hallote will trace the influence of American scholars on biblical archaeology from the founding of the American Palestine Exploration Society to the Samaria Expedition of 1908.
Dr. Rachel Hallote is Professor of History and Coordinator of Jewish Studies at Purchase College, SUNY. She has worked at numerous archaeological sites in Israel, including Tel Miqne and Megiddo, and conducts research on the history of biblical archaeology and the British and American excavations in Ottoman-controlled Palestine.
REGISTER
Wednesday, November 25 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
There was long, serious debate over whether David and Solomon were historical kings or mythological figures since no clear archaeological remains had been uncovered to support the biblical tradition.
But in 2008, Dr. Yosef Garfinkel and his team uncovered a fortified city at Khirbet Qeiyafa that shifted the argument. Radiometric dating of pottery, metal objects, stone vessels, animal bones, seals and inscriptions indicated that the city existed in the first quarter of the tenth century BCE, the time of David.
Dr. Garfinkel will discuss Khirbet Qeiyafa and what it means for the use of archaeology to confirm biblical history. Dr. Yosef Garfinkel holds the Yigael Yadin Chair in Archaeology of Israel and heads the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University.
The Times of Israel’s recent article on Dr. Yosef Garfinkel’s findings
REGISTER
TEMPLE
EMANU-EL
STREICKER
CENTER
For centuries, archaeologists have raided ancient tombs, explored caves, unearthed watercourses, sifted through rubble, measured skulls, romanced stones and reconstructed pots from tiny shards in their quest to unlock the riddles of biblical times.
In this series, eight distinguished biblical archaeologists will discuss their detective work: the questions they ask; the finds they’ve uncovered; the technology they employ that adds science to spades and brushes; their interpretation of evidence; their struggle against fake news, both ancient and modern; and the tightrope they walk between belief in the Bible and evidence.
A virtual series
Related links:
The New Yorker article "In Search of King David’s Lost Empire"
Biblical Archaeology Review
The Biblical Archaeology Society
This program is sponsored by The Streicker Family and Dr. Masha Mimran.
THE BIBLICAL PAST AIN’T
WHAT IT USED TO BE
DR. ZIONY ZEVIT
GOOD FAITH ARCHAEOLOGY – BIBLICAL CLAIMS CONFIRMED AND CHALLENGED BY ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
DR. ROBERT R. CARGILL
Wednesday, October 7 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Archaeology takes us into a world we can barely conjure up, throwing the past into an entirely new light.
Dr. Zevit will lead us into the realities of our ancestors, the ancient Israelites, based not on the Bible but on the work of archaeologists.
Using an examination of Kuntillet Ajrud, a small, isolated archaeological site in the Sinai, he will provide a window into Israelite history and the religious beliefs of those who built and decorated the site.
Dr. Ziony Zevit is Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles.
Dr. Zevit’s bio
Purchase Dr. Zevit’s book, What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden
REGISTER
Wednesday, October 14 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Many people today use archaeological evidence to prove — or disprove — the myriad of claims made in the Bible. But how can we tell which evidence and which claims are trustworthy?
Dr. Cargill, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, will discuss how to discern legitimate evidence from suspect claims and survey evidence that both corroborates and challenges many of the Bible’s teachings.
Dr. Robert R. Cargill is Associate Professor of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is a specialist in the literature and archaeology of Second Temple Judaism.
Dr. Cargill’s bio
Dr. Cargill’s Biblical Archaeology background
REGISTER
RECONSTRUCTING THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT ISRAEL: THE BIBLE VS. ARCHAEOLOGY
DR. ISRAEL FINKELSTEIN
BIBLICAL CONUNDRUMS: FROM THE EXODUS TO THE TEN LOST TRIBES
DR. ERIC CLINE
Wednesday, October 21 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Discovering the history of ancient Israel demands bridging the gap between biblical texts and archaeological findings. How should we balance the stories we read against the evidence uncovered in the field? How do we manage the tension between theology and history?
Dr. Finkelstein will discuss the rules he follows and the advantages and limitations of each kind of evidence in the context of an examination of the dichotomy in power and prosperity between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the rise of literacy in ancient Israel and when and why biblical texts were composed.
