Elementary, My Dear Archaeologist
An enjoyable collection of archaeology related discussions aimed at a popular audience showing how biblical texts have been used to frame questions over historic development in the Levant. Cline does not take the POV that the Bible is literally true, rather he explores competing theories both of professional archeologists and popular amateurs by pointing out in Sherlockian fashion where existing evidence fits, and where it does not.
He begins with Eden using the narrative's references to the confluence of four named rivers to place the legendary garden at various locations. Similar clues are followed for trying match the story of the Flood, the final resting place of Noah's ark, and the wanderings of Abraham to actual geography, including speculation on the location of Sodom and Gomorrah. Cline doesn't expect confirmation, but its natural to consider that the geography and other details of the stories may give us clues about the origin of the story tellers. A minor omission - he places Abraham's birthplace in what later became Babylonia, with a possible alternate near Haran, Turkey - the locals of Urfa, 45 km NW, believe that their town is it.
Most certainly the conquests described in the books of Joshua and Judges where the annihilation of whole populations supposedly took place, never occurred. In the multiple time frames stipulated for the Exodus, Jericho the city had already been abandoned, and in none of them did the city, as we understand it, possess any walls. The other cities listed under the conquest existed and were destroyed at various points in time, but only Hazor show unique Israelite artifacts giving evidence of Israelite occupation. Where conquest does occur the time frame is spread out over several centuries. Cline favours a Phoenician conquest for plunder, not domination, followed by a migration of rural Hebrews into weakened towns and villages, eventually dominating them. He mentions an inscription found in 1993 at Tel Dan in northern Israel that makes reference to "The House of David", however while this supports the existence of the dynasty, outside of biblical text there is nothing to confirm the extent of the Kingdom.
As for the Ark of the Covenant, if it still exists it would have to be buried under the Temple Mount, currently not available to archeologists. After considering other possibilities, including the belief that it is kept in a church in Aksum, Ethiopia, the only reasonable alternative is that it was destroyed at the outset of the Babylonian exile, possibly melted down.
The final topic concerns the fate of the 10 lost tribes of Israel, the northern kingdom, which Cline asserts were never lost in the first place because we have confirming documentation with only minor differences from the Neo-Assyrians. Some 40,000 individuals, between 10 and 15% of the population (est: 40,000) of the northern kingdom was forcibly resettled in Assyria. Excavations in Jersulam and the surrounding area shows a marked increase in population at the time, an estimated 100-120,000 who fled south. Assyrians and other peoples were moved in and the Northern Israelites married between themselves and the new immigrants, likely becoming the Samaritans. So at least one mystery gets solved.
In the end Cline advises that the tales of the Bible may tell us more about the people who wrote the biblical saga down, starting roughly in the 7th century BC, than the events it portrays. A nice light read for cocktail party conversation - for more in depth assessments the references provided by the author should be followed instead.