What Archaeology Tells Us About the Bible. By Christa Case Bryant.

What archaeology tells us about the Bible. By Christa Case Bryant. The Christian Science Monitor, October 13, 2013.

Khirbet Qeiyafa, a contentious dig in Israel, delves into the kingdoms of David and Solomon, stirring a debate over the veracity of the biblical record.

Bryant:

True, the Zionist movement that spearheaded Israel’s establishment was largely secular. But it also drew heavily on the Bible. Founding father David Ben-Gurion pushed aside the image of bespectacled Jews poring over rabbinical teachings and championed instead the brawny heroes of the Bible, who overcame insurmountable odds to conquer Israel’s enemies. These included David and Solomon, who, according to the Bible, joined the tribes of Israel and Judah into a kingdom known as the United Monarchy.

 

“For Ben-Gurion, the image of a great United Monarchy with territorial expansion . . . establishing a nation, establishing a big administration with monumental architecture – this was an image that played back and forth, between that David and this David, between King David and David Ben-Gurion, in a way,” says Israel Finkelstein.


Archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel Announces Discovery of King David’s Palace at Khirbet Qeiyafa. NJBR, July 20, 2013.

Crying King David: Are the ruins found in Israel really his palace? By Julia Fridman. Haaretz, August 26, 2013. Also here.

The keys to the kingdom of David. By Asaf Shtull-Trauring. Haaretz, May 6, 2011. Also here.