Bibliography: leaves 176-186 / The relationship between political, religious ideology and the interpretation of
archaeological excavation in the Holy Land has faced criticism and has been debated by
scholars since the beginning of biblical archaeology in the 19th century and up to the present
day. These debates are not just academic but have manifested itself in the public narrative
and are alleged to have consequences regarding the history of Israel and the physical space
inhabited by both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Some of the current excavations in
Jerusalem are viewed with suspicion. Archaeology is singled out to be biased in its
interpretation and that it is being used for political ends. An investigation of the point of
intersection between archaeology, politics and religion is important for the discourse and
question whether archaeology in Israel has become complicit in the establishment and
continued maintenance of nationhood and the Zionist project, as alleged by the minimalist
scholars and opponents of Israel. Biblical archaeology has been drawn into this debate and
its interpretation. The negative externalities of this discipline are the perceived use of the
biblical text as a reference document and the subsequent findings of Late Bronze and Iron
Age archaeology, which raise questions about the veracity of the biblical text and its impact
on biblical scholarship and religion.
Archaeologists and their interpretation of these spaces find themselves amid this
paradigmatic revolution. The integrity of these scholars, their methodologies and their
motivations are interrogated to the point of an ideological debate.
The position of Palestinian archaeology hangs in the balance and there is no clear indication
as to its future or whether any collaboration with Israeli archaeology is possible due to the
politicisation in the region and the distrust that exists between Israel and the West Bank in
general.
This research reveals the extent in which these externalities of biblical archaeology and its
interpretation have had an effect on ideology and its prevalence, and whether the questions
and criticisms raised are justified. The views of archaeologists who have been actively
involved in the excavation of the region provide these answers. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Phil. (Biblical archaeology)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/27453 |
| Date | 01 1900 |
| Creators | Conradie, Dirk Philippus |
| Contributors | Boshoff, w. S. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (vii, 188 leaves), application/pdf |
Page generated in 0.0034 seconds