Biblical Archaeology Museums and Collections
From the late 19th century to the present, archaeology and biblical religions have been deeply intertwined through the field of Biblical Archaeology. As with any other archaeological subfield, the interpretation of archaeological findings varies widely dependent upon one's audience and beliefs. For some, Biblical Archaeology provides important historical contextualization to the Bible and the world that produced it. To others, Biblical Archaeology provides an important verification of the Bible's total veracity and historicity. There are even those who would allege that almost 130 years of archaeological fieldwork and research have proven the biblical account to be almost entirely fictitious.
The liberal export laws that have governed the archaeology and antiquities trade of the "Holy Land" over the past 100 years have led to the formation of numerous Biblical Archaeology collections strewn throughout the United States. These collections can be found at University and Seminary Museums, but also in private collections. As I visit various Biblical Archaeology collections, I will try to learn more about the origins of their artifacts, report on their composition and display, and try to glean how specific exhibitions reflect the spoken and unspoken biases of their curators.
