Lecture Series

Overview:
The biblical archaeology of William Foxwell Albright was an attempt to ground the historical witness of the Bible in realia, or demonstrable historical reality. Albright brought biblical archaeology out of the armchair and into the field in Palestine. His student, George Edward Wright, created a positivist theological/theoretical basis for biblical archaeology. Albright and Wright saw biblical archaeology as an objective science, providing historical reality to the Hebrew Bible.

Presenter:
Thomas Davis (PhD 1987, University of Arizona) is professor of Archaeology and Biblical Backgrounds at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently, he directs the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary excavations at the early Christian site of Kourion in Cyprus.

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Dr. Merry served as Officer in Charge of all medical operations in post-war southern Iraq. During his tour of duty, he was also assigned the role of resident historian over the ancient cities of Ur and Babylon, where Saddam Hussein had built his palace. Dr. Merry spoke about his experience protecting these major archaeological sites and their unique place in history for the birth of civilization and connection to the Bible.

Presenter:
Thomas Merry (MD 1978, Loma Linda University) is a Family Practitioner in Gardenville, Nevada.

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Overview:
The historicity of the biblical exodus and the physical route of the journey of ancient Israel has long been a subject of intense debate. In this public lecture, Hoffmeier discussed his recent excavations at Tell el-Borg, which has produced dramatic new answers for these questions. Due to an exclusivity agreement, Hoffmeier's lecture is not available for purchase.

Presenter:
James Hoffmeier (PhD 1983, University of Toronto) is professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern History and Archaeology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Since 1994, he has directed the North Sinai Archaeological Project.

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Overview:
In the past few years, much media attention has been brought on the Gnostic gospels as a result of the purchase and publication of the Gospel of Judas by the National Geographic Society. The global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code has captured the imagination of millions. What is Gnosticism? Is the Gospel of Judas as authoritative as the four New Testament Gospels?

Presenter:
Scott Carroll (PhD 1987, Miami University) is co-director of the Center for the Study of Antiquity and a professor of history. He currently directs excavations at one of the oldest Christian monasteries located in the Wadi Natrun, Egypt.

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Until recently, archaeologists in Israel had firmly maintained the existence of the Israelite kings, David and Solomon, as true monarchs in the Near-Eastern world. However, the rise of postmodern biblical scholarship has challenged this conclusion. Some scholars have gone so far as to claim that David and Solomon were mythical figures that did not exist. In this presentation, William Dever presents the archaeological evidence for the existence of the United Monarchy.

Presenter:
William Dever (PhD 1966, Harvard University) has been the director of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at the Hebrew Union College. He is best known at Southern Adventist University for placing on campus the artifact collection housed in the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum.

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Overview:
Abraham is one of the greatest people in history. Three great faiths claim Abraham as their forefather. However, what was his life like? What environment did he experience? By looking beyond kings and battles to such aspects of life as housing, dress, price index, diet (including a recipe for pigeon pot pie), and more, Alfred Hoerth presents a picture of the world in which Abraham grew up and the great length of his step of faith in leaving that home.

Presenter:
Alfred Hoerth (PhD 1961, University of Chicago) is professor emeritus of archaeology at Wheaton College, outside of Chicago. He has excavated in the Sudan, Egypt, Joran, Israel, and Syria.

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Who were the gods of ancient Israel, as described in the Bible? Can we identify Baal and Asherah, and how did they come to play such a prominent role in the courts of the Judean kings, even being placed in the temple of Jerusalem by Manasseh? Hasel reveals why the prophets denounced these ancient gods of the Canaanites and why they proved such a pervasive tool in Israelite politics and religion.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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In his lecture, Brand re-examines splendid battle scenes that secured Seti’s reputation as one of Egypt’s most victorious pharaohs. How much of the pharaoh’s war record is ancient “hype,” and how much reflected true strategic accomplishments? Brand answers these questions and a lot more.

Presenter:
Peter Brand (PhD 1998, University of Toronto) is professor of history and Egyptology at the University of Memphis. He directs The Karnak Great Hypostyle Hall Project in Egypt, where he leads a team to record the rapidly deteriorating reliefs and inscriptions on the temple walls.

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In this lecture, Gaunt describes in great details the origins of portraits throughout Roman Art. Thousands of years before the first photograph, Greek artists learned to immortalize their heroes in portraits. While the Greeks did not invent the art of portraiture, they were the first to fully exploit its many uses.

Presenter:
Jasper Gaunt (PhD 2002, New York University) is curator of Greek and Roman Art for the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta. He is also adjunct professor of art history at Emory's graduate school.

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Gaber traces the development of portraiture from its beginnings in Egypt down to Roman times. Portraits are either stylized or naturalistic (i.e., true to life). Ancient portraiture, for the most part, was stylized.

