Archeologia biblijna: odkrywanie świata, w którym powstawała Biblia

Abstract

The article discusses biblical archaeology from a generic viewpoint. How are we to understand “Biblical Archaeology”, or better still “The Archaeology of the Middle East”? What do we really mean when we talk about biblical archaeology? It is effectively the same as any other type of archaeology, but limited to a particular land and defined in a particular period of time. As regards scientific methodology, biblical archaeology is not different from any other general archaeology. The only distinguishing feature is the sub ject of the research. These are: the biblical land – Palestine and the time – from Abraham to the Apostles. These are the narrow parameters. Obviously there is also a wider perspective. During the excavations one discovers the influences, dependences and contacts with other developed cultures of the Near East (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Asia Minor). These contacts made their mark on the culture and men tality of the People of Israel and indirectly also on the Sacred Scripture. The same can be said as regards the time factor. The most ancient, at the time of Abraham, even if prehistoric, had an influence on the development of the civilization and culture and therefore on the language and idiom of the Bible. The post-Apostolic times (the Byzantine and Crusader era) are the conse quence of the biblical times. They bear witness to the preacing of the Gospel. This means that biblical archaeology is not only interested in Palestine, neither is it interested only in the time from Abraham to the Apostles. It is interested in all the neighbouring states and in the times prior to the Bible as well as the more recent times. Biblical archaeology is not a proof of the Bible’s historical authenticity, even when objects and structures that are mentioned in the Bible are brought to light. It not only discovers the biblical world, but reveals the world in which the Bible was written. An essential part of the article is the list of archaeological sites. The data for each site is made up as follows: – The modern name – frequently this is an Arab toponym (the name of the site at the time of excavation, its Arabic name) – The location – The ancient name in brackets – The years of excavations – A general review of the findings: the periods identified on site, and de tails of the most important artefacts brought to light.