Dead Men DO Tell Tales

Dead men, even this pre-Dynastic mummy in the British Museum, have tales to tell

I don't know whether any of Agatha Christie's characters ever said, "Dead men don't tell tales", but for an archaeologist the reverse is true, dead men do tell tales. In this lecture, using a mix of modern slides and slides going back half a century, I explore the tales that dead men tell about the Bible.

If you can find it, I strongly recommend The Bible as History by Keller, a book that I very much enjoyed when I was young. Some of the discoveries it reports are now interpreted differently, but the book remains an excellent general introduction to the subject of the Bible and archaeology. It must be admitted, however, that there is a sharp difference of opinion on this topic and some authors, such as Israel Finkelstein, adopt a very sceptical point of view while Keller, if he has a fault, veers too much to the uncritical standpoint.

For an excellent source of up-to-date information about archaeology in the Middle East, visit the Diggings website.