Pathfinder: Looking For Biblical Archaeology
Introduction
This pathfinder is for theological students, pastors, religious educators and the general public in our academic library's service area, which includes the greater Billings, Montana area, the state of Montana and the surrounding five state area. It was created in response to continuing queries about cities, landmarks, battles, locations and famous people or events of Biblical times. It contains information from the Ida Dockery Owen Library collection in the form of books, periodicals, resource kits, and databases. It also provides online resources of interest that deal with this subject matter.
Print Resources
The Macmillian Bible Atlas
Call # REF 220.9 Aha
Information:
Aharoni, Y. & Avi-Yonah, M., (1968). The Macmillan Bible atlas. New York: Macmillan Company.
Summary:
This is a classic Biblical atlas that has some rare information not found in the newer editions, which is not surprising considering the authors were both professors of Archeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Besides having clear plain maps of numerous ancient routes, this atlas also includes maps of Judas Maccabee's early campaigns, the wanderings of the Ark of the Covenant and the Battle of the Waters of Merom. Special features include an index of names and places in their various languages and forms; for example, the city of Elusa in Hebrew is also called Halusa or el-Khalasa. Small articles on various battles make this a good choice for scholars looking for information on military campaigns. The maps are simply drawn easy to understand but they are less colorful than many atlases. Each map is very specific to the topic it is considering and there are various small photographs to accompany the subject. This book also features reproductions of many coins and seals dealing with the ancient world, as well as drawings. It has very clear maps
of ancient routes such as the "Kings Highway" and very specific maps such as the "boundaries of Judea According to the Book of Judith". It is a
wonderful resource for those who are studying the Old Testament.
The Holman Bible Atlas
Call # REF 220.91 Bri
Information:
Brisco, T. V., (1998). The Holman Bible atlas. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Summary:
This is one of the most complete atlases I have used. It is illustrated with full color illustrations and photographs on every page, extensive articles to accompany every time period, and timelines. Charts are also included to assist the reader with complicated information such as the Kings of Israel during the Divided Monarch period and Roman governors of the First Procuratorship. The maps are colorful and clearly marked with extensive keys and dates. The print is very small on some of the maps and could be a little difficult to see for some. This book contains such detailed articles in it that it almost could be an ancient history book in itself. Instead of grouping the maps by subject, the entire book is in chronological order, starting with the Fertile Crescent and the Christian Church from A.D. to 70 to A.D. 300. The glossary, bibliography and index are resources in their own right as is the timeline that runs across the top of every page after the first chapter. This will quickly become a favorite among students.
Historical Atlas of the Holy Lands
Call # REF 220.91 Far
Information: Farrington, K. (2003). Historical atlas of the holy lands. New York: Checkmark Books.
Summary:
Karen Farrington has made this book the third volume in her series of historical atlases. The first two were on religions and expeditions which give this book much more of a coffee table book feel. It is beautifully illustrated with color photographs but the maps are more general than for specific scholarship. For a student or patron who wanted an overall introduction to such basic topics as Jerusalem, Egypt or Joseph this would be a good place to start. It has information on the Holy Lands today but more in the form of photographs of young children dressed in fatigues instead of factual charts. It also encompasses more countries than are regularly considered in Biblical atlases. This volume included chapters on Greece, Iran, Syria and Turkey along with a chapter on the cities of the West Bank. This book would be enjoyable to read for pleasure as it includes information on several well known archaeological digs and their
results. I also enjoyed the inclusion of many works of art dealing with the subject matter discussed.
The Times Atlas of the Bible
Call # REF 220.91 Pri
Information:
Pritchard, J. B. (Ed.). (1996). The Times atlas of the Bible. New York: Crescent Books.
Summary:
Starting with a chronology from 1,500,000 to 3300 B.C. to 150 A.D., this book does everything in a big way. An imposing 14" by 10 1/2" in size, the editor has packed every inch of this atlas with information. Pritchard uses charts, fact boxes, artifacts, pictures, maps, drawings and models to illustrate ancient civilizations and their cultures during Bible times. Information is carefully laid out around the maps to add to the cartography, not bury it. While this is entitled an atlas of the Bible it could be used by students to study many ancient peoples and their ways of life. Where many Biblical atlases come from a Christian or Jewish point of view, this is a more secular approach based on a wider range of research. There is extensive information on rulers, political motives, military battles, as well as cultural information on housing, trade practices, coin production, and road building. This is almost more a cultural survey mixed with Biblical geography and chronology. This would be an excellent reference source for students at any level.