Dr. Israel Finkelstein is Jacob Alkow Professor of the Archaeology of Israel in the Bronze and Iron Ages at Tel Aviv University and director of the Megiddo Expedition.
REGISTER
Wednesday, October 28 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Every year, new archaeological evidence is discovered that is relevant to the Bible. But despite thousands of hours of efforts, archaeologists have uncovered scant — perhaps nonexistent — proof of the Exodus, the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Lost Tribes.
Citing his book From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible, Dr. Cline will discuss the Exodus story, the historical context for the Lost Tribes, where the Ark might have gone and what we can — and cannot — demand of archaeology. Dr. Eric Cline is Professor of Classics, Anthropology, and History at George Washington University. He directs the Tel Kabri Expedition and co-edits the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.
A recent article on Dr. Cline’s work in the Nature Research Journal
REGISTER
THE ANCIENT GENDER GAP: THE BIBLE, ARCHAEOLOGY AND ISRAELITE WOMEN
DR. CAROL MEYERS
FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON: DAILY LIFE IN BIBLICAL TIMES
DR. ODED BOROWSKI
Wednesday, November 4 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Time and again, scholars have found stark differences between the images of women in standard texts and information from other sources, and ancient Israel is no exception when we glean our view of Israelite women from archaeology as well as the Bible.
Using both these sources, Dr. Meyers will provide a glimpse into women’s roles in both household economy and in household religion, offering some intriguing conclusions about women’s power.
Dr. Carol Meyers is the Mary Grace Wilson Professor Emerita of Religion at Duke University, specializing in biblical studies, archaeology and gender in the biblical world. She has been a staff member or co-director of numerous archaeological field projects and has written hundreds of articles, reviews and books. A frequent consultant for media productions, she recently served as President of the Society of Biblical Literature.
Purchase Dr. Meyer’s book, Rediscovering Eve: Ancient Israelite Women in Context
REGISTER
Wednesday, November 11 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
For decades, biblical archaeologists have excavated major sites to study important events, historical personalities, architecture and battles. But recently, they’ve begun excavating smaller sites and using new types of laboratory analysis to unlock the secrets of how ordinary people lived.
Household archaeology provides the context for the world and history that fascinate us, and using its techniques, Dr. Borowski will take us on a tour of the daily lives of our ancient forebears.
Dr. Oded Borowski is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Archaeology and Hebrew at Emory University and director of the Lahav Research Project, Phase IV, and of the excavations at Tel Halif.
REGISTER
THE NOT-SO INNOCENTS ABROAD: AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
PROFESSOR RACHEL HALLOTE
THE EVIDENCE OF THE BIBLE
AS HISTORY
DR. YOSEF GARFINKEL
Wednesday, November 18 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
Motivated by deep political and religious interests in the Holy Land, the British carried out the first modern archaeological projects in the second half of the 19th century. But Americans were also active in 19th-century Palestine — and proved innovative and no-nonsense in their approach.
Dr. Hallote will trace the influence of American scholars on biblical archaeology from the founding of the American Palestine Exploration Society to the Samaria Expedition of 1908.
Dr. Rachel Hallote is Professor of History and Coordinator of Jewish Studies at Purchase College, SUNY. She has worked at numerous archaeological sites in Israel, including Tel Miqne and Megiddo, and conducts research on the history of biblical archaeology and the British and American excavations in Ottoman-controlled Palestine.
REGISTER
Wednesday, November 25 | 10:00 AM (EST) | Free
There was long, serious debate over whether David and Solomon were historical kings or mythological figures since no clear archaeological remains had been uncovered to support the biblical tradition.
But in 2008, Dr. Yosef Garfinkel and his team uncovered a fortified city at Khirbet Qeiyafa that shifted the argument. Radiometric dating of pottery, metal objects, stone vessels, animal bones, seals and inscriptions indicated that the city existed in the first quarter of the tenth century BCE, the time of David.
Dr. Garfinkel will discuss Khirbet Qeiyafa and what it means for the use of archaeology to confirm biblical history. Dr. Yosef Garfinkel holds the Yigael Yadin Chair in Archaeology of Israel and heads the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University.
The Times of Israel’s recent article on Dr. Yosef Garfinkel’s findings
REGISTER