Presenter:
Pamela Gaber (PhD 1982, Harvard University) is professor of Archaeology and Judaic Studies at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania. Every summer, she directs the Lycoming College Expedition to Idalion from her home in Alambra, Cyprus.

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Overview:
Two thousand years ago, long before high-resolution images and HDTVs, Romans emperors learned to disseminate their political message through coins. Roman coins, wrote numismatist Michael Grant, "served a propaganda purpose far greater than has any other national coinage before or since."

Presenter:
Stan Hudson (DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a biblical numismatist and pastor of the Moscow Seventh-day Adventist Church in Idaho and Pullman Community Worship in Washington. He was the main numismatist consultant for the Faces of Power exhibit, and many coins from his personal collection were on display for this exhibit in the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum.

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Overview:
In the past 40 years, biblical archaeology has sustained a number of attacks from inside and outside the discipline. In the '70s and '80s, William Dever called for a re-examination of the methodology and purpose of biblical archaeology as it was practiced at the time. In the light of these events, Hasel presents the findings and experiences of Southern Adventist University's Near Eastern Study Tour and 2009 season at Khirbet Qeiyafa.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview:
After two years of fieldwork, Khirbet Qeiyafa is already becoming the center of the controversy over the existence of a complex state society in early Judah. The findings from this site have been spectacular and revealed much to archaeologists about the development of the Kingdom of Judah. In this presentation, Yosef Garfinkel presents an up-to-date description of the discoveries and possible identification of the site of Khirbet Qeiyafa.

Presenter:
Yosef Garfinkel (PhD 1992, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) is co-director of the Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project and the Yigael Yadin Chair in Archaeology of Eretz Israel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Currently, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview:
This lecture K. Lawson Younger, PhD, presents some of the most recent discoveries and understandings of the Mesopotamian and Egyptian astral traditions, and their connections to the biblical passage of 2 Kings 23, where Aramean astral priests are mentioned.

Presenter:
K. Lawson Younger (PhD 1990, Sheffield University) is professor of Old Testament, Semitic Languages, and Ancient Near Eastern History at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois.

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Overview:
In this lecture, Hasel shares the latest archaeological discoveries found at Khirbet Qeiyafa. In the 2010 season, the Southern Adventist University excavation team uncovered a large building dating to the time of Alexander the Great, the late fourth century B.C. This discovery, along with Hellenistic period pottery and coins, provides strong evidence for a second period of occupation at this important biblical site.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview:
In this interview-style presentation, Michael Hasel dialogued with Dever over the past, present, and future of a discipline he has helped shape. In the 1970s Dever became famous (or infamous) for challenging the way biblical archaeology was practiced at the time. Biblical archaeology was, for the most part, an amateur discipline practiced by biblical scholars who were not trained as field archaeologists. "Biblical archaeology was parochial," he explains, "an aspect of biblical studies, not an independent discipline." Dever's excavations at biblical Gezer (1964–1974) helped change much of that.

Presenter:
William Dever (PhD 1966, Harvard University) has been the director of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at the Hebrew Union College. He is best known at Southern Adventist University for placing on campus the artifact collection housed in the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum.

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Overview:
The site of Khirbet Qeiyafa has drawn much attention—controversial and otherwise—particularly on the Iron Age stratum. Equally important, however, are the findings from the following occupational activity at the site. In this lecture, Yoav Farhi presents the numismatic findings from Khirbet Qeiyafa.

Presenter:
Yoav Farhi (PhD, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) is the numismatic (coin) expert at Khirbet Qeiyafa. He has analyzed every coin, jewelry, and metal object unearthed over the course of the excavations.

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Of all the buildings of antiquity, none is more famous than the temple of Solomon. It served as the center Judean religion for four centuries. For this presentation, John Monson discusses Solomon's Temple and the transcendent significance this structure had not only in antiquity but what it means to modern society.

Presenter:
John Monson (PhD, Harvard University) is an associate professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Triinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has extensive archaeological fieldwork experience in the Near East, including Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. His most recent publications include Dothan I:Remains from the Tell (1953-1964) (Eisenbrauns), "1 Kings" in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, and The Temple of Solomon (Oxford University Press, forthcoming).

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Overview:
Michael Hasel presents on the findings from the 2011 excavation season at Khirbet Qeiyafa—the final season of Southern Adventist University's participation in the Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is a co-director The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview:
In the ancient world, stamp seals served as a tool for identification, a symbol of socioeconomic status, and a venue for personal expression. They were a platform for communication and diversification. Throughout the excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, several stamp seals have been found. If these seals could talk, what would they say? Which stories would they share about the people who lived long ago? Could these seals help illuminate gaps of ambiguity within the archaeological record? In this lecture, Martin G. Klingbeil, PhD, invites viewers into the processes used to uncover the meaning of stamp seals. In doing so, he applies his research to the latest stamp seal findings at Qeiyafa and how possible interpretations of the stamp seals impact research.

