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39-418: The Biblical Archaeology Society has gained global traction, not only through its popular publication The Biblical Archaeology Review , yet through its involvement in multiple authenticity scandals. The Biblical Archaeology society was founded by lawyer, turned amateur archaeologist, Hershel Shanks in 1974. Despite having never studied archeology or religion, Shanks was inspired by a year-long sabbatical to

78-513: A "final act in the drama to access the Dead Sea Scrolls". By 2001, the society had released almost all the transcriptions from the Scrolls to the general public, which was said to have 'changed the rules of the game' regarding public access to hushed archaeological finds. Shanks served as editor for 42 years, retiring at the end of 2017. Robert R. Cargill was selected to replace Shanks as editor of

117-571: A book and sold the television rights of the Ossuary, generating a documentary that was later released on DVD. The Society was suggested to have commercially exploited the object, without technically owning the Ossuary. The box's revelation ignited divisive opinions amongst scholars, with some archaeologists promptly and publicly questioned the authenticity of the ossuary due to its purchasing from an antiquities dealer, rather than being excavated under controlled conditions by professional archaeologists. Again,

156-521: A broad general audience. Covering both the Old and New Testaments , Bible Review presented critical and historical interpretations of biblical texts, and "reader-friendly Biblical scholarship". After 2005, Bible Review merged into BAR . Archaeology Odyssey was published from 1997 to 2005. The full runs of both Bible Review and Archaeology Odyssey , plus every issue of BAR since 1975, are available to Biblical Archaeology Society All Access Members in

195-464: A clay seal (bulla) dated to the 8th century B.C ruler, King Hezekiah . Discovered by Eilat Mazar, the bulla was deemed as being inscribed with the name of Isaiah , one of the most important Old Testament prophets. However, some scholars contest the biblical origins of the bulla as the prophet is not referred to as a definite article, merely 'prophet', not 'the prophet'. The Biblical Archaeology Society and its founder Hershel Shanks were first involved in

234-509: A dispute of authenticity after the discovery of an ivory pomegranate with the inscription "Holy to the priests, belonging to the Temple of Yahweh", said to be the only remaining artefact from the First Temple of Solomon. After being purchased by academic epigraphist Andre Lemaire in a Jerusalem antiquities dealership for US$ 3,000, Shanks provided an accessible account of the pomegranate's discovery in

273-689: A limestone ossuary (burial box) from the 1st century, adorned with the Aramaic inscription "James, Son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus". Realising the potential significance of the piece, Golan invited Lemaire to examine the ossuary’s inscriptions. Lemaire and the Biblical Archaeology Society presented the ossuary to the Geological Survey of Israel for analysis, to which they found no reason to doubt its authenticity. Subsequently, in 2002 Lemaire published an ‘exclusive’ article on his find in an issue of

312-470: A renewed comprehensive archaeological analysis on the Temple Mount , in addition to a report on matters of litigation, regarding a lawsuit involving Muslims accused of destroying a historic site for three of the world's major faiths. In addition, the publication allows for a forum in which the analytical studies of important biblical artefacts can be questioned. The content of The Biblical Archaeology Review

351-755: A variety of other fields. The institutes are also members of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers . ASOR convenes a scholarly conference once a year in North America, always beginning 8 days before Thanksgiving (on a Wednesday evening) and running through Saturday evening. 2008 – Boston, MA and drew over 730 scholars and interested lay members from around the world. 2009 – New Orleans, LA . 2018 – Denver, CO . 2019 – San Diego , CA. 2020 – Virtual 2021 – Chicago , IL ASOR also publishes three scholarly publications. University of Chicago Press began publishing all three ASOR journals in 2019. Two of

390-607: Is a magazine appearing every three months and sometimes referred to as BAR that seeks to connect the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience seeking to understand the world of the Bible , the Near East , and the Middle East (Syro-Palestine and the Levant ). Since its first issue in 1975, Biblical Archaeology Review has covered the latest discoveries and controversies in

429-407: Is considered 'the gate keeper' for most major news outlets. The review discusses both the latest discovers and controversies of the archaeological field, providing a multi-medic publication with photography, maps and diagrams. It is through this publication that the Biblical Archaeology Society has raised the important need to publish the Dead Sea Scrolls in an egalitarian fashion. BAR also promoted

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468-429: Is considered to articulate the academic field of archaeology and biblical studies in a manner that is understood and easily digested to a broader general audience. That is, their publication has been argued as a palliative for the archaeology field's lost ability communicate beyond the academy itself and for bridging the gap between academic scholarship and the lay public's desire for key archaeological questions. The review

507-654: The Biblical Archaeology Review . The following day, the Ossuary has cause a media frenzy and featured in major newspapers around the world, including the New York Times and The Washington Post . Subsequently, the Society collaborated with the Royal Ontario Museum to exhibit the ossuary, attracting 95,000 visitors and generating Shanks alone US$ 28,000. The Biblical Archaeology Society subsequently published

