NobleSavage

I just got my copy of The Bible Unearthed and will read it soon. I've quite the novice with all things related to biblical history and was wondering if anyone else has read it and can give me some pros and cons or things to look out for. Thanks for any help.

Minimalist

Watch where Finkelstein abandons his own methodology when it comes to "Josiah." Otherwise, a very sound piece of work.

outhouse

You should enjoy it.

It will peak your interest enough to study more.

Clivedurdle

What did I miss? Are you arguing Josiah is also fictional?

http://www.atheistcoalition.org/docs...unearthed.html

outhouse

Yes he does, he discounts Finklestein's work

Minimalist

Throughout the book there are charts indicating biblical claims, any extra-biblical texts which address them and, most importantly, whatever archaeological attestation there is for the claim.

For Hezekiah and Manessah we have extra biblical texts as well as other archaeological finds which support the Assyrian accounts...if not the OT nonsense.

For Amon, we have nothing.

For Josiah we have no extra-biblical writings and the archaeological "evidence" only refers to "continued prosperity in the Beersheba valley, recovery in the Shephelah; aniconism in seals and seal impressions."

Nothing about any "Josiah." Was there a king in late 7th century BC Jerusalem ( or whatever it was called?) Probably. But for all we know, his name could have been Schlomo the First.

Clivedurdle

What? No Josiah? Where will it end!

Cheerful Charlie

Try Out of the Desert? : Archaeology and the Exodus/Conquest Narratives
By William H. Stiebing, Jr.

Not one of the mighty cities Moses or Josuah attacked were inhabitted during the era where Israel would have left Israel. Its all mythology written much later. Steibing goes through the archaological evidence city by city. Of course Near East archaeologists and historians are keenly aware of all of this.

Also recommended reading:
Dever, William G. (2001), What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It? What Archaeology Can Tell Us about the Reality of Ancient Israel, Eerdmans ISBN 0-8028-4794-3
Dever, William G. (2003), Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come from?, Eerdmans ISBN 0-8028-0975-8
Dever, William G. (2005), Did God Have a Wife?: Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel, Eerdmans ISBN 0-8028-2852-3

More of the same.

Also highly recommended:
From Nomadism to Monarchy: Archaeological and Historical Aspects of Early Israel by Israel Finkelstein and Nadav Na'Aman (Nov 1994)

All the books I listed here accept the truth that the OT is rank mythology, written long after the fact. These writers are all professionals, Naaman, Dever, and Finkelstein are noted world class experts.

Cheerful Charlie

Minimalist

There is a huge change of attitude in Dever's writing from his first book listed to the second.

It is a welcome change.