Biblical Illustrator
Journal
Information:
Biblical Illustrator. (1980-2011). Nashville, Tennessee: LifeWay.
Summary:
Biblical Illustrator has been a basic in theological collections for thirty years. It is a quarterly publication that is full of maps, color photographs, pull-out sections and more. Although the journal is published to compliment the Southern Baptist Sunday School material, the quality of the articles has made it popular in theological libraries around the country as well as many church libraries. Every issue takes on cultural issues, geographical history and more. It is easy to read, comes with an index in the last issue of the year, and an index of articles from previous years that deal with the same topics. It is a good resource for any level of Biblical interest, from the interested reader to the theological student. Topics can be as varied as the city of "Corinth in the time of Paul" to "Egypt Before the Exodus". Recently, LifeWay came out with a companion CD for each issue so readers can order the print version, the CD or both.
Biblical Archaeological Review
Journal
Information:
Biblical Archaeological Review.(1974-2011). Washington, D.C. : Biblical Archaeology Society.
Summary:
This is a journal for those who literally like to dig in the dirt. It contains information on current dig sights and their findings, discussions among archaeologists, historical articles and plenty of photographs. Articles include "Solomon's Temple: Alike and Different", "The Remarkable Oxyrhynchus
Papyri" and "Jerusalem Dig Reveals Oldest Inscription and Solomon's City Wall". Biblical Archaeology Review is for those who are more scientifically
oriented and enjoy the technical side of ancient civilizations. Each article is extremely well documented and include interviews with the archaeologists involved at the dig sites. Good diagrams are also often part of the story, as are maps. Not just for the professional, this journal is a great source of entertainment
reading for the armchair digger. One of the lighter aspects of different reports, are the translations from different digs. No one knows what they have until it is translated. One story included threats made by two parties who had signed a treaty together. Parties were threatened with being shot with flaming arrows, forced to eat their brothers, etc. if they broke the treaty. This is a great resource on many levels.
Saudi Aramco World
Journal
Information:
Saudi Aramco World. (2011). Houston, Texas: Aramco Services Company.
Summary:
This magazine is unique in that it is free and comes from an Arab perspective. It is published by the Saudi Aramco oil company, which is an
American-Saudi Arabian partnership, based in Saudi Arabia and the United States. Although the purpose of the magazine is to increase cross-cultural understanding, somewhere along the way it became an excellent source for ancient world history articles with a different point of view. It is beautifully illustrated with photographs of both the old world and new. The include cultural information, historical data, maps, charts and interviews. Each issue takes the reader to a different part of the Saudi peninsula and introduces them to historic landmarks, cultural histories and people groups from that area. Some of the stories include transitions from the old world customs to modern day traditions. For students who know very little about the ancient Arab kingdoms to the modern middle eastern Saudi kingdom, this journal will give a different look at the Arab world.
Part 3: Online Resources
Information:
Bible Archaeology. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from:
http://www.biblearchaeology/currentevents.aspx
Summary:
This the homepage of Bible and Spade magazine, a journal of Biblical archaeology that has long been a stable of theological libraries. We have the
print version in the library but this website adds much more. The link above is to their current events section, where the user can explore different articles on
ongoing excavations and historical finds. There are all sorts of links to news stories, other journals, authors and references. There is an archive that goes
back several years, listed by month. Articles of interest included news on the discovery of books in Jordan on the early Christian church and the opening of
of a new excavation site on the Turkish-Syrian border of an ancient Hittite city. The page also lists information on current events in the Middle East such as
a group of Islamic scholars who are suing Israel over archaeological findings they believe are being used for political gain. This is a great site for anyone
interested in current news and findings.
Information:
Biblical Archaeology Review Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from:
http://.bib-arch.org/news/dailynews.asp
Summary:
There is so much going on in the world of archaeological discovery that it is no wonder the internet has so many excellent new sites. This page is the
daily news page for Biblical Archaeology Review. The reader can subscribe to an e-mail newsletter or go online for extensive daily coverage of archaeological discoveries around the world. It is interesting that this page carried different stories that the first site listed, but they were all just as interesting. There are stories on current controversies in the field, articles on the latest antiquities thefts, information on open exhibits of famous works and information on excavations going on around the world. It was interesting to see a story on "Citizen Scientists" who were helping with a dig at the tomb of Genghis Khan. This is a great site for anyone who has an interest in the past or information on how the past is impacting the present.