Presenter:
Martin Klingbeil (DLitt 1995, Stellenbosch University) is a professor of Biblical Studies and Archaeology at Southern, as well as the associate director of its Institute of Archaeology. He is currently co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview:
Thirty-five miles south of modern Tel-Aviv, the famous seaport of Ashkelon decorates the Mediterranean coast of Israel. This city, which holds the distinction of being both the oldest and largest maritime city in Israel, is ripe with nuggets of historical importance. After more than 25 years of excavation, archaeologists are still only beginning to piece together the significances of their findings. However, amongst the numerous occupation layers, the arrival of the Philistines at Ashkelon is of particular interest to biblical enthusiasts. Just who were these mighty opponents of the Hebrew people? Where did they come from? Were they really as barbaric as is frequently depicted? To answer these questions, Daniel Master, PhD, offers theories developed from the most recent excavations at the site.

Presenter:
Daniel Master (PhD 2001, Harvard University) is professor of archaeology at Wheaton College. Currently, he is co-director of the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon.

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The ancient city of Jaffa has a long and prestigious history, being one of the oldest cities in Israel. It is mentioned in the Bible several times, most importantly as a port for Solomon. This lecture by Aaron Burke presents some of the rich history of this fascinating city.

Presenter:
Aaron Burke (PhD 2004, University of Chicago) is an associate professor of the Archaeology of the Levant and Ancient Israel at the University of California, Los Angeles. Since 2007, Aaron has served as co-director of the Jaffa Cultural Heritage Project.

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Overview:
This introductory lecture serves as a preview into the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum’s latest exhibit “The Battle Over King David," which is based upon the joint excavations between The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Southern Adventist University between the 2009 and 2011 seasons at Khirbet Qeiyafa, Israel.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview:
New findings at Khirbet Qeiyafa provide evidence that a cult existed at the site. Standing stones, altars, shrines, and libation vessels all point to the inhabitants’ religious practices. However, there is something unique about these cultic items. What does the lack of images tell archaeologists about the nature of this cult? Do these imageless cultic items tie in with the peculiar local diet? How do these findings relate with the biblical mandates on food and worship? Yosef Garfinkel, PhD, flies in from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to provide his highly respected view on both the definitive existence of sanctuaries and the role of the cult in this ancient city.

Presenter:
Yosef Garfinkel (PhD 1992, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) is co-director of the Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project and the Yigael Yadin Chair in Archaeology of Eretz Israel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Currently, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview:
The location of Joshua's Ai has been a matter of mystery and controversy since the beginnings of archaeological research in Israel. Scholars have concluded that the location of Joshua's Ai is at et-Tell. They have also used this conclusion to discredit the biblical account of Joshua 7-8 because there is no evidence of occupation at et-Tell during the time of Joshua. Since 1995, under the direction of Associates for Biblical Research (ABR) Director of Research Bryant G. Wood (PhD, University of Toronto), ABR studies and excavations have uncovered important archaeological finds at Khirbet el-Maqatir, just 0.6 miles (1 km) west of et-Tell. The discoveries include a city gate and wall system, large amounts of pottery from the time of Joshua, evidence of destruction by fire, ancient coins, a house dating to the first century A.D., and a Byzantine monastery. This area is located nine miles north of Jerusalem. These discoveries provide evidence for a tentative identification of Khirbet el-Maqatir as the biblical city of Ai.

Presenter:
Bryant Wood (PhD 1985, University of Toronto) is the director of research at Associates for Biblical Research. Currently, he is directing excavations at Khirbet el-Maqatir.

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Overview:
Archaeological excavations in the Near East have yielded many inscriptions over the last century. Inscriptions as they relate to the time period of the 10th century B.C. in Israel, however, are not common in the archaeological record. In his presentation, P. Kyle McCarter, PhD, discusses the most recent epigraphic findings relating to the highly elusive United Monarchy period in ancient Israel.

Presenter:
P. Kyle McCarter (PhD 1974, Harvard University) is William Foxwell Albright Professor in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University. McCarter, one of the leading experts on the origin of the alphabet and the Dead Sea Scrolls, has most recently published on the Tel Zayit abecedary.

Overview:
The biblical city of Lachish is mentioned 24 times in the Old Testament. Some of the most notable references are:the Israelite conquest of Lachish (Joshua 10:3-35; 12:11; 15:39), the Assyrian siege and destruction of the city by the Assyrian king Sennacherib in 701 B.C. (2 Kings 19:8; 2 Chronicles 32:9), and the destruction of both Lachish and Jerusalem by the Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, in 586 B.C. (Jeremiah 34:7). Lachish, during the Iron Age, stood as the most important city in Judah after Jerusalem. The biblical site of Lachish, known locally as Tell ed-Duweir, has been excavated in three prior expeditions. A fourth expedition to this site, along with reasons for this new project, serve as the focus of Hasel’s presentation.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview:
Tell Jalul, part of the long-running Madaba Plains Project in Jordan, has long been considered by many archaeologists and biblical scholars as being the site of biblical Heshbon. Randall Younker, PhD, director of the excavations at Tell Jalul, presents new data which reconfigures the biblical-period history at this site.

