BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

And Now for Something Completely Different

Thank you for allowing me to serve you as Editor of BAR for these past three years

How does one properly welcome a new year of BAR following a 2020 season that saw almost all excavation in the Holy Land halted due to the ongoing COVID-19 virus that has killed more than 2 million people worldwide? The pandemic has impacted every sphere of life and fundamentally changed the way we visit grocery stores and libraries, celebrate holidays, and attend school, church, synagogue, mosque, and events, including weddings, funerals, and the 2020 BAS Bible and Archaeology Fest.

We do as people have done since antiquity: We carry on as best we can, making the changes necessary to ensure our safety, while holding fast to the traditions and convictions that make us who we are.

That’s what we must do now in our janiform first issue of 2021—we look back and honor those we lost (and by now nearly everyone knows someone who has died from this terrible virus), and we must look forward steadfastly to a future that sees progress. We hope not to return to where we were, but to advance into a new, necessarily transformed world, making the most of what we have, forging new memories, making new discoveries, and working together to embrace change and create the communities in which we want not only to live, but also to thrive.

It is in this spirit of personal reflection, self-evaluation, and assessment of priorities that I announce that I shall be stepping down as Editor of BAR. The Spring 2021 issue will be my last.

I am very proud of what we have accomplished over the last three years at BAR. We have maintained our robust subscriber base, increased our online readership, and completed a much-overdue redesign of the magazine. And on the topic of redesign, allow me to announce one final change before I go: We have increased the font size that we use in the pages of BAR, which will make your reading experience that much easier and agreeable.

Over the past three years, we welcomed a new and diverse generation of archaeologists and scholars as authors to the pages of BAR—those leading the latest and most exciting excavations throughout the Holy Land. Together we celebrated the contributions of women in our field, ceased the publication of unprovenanced and black-market antiquities, and joined together to produce BAS’s first ever virtual Bible and Archaeology Fest, which was a smashing success to the tune of three times the attendance of what we normally see at Fest—a virtual streaming format that, based on your resounding feedback, BAS may maintain even after the annual in-person Fest returns.

Most of all, we have tried to strike a balance between timely archaeological news, credible biblical and archaeological scholarship, entertaining trivia, games, and puzzles, and as always, big, beautiful photos of the Holy Land in each issue.

As for me, I shall continue my teaching and research as a tenured professor of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Iowa, my work on Bible- and archaeology-related television documentaries, a couple of forthcoming books, a new digital video project, and spend more time with my wife and with my five children, who are all growing up so quickly. My family and I shall also spend the coming year on a long overdue (and COVID-postponed) sabbatical living in Israel.

I want to thank everyone at BAS for the time we’ve spent working together. It has truly been an honor to work with such a talented and diverse team. But most importantly, I want to thank YOU for being such loyal readers and supporters of our shared mission. May this coming year of change bring you peace, joy, and enlightenment as together we continue to dig deeper into history.

Everything the Best! —BOB CARGILL


6 Responses

  1. Thank you Robert for your three years at the helm of BAR following in the footsteps of the indomitable Hershel Shanks. Of the many changes you have brought and the traditions you have solidified I laud you for the decision not to comment on material for which we have no proof of provenance. That was a significant move that gives flesh to the magazine. I wish you many blessings on your family and on your future work.

  2. B W. Ruffner says:

    You have done a great job, making the magazine more interesting, less controversial and more readable. I hope the new editor can continue your efforts –

  3. Joseph Fiorile says:

    I am personally devastated by this news as Mr. Cargill’ s transformative tenure as the follow-up to Hershel Shanks long, masterful time was critical to this magazine, which I love. One can only hope that Bob’s successor is equally as good. Good luck!

  4. So sorry to see you leave. It feels as if you had just begun. But speaking from experience, you will never regret spending more time with your family. It is hard to do, but they must be first priority. After they are grown, there will be plenty of time for writing and the rest of the things on your admirable list. May you be blessed and grow closer than ever during your time in Israel.

  5. R. Peter DeLong says:

    Oh no! You’ve done a wonderful job. Who can replace you? Nevertheless, best wishes for the future – both for you and for BAS.

  6. cindy Zembryki says:

    I want to thank and commend you for the work you (and your team) have done on the magazine and the web site. It is more appealing, more contemporary and, actually, more fun to read (and look). I am sorry to see you leave but wish you only the best in your next adventures.

Write a Reply or Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


6 Responses

  1. Thank you Robert for your three years at the helm of BAR following in the footsteps of the indomitable Hershel Shanks. Of the many changes you have brought and the traditions you have solidified I laud you for the decision not to comment on material for which we have no proof of provenance. That was a significant move that gives flesh to the magazine. I wish you many blessings on your family and on your future work.

  2. B W. Ruffner says:

    You have done a great job, making the magazine more interesting, less controversial and more readable. I hope the new editor can continue your efforts –

  3. Joseph Fiorile says:

    I am personally devastated by this news as Mr. Cargill’ s transformative tenure as the follow-up to Hershel Shanks long, masterful time was critical to this magazine, which I love. One can only hope that Bob’s successor is equally as good. Good luck!

  4. So sorry to see you leave. It feels as if you had just begun. But speaking from experience, you will never regret spending more time with your family. It is hard to do, but they must be first priority. After they are grown, there will be plenty of time for writing and the rest of the things on your admirable list. May you be blessed and grow closer than ever during your time in Israel.

  5. R. Peter DeLong says:

    Oh no! You’ve done a wonderful job. Who can replace you? Nevertheless, best wishes for the future – both for you and for BAS.

  6. cindy Zembryki says:

    I want to thank and commend you for the work you (and your team) have done on the magazine and the web site. It is more appealing, more contemporary and, actually, more fun to read (and look). I am sorry to see you leave but wish you only the best in your next adventures.

Write a Reply or Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


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