Alexander to Constantine: Archaeology of the land of
the Bible
Eric M. Meyers and Mark A. Chancey
Yale University Press £30
(978-0-300-14179-5)
Church Times Bookshop £27
(Use code CT719)
THIS is the third volume in the Reference Library of the Anchor
Bible Dictionary, and covers a longer period than is suggested by
the title, from Nehemiah in the fifth century BCE to the end of the
Byzantine period in the seventh century CE.
It shows how modern archae-ology works primarily from the
material remains to the literary sources rather than use
archaeology to fill in or complement the literary sources. For
example, against the view that the Rabbis regarded decorative art
as an infringement of the Second Commandment, excavations at
Sepphoris and Beth Shearim indicate that some observant Jews had no
problem with pagan motifs.
The main chapters deal with Herod's building work, the Qumran
settlement, and the Dead Sea Scrolls (a most comprehensive
treatment of the many differing theories); the emergence of
Christianity (with a discussion of recent ossuaries and
inscriptions allegedly relating to Jesus and his family), the rise
of the synagogue, and the development of Judaism (there is a
significant "gap" between the literary sources and the discovered
remains from 70 to 250 CE); and the archaeology of paganism,
and how the inhabitants of the land of the Bible increasingly came
to terms with Roman culture.
Other chapters cover the periods from Herod's reign to the two
great revolts of 67-73 and 132-135 CE. Based on the most recent
research, this book is authoritative, well written, and beautifully
presented, with many illustrations in addition to the 17 colour
plates; and it challenges a fair number of opinions that have
become standard fare in biblical scholarship. It is a most
impressive piece of work.
Canon J. W. Rogerson is Emeritus Professor of Biblical
Studies at Sheffield University.