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At the turn of the last century, Egyptology and Biblical Archaeology flourished. For decades, giants of archaeology, such as William Flinders Petrie and William Foxwell Albright, stepped to the fore to conduct excavations and create institutions that would continue throughout most of the century. In 1947, just as Israel was re-born as a State, the first Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in cliffs near Qumran. Precious Biblical manuscripts contained in jars in the caves pre-dated existing Biblical manuscripts by more than 1,000 years. Over the next few decades, many exciting discoveries were made that shed light on the historical Biblical period and changed the face of Biblical Archaeology and Scholarship. At Tel Dan, a fragment of a monumental inscription was discovered that contained the first extra-Biblical reference to “The House of David” ever discovered. In Jerusalem, a family tomb was discovered that contained an ossuary bearing the name of “Joseph Caiaphas,” the High Priest who presided over the trial of Jesus. At yet another site, the full skeleton of a man crucified in the first century and buried with a bent crucifixion nail in his heel bone was uncovered, giving scientists the first tangible evidence of crucifixion. And from the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the hull of a fishing boat from the first century emerged. By the late 1980’s, economic factors brought drastic cuts in funding for both excavations and academic programs. Over the next decade, political and religious factions brought even more pressure to bear, further limiting the work. Traditional sources of funding for Biblical Archaeology declined, causing a shift in funding from the public to the private sector. By the late 1990’s, many archaeologist and anthropologists were forced into early retirement or unemployment as departments closed, graduate programs ceased, and excavations shut down. Rising costs for travel and study abroad prohibited many students from participating in field excavations. Archaeology Institutions began to scale down to bear minimums or even close. Costs continued to rise as funds continued to decline. The Foundation for Biblical Archaeology was established to help meet critical needs. The photo below was taken by Mike Friends, a fellow TFBA board member working at Sepphoris. After a long day digging, I cleaned up and headed to near-by Nazareth to buy more brushes for the field (they wear out quickly). I couldn’t resist stopping by the site to witness final photography of my colleague's efforts. I like to sweep. Some might call it a disease, but many quickly learn to appreciate my talents since few really like to eat dirt. Time was running out as the sun was setting, and I was drafted for a bit of overtime—dress and all. The camera captured perfectly the rays of the setting sun. We laugh and call this the Shekinah (glory of God) shining on the work. Perhaps it is true. But, the critical need for funding (for excavation, education, and publication) is no laughing matter. The most critical need in the field of Biblical Archaeology is funding. You can help by sending your tax-deductible contributions to TFBA. The second most critical need is volunteers. Volunteers do much of the work. Many retirees use their professional skills to further the cause, but no effort is too small. The squares must be swept, the pottery must be scrubbed, and the data must be entered. A complete list of sites seeking volunteers is available each year.
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© 2008 The Foundation for Biblical Archaeology. All rights reserved. | |||||||
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