Press Room

Announcing the 11th Annual Bible and Archaeology Fest

September 10, 2008

CONTACT: Steve Feldman
The Biblical Archaeology Society
Phone: 202.364.3300 ext. 221
E-mail: sfeldman@bib-arch.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 10, 2008)—Announcing the 11th annual Bible and Archaeology Fest to be held November 21-23, 2008, in Boston, Massachusetts. Concurrent sessions over the three-day period will address the latest developments in the fields of early Christianity, the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient Israel and Biblical archaeology. Twenty leading scholars will convene from around the world to share their research with the public.

Session topics include such presentations as Is the New Testament Forged? by the ever-popular Dr. Bart Ehrman of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, The Archaeology of David and Solomon: Ancient Politics and Modern Controversies by Professor Ryan Byrne of Rhodes College, Excavating Mt. Zion: Past, Present and Future by Professor James Tabor of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, When Were the Gospels Written? by Professor Mark Goodacre of Duke University, and Authors and Books in Biblical Times by Professor Alan Millard of the University of Liverpool, England. Professor Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill will introduce newcomers to the exciting field of archaeology in her lecture titled Archaeology 101: How We Dig, How We Date, What We Dig Up and Much More.

A plenary session will be held the first evening with Dr. James Charlesworth of the Princeton Theological Seminary. His lecture, titled Was Jesus Influenced by the Dead Sea Scrolls?, addresses one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century and their possible influence on Christianity’s most important figure. The final evening will feature a banquet and question-and-answer session with Hershel Shanks, founder of the Biblical Archaeology Society and editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University and Dr. William Dever, retired professor of Near Eastern Archaeology and head of excavations at Gezer, Khirbet el-Kom and Jebel Qacaqir.

Included in the program fee are all lectures, a plenary session, continental breakfasts, refreshment breaks, a final banquet and Continuing Education units. Full details of the conference, which is to be held at the Radisson Hotel Boston, can be viewed at http://www.bib-arch.org/fest2008.html. For more information, please call the Biblical Archaeology Society at 800.221.4644, ext. 221.