ANSWER: Archaeology does not prove or disprove the Bible. The Bible is a religious book that is “self-validating” as I would put it. On the other hand, archaeological finds do sometimes confirm certain persons or events referred to in the Bible. For example, an inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate, the governor of Palestine who sentenced Jesus to death, has been found.

ANSWER: Let me begin by saying that I do not consider myself to be an archaeologist. I am a New Testament scholar who uses archaeology as one more tool in researching the historical context of the New Testament. To become an archaeologist simply spend ten to twenty years doing excavations, writing up your dig results, and focusing your career on the subject. So, if you want to become an archaeologist, start by going on a dig.

ANSWER: I began my research and study of the New Testament by immersing myself in the Jewish sources (the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Pseudepigrapha, Josephus, the Rabbinic literature, etc.). But then I was turned on to the social science interpretation of the New Testament. In the last twenty years, I have added archaeological data and research. These are not mutually exclusive stages but add-ons.

ANSWER: The Archaeology of Daily Life is a book that describes ordinary people in their normal, everyday circumstances (work, marriage, childcare, food preparation, village life, etc.) in first century Palestine. It uses not only the ancient texts but also the latest archaeological finds to sketch out a thorough account of what it was like for the people who first heard Jesus’ message. It answers the questions all of us have concerning life in first century Israel. For example, whom would you marry? How would you choose your marital partner? What would the wedding be like? What would your house look like? What would be inside the house? These and many other questions are answered both with descriptions and with a host of illustrations and photographs from archaeology.

 I am currently finishing up three works. One is a historical work entitled, The Archaeology of Daily Life: Ordinary Persons in the Late Second Temple Period (Cascade Publishing). This book is now released (December of 2020). The second is a study of twelve parables for small church groups entitled Hear Today: Compassion and Grace in the Parables of Jesus (Leafwood Press). I expect that this book will be released to the public in the spring of 2021. The third work is entitled The Journey: Spiritual Growth in Galatians and Philippians (CrossLink Press). This work will appear in the fall of 2021.