Who was King David? Was he the all-powerful king described in the Bible? Or was he, as some archeologists believe, a small-time Bedouin sheikh?
Albright was a faithful Christian, and the inerrancy of the Bible was then under attack. Critics, mostly in Europe, argued that the first five books of the Old Testament were written not at the time of Moses, as the Scriptures claim, but by authors working centuries apart, weaving a patchwork of tales from early Judeans and later priests, and even from Babylonian myths. For Albright, the Bible was nevertheless a compendium of verifiable fact.
Finkelstein was nine years old at the time, and the romance of such finds was helping to inspire what one historian described as a “popular national cult” of archeology. The cult didn’t extend to Finkelstein’s house. He was raised outside Tel Aviv, in a family of citrus farmers. His father was a talented athlete and, he says, a “big macho,” who emigrated from Ukraine, joined his in-laws’ orchard business, and went on to become a successful sports executive.
After years of researching the highlands, Finkelstein wanted to take on a site in the lowlands, to see whether social structures emerged differently there. He chose Megiddo, Yadin’s old territory. It was the “switchboard of the Levant,” Finkelstein told me one afternoon a few months ago. We were in his office in the Tel Aviv University humanities building. He had settled in a lime-green armchair, and gestured for me to sit on a wooden daybed.
“The new dating calls for a re-evaluation of the historical, cultural and political processes that took place in Palestine in the eleventh-ninth centuries B.C.,” Finkelstein wrote. A “re-evaluation,” in other words, of the rise of ancient Israel. In a later addendum, he went further, accusing Yadin, who died in 1984, and his acolytes of being led astray by “irrelevant sentiments” regarding the “grandeur” of early Israel.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
$5,000 Reward Offered In Search For Rafiq Thompson Accused Of Shooting, Killing Pregnant Ex-Girlfriend At Gas Station Near King Of Prussia MallAfter dinner, officers say Thompson followed the victim to this nearby Exxon station, where the two spoke before Thompson pulled out a gun and shot Cornelius multiple times.
Read more »
Rolex Air-King: Higher LevelThe new Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King brings an all new look to the professional category. Discover more here. luxurywatch
Read more »
Biden must get tough with Jordan’s King Abdullah II to force release of captive US citizenThe U.S. can make clear that his nation’s aid money, along with some of his own personal money, and his legal status here, is not inviolable, writes QuinHillyer. 'The message should be not just private but, as in the case of Roosevelt, very public.'
Read more »
John King airs first TV ads in competitive Maryland governor’s raceMaryland's highly competitive governor's race shifts into a different gear now that the legislature has adjourned. Former education secretary John B. King Jr. is the latest candidate to hit the airwaves selling his personal story to voters.
Read more »
Review: The Lion King Roars StrongTHEATRE REVIEW: The Disney theatrical adaptation of The Lion King is a hit at bassconcerthall.
Read more »
Gayle King Is 'Pulling' for Chris Rock After Oscars Slap: It 'Makes Me Sad'Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face after the comedian made a tasteless 'joke' about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss — how stars reacted
Read more »