Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology

Davis, Thomas W.

ISBN 10: 0195167104 / ISBN 13: 9780195167108

Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, 2004

About this Item

No Flaws or Blemishes but minimal shelf handling and underlining on less than 10% of the pages. Dust jacket is fine; appears as new. 9.5 inches tall; 174 pages with Bibliography and Index. Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology by Thomas W. Davis offers a critical examination of biblical archaeology, tracing its evolution from the 19th century to its peak in the late 20th century. Davis explores the methodologies, key discoveries, and controversies that shaped the discipline, focusing on major excavations at sites like Jericho and Megiddo. The book also addresses the ideological debates and theological implications of archaeological findings, revealing how interpretations of artifacts influenced religious beliefs and scholarly thought. Through historical archives, field reports, and interviews, Davis provides a nuanced view of the field s impact on history and religion. Subjects: Biblical Archaeology, Historical Research, Religious History, Archaeology, Biblical Studies.

Seller Inventory # 20495

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford, England
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195167104
• ISBN 13: 9780195167108
• Binding: Hardcover with Dust Jacket
• Edition: First Edition, First Printing.
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • RELIGION, FAITH & SPIRITUALITY
  • History: MIDDLE EAST
  • ARCHEOLOGY

About this title

Synopsis

Before the 1970s, "biblical archaeology" was the dominant research paradigm for those excavating the history of Palestine. Today this model has been "weighed in the balance and found wanting." Most now prefer to speak of "Syro/Palestinian archaeology." This is not just a nominal shift but reflects a major theoretical and methodological change. It has even been labeled a revolution. In the popular mind, however, biblical archaeology is still alive and well.
In Shifting Sands, Thomas W. Davis charts the evolution and the demise of the discipline. Biblical archaeology, he writes, was an attempt to ground the historical witness of the Bible in demonstrable historical reality. Its theoretical base lay in the field of theology. American mainstream Protestantism strongly resisted the inroads of continental biblical criticism, and sought support for their conservative views in archaeological research on the ancient Near East. The Bible was the source of the agenda for biblical archaeology, an agenda that was ultimately apologetical.
Davis traces the fascinating story of the interaction of biblical studies, theology, and archaeology in Palestine, and the remarkable individuals who pioneered the discipline. He highlights the achievements of biblical archaeologists in the field, who gathered an immense body of data. By clarifying the theoretical and methodological framework of the original excavators, he believes, these data can be made more useful for current research, allowing a more sober, reasoned judgment of both the accomplishments and the failures of biblical archaeology.

About the Author

Thomas W. Davis is Director of the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute. He has more than twenty-five years of archaeological experience, having excavated in Cyprus, Jordan, Egypt, and the United States.