Archaeological Views: The Necessary Partnership of the Bible and Archaeology

Recently I returned from a two-week trip to Israel. I joined 16 other participants for an exceptional tour of Biblical and archaeological places. Our “25th Anniversary Book and the Spade Tour” marked a quarter-century of “The Book and the Spade,” a weekly 15-minute radio broadcast on the interplay of the Bible and archaeology, hosted by Gordon Govier and cohosted by me. Often these were recorded interviews by Govier with archaeologists about their recent work and discoveries. Our listeners have been able, thereby, to have voice contact with field archaeologists as well as Biblical scholars, providing up-to-date information on the latest discoveries and their possible illumination of Biblical events, personalities and places.¹

This trip could very well have been my last to Israel, not because I have lost interest in the interplay of archaeology and the Bible, but because I observed my 80th birthday on that trip. I doubt the Almighty will allow me to reach Moses’ extraordinary 120 years. Nevertheless, my interest in all things archaeological abides, and that is why I have been a subscriber to BAR since the first issue.