Monday, November 16, 2009

ERIC CLINE'S RECENT BOOK, Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction, is featured in a London Times article:
Evidence for kings David and Solomon
Until 15 years ago, there was no extra-biblical documentary mention of even the House of David as ruling in Judea


Norman Hammond, Archaeology correspondent

“King David and King Solomon lived merry, merry lives,

With many, many concubines and many, many wives.

But when old age crept after them, with many, many qualms,

King Solomon wrote the Proverbs and King David wrote the Psalms.”

There are several versions of this anonymous rhyme, but the problem, some biblical archaeologists argue, is that there is little evidence that either king existed: archaeological remains have been assigned to their reigns on the basis of cryptic verses in the Old Testament, and then used to “prove” the date of similar buildings at other sites.

Until 15 years ago, Professor Eric Cline notes in a new book, there was no extra-biblical documentary mention of even the House of David as ruling in Judea. The fragmentary Tel Dan Stele, found reused as building material at a site in what is now northern Israel in 1993-94, provided the first evidence outside the First Book of Kings.

[...]
Professor Cline has a recent online essay on the same topic, which is noted here.

(Times article via Joseph I. Lauer's list.)