Presenter:
Randall Younker (PhD, University of Arizona) is Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Archaeology at Andrews University. Currently, he is director of the Tell Jalul excavations in central Jordan, as part of the Madaba Plains Project.

Overview:
Popular archaeological discoveries such as the Talpiyot Tomb and the Garden Tomb have led many to correlate these findings with events linked to the life and death of Jesus. Are these correlations legitimate or just popularized ideas? In her lecture, Jodi Magness, PhD, discusses the ancient burial customs among Jews, Romans, and other people groups as well as the the origin and introduction of ossuaries (bone boxes) into ancient Jewish society.

Presenter:
Jodi Magness (PhD 1989, University of Pennsylvania) is the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Currently, she is director of the Huqoq Excavation Project in Israel.

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Overview:
After Jerusalem, Lachish was the most important city in Judah during the Divided Monarchy period in ancient Israel. Mentioned two dozen times in the Old Testament, Lachish was destroyed during the Divided Monarchy period by Sennacherib, king of Assyria in 701 B.C., and again by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon in 586 B.C. In his lecture, Martin Klingbeil presents the rich excavation data from the 2014 season at Tel Lachish.

Presenter:
Martin Klingbeil (DLitt. 1995, Stellenbosch University) is a professor of Biblical Studies and Archaeology at Southern, as well as the associate director of its Institute of Archaeology. He is currently co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

Overview:
With the great focus on important figures and events in ancient history, it is very easy to forget the ordinary people of those times. How did they live? What did they experience day by day? In commemoration of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum 10-year anniversary, William Dever, PhD, presents on life in ancient Israel from perspective of ordinary people.

Presenter:
William Dever (PhD 1966, Harvard University) has been the director of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at the Hebrew Union College. He is best known at Southern Adventist University for placing on campus the artifact collection housed in the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum.

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Overview:
Jerusalem has been the center of tumultuous changes of power for millennia. Throughout the historical and archaeological record of the ancient Near East, evidence of various people groups have emerged through the many excavation project conducted over the last century. Seligman focuses on the latter end of these successive historical periods and presents life in Jerusalem and the surrounding hinterland including aspects of social, economic, and religious life during that time.

Presenter:
Jon Seligman (PhD 2010, Haifa University) has been involved in numerous excavations within Jerusalem and the surrounding area and throughout Israel. Over the course of his archaeological work, Seligman has worked for the Israel Antiquities Authority for nearly 30 years, serving in numerous capacities, including:research archaeologist, Jerusalem district archaeologist, and Jerusalem regional archaeologist. Currently, he is head of Excavation, Surveys, and Research Department, Israel Antiquities Authority.

Presenter:
Andrew G. Vaughn (PhD 1996, Princeton Theological Seminary) has been, and currently is, part of various archaeological projects taking place in Syro-Palestine. Vaughn is the author, editor, and contributor to various books, articles, and volumes related ancient Near Eastern archaeology and biblical studies. In addition to his archaeological experience and publishing record, Vaughn also previously served as a Fulbright Fellow in the Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University. Presently, Vaughn serves as Executive Director for the American Schools of Oriental Research, based out of Boston University.

Overview:
The Kingdom of Assyrian, once standing as the most formidable power in the ancient Near East, struck both fear and terror in the hearts of all surrounding nations. Through the use of execution, deportation, exile, and terror, the ancient Assyrians left a mark which can be found at archaeological sites throughout the Near East. In her presentation, Gane presents the extent of the Assyrian empire while more specifically speaking on the rise and ultimate collapse of this once magnificent empire through the lens of its capital city, Nineveh.

Presenter:
Constance E. C. Gane (PhD 2012, University of California, Berkeley) has been involved in numerous excavation projects in the Near East. Over the course of 20 plus years of archaeological experience, Gane has had the privilege of working at some of the most well-known archaeological sites from the ancient Near Eastern world. Trained as a Mesopotamian archaeologist, and having worked extensively in northern Iraq, specializing on the archaeology of ancient Assyria, Gane has more recently been involved with the long-running excavations at Tall Jalul in Jordan (as part of the Madaba Plains Project), while also serving as both associate professor of archaeology and the Old Testament and curator of the Horn Archaeological Museum at Andrews University.

