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Last night I attended a biblical archaeology lecture at Queens College given by Dr. Ann Killebrew of Penn State. I won't bore you with the details of the lecture even though I love this stuff. Instead, I would like to note how refreshing her attitude was towards the Bible and religion. Some questions from the audience seemed bent on using the lack of archaeological finds for an exodus as proof the Bible was false. Others used archaeology to voice that early Israelite were really not monotheistic. The audience also had a strong modern orthodox representation who obviously were not prepared to accept the Bible as less than true regardless of archaeological evidence.Dr. Killebrew's response was so well tuned that I wondered if she shouldn't become a diplomat instead. She claimed that archaeology should serve to illuminate the Bible but not to serve as a means to prove or disprove the Bible. Within archaeology there is no clear cut consensus of interpretation of data. Certainly in areas of C-14 dating but also even in analyzing the statigrafy or the material find within its given context. Religion, she went on, is a matter of faith and a matter of how one chooses to view their role in the universe and how to conduct their lives. Why should her evaluation of someone else's garbage be the definitive word on how to serve God. Her work should only shed light on the development and evolution of a people who have since had a unique history and enduring tradition.
The Philistine's who were colonizers from Cyprus and Cilicia (she goes against most her colleagues who feel they were Aegean) existed side by side with the Israelites from the 12th century BCE until they were exiled along with the Israelites to Babylon. They disappeared in history but the Jews did not. Faith in God or the lessons of the Bible or the traditions of the Jewish people do not need the validation of archaeology. The unfortunate politicization of archaeology loses sight of this fact and causes more harm than good.
She feels that many archaeologist maintain their positions, dig in firmly, and are not open enough to new and changing evidence. She admits that her lecture today would be different 10 years from now because she won't let her ego get in the way of the most current evidence. An open mind is what we all need in archaeology and in all areas of our life.