Hershel Shanks (d. 2021)
One of the percs of my job with the Chalcedon Foundation is the opportunity to interview noteworthy people–like Hershel Shanks, founder of the Biblical Archaeological Society and long-time editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. I interviewed him in 2005 .
https://chalcedon.edu/resources/articles/biblical-archaeology-an-interview-with-hershel-shanks
“Archaeology brings the Bible to life in a special way,” Shanks said. “It’s a theological document, but it’s also a very human document, set in a time and place and peopled by real human beings.”
It was a long and very interesting discussion. Don’t look to archaeology, he warned, to “prove” the Bible. “If you need archaeology to prove your faith, you must have a pretty weak faith.”
Shanks didn’t mind discussing some of the hottest controversies in the field; but I couldn’t pin him down to making a faith statement of his own. All I can say to that is, his body of work brought a stronger faith in God’s Word to a multitude of readers.
The interview is long, but give it a whirl. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting.
There have been some great archaeological discoveries, in recent years. We now have findings that refer to David my name. Processing of scrolls discovered in Qumran has helped to confirm the accuracy of the Bible, and non-inspired writings of the time have helped us to learn the mindset of people in the Second Temple Period, which helps us to understand the social context of the times.
No matter what the discoveries are, there are many who reject scripture. If the stars lined up to spell the words “Worship Yahweh, God of the Bible” even that would not convince everyone to worship the One True God. Obviously, our heart is involved.
God is the chief Scientist. Let’s see anyone create a new animal without using things in God’s creation to begin with. God flung the stars into the universe on the Fourth Day and He calls them all by name.