546-680: The American School of Oriental Study and Research in Palestine , is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Alexandria, Virginia , which supports the research and teaching of the history and cultures of the Near East and Middle Eastern countries. ASOR supports scholarship, research, exploration, and archeological fieldwork and offers avenues of disseminating this research through their publications. ASOR also provides support for undergraduates and graduates in institutions of higher education around

585-665: The Biblical Archaeology Review . The pomegranate went on to sell for an inflated price, to which Shanks claimed credit due to its promotion in the Biblical Archaeology Society's publication. However, the Israel Antiquities Authority later deemed the inscription a fake and charged Lemaire with forgery. The Biblical Archaeology Society was subsequently involved in a global scandal, again regarding matters of authenticity surrounding items authenticated by Lemaire. In May 2002, Tel Aviv engineer Oded Golan purchased

624-624: The Umayri and Tall Jalul Reubenite sites. Their contributions to the Umayri excavation assisted in developing a greater understanding surrounding the biblical genealogies and nature of the settlement process in relation to the Hebrew tribe of Reuben. Similarly, during the excavation of Tall Jalal numerous fragmentary specimens were uncovered, including iconographic figurines of animals representative as deities or apotropaic forces. The Society's excavations led to

663-470: The 'monopoly' over access to the scrolls, given to a select group within Israel's Antiquities Department. The Biblical Archaeology Review had characterised the push for access as a “matter of intellectual freedom and the right to scholarly access”. By 1991, the scrolls became widely publicised after the Biblical Archaeology Society published a two-volume of the scroll photographs and a computer generated version in

702-593: The BAS Library. From its founding in 1975 until 2017, the editor-in-chief was Hershel Shanks . After Shanks' retirement at the end of 2017, Robert R. Cargill was selected as the next editor. Cargill stepped down in March 2021 and was replaced by Glenn J. Corbett. This article about biblical studies is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Society of Overseas Research The American Society of Overseas Research ( ASOR ), founded in 1900 as

741-627: The Biblical Archaeology Society was often charged with accusations of 'controversy'. The book also discusses yet another controversy the society was involved in, whereby it was associated with the discovery of the Yehoash Plaque, a 15-line Hebrew inscription that was also deemed a forgery. However, Shanks goes on to accuse the Israeli Antiquities Authority of 'engaging in politicised archaeology' on matters of authenticity. Biblical Archaeology Review Biblical Archaeology Review

780-498: The Israel Antiquities Authority deemed the Ossuary to be a forgery and that the inscription was a modern addition to an ancient limestone casket. The Authority suggested that the discovery was "the fraud of the century". The Ossuary's original dealer was subsequently charged, and later acquitted, for operating an international forgery ring and for faking the inscription in question. It has been suggested that his acquittal

819-479: The Society and associated publications in 2018. Cargill stepped down in 2021 and was replaced by Glenn J. Corbett. Hershel Shanks died in 2021, apparently due to the Covid-19 virus. The Biblical Archaeology Society is the publisher of its own magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review , which has generated extensive public following. BAR is both nonsectarian and 'non-academic' and as such, has been attributed with setting

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858-401: The Society for Biblical Literature. Biblical Archaeology Society seminars and meetings are presented for a broad public with interest in biblical archaeology, unlike ASOR and SBL and others, whose meetings are targeted to scholars and working archaeologists. The Biblical Archeology Society adopts a historical archaeology approach to their excavations, whereby their researchers seek to understand

897-584: The agenda for discourse surrounding issues relating to both the Bible and archaeological matters. Shanks declared that he saw an overall failure in experts publishing the results of their excavations, and as such, sought to remedy this through the creation of BAR . Contributors to the Biblical Archaeology Review are that of scholars, researchers and archaeological experts. The Society's review has been suggested to have 'a kind of de facto control' over mainstream media regarding biblical archaeological endeavours and as such,

936-577: The archaeological digs of Jerusalem. Upon his return, Hershel published an article in The Israel Exploration Journal and approached U.S magazines hoping to produce a similar suite of columns regarding biblical archeology. These propositions were rejected which led Shanks to establish his own publication, Biblical Archeology Newsletter . In 1974, the Biblical Archeology Society was a recognised nonprofit corporation and by 1975,

975-515: The archaeology of Israel , Turkey , Jordan and the surrounding regions as well as the newest scholarly insights into both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament . The magazine is published by the nonsectarian and nonprofit Biblical Archaeology Society (BAS). Bible Review was also published by BAS from 1985 to 2005, with the goal of communicating the academic study of the Bible to

1014-440: The daily blog Bible History Daily and hosts lecture series and site tours with prominent scholars in the fields of archaeology and biblical studies. The Biblical Archaeology Society is the host of annual seminars and meetings in which contemporary archaeological and biblical matters are discussed. In doing this, they compete with other archaeological conferences and organisations, such as American Society of Overseas Research and

