Books in Brief

Digging Up the Bible

Moshe Pearlman (William Morrow and Co., Inc., 1980) 240 pages, $19.95

Moshe Pearlman, a prolific and talented writer of popular history books, has published a fascinating account of the work Biblical archaeologists have accomplished in the last one hundred and fifty years. Once begun, Digging Up the Bible is a difficult book to put down. The well-paced narrative and evocative 100 black and white and 17 color photographs pique the reader’s interest, encouraging him to read for just another page or two.

The absorbing tale of Biblical archaeology as told by Pearlman includes the human interest stories which lie behind the momentous finds of the past century and a half. The story of the discovery and rescue of the Mesha Stele in 1868, the recovery and translation of the seven Dead Sea Scrolls by Eliezer Sukenik and his son Yigael Yadin, the education and perspicacity of Flinders Petrie, and the ingenuity and brilliance of the first code cracker of ancient writing, Jean Francois Champollion, all come alive in Pearlman’s narrative.

For an amateur archaeologist, Digging Up the Bible is not just a fascinating tale, but it is also instructive. Basic Biblical archaeology terms such as tel are explained with clarity and precision. The nature and importance of various dating techniques are also elucidated for the non-professional. The reader is witness to the astounding technical progress achieved in archaeological methodology from camels and measuring rods to helicopters and speed cameras.

Psalmist With a Camera