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Overview:
The biblical city of Lachish is mentioned 24 times in the Old Testament. Some of the most notable references are:the Israelite conquest of Lachish (Joshua 10:3-35; 12:11; 15:39), the Assyrian siege and destruction of the city by the Assyrian king Sennacherib in 701 B.C. (2 Kings 19:8; 2 Chronicles 32:9), and the destruction of both Lachish and Jerusalem by the Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, in 586 B.C. (Jeremiah 34:7). Lachish, during the Iron Age, stood as the most important city in Judah after Jerusalem. In this presentation, Hasel recaps the 2015 season at Tel Lachish.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Presenter:
Thomas Staubli (Dr. theol., University of Fribourg) is a widely-published author and expert on ancient Near Eastern seals and iconography. Co-founder and development manager of the Bible + Orient Museum at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, Staubli lectures internationally on topics relating to the Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern iconography. Currently, Staubli is professor of Old Testament at the University of Fribourg.

Overview:
Is the historical information of the Bible accurate? Recently, the accounts of the United Monarchy with its greatest king, David and Solomon, has come under strong criticism. In this presentation, James Hardin brings recent information from surveys and excavations on the border between Judah and Philistia that shed light on this important question.

Presenter:
James W. Hardin (PhD 2001, Cobb Institute of Archaeology) has participated widely in archaeological fieldwork, both in the southeastern and southwestern United States and at numerous sites in Cyprus, Israel, and Jordan. Hardin specializes in the Bronze and Iron Age cultures of ancient Syria-Palestine. He is an expert in ceramic analysis with wider interests including early and secondary state formation, household archaeology, multi-disciplinary approaches to understanding the archaeological record, and the use of archaeology, anthropology, biblical texts and other historical documents for understanding Old Testament history and the broader cultures of the ancient Near East.

Overview: 
The Biblical city of Lachish was the second most important city in Judah. The Bible records various instances where Lachish were conquered, such as the Israelite conquest, the Assyrian siege and its destruction by the Babylonians. Lachish has played an important role very early in the period of the patriarchs from Joseph to the Iron Age period. In this presentation, Hasel discusses the 2016 season at Tel Lachish.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview: 
In this lecture, Izaak de Hulster focuses on concepts of vision and light. De Hulster uses iconographic exegesis to analyze various interpretations of these visual sources in iconographic motifs. De Hulster addresses cosmic geography and its relation to the notion of order in antiquity. This lecture concentrates on a specific group of symbols that have significance to ancient constitutions of ecology. In addition to being present in the ancient world, de Hulster contends that these ecological understandings still have relevance today.

Presenter: 
Izaak J. de Hulster (PhD 2008, University of Göttingen) From 2009-2014, he worked as post-doctoral researcher at the Georg-August-University Göt­tingen (Germany) as part of the Alexander-von-Humboldt foundation sponsored Sofja Kovalev­skaja Project "Unity and Diversity in Early Jewish Monotheisms." He holds an MA in theology from Utrecht University and an MDiv from the Seminary of the Baptist congregations in The Netherlands.

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Overview: 
In this lecture, Professors Strawn and LeMon analyze traditional representations of YHWH in ancient motifs. In particular, Strawn and LeMon look at what images existed in antiquity despite the Old Testament's ban on images. Strawn and LeMon's study focuses on specific representations that scholars suggest are emblematic of YHWH. Of these representations, LeMon and Strawn examine arguments regarding the possibility of the winged form on the Hezekiah seal as YHWH. They tie this depiction to descriptions of YHWH in the Psalms, and they position it in conjunction with other archaeological finds bearing similar scenes. They also argue for the possibility that the "Lord of the Animals" motif found on many seals correlates to identifications of YHWH in the biblical book of Job. Ultimately, Strawn and LeMon suggest that these seal images shed light on YHWH and assist modern readers in understanding biblical material.

Presenters: 
Pictured left, Brent A. Strawn (PhD 2001, Princeton Theological Seminary) is a professor of Old Testament and director of the Doctor of Ministry degree at Emory University. Strawn conducts research in ancient Near Eastern iconography, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Israelite religion, legal traditions of the Old Testament, and Old Testament theology. Pictured right, Joel M. LeMon (PhD 2007, Emory University) is an associate professor of Old Testament at Emory University. LeMon's research focuses on the Psalms, Hebrew and Ugaritic poetry, and ancient Near Eastern history, literature and art.

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Presenter:
Martin Klingbeil (DLitt 1995, Stellenbosch University) is a professor of Biblical Studies and Archaeology at Southern, as well as the associate director of its Institute of Archaeology. He is currently co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview: Lachish, during the Iron Age, stood as the most important city in Judah after Jerusalem. The main goal for these past four expedition was to reach Level IV and Level V. These are the levels dating to the 9th and 10th centuries. It had been hardly excavated by previous expeditions but were very important to establish whether the kingdom of Judah actually was expanding to Lachish. Also whether Rehoboam, Solomon's son, rebuilt the city the way the Bible describes in Chronicles. Michael Hasel presents an overview of the some of the past four expeditions to Lachish and the final season of Southern Adventist University's participation in the Lachish Archaeological Project. He also discusses the highlights of each Level I, II, III, IV, and V that contributed to the research of Lachish in relation to the Bible.

