Ziony Zevit, «Three Debates about Bible and Archaeology», Vol. 83 (2002) 1-27

Three significant debates affecting perceptions of Israelite history, the Bible’s historiography, the relationship between this historiography and archaeology, and the dating of parts of the Bible’s literature have occupied Biblicists and archaeologists for the last 25 years. This article distinguishes the debates by analyzing the issues involved, the terminologies employed, as well as the professions of the protagonists engaged in each. It considers each within its own intellectual context. In light of these analyses, the article proposes a positive assessment of the contribution of these debates to the study ancient Israel’s history.

        Since the archaeological record, as interpreted by Finkelstein, indicates that no major building projects were undertaken during the tenth century, his conclusions bolster minimalist claims about the fictional nature of Biblical narratives about David, Solomon, Rehoboam and Jeroboam. Because of this connection, the ‘tenth century’ debate has been confused with the ‘minimalist-maximalist’ one and has led to Finkelstein being labeled a ‘minimalist’ incorrectly. Despite their adoption of his conclusion to further their argument, Finkelstein is not a participant in the minimalist-maximalist debate. That debate, however, has influenced some marginal elements in the archeological discourse, confusing matters a bit more. Finkelstein cites minimalist conclusions favorably as a secondary or tertiary explanation for the ‘missing’ tenth century, but does not participate in their Biblical discussion per se⁴⁰.

        Much historical information in Kings about events after the ninth century has been corroborated by extra-biblical sources, primarily from Mesopotamia. This information is necessary for Finkelstein in interpreting his own data from Megiddo, so he does not jettison it. Ultimately, as minimalists seem not to have understood, all archaeological data from historical periods are interpreted through texts.

        He argues, in a recent book co-authored with the archaeological journalist Silberman, that the combination of local traditions into a narrative glorifying Judah and the first tendentious history writing by the Deuteronomistic writer began in the sixth century BCE under the influence of Josiah’s court. The ancient Judahite historian had access to some authentic information of a historical nature from his own kingdom as well as from the northern kingdom, Israel, that had been destroyed by the Assyrians more than a century earlier⁴¹. This clear articulation puts him somewhere in the maximalist camp.