BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

BAS 2025 Publication Awards Winners

2025 WINNERS BAS Publication Awards
These prestigious awards have been made possible by a grant from the Rohr Family in memory of Sami Rohr.

BEST BOOK ON THE HEBREW BIBLE

Deuteronomy and the Material Transmission of Tradition
Mark Lester
(Leiden: Brill, 2024)

Mark Lester’s Deuteronomy and the Material Transmission of Tradition offers a unique, interdisciplinary approach to the Book of Deuteronomy. Lester challenges traditional theological and literary interpretations of Deuteronomy and studies it as an adaptation of the media aesthetics of ancient Near Eastern treaty tablets and monumental inscriptions. He invites readers to approach Deuteronomy not merely as narrative literature, but as a material and literary artifact imbued with cultural and social significance. His rigorous study makes an important contribution to both biblical studies and biblical archaeology and will appeal to a general audience interested in the intersection of these two disciplines.

Honorable Mentions
The Ten Commandments: Monuments of Memory, Belief, and Interpretation
by Timothy S. Hogue

The Wilderness Narratives in the Hebrew Bible: Religion, Politics, and Biblical Interpretations by Angela Roskop Erisman

— JUDGES —
KEVIN BURRELL – Wilfrid Laurier University
ALICE MANDELL – Johns Hopkins University
TINA WRAY – Salve Regina University

BEST BOOK ON THE NEW TESTAMENT

John of History, Baptist of Faith
James F. McGrath
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2024)

This title is incredibly readable, impressive in its scholarly scope and depth, and accessible to an interested general audience. John of History, Baptist of Faith demonstrates McGrath’s breadth of expertise not only in biblical studies but also in the directly relevant fields of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Christian Apocrypha, the Nag Hammadi texts, and rabbinic literature. This volume sets a high standard for the field of New Testament studies and advances the field in any investigation of John the Baptist.

Honorable Mentions
The Historical Jesus and the Temple by Michael Patrick Barber

Paul and Imperial Divine Honors: Christ, Caesar, and the Gospel by Clint Burnett

— JUDGES —
MATTHEW GREY – Brigham Young University
LEE JEFFERSON – Centre College
ELIZABETH SCHRADER POLCZER – Villanova University

BEST SCHOLARLY BOOK ON ARCHAEOLOGY

The Amman Theater Statue in Its Iron Age Contexts
Joel Burnett
(Alexandria: ASOR, 2023)

At its best, archaeology combines materials science, art history, ancient history, and spatial contexts to gain insight into the past. The Amman Theater Statue in Its Iron Age Contexts approaches this ideal. Burnett’s volume takes a single Iron Age object found in a Roman context by a rescue excavation and turns it into an innovative contribution to history. The book explores several Iron Age contexts: monumental statues found in Iron Age Jordan, Mesopotamian and Egyptian art and religion, the literature of the Hebrew Bible, and, although tentative, the royal architecture of the kingdom of Ammon. This well-rounded study shows how research into an object should be done.

BEST POPULAR BOOK ON ARCHAEOLOGY

After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations
Eric H. Cline
(Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 2024)

Eric Cline’s After 1177 B.C. offers an engaging take on the aftermath of the Late Bronze Age collapse. The book presents a highly accessible survey of various eastern Mediterranean societies, tracing their trajectory from the 12th to the ninth centuries BC while analyzing their varied responses to the crisis. By drawing parallels between the Late Bronze Age collapse and current global issues such as climate change, pandemics, and geopolitical conflicts, Cline underlines the role archaeology can play in addressing contemporary challenges. At a time when the relevance of the humanities is frequently questioned, this may be the book’s most important contribution.

Honorable Mention
Jerusalem Through the Ages by Jodi Magness

HERSHEL SHANKS AWARD FOR BEST DIG REPORT

Yotvata: The Ze’ev Meshel Excavations (1974–1980)
Edited by Lily Singer-Avitz and Etan Ayalon
(Jerusalem: Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, 2023)

Yotvata: The Ze’ev Meshel Excavations (1974–1980), edited by Lily Singer-Avitz and Etan Ayalon, represents an important contribution to the field and sets a high standard for excavation reports. The inclusion of analyses by a wide range of specialists results in a comprehensive and well-rounded treatment of the material. This volume also reflects a significant broader trend in archaeology: the systematic processing and publication of legacy collections—materials excavated in earlier decades but left unpublished. By bringing Meshel’s excavations at Yotvata to light, the editors not only enrich our understanding of the site but also highlight the enduring value of revisiting and publishing earlier fieldwork.

Honorable Mention
The Southern Wall of the Temple Mount and Its Corners edited by Yuval Baruch, Ronny Reich, Moran Hagbi, and Joe Uziel

— JUDGES OF THE ARCHAEOLOGY BOOKS —
DANIEL MASTER – Wheaton College
DENNIS MIZZI – University of Malta
ALEXANDRA RATZLAFF – Brandeis University