Presenter:
Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he is co-director for The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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Overview: Near Eastern seals were the identity and pride of their owners. Many of them offer rich insight into the religious and material life of the people they belonged to.  Here, Agnete Lassen presents a quick tour through the information provided of these fascinating artifacts, the location of major seal collections, and the processes these collections use to preserve and proliferate seal information.

Presenter:
Agnete Lassen (PhD 2012, University of Copenhagen) is associate curator of the Yale Babylonian Collection at Yale University.

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Overview: For centuries, Egyptian history, religion, and architecture have captured people’s imagination. Excavations and interpretations have now brought to light a wealth of stunning information about the people who lived in this society and how they saw their world. In this presentation, Melinda Hartwig presents Egyptian cosmology, beliefs, and use of imagery through a study of Egyptian tombs. 

 Presenter: Melinda Hartwig (PhD 2000, New York University) is the curator of Egyptian, Nubian, and Ancient Near Eastern Art at the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University.

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Overview:How much can we trust the Bible historically? Is there evidence that the kingdom of David and Solomon ever existed? In this lecture, Michael Hasel answers these questions and more. He presents the recent findings of a number of excavation sites throughout Israel, demonstrating the amazing advances in information that have been accomplished in our knowledge of ancient Israelite writing, politics, and daily life.

Presenter: Michael Hasel (PhD 1996, University of Arizona) is director of the Institute of Archaeology and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University. At present, he publishing the results of The Fourth Expedition to Lachish, of which he was co-director. 

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Overview:  While many of us are familiar with the life and work of the apostle Paul, how much do we actually know about the work conditions and society that he faced? In this presentation, Thomas Davis presents the archaeological evidence that gives us context and support for the Biblical text of Acts. In addition, he presents some information that may explain the actions of Paul and his companions during their missionary journeys.

Presenter: Thomas Davis (PhD 1987, University of Arizona) is a professor of Archaeology and Biblical Backgrounds at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a specialist in the New Testament world of Paul. Davis currently directs the SWBTS-funded excavations at the early Christian site of Kourion (Cyprus), which includes SWBTS archaeology students as part of the research team.

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Overview: Samuel, Eli, the Tabernacle... All these things come to mind when one hears the name Shiloh. However, what historical evidence is there that the site of Shiloh ever existed? Furthermore, is there anything connecting this site to the Biblical stories? In this presentation, Scott Stripling presents the research that he has been doing recently at the site of biblical Shiloh, shedding light on some of the most famous stories and times from the Bible.

Presenter: Scott Stripling, DMin, who is the Director of Excavations at Shiloh. Previously Stripling directed the excavations at Khirbet el-Maqatir from 2013-2016 and served as Field Supervisor of the Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project in from 2005 to 2010 and as a supervisor of the Jerusalem Temple Mount Salvage Project in Jerusalem. His academic affiliation is with The Bible Seminary in Katy (Houston), Texas where he serves as the provost.

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Overview: In their lecture, Drs. Höflmayer and Streit spoke about the importance of radiocarbon dating to date the various strata at Tel Lachish. They note the common practice of dating by pottery typology and the valuable data you can get from this method. In particular, the Cypriot pottery and its unique white slip. They argue that this method alone does not always give accurate results, and more evidence is needed to clarify the correct period of time. The period in question was the Late Bronze Age, which traditionally has been connected to the removal of the Hyksos at the beginning of the Egyptian New Kingdom. They submit this event happened earlier than what most scholars would suggest based on radiocarbon dating taken for different locations at Tel Lachish.

Presenters: Felix Höflmayer studied Egyptology and Archaeology at the University of Vienna and joined the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 2006. Dr. Höflmayer teaches at the Institute of Old Testament Studies and Biblical Archaeology, the Institute of Oriental Studies, and the Institute of Egyptology at the University of Vienna. Dr. Höflmayer serves as an editorial board member of the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.

Katharina Streit is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Martin Buber Society of Fellows in the Humanities at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, researching development and changes in material culture from the Middle to the Late Bronze Ages. Dr. Streit co-directs the Tel Lachish excavations with Felix Höflmayer and Ilan Sharon. 

