Biblical Geography and Archaeology
Biblical Geography and Archaeology tests the physical setting of the narratives: the north–south zones, key sites, water systems, roads, and the main archaeological discoveries used in discussion.
The land
- Four north–south strips: coastal plain (Philistines), Shephelah (low hills: Elah Valley, Lachish, Azekah), central hill country (Jerusalem, Hebron, Shechem, Samaria), and the Jordan Rift Valley (Sea of Galilee, Jordan, Dead Sea).
- Transjordan: Moab, Ammon, Edom, Gilead, Bashan.
- Roads: Via Maris along the coast; the ridge route; the King's Highway in Transjordan.
- Water: Gihon Spring in Jerusalem, fed by Hezekiah's tunnel (2 Kings 20:20; Siloam Inscription); Ein Gedi; Jericho's spring.
Key discoveries
- Tel Dan Stele (9th century BCE): mentions the 'House of David.'
- Mesha Stele (Moabite, 9th century BCE): names Omri and Israel.
- Siloam Inscription: describes the meeting of the tunnel diggers.
- Lachish Ostraca: late Judean letters before 586.
- Ketef Hinnom amulets: earliest known text of the priestly blessing.
Worked example
Question: 'What does the Tel Dan Stele prove?' Reasoning: it is a victory monument by an Aramean king referring to the 'House of David,' showing that a dynasty named David was known in the 9th century. It supports the historicity of a Davidic dynasty; it does not by itself verify every biblical narrative about David. The exam rewards that distinction.
Traps
- Saying archaeology 'proves' or 'disproves' the Bible as a whole.
- Confusing the Shephelah with the coastal plain.
- Misplacing Lachish (Shephelah) or Megiddo (Jezreel Valley).
- Treating absence of evidence as evidence of absence.