The following four lectures will be offered by Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center over four consecutive Wednesdays in October. They are free to the general public. On each Friday at 10:00, two days after each lecture there will be a discussion about the lecture moderated by Peter Feinman, President, AIA Westchester Society. Both the lectures and the discussion can be registered through the Rye Free Reading Room site at the Calendar of Events. You can also register for the lecture(s) directly at the Temple. Each lecture and discussion must be registered for individually for eight in total. There is no system requirement to register for a lecture to participate in the discussion but as with reading a book before attending a book club meeting, it will help if you do.
October 7 10:00 – 11:15
DR. ZIONY ZEVIT:
THE BIBLICAL PAST AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE
Archaeology takes us into a world we can barely conjure up, throwing the past into an entirely new light. Dr. Zevit will lead us into the realities of our ancestors, the ancient Israelites, based not on the Bible but on the work of archaeologists. Using an examination of Kuntillet Ajrud, a small, isolated archaeological site in the Sinai, he will provide a window into Israelite history and the religious beliefs of those who built and decorated the site.
Dr. Ziony Zevit is Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles
October 14 10:00 – 11:15
DR. ROBERT R. CARGILL:
GOOD FAITH ARCHAEOLOGY – BIBLICAL CLAIMS CONFIRMED AND CHALLENGED BY ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
Many people today use archaeological evidence to prove — or disprove — myriad claims made in the Bible. But how can we tell which evidence and which claims are trustworthy? Dr. Cargill, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, will discuss how to discern legitimate evidence from suspect claims and survey evidence that both corroborates and challenges many of the Bible’s teachings.
Dr. Robert R. Cargill is Associate Professor of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is a specialist in the literature and archaeology of Second Temple Judaism.
October 21 10:00 – 11:15
DR. ISRAEL FINKELSTEIN:
RECONSTRUCTING THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT ISRAEL: THE BIBLE VS. ARCHAEOLOGY
Discovering the history of ancient Israel demands bridging the gap between biblical texts and archaeological findings. How should we balance the stories we read against the evidence uncovered in the field? How do we manage the tension between theology and history?
Dr. Finkelstein will discuss the rules he follows and the advantages and limitations of each kind of evidence in the context of an examination of the dichotomy in power and prosperity between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the rise of literacy in ancient Israel and when and why biblical texts were composed. Dr. Israel Finkelstein is Jacob Alkow Professor of the Archaeology of Israel in the Bronze and Iron Ages at Tel Aviv University and director of the Megiddo Expedition.
October 28 10:00 – 11:15
DR. ERIC CLINE:
BIBLICAL CONUNDRUMS: FROM THE EXODUS TO THE TEN LOST TRIBES
Every year, new archaeological evidence is discovered that is relevant to the Bible. But despite thousands of hours of efforts, archaeologists have uncovered scant — perhaps nonexistent — proof of the Exodus, the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Lost Tribes. Citing his book From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible, Dr. Cline will discuss the Exodus story, the historical context for the Lost Tribes, where the Ark might have gone and what we can — and cannot — demand of archaeology.
Dr. Eric Cline is Professor of Classics, Anthropology, and History at George Washington University. He directs the Tel Kabri Expedition and co-edits the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.