The Bible Unearthed

Reexamines the historical basis of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) using archaeological evidence from the Levant, spanning roughly 1200 BCE to 586 BCE. Finkelstein, an archaeologist at Tel Aviv University, and Silberman, a historian, challenge traditional narratives by integrating recent excavations with biblical texts, arguing that many stories reflect later ideological constructs rather than historical events.

Rejects the Exodus as a historical event, citing no archaeological evidence of a mass migration from Egypt. Instead, it suggests the Israelites emerged as a local Canaanite population, with hill-country settlements (e.g., Shiloh, Hazor) showing modest, rural life, not the conquests described in Joshua.

Questions the grandeur of David and Solomon’s reigns, proposing that Jerusalem was a small village, not a capital, with minimal evidence of monumental architecture. The biblical account is seen as a 7th-century BCE invention by Judahite scribes to unify the region under the Davidic line.

Confirms the Omride dynasty’s power in Israel (e.g., Samaria’s fortifications), but argues Judah’s prominence grew only after Israel’s fall to Assyria (722 BCE), shaping biblical narratives to favor Judah.

Links the final redaction of the Torah to the exilic period, suggesting priests in Babylon crafted a national history to preserve identity, incorporating earlier oral traditions.