Information:
Popular Archaeology. Retrieved April 13, 2010 from:
http://popular-archaeology.com/
Summary:
This online magazine is only in its second issue but it looks very promising. Interest categories for the second issue include: discoveries, archaeological digs, videos, in the museums, daily news reports, viewpoints, and blogs. There are lots of pictures to accompany the articles and links to opportunities to work on a dig. There are many stories in each issue and also a nice link to current events and locations around the world. This is not a Christian archaeological site so the information covers a wide variety of places and dig sites. There were many stories on areas that would be included in Biblical archaeology but the site is written from a secular point of view. This gives students and readers a different perspective on what is going on in the
world of archaeology. There was for instance, an article on Montpelier's slave population and another on the evidence for a Minoan presence in Canaan. All
were interesting and well illustrated.
Information:
Bible Atlas. Retrieved April 13, 2010 from:
http://bibleatlas.org
Summary:
This site is one of my favorites. It not only has an easy access Bible atlas search engine with clear well-defined maps but also an entire reference section including encyclopedias, dictionaries, pictures, timelines and concordances. It is almost a Biblical comparison to several databases I have used at the university level. The parent host is Biblos.com which came from the Online Parallel Bible Project in 2004. Their mission is to provide free online Bible resources in many different languages. One of the nicest features is a word by word Hebrew translation of the Old Testament and interlinear Bibles. The site is easy to navigate and readily transfers back and forth for word studies to dictionaries to the atlases. Any student or pastor would find this useful in sermon preparation, word studies, historical background studies and term papers or group presentations. It also includes multiple open-references on a single page. For example, when opened to Genesis 1, there were regional maps, people listings, and an outline of the verse, pictures and geography information. This is a great site.
Information:
Bible Map. Retrieved April 13, 2010 from:
http://biblemap.org/
Summary:
It is not surprising that Google has a Bible map website but is nice to know that they did a good job with it. The greatest thing about anything they do with maps is the photography. Students only need to type in the book and chapter of the Bible to raise maps of every location mentioned in that piece of scripture. The site also contains a quick church history, different summaries of books and people, videos and more. It is more than just a map site and contains a great deal of information about the Bible in general. Anyone could use this site and it has many just fun features that even children would enjoy, such as the videos. There are lots of factual information presented in short info boxes that can be accessed by clicking on the different cities or areas. This site would be useful to students and lay people alike as it has entertainment and resource value.
This pathfinder was created by Jeannie Ferriss, Head Librarian, Ida Dockery Owen Library.
This pathfinder is for theological students, pastors, religious educators and the general public in our academic library's service area, which includes the greater Billings, Montana area, the state of Montana and the surrounding five state area. It was created in response to continuing queries about cities, landmarks, battles, locations and famous people or events of Biblical times. It contains information from the Ida Dockery Owen Library collection in the form of books, periodicals, resource kits, and databases. It also provides online resources of interest that deal with this subject matter.
Print Resources
The Macmillian Bible Atlas
Call # REF 220.9 Aha
Information:
Aharoni, Y. & Avi-Yonah, M., (1968). The Macmillan Bible atlas. New York: Macmillan Company.
Summary:
This is a classic Biblical atlas that has some rare information not found in the newer editions, which is not surprising considering the authors were both professors of Archeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Besides having clear plain maps of numerous ancient routes, this atlas also includes maps of Judas Maccabee's early campaigns, the wanderings of the Ark of the Covenant and the Battle of the Waters of Merom. Special features include an index of names and places in their various languages and forms; for example, the city of Elusa in Hebrew is also called Halusa or el-Khalasa. Small articles on various battles make this a good choice for scholars looking for information on military campaigns. The maps are simply drawn easy to understand but they are less colorful than many atlases. Each map is very specific to the topic it is considering and there are various small photographs to accompany the subject. This book also features reproductions of many coins and seals dealing with the ancient world, as well as drawings. It has very clear maps
of ancient routes such as the "Kings Highway" and very specific maps such as the "boundaries of Judea According to the Book of Judith". It is a
wonderful resource for those who are studying the Old Testament.
The Holman Bible Atlas
Call # REF 220.91 Bri
Information:
Brisco, T. V., (1998). The Holman Bible atlas. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Summary:
This is one of the most complete atlases I have used. It is illustrated with full color illustrations and photographs on every page, extensive articles to accompany every time period, and timelines. Charts are also included to assist the reader with complicated information such as the Kings of Israel during the Divided Monarch period and Roman governors of the First Procuratorship. The maps are colorful and clearly marked with extensive keys and dates. The print is very small on some of the maps and could be a little difficult to see for some. This book contains such detailed articles in it that it almost could be an ancient history book in itself. Instead of grouping the maps by subject, the entire book is in chronological order, starting with the Fertile Crescent and the Christian Church from A.D. to 70 to A.D. 300. The glossary, bibliography and index are resources in their own right as is the timeline that runs across the top of every page after the first chapter. This will quickly become a favorite among students.
