Biblical Archaeology Review

Morality, since the Enlightenment, has become a matter of left vs. right, rather than eternal truth, and that can be even be seen from the division over the "helpful/unhelpful" review votes of this journal. Truth is irrelevant any more; we threw our brains in the trash long before we tossed any disagreeable magazines there.

The field of archeology hasn't escaped the exclusionary bias. If we think scientists are wholly objective, then we have been taken in by the greatest swindle in history (and we have). A naturalistic explanation must be found for everything so, again, a priori, the Biblical text has to largely be rejected if it contradicts "received" secular "wisdom". The Bible is always wrong if it contradicts a secular archeologist's "interpretation" of his data. And believe me, archeology is very little without the human interpretations. Archeologists will insist upon their "objectivity," but that's intellectual arrogance gone to seed. They have to interpret their data and make great leaps with those interpretations. The BAR, nicely, puts some balance back into the field. It doesn't, a priori, excluded opposing views. There are secular archeological journals that will interpret everything from a naturalistic perspective. The BAR interprets from a Biblical perspective. It doesn't assume, automatically, that the Bible isn't to be believed. And that's the only fair approach.

If you're tired of having atheism rammed down your throat and would at least like to hear the other side, then here's a good magazine to get.


HERSHEL SHANKS ROCKS!!!   September 28, 2004
Scamp Lumm (Perseus-Pisces cluster, ~100Mpc)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful

He's been in the rock business a long time, serving as chief editor/founder of BAR, Bible Review and Archaeology Odyssey; he is also president of Biblical Archaeology Society among many other ventures. I've read his Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls which he mainly edited, although he wrote a few articles himself. This is a magazine of substance, one I would love to have a subscription to. The issue of July/August 2004 has an interesting article/interview that Mr. Shanks orchestrated between Elie Wiesel and Frank Moore Cross, the subject being how they understood, approached, studied the Bible, from their perspective, which their lifes' work ultimately revolves around. One, F.M. Cross, comes from a Presbyterian, academic background, the other, Wiesel, a jewish one. Frank Moore Cross contributed several articles to Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls. He was the only protestant to work on the scrolls among the original team of 7 other people, six of whom were Catholic clerics; he is an expert in this field. And I just love Wiesel's mind, I love how he writes and thinks. That one article, I think is really illuminating, showing how rich in teaching the Bible is regardless of its many detractors, or fumbling misinterpreters. It is, as I've been taught in sunday school, G-d breathed, it's G-d's words, it is a living text even if it contains mostly stories of people long since dead and gone. Elie Wiesel says of it: " Wherever you open it, any page, you know that you are in the presence of something that exists nowhere else." The moral of the article is neither approach, Wiesel's or Cross', toward scripture is wrong, it just simply reflects the richness, the variety of the text.


BAR Succeeds Where Boring Professional Journals Fail!!!   August 2, 2004
G. M. Grena (REDONDO BEACH, CA USA)
13 out of 16 found this review helpful

BAR presents an overall terrific introduction to the world of Biblical artifacts! Professional archaeologists & world-renowned scholars distill their dry, black-and-white academic publications into a language ordinary, non-technical people can understand & put to use when they study the Bible. What I like in particular is their presentation of vivid color photos that bring the artifacts & excavation sites to life! I appreciate BAR for introducing me to material I never knew existed that complements the Biblical record & helps demonstrate its reliability (such as the mysterious LMLK seal impressions made during the lifetimes of King Hezekiah & the great prophet Isaiah, which inspired me to write my own book on the subject--also available here at Amazon). My only complaint is that the editor occasionally publishes statements by archaeologists/scholars as facts when they actually represent atheistic/theistic biases in disguise. Fortunately, a "Letters to the Editor" section provides a forum for readers to challenge the experts, which makes for some interesting, often entertaining reading!


The Exciting World of Biblical Archaeology   January 5, 2003
Peter Kenney (Birmingham, Alabama, USA)
12 out of 18 found this review helpful

BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY REVIEW is a magazine which features articles, reviews and news about the exciting world of biblical archaeology. It is written in a style which will appeal to both scholars and amateur enthusiasts.

Hershel Shanks, the magazine's editor, is known especially for his role in freeing the Dead Sea Scrolls from academic gridlock. The magazine reflects the passionate spirit of Mr. Shanks.


Review of Biblical Archeology Review   March 24, 2006
J. V. Stading
11 out of 14 found this review helpful

I've subscribed to BAR for at least 6 years now, and I enjoy the mix of articles on Holy Land archeology and related topics. The current events reported are informative and useful. The book reviews are helpful for guiding further reading in the field. I recommend it highly. My only complaint about the content would be that the editor tends to focus on controversies in the press and in the field that perhaps merit less attention than he gives it. Of course, it seems self-serving on his part to keep beating drums, but it is never dull. Probably sells a few extra copies evry month as well.
A little background on myself: BA degree in anthropology, ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church, USA. I have worked in a public school for 20 years now.