What do you think?
Rate this book
Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology: A Book by Book Guide to Archaeological Discoveries Related to the Bible
The Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology is a reference resource for anyone interested in archaeology and its relevance to biblical, theological, and apologetic studies. Illustrated with full-color photos, charts, and maps, this handbook provides readers with a wealth of information that complements and supplements the historical context of the Bible.
The Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology includes an introduction to the field of archaeology for readers who might not be familiar with the methods, practices, and importance of this area of study. Included in this section is an annotated bibliography of important biblical archaeological reports, books, and journal articles for further study. The rest of the handbook is devoted to a book-by-book (Genesis through Revelation) presentation of the most significant archaeological discoveries that enhance our understanding of the biblical text, including a section on the intertestamental period.
A rich array of visual images including photos of excavations sites, coins, maps, artifacts, and historic structures allows readers to immerse themselves in the world of the Bible. This monumental work gives readers the opportunity to visit ancient sites and historical places while remaining in the comfort of their own home.
The Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology includes an introduction to the field of archaeology for readers who might not be familiar with the methods, practices, and importance of this area of study. Included in this section is an annotated bibliography of important biblical archaeological reports, books, and journal articles for further study. The rest of the handbook is devoted to a book-by-book (Genesis through Revelation) presentation of the most significant archaeological discoveries that enhance our understanding of the biblical text, including a section on the intertestamental period.
A rich array of visual images including photos of excavations sites, coins, maps, artifacts, and historic structures allows readers to immerse themselves in the world of the Bible. This monumental work gives readers the opportunity to visit ancient sites and historical places while remaining in the comfort of their own home.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published November 28, 2017
About the author
Randall Price
33 books13 followersPresident for World of the Bible Ministries. He is a Th.M. graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and holds a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Price received his bachelor’s (B.A.) from Texas State University, his master's degree (Th.M.) from Dallas Theological Seminary in Old Testament and Semitic Languages, and his doctorate (Ph.D.) from the University of Texas at Austin in Middle Eastern Studies with a concentration in Hebrew and Archaeology. He has also done graduate work in biblical and archaeological studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In 2009, he drew media attention when fielding an expedition to Turkey to find Noah's Ark.
He has authored over 20 books and films on the Bible, and is often a guest on television programs.
Dr. Price received his bachelor’s (B.A.) from Texas State University, his master's degree (Th.M.) from Dallas Theological Seminary in Old Testament and Semitic Languages, and his doctorate (Ph.D.) from the University of Texas at Austin in Middle Eastern Studies with a concentration in Hebrew and Archaeology. He has also done graduate work in biblical and archaeological studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In 2009, he drew media attention when fielding an expedition to Turkey to find Noah's Ark.
He has authored over 20 books and films on the Bible, and is often a guest on television programs.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 22, 2019
IT IS FINISHED.
(Not the paper, though. Not either of the papers. *sobbing*)
- 1 star for TYPOS, though I found this textbook surprisingly open and unprejudiced. Not entirely, just surprisingly.
(Not the paper, though. Not either of the papers. *sobbing*)
- 1 star for TYPOS, though I found this textbook surprisingly open and unprejudiced. Not entirely, just surprisingly.
Read
September 13, 2019Zero stars.
This is a book that half cites archaeological findings, and half unabashedly promotes ideology in the face of those findings. The authors take extraordinary care to craft their words so that they dance just on this side of outright lies - it's just crafty enough to mislead their audience who they clearly believe are not bright enough to catch on.
Here are some amazing, priceless quotes:
1. Criticizing Hollywood's depictions of Moses: "Whether intentionally or not, the cinemagraphic portrait of an eighty-year-old man hefting huge stone slabs weighing hundreds of pounds down a rugged mountain makes the Bible seem more fantasy than reality."
2. Immediately after stating that archaeological evidence for the Exodus is, so unfortunately for them, lacking: "Nevertheless, at the present time the best approach to this question is to examine the indirect evidence of historical consequence (the existence of the story as a central and defining history in the Bible and the history of Israel) and in the local Egyptian color given in the biblical account and supported by archaeological finds."