1053-663: The discovery and opening of 'Jerusalem's newest archaeological attraction', directed by one of its founding members Eilat Mazar . The Ophel City Wall site was discovered to lie below the Temple Mount and above the City of David , further leading to revelations surrounding one of the Bible’s most coveted kings, Solomon . Subsequently, in 2009 the Society announced, in an addition of the Biblical Archaeology Review, its discovery in Ophel of

1092-510: The entrance to Hezekiah's Tunnel. Shanks suggested that his desire was merely to publish 'a little newsletter about Israel as a land of stones' and that the subsequent successful circulation of the review was 'a dream'. By the early 2000s, the Biblical Archaeology Society had reached its peak of 250,000 subscribers and had earned Shanks a position as "the world's most influential amateur biblical archaeologist." The Biblical Archaeology Society, along with its founder, has been said to have 'transformed…

1131-419: The group had published its first edition of the new Biblical Archaeology Review . Shanks considered himself as an 'outsider' of the field and attributes Israeli archaeologist Yigael Yadin as crucial in assisting his early efforts in making archaeology accessible through the society. It was these early publications that Shanks suggests have led to now infamous excavation sites, such as David's burial palace and

1170-523: The individuals involved were acquitted, the judge refused to rule on the alleged forgery itself. Whilst the Biblical Archaeology Society was decisive in the releasing of the Dead Sea Scrolls , in August 2000, Israeli scholar Elisha Qimron brought forth a suit against them for infringement of copyright, material and moral, in their publication of A Facsimile of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Qimron objected to both

1209-533: The necessary assembly of 'MMT' depending on linguistic research, consisting original creation. Subsequently, Shanks and the Biblical Archeology Society were sued over copyright violation and liable for $ 100,000 in damages due to loss of publishing royalties, loss of income, mental anguish and injury to Qimron's reputation. In his 2010 autobiography Freeing the Dead Sea Scrolls: and other adventures of an archaeology outsider , Shanks addresses events and admits that

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1248-422: The ossuary's authenticity can be deduced to two scientists on the committee for the Israeli Antiquities Authority, Professor Yuval Goren and Dr Avner Ayalon. Regarding the Biblical Archaeology Society's ongoing insistence of the Ossuary's authenticity, some scholars have suggested at the financial motives and public exposure gained through its legitimacy. The authenticity of the ossuary remains undetermined, as whilst

1287-413: The publication of a working composite scroll text 'MMT' of which for years he had been actively engaged in translating, in addition to the publications forward whereby Shanks alluded to the preventative and controlling behaviours of interested scholars. Shanks and the Biblical Archaeology Society refuted this claim, suggesting that the work was published in an attempt to illuminate 'how hard the establishment

1326-514: The relationship between sacred or ancient texts and the geography in which they are found. The Biblical Archaeology Society publishes an annual Digs Guide , which lists upcoming excavation projects in Israel and Jordan for which volunteers are welcome to apply to join. Additionally, the Society offers an ongoing Scholarship Program which provides funding for individuals to participate in excavations. The Biblical Archaeology Society has collaborated on and conducted multiple excavations, including that of

1365-445: The trajectory' of not only archaeological studies, but the understanding of 'Jewish and Christian worlds'. In 1985, the Biblical Archaeology Society, under the direction of Shanks, focused its operations on the accessibility of the Dead Sea Scrolls . The scrolls formed some of the oldest biblical writings, and as such, were deemed crucial in illuminating the development of both Christianity and Judaism . However, Shanks took issue with

1404-565: The world pursuing studies of the history and cultures of the Near and Middle East. As of January 2020, Sharon Herbert is the president of ASOR. Her predecessor, Susan Ackerman served as president from 2014 to 2019. ASOR collaborates with the following independent overseas institutes: The overseas institutes support scholars working in the Middle East that focus on Near Eastern Archaeology , Semitic languages , history , Biblical studies, among

1443-400: Was a matter of an underfunded prosecution and an in-comprehensive investigation, with the judge conceding that the trial did not necessarily prove the objects authenticity. Shanks and his society were deemed 'the loudest supporters' of the object, particularly evident in their continual public persecution of scholars who deem the Ossuary to be forgery. Shanks maintains that scepticism surrounding

1482-524: Was said to have ‘simplified esoteric’ scholarship and writings, to which they were attributed with ‘tantalising headlines’. The Society’s delivery of archaeological news through the Biblical Archaeology Review has been suggested to use sensationalist tactics. The Biblical Archaeology Society has produced an additional two smaller publications, publishing the Bible Review from 1985 to 2005 and Archaeology Odyssey from 1998 to 2006. The Society also publishes

1521-649: Was working to keep things to themselves.' This argument was quashed by the District Court in that they suggested Shanks had confused 'the right to research the Scroll… with the taking of another person's work.' Shanks, through the Biblical Archeology Society had been selling the volumes of photos for $ 195 a set. The court ruled that the Biblical Archaeology Society was to halt distribution of its two-volume compilation of Dead Sea Scroll photographs in Israel. The Judge concluded that Qimron did in fact have copyright to his work due to

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