Historical Atlas of the Holy Lands
Call # REF 220.91 Far
Information: Farrington, K. (2003). Historical atlas of the holy lands. New York: Checkmark Books.
Summary:
Karen Farrington has made this book the third volume in her series of historical atlases. The first two were on religions and expeditions which give this book much more of a coffee table book feel. It is beautifully illustrated with color photographs but the maps are more general than for specific scholarship. For a student or patron who wanted an overall introduction to such basic topics as Jerusalem, Egypt or Joseph this would be a good place to start. It has information on the Holy Lands today but more in the form of photographs of young children dressed in fatigues instead of factual charts. It also encompasses more countries than are regularly considered in Biblical atlases. This volume included chapters on Greece, Iran, Syria and Turkey along with a chapter on the cities of the West Bank. This book would be enjoyable to read for pleasure as it includes information on several well known archaeological digs and their
results. I also enjoyed the inclusion of many works of art dealing with the subject matter discussed.
The Times Atlas of the Bible
Call # REF 220.91 Pri
Information:
Pritchard, J. B. (Ed.). (1996). The Times atlas of the Bible. New York: Crescent Books.
Summary:
Starting with a chronology from 1,500,000 to 3300 B.C. to 150 A.D., this book does everything in a big way. An imposing 14" by 10 1/2" in size, the editor has packed every inch of this atlas with information. Pritchard uses charts, fact boxes, artifacts, pictures, maps, drawings and models to illustrate ancient civilizations and their cultures during Bible times. Information is carefully laid out around the maps to add to the cartography, not bury it. While this is entitled an atlas of the Bible it could be used by students to study many ancient peoples and their ways of life. Where many Biblical atlases come from a Christian or Jewish point of view, this is a more secular approach based on a wider range of research. There is extensive information on rulers, political motives, military battles, as well as cultural information on housing, trade practices, coin production, and road building. This is almost more a cultural survey mixed with Biblical geography and chronology. This would be an excellent reference source for students at any level.
Biblical Illustrator
Journal
Information:
Biblical Illustrator. (1980-2011). Nashville, Tennessee: LifeWay.
Summary:
Biblical Illustrator has been a basic in theological collections for thirty years. It is a quarterly publication that is full of maps, color photographs, pull-out sections and more. Although the journal is published to compliment the Southern Baptist Sunday School material, the quality of the articles has made it popular in theological libraries around the country as well as many church libraries. Every issue takes on cultural issues, geographical history and more. It is easy to read, comes with an index in the last issue of the year, and an index of articles from previous years that deal with the same topics. It is a good resource for any level of Biblical interest, from the interested reader to the theological student. Topics can be as varied as the city of "Corinth in the time of Paul" to "Egypt Before the Exodus". Recently, LifeWay came out with a companion CD for each issue so readers can order the print version, the CD or both.
Biblical Archaeological Review
Journal
Information:
Biblical Archaeological Review.(1974-2011). Washington, D.C. : Biblical Archaeology Society.
Summary:
This is a journal for those who literally like to dig in the dirt. It contains information on current dig sights and their findings, discussions among archaeologists, historical articles and plenty of photographs. Articles include "Solomon's Temple: Alike and Different", "The Remarkable Oxyrhynchus
Papyri" and "Jerusalem Dig Reveals Oldest Inscription and Solomon's City Wall". Biblical Archaeology Review is for those who are more scientifically
oriented and enjoy the technical side of ancient civilizations. Each article is extremely well documented and include interviews with the archaeologists involved at the dig sites. Good diagrams are also often part of the story, as are maps. Not just for the professional, this journal is a great source of entertainment
reading for the armchair digger. One of the lighter aspects of different reports, are the translations from different digs. No one knows what they have until it is translated. One story included threats made by two parties who had signed a treaty together. Parties were threatened with being shot with flaming arrows, forced to eat their brothers, etc. if they broke the treaty. This is a great resource on many levels.
Saudi Aramco World
Journal
Information:
Saudi Aramco World. (2011). Houston, Texas: Aramco Services Company.