So the Exodus story being told in the Bible is taken as "evidence" (albeit indirect). And, as an example of their number one most favorite of all time techniques, they contradict themselves oh so subtly (so that the unsuspecting reader is hopeless to detect) by capping off a section in which they've established all the reasons why the archaeological evidence for the Exodus is so scant and questionable, with: "...and supported by archaeological finds." The self-perception of these men is breathtaking.
3. The Israelites, passing through the land of Moab where the king, threatened, sought to sabotage them sent them a number of prostitutes. The Israelites "welcomed" them wholeheartedly and were punished by God because of their actions. This is how these authors, utterly incapable of admitting wrongdoing by their home team, characterizes the debauchery: "Balaam developed an alternate means of attack on Israel through the use of cult prostitutes to bring some of the Israelites into a context of worship to Baal at Peor (Num 25)."
Of course the reader has no idea what they mean by "context of worship," so mission accomplished.
4. To their credit, in the Introduction the authors reveal their purpose in writing this book, namely: by any means necessary and by any archaeological record available, confirm the veracity of the Bible. "The incompleteness of the historical data available to us from archaeology should warn against the attempt to use it to critique the more oft complete information in the literary documents. For this reason it is improper to elevate the archaeological data above the biblical text in order to challenge the latter's integrity. Therefore, the Bible, as a literary document, should be given priority in the final determination of accuracy in the history it records."
And, it continues, with the best part: "Moreover, it should be recognized that the Bible is both a literary and archaeological document, and so it represents the best surviving testimony we possess in the archaeological record of biblical times, places, and events."
This is not a book about the Bible, it's certainly not a book about archaeology, not even a book about biblical archaeology. It's a carnival ride with lots of blinking lights and merry-go-rounds sounds, and it does go round and round and round...and round. Be sure to watch your step as you make your way to the exit.
This is a book that half cites archaeological findings, and half unabashedly promotes ideology in the face of those findings. The authors take extraordinary care to craft their words so that they dance just on this side of outright lies - it's just crafty enough to mislead their audience who they clearly believe are not bright enough to catch on.
Here are some amazing, priceless quotes:
1. Criticizing Hollywood's depictions of Moses: "Whether intentionally or not, the cinemagraphic portrait of an eighty-year-old man hefting huge stone slabs weighing hundreds of pounds down a rugged mountain makes the Bible seem more fantasy than reality."
2. Immediately after stating that archaeological evidence for the Exodus is, so unfortunately for them, lacking: "Nevertheless, at the present time the best approach to this question is to examine the indirect evidence of historical consequence (the existence of the story as a central and defining history in the Bible and the history of Israel) and in the local Egyptian color given in the biblical account and supported by archaeological finds."
So the Exodus story being told in the Bible is taken as "evidence" (albeit indirect). And, as an example of their number one most favorite of all time techniques, they contradict themselves oh so subtly (so that the unsuspecting reader is hopeless to detect) by capping off a section in which they've established all the reasons why the archaeological evidence for the Exodus is so scant and questionable, with: "...and supported by archaeological finds." The self-perception of these men is breathtaking.
3. The Israelites, passing through the land of Moab where the king, threatened, sought to sabotage them sent them a number of prostitutes. The Israelites "welcomed" them wholeheartedly and were punished by God because of their actions. This is how these authors, utterly incapable of admitting wrongdoing by their home team, characterizes the debauchery: "Balaam developed an alternate means of attack on Israel through the use of cult prostitutes to bring some of the Israelites into a context of worship to Baal at Peor (Num 25)."
Of course the reader has no idea what they mean by "context of worship," so mission accomplished.
4. To their credit, in the Introduction the authors reveal their purpose in writing this book, namely: by any means necessary and by any archaeological record available, confirm the veracity of the Bible. "The incompleteness of the historical data available to us from archaeology should warn against the attempt to use it to critique the more oft complete information in the literary documents. For this reason it is improper to elevate the archaeological data above the biblical text in order to challenge the latter's integrity. Therefore, the Bible, as a literary document, should be given priority in the final determination of accuracy in the history it records."
