ePub The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel: When Archaeology and the Bible Intersect by William G. Dever in History

Review

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Privileging Archaeology in the study of "Ancient Israel"By James T. SparksI am a great fan of William Dever. His "trilogy":What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It?: What Archeology Can Tell Us About the Reality of Ancient IsraelWho Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?Did God Have a Wife?: Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israelwere each excellent books which used Dever's vast knowledge; much of it firsthand through his own excavations and research; to write about and to understand the history of Ancient Israel. This work continues in the same vein.Unlike other "histories" of Ancient Israel; particularly those of the "minimalist" school about which Dever is scathing in his critique; but also "biblical historians" who primarily use the Biblical text to create their "histories"; Dever privileges archaeology above any written text or academic theory for Israel's origins and history.His knowledge of the archaeology is extensive; even encyclopaedic; and he shares this with the reader throughout the ten chapters.The first two chapters are an overview of method:I. "On History and History Writing"II. "The Challenges of Writing a History of Ancient Israel"These overview chapters are then followed by eight chapters which cover the archaeology; and an interpretation of that archaeology.III. "The natural setting"IV. "The database: sites and hierarchies"V. "Cities and towns"VI. "Towns; villages; and everyday life"VII. "Socioeconomic structures"VIII. "Religion and cult"IX. "Israel's neighbors"X. "Warfare and the end"In each of these chapters; Dever collates and examines the archaeological evidence first. Examining what has been discovered and drawing his conclusions for the society of Ancient Israel from this examination. Only then does he examine the "Biblical Data" to see if the Biblical account can add anything to the understanding that has been gained from Archaeology. Generally; he concludes that the Bible adds very little "verifiable knowledge" to the knowledge that has already been gained through archaeology. The Bible may repeat some of that knowledge; but this is not "archaeology confirming the Bible"; but is "the Bible confirming the archaeology". He concludes most of the chapters with a speculative section; where he puts forward an idea of "What was it really like".His main area of focus is the 9th-8th centuries BCE; although he does stray from time to time.Also; he is not seeking to write a history of the "great men"; but of the "every man". That is; he is seeking to write about what it was like for the average person; rather than the elites in society - the kings; priests; and prophets. His writing forces one to recognise that much of the Bible is written from a particular point of view; that of the priests; the kings; and the prophets; those with the power and control - and the Bible often overlooks; rejects; or condemns the everyday practices of the average person. Dever points out that we can find out much about the "every man" from what the Bible condemns.As a conservative Christian I enjoyed his book; as I have enjoyed the ones listed above; even if I did not particularly like his conclusions that the "Bible adds little" to our understanding of "what it was really like". However; through reading his introductory chapters; you can understand where he is coming from; and why he comes to that conclusion.At times; however; Dever is inconsistent in his methodology.He frequently talks about the "United Kingdom"; a concept found only in the Biblical text and about which the archaeology is silent. Likewise; he talks about the Kingdoms of David and Solomon. David is found in archaeology only in the "Tel Dan Inscription" (and never as part of a "United Kingdom); while reference to Solomon has; to this point in time; never been discovered. And so; although he states that he "privileges archaeology" in the discussion; his discussion is still framed by the outline of the Biblical text.This aside; this is an excellent book. Filled with knowledge of; and an understanding of; what "Ancient Israel" was really like (however one chooses to think of this entity).2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Bible study for the really seriousBy Richard E. HayesDever; a leading scholar in Old Testament history and archaeology; has written several books for the serious lay reader of the Bible and religious history. This one is especially valuable because the Old Testament reflects almost exclusively the viewpoint of the elite class; rulers and religious authorities; in ancient Israel-Judah. A wider perspective will enhance reading and understanding the Bible.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Artifacts of Ancient IsraelBy Rev. H. Louis EngleThis book is written in such a style that it is very readable; author is a good writer.While the book was very informative about extant artifacts from the 8th century BCE and how they illuminate our understanding of that time and its history; I was hoping for more information about the daily lives of those ancestors. The polemics; I found a little tiresome. Never-the-less; I would recommend this book to a person with some previous exposure to the archaeology of this era and area.I've subscribed to Bible Archaeology Review for better than 20 years and studied archaeology in seminary; so this book was an excellent next step in my education concerning the history Dr. Dever focuses on here.