Summary:
This magazine is unique in that it is free and comes from an Arab perspective. It is published by the Saudi Aramco oil company, which is an
American-Saudi Arabian partnership, based in Saudi Arabia and the United States. Although the purpose of the magazine is to increase cross-cultural understanding, somewhere along the way it became an excellent source for ancient world history articles with a different point of view. It is beautifully illustrated with photographs of both the old world and new. The include cultural information, historical data, maps, charts and interviews. Each issue takes the reader to a different part of the Saudi peninsula and introduces them to historic landmarks, cultural histories and people groups from that area. Some of the stories include transitions from the old world customs to modern day traditions. For students who know very little about the ancient Arab kingdoms to the modern middle eastern Saudi kingdom, this journal will give a different look at the Arab world.
Part 3: Online Resources
Information:
Bible Archaeology. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from:
http://www.biblearchaeology/currentevents.aspx
Summary:
This the homepage of Bible and Spade magazine, a journal of Biblical archaeology that has long been a stable of theological libraries. We have the
print version in the library but this website adds much more. The link above is to their current events section, where the user can explore different articles on
ongoing excavations and historical finds. There are all sorts of links to news stories, other journals, authors and references. There is an archive that goes
back several years, listed by month. Articles of interest included news on the discovery of books in Jordan on the early Christian church and the opening of
of a new excavation site on the Turkish-Syrian border of an ancient Hittite city. The page also lists information on current events in the Middle East such as
a group of Islamic scholars who are suing Israel over archaeological findings they believe are being used for political gain. This is a great site for anyone
interested in current news and findings.
Information:
Biblical Archaeology Review Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from:
http://.bib-arch.org/news/dailynews.asp
Summary:
There is so much going on in the world of archaeological discovery that it is no wonder the internet has so many excellent new sites. This page is the
daily news page for Biblical Archaeology Review. The reader can subscribe to an e-mail newsletter or go online for extensive daily coverage of archaeological discoveries around the world. It is interesting that this page carried different stories that the first site listed, but they were all just as interesting. There are stories on current controversies in the field, articles on the latest antiquities thefts, information on open exhibits of famous works and information on excavations going on around the world. It was interesting to see a story on "Citizen Scientists" who were helping with a dig at the tomb of Genghis Khan. This is a great site for anyone who has an interest in the past or information on how the past is impacting the present.
Information:
Popular Archaeology. Retrieved April 13, 2010 from:
http://popular-archaeology.com/
Summary:
This online magazine is only in its second issue but it looks very promising. Interest categories for the second issue include: discoveries, archaeological digs, videos, in the museums, daily news reports, viewpoints, and blogs. There are lots of pictures to accompany the articles and links to opportunities to work on a dig. There are many stories in each issue and also a nice link to current events and locations around the world. This is not a Christian archaeological site so the information covers a wide variety of places and dig sites. There were many stories on areas that would be included in Biblical archaeology but the site is written from a secular point of view. This gives students and readers a different perspective on what is going on in the
world of archaeology. There was for instance, an article on Montpelier's slave population and another on the evidence for a Minoan presence in Canaan. All
were interesting and well illustrated.
Information:
Bible Atlas. Retrieved April 13, 2010 from:
http://bibleatlas.org
Summary:
This site is one of my favorites. It not only has an easy access Bible atlas search engine with clear well-defined maps but also an entire reference section including encyclopedias, dictionaries, pictures, timelines and concordances. It is almost a Biblical comparison to several databases I have used at the university level. The parent host is Biblos.com which came from the Online Parallel Bible Project in 2004. Their mission is to provide free online Bible resources in many different languages. One of the nicest features is a word by word Hebrew translation of the Old Testament and interlinear Bibles. The site is easy to navigate and readily transfers back and forth for word studies to dictionaries to the atlases. Any student or pastor would find this useful in sermon preparation, word studies, historical background studies and term papers or group presentations. It also includes multiple open-references on a single page. For example, when opened to Genesis 1, there were regional maps, people listings, and an outline of the verse, pictures and geography information. This is a great site.
Information:
Bible Map. Retrieved April 13, 2010 from:
http://biblemap.org/
Summary:
It is not surprising that Google has a Bible map website but is nice to know that they did a good job with it. The greatest thing about anything they do with maps is the photography. Students only need to type in the book and chapter of the Bible to raise maps of every location mentioned in that piece of scripture. The site also contains a quick church history, different summaries of books and people, videos and more. It is more than just a map site and contains a great deal of information about the Bible in general. Anyone could use this site and it has many just fun features that even children would enjoy, such as the videos. There are lots of factual information presented in short info boxes that can be accessed by clicking on the different cities or areas. This site would be useful to students and lay people alike as it has entertainment and resource value.
This pathfinder was created by Jeannie Ferriss, Head Librarian, Ida Dockery Owen Library.
