“This book is both vintage Dever and refreshingly innovative. Dever’s strongly argued positions on the relationship between the Hebrew Bible and archaeological materials are presented in lucid and riveting language, accessible to all. In addition, Dever shows how biblical accounts—even problematic ones—are not devoid of meaning but rather are rich with the potential to provide lessons for contemporary life.”
— Carol Meyers
Duke University
“Bill Dever has long called for a genuine dialogue between biblical studies and archaeology. In this book, he presents both sides of that conversation: the biblical account of ancient Israel’s history, from Genesis through the fall of the Israelite monarchy, considered alongside the archaeological record. The result is an eminently readable synthesis that situates the text of the Bible in its ancient context—with the result, as Dever himself says, of bringing the Bible as well as ancient Israel into a new and brighter light.”
— Susan Ackerman
Dartmouth College
“Bill Dever is one of the leading archaeologists of the Southern Levant in the last two generations, influencing the course of scholarship for more than fifty years. Has Archaeology Buried the Bible? critically synthesizes biblical history with modern archaeology, offering a detailed and compelling reconstruction of how things really were, as well as a stimulating assessment of the value of this history to modern readership. The book reviews both the biblical history of ancient Israel—from the period of the patriarchs, through the exodus and settlement in Canaan, to the period of the monarchy—as well as various aspects of Israelite religion, and examines them through the lens of archaeology and modern scholarship. It is a must read to anyone interested in biblical history and in understanding its relevance in the modern world.”
— Avraham Faust
Bar-Ilan University
CHOICE
“Highly recommended. All levels.”
Review of Biblical Literature
“Dever, a student of G. Ernest Wright, understands his educational journey from theologian to field archaeologist as a constant critical dialogue between the two disciplines of biblical theology and “biblical” archaeology (he usually uses this term in quotation marks). Even as a digging archaeologist, he has not forgotten what guides him: ‘to help make the Bible more meaningful to modern readers.’”
Review of Biblical Literature
“Dever’s ability to paint an overall picture of the biblical and archaeological evidence will be useful for biblical scholars and probably archaeologists as well. It is rare to encounter an overview this clear and succinct covering this much ground. As for nonspecialists, the book will give them a clear overall picture of Iron Age Israel and Judah, where the biblical story correlates well with this, and where it does not. Certainly, anyone grappling with the question posed by the book’s title, Has Archaeology Buried the Bible?, will benefit from the wisdom, guidance, and storehouse of knowledge of one of Iron Age archaeology’s great scholars.”