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Overview: Dr. Petrovich identifies the man on the donkey as Manasseh, because the name of this individual according to Petrovich, is Hebeded, who identifies himself as an Asiatic, not an Egyptian, even though the writing is in Middle Egyptian. The name Hebeded means "he who was disfavored." He further explains that Manasseh's younger brother Ephraim was given the favor over Manasseh by his grandfather Jacob. Gen. 48:14-20 Petrovich says this shows that Manasseh was disfavored. Now the young man leading the donkey is Shechem, the son of Manasseh. Petrovich translates the caption on this stela as reading “Six Levantines:Hebrews of Bethel, the Beloved.” Petrovich explains the word Levantines refers to people of the Levant, and Bethel was the place of home Jacob and his descendants.

Presenter:  Douglas Petrovich serves The Bible Seminary as Professor of Biblical History and Exegesis in Katy, Texas. He is married with 3 adult children. He has a Ph.D. (major:Syro-Palestinian archaeology; 1st minor:ancient Egyptian language; 2nd minor:ancient Near Eastern religions) and an M.A. (Syro-Palestinian archaeology) from the University of Toronto, a Th.M. (New Testament) and M.Div. from The Master's Seminary, a B.A. in (Evangelism) from Moody Bible Institute. Professor Petrovich has taught at Shepherd's Theological Seminary, Novosibirsk Biblical Theological Seminary, the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus, and has served in administrative roles at Shepherd's and NBTS since the late 90s.

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Overview:
From 2015–2021 excavations were conducted at the site of Khirbet al-Ra‘i, in the Judean Shephelah 2 miles west of Lachish. Remains from the 12^th–10^th centuries BC have been uncovered. In the late 12^th and 11^th centuries BCE the site appears to be the main site in the region after the fall of Canaanite Lachish. In the early 10^th century BC, it was a small village from the time of King David, contemporary with the fortified city of Khirbet Qeiyafa. We identified the site as biblical Ziklag, based on three criteria:the name, the history of the place and its geography. The data uncovered at Khirbet al-Ra‘i indicates that it fulfills the various requirements, and thus a good candidate for ancient Ziklag.     

Presenter:
Dr. Yosef Garfinkel is Yigael Yadin Professor of Archaeology of the Land of Israel at the Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Since 2007 he concentrates his research on the heavily debated earliest phases of the Kingdom of Judah, the 10^th and 9^th centuries BCE. He conducted excavations and surveys at Khirbet Qeiyafa, Socoh, Tel Lachish and Khirbet al-Rai. New revolutionary data on the early kings of the kingdom:David, Solomon and Rehoboam, had been uncovered. The excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa and Lachish were conducted in cooperation with Prof. Michael G. Hasel from Southern Adventist University. Prof. Garfinkel published 35 books and 200 articles.

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Overview:

Wagensonner focused on the last century of the Assyrian empire, that led eventually to their demise at the hand of the Babylonians. He began by giving a background on the four capital cities and how they were transferred between different Assyrian kings mentioned in the Bible, including Tiglath-pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, and Esarhaddon. Babylon was mentioned over 600 times in texts during this period, often as part of the title of the Assyrian ruler. A text preserved by Sargon II, who is mentioned in Isaiah 20:1, gives an order by the king to use cuneiform on clay tablets for all official records. Thanks to this order we have an enormous amount of tablets providing important comparative information on events taking place during this period. These included royal annals, letters, and diplomatic records that each give different perspectives and correctives to the dynamics during each king’s reign.

Presenter:

Dr. Klaus Wagensonner, specializes in Sumerian literature (MA thesis “Wenn Götter reisen, Vienna 2006) and (early) lexicography in Mesopotamia. His Ph.D. at the University of Vienna (2016) was a study on knowledge organization in the earliest cuneiform record dating to the last third of the fourth millennium with its subsequent tradition up to the early second mill. BC. Besides a diachronic study of the available sources and their contents, Klaus introduces in his dissertation a methodological framework for the analysis of the arrangement of entries in the available lexical lists.

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Overview:
Hasel began by stating that it had been a long-time goal to excavate in the Lower City of Hazor – a dream that he pursued in 2004-2007 when he excavated Hazor with Prof. Amnon-Ben-Tor. His focus then shifted to territory of Judah, but in 2019 he and others were invited to conduct a pilot excavation season to ascertain the feasibility of a future major project at the 180-acre site. The team consisted of about 40 staff from several universities and in the course of only two weeks, they focused on excavating the western half of the northern gate leading into the city. Nearly 60 years earlier the eastern half of the gate had been excavated by Yigael Yadin, the pioneering Israeli archaeologist who trained an entire generation of Israeli excavators at the site. Beginning with the removal of 60 years of erosion, they finally came down on the original pebble-stone pavement of the gate which dated back to the Late Bronze Age – biblically the time of the conquest and the early settlement of Israel. The lower city had been completely abandoned after a major conflagration and destruction. The big question remains, who destroyed the city and what were their reasons? Hasel focused on the destruction correlates found in the gate, including the use of new scientific tools for analyzing the data from a micro-archaeological basis that included Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to analyze sediment samples with the goal of (1) studying the site formation processes of the gate based on micro-residues; (2) identifying occupational surfaces within the gate; and (3) re-examining previous interpretations of the history of the gate and Hazor in light of the micro-archaeological record. The lecture concluded with suggestions for the destruction of the gate and the final demise of the Lower City of Hazor which was no longer occupied in subsequent centuries.

