#83 - Illuminating the Text through Archaeology

GTI's resident archaeologist Rich Liverance joins this podcast. The relatively new science of archaeology is a common topic on our biblical study tours. Rich shares from his personal experience at the active digs of Abel Beth Maccah in northern Israel, as well as Tel a Hammam in Jordan (the possible site of Sodom). From roping off a site into 5m squares to finding an iron blade, Rich knows what a day on a dig is like! He also reminds us that the Bible interprets the Bible. Archaeology CONFIRMS the Bible, as well as give material culture to the text. For example, the 1993 discovery at Tel Dan of a tablet mentioning the "House of David" confirms King David's existence and impact 150 years after his life; the discovery of a wall or some jewelry would illuminate the lifestyle of the people who lived in David's time.

For further reading, we recommend  the following resources:

• The GTI Tours Facebook page
• Biblical Archaeology by Amihai Mazar
• Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World's Most Contested City by Andrew Lawler
• The Source by James A. Michener

If you are interested in a future Reformation Tour of Germany and Switzerland or in exploring Saudi Arabia, please email Rich and let him know at rliverance@gtitours.org.