Archaeology & the Bible: Excavations of Nahal Yatir- A Biblical City
Dr. Steven Derfler, Executive Director, Educational Resources, Inc.
To travel to the ancient land of David and Solomon, Sarah and Deborah, the ministry of Jesus, and the 3rd holiest place in Islam, is to be profoundly touched by history. The art and archaeology of this biblical world "puts flesh onto the bones" of the literature and religion that shapes the three great western religious traditions. However, for most of the history of archaeology of the biblical world, focus has been placed on the attention grabbing sites that nearly everyone may have heard of one way or another- “the sexiest places” of the biblical narrative, like Jerusalem, the Galilee, Megiddo (biblical Armageddon), Masada.
Yet it is the excavation of the everyday, run-of-the-mill cities that are integral to the stories and their backgrounds, that shows archaeology at its finest. No presumptions, no tainted narrative- simply an archaeological record that gives greater depth and meaning to our collective religious heritage. One such site is Nahal Yattir, located in the western Negev of southern Israel. Its archaeological record, combined with biblical narrative, allows us to identify a lost biblical community. An international educational consultant, public speaker, archaeologist, historian, researcher, teacher and writer, Dr. Derfler has been uncovering the histories of Ancient Civilizations for 40 years. Tracing the development of western religions from their roots in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean countries, Dr. Derfler brings insight to current political and social events, bridging the past with the future to promote greater understanding between people from different faiths and walks of life.