Presenter:
Michael G. Hasel, PhD is Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology, Southern Adventist University and director of the Institute of Archaeology and Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum. He has written and edited ten books and over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals, dictionaries and encyclopedias, and has appeared on documentaries for AnchorPoint Films, the Hope Channel, 3ABN, and National Geographic. He has worked in the Middle East as an archaeologist for 33 years at 11 sites in Jordan, Cyprus and Israel and currently serves as co-director of The Fourth Expedition to Lachish.

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On February 19, 2024, Mark Jansen, Associate Professor of Archaeology and Ancient History at Lipscomb University, presented the lecture “From Miracles to Mt. Sinai: Research on the Route of the Exodus.” Jansen systematically followed the route of the Biblical account of the Exodus, providing new data for locations featured in the text, as well as challenging previously held theories. Jansen began with assessing the data for Pi-Ramses. Virtually all scholars unanimously associate the modern city of Qantir with the Pi-Rameses mentioned in Exodus, based on the discovery of an inscription that directly names the city. Jansen noted that while such overt identifications are rare, they present major ramifications for the Biblical narrative as a whole. In this case, Jansen argued that the inclusion of Pi-Ramses in the Bible demonstrates the historicity of the Exodus. As previous excavations have suggested, Pi-Rameses was abandoned around 1130 B.C., when its branch of the Nile silted up. The city was subsequently relocated and referred to as Tannus. The fact that the Bible refers to the city by its original name and not its predecessor implies that the Exodus occurred sometime before 1130 B.C. Had the Exodus narrative been a late addition during the Babylonian period, as some revisionist scholars have suggested, Jansen argued that the city would have been referred to as its contemporary name, Tannus. Unfortunately, not all ancient cities are universally identifiable. Though he acknowledged that less evidence exists for the other cities along the Exodus route, Jansen attempted to make tentative identifications based on the etymology of the names referenced in the Bible. By comparing the Hebrew names with their Egyptian equivalents, Jansen identified Pithom and Succoth with Tel er-Retabah and Tel al-Maskhuta, respectively. Jansen also attempted to identify the location of the crossing of the sea. Rejecting the traditional location of the modern Red Sea, Jansen returned to the ancient Hebrew source of the name, commonly translated as the Sea of Reeds. The Egyptian form of the word, PA Twfy, refers to a series of marshy waterways. Of the various candidates, Jansen suggested that the two plausible locations for the crossing are the Timsah Lake or the Ballah Lake. Jansen closed by providing a brief overview of the various theories for the location of Mt. Sinai. Of the three running theories, Jansen personally identifies the most with the Sothern Sinai location.

On March 25, 2024, Constance E. C. Gane, Ph.D., research professor of biblical archaeology at Andrews University, presented a lecture titled “The Assyrian War Machine: Expansion and Conquest.” Gane provided a comprehensive view of the Assyrian Empire and its means of maintaining control over its conquered territories. She began with an overview of the empire’s early history, including several kings who established key precedents that would shape the empire’s tradition of conquest and total destruction warfare, such as Tiglath-Pileser I and Ashur-dan. She then discussed the Neo-Assyrian period, during which the empire rapidly expanded its borders. Gane classified four main motivations for Assyrian warfare: defense, offense, economics, and religion. Under the divine mandate of their god Ashur, the Assyrians believed it was their sacred duty to expand their territory and increase their population. The will of the gods was frequently sought in a form of divination called “extispicy,” by which a sheep’s liver was compared to a cultic chart that conveyed meaning. While all wars were considered religious by the Assyrians, Gane argued that there was an economic undercurrent. The Assyrians needed stone, wood, and metals for their growing empire, which were more easily acquired through pillaging than trade. Even so, the Assyrians used their military power sparingly. Gane identified four stages of Assyrian aggression: negotiation, intimidation, attack, and siege (which only occurred as a last-resort method). Referencing various wartime reliefs, Gane reconstructed the units of an Assyrian army, which included shield-bearers, archers, slingers, and lancers. According to Gane, the Assyrians absorbed conquered peoples into their armies. These armies were often placed on the front lines, operating the infamous Assyrian siege machines. The armies were cruel and calculated, often employing methods such as beheading, flaying, impalement, or maiming. Gane concluded by comparing the Assyrian’s methodology to the destruction found at Lachish, which can be viewed in detail at the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum’s current exhibit, “War and Peace: The Conquest of Lachish.”