If the biblical texts are not purely literary artefacts but also historical ones, they are in principle, or in theory, capable of being integrated with material artefacts. Given the dangers of biblical fundamentalism and its corresponding archaeological activities and the emerging danger of archaeological fundamentalism that believes only archaeology delivers history and only archaeologists can write a competent history, it is important to focus on the means by which textual and material data should be analysed in such a way that a history can be written that makes sense equally of both.
Chapter from: Biblical Interpretation Beyond Historicity: Changing Perspectives 7 (Routledge, 2016).
By Philip R. Davies (1945-2018)
Palestine Exploration Fund
Emeritus, University of Sheffield
June 2018
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