And, it continues, with the best part: "Moreover, it should be recognized that the Bible is both a literary and archaeological document, and so it represents the best surviving testimony we possess in the archaeological record of biblical times, places, and events."
This is not a book about the Bible, it's certainly not a book about archaeology, not even a book about biblical archaeology. It's a carnival ride with lots of blinking lights and merry-go-rounds sounds, and it does go round and round and round...and round. Be sure to watch your step as you make your way to the exit.
December 14, 2018
This is a very interesting book. After an introduction to the Biblical approach to archaeology, it starts out with discoveries that illustrate or clarify the historical books, Genesis through 1 Chronicles, Ezra and Esther. Then it discusses the finds that have increased our understanding of the books of Wisdom, such as Psalms and Proverbs. The prophetic books are even evidenced in the archaeological record. Then it departs a bit from the Biblical record and discusses the intertestamental period. Because the author has lead several digs focussing on the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is a large section about them as well. The New Testament section is organized into sections as well. The largest covers the Gospels and Acts. The other two cover the Epistles and Revelation. It ends with a section of colorful maps, a list of other significant discoveries, a glossary, index, and footnotes.
It covers a very broad range of subjects from architecture to literary criticism. It delves into the ancient usage of words in context. Of course, there is also discussion of the dating of buildings. However, the majority of the focus is on how these discoveries help us understand the Bible better. There were several sections that got fairly technical, but not so much that I wasn’t able to grasp what they meant.
The photos are very good, the color vibrant, the focus sharp, and the details clear. The illustrations are also very clear. Their colors contrast well and any legends are easily understood. The Map section was also well done.
I would recommend this book to everyone.
It covers a very broad range of subjects from architecture to literary criticism. It delves into the ancient usage of words in context. Of course, there is also discussion of the dating of buildings. However, the majority of the focus is on how these discoveries help us understand the Bible better. There were several sections that got fairly technical, but not so much that I wasn’t able to grasp what they meant.
The photos are very good, the color vibrant, the focus sharp, and the details clear. The illustrations are also very clear. Their colors contrast well and any legends are easily understood. The Map section was also well done.
I would recommend this book to everyone.
March 9, 2018
4.5 stars. I didn't LOVE it, but it was good.
In short - it would be extremely difficult for any single volume to capture everything archaeologically relevant to the Bible. Considering the immense scope of such a project, this book does fairly well. In classic Zondervan style, it's full of glossy pages, full-color photographs, and comprehensive text. Personally, I would've liked a few more pictures of some of the geographical archaeological elements; and fewer pictures of Price himself...I'm not interested in his personal journey through Israel, but rather in professional-grade images of the land and objects.
It's laid out in biblical chronological order, with an index of all the Bible passages discussed therein. There were several things I looked up that weren't in it, and I felt they should've been. However, as previously noted, it would be nearly impossible for one book to have it all. This book is very reader-friendly, interesting and engaging, written for the lay-man. While it's not one I'm rushing to buy, it does make a nice reference source for a budding Bible scholar.
I highly recommend accompanying it with the Zondervan Bible Atlas!
In short - it would be extremely difficult for any single volume to capture everything archaeologically relevant to the Bible. Considering the immense scope of such a project, this book does fairly well. In classic Zondervan style, it's full of glossy pages, full-color photographs, and comprehensive text. Personally, I would've liked a few more pictures of some of the geographical archaeological elements; and fewer pictures of Price himself...I'm not interested in his personal journey through Israel, but rather in professional-grade images of the land and objects.
It's laid out in biblical chronological order, with an index of all the Bible passages discussed therein. There were several things I looked up that weren't in it, and I felt they should've been. However, as previously noted, it would be nearly impossible for one book to have it all. This book is very reader-friendly, interesting and engaging, written for the lay-man. While it's not one I'm rushing to buy, it does make a nice reference source for a budding Bible scholar.
I highly recommend accompanying it with the Zondervan Bible Atlas!
April 6, 2024
Excellent resource on biblical history from a proper perspective that understands the Bible as a valid archaeology find (the maximalist) and also that there are many physical artifacts that confirm or enlighten the bible.
February 18, 2020
Real stuff. No sensationalism.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews