Thompson, J.A. The Bible and Archaeology. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1972.
It is available at: http://www.amazon.com/
But, before proceeding to the book directly, historical reviews such as this book...invokes confession (of faith), a prayer of thanksgiving and a hymn of gratitude. At the end, we will confess, pray and sing; we bring the incomparable Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 5) followed by the “General Thanksgiving” from The Book of Common Prayer and the hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God” (Lincoln Minster Choir).
Now, back to the book.
Mr. Thompson is a lecturer in Biblical archaeology at the University of Melbourne. For several years, he was the Director of the Australian Institute of Archaeology, Melbourne. He has direct field experience with the American Schools of Oriental Research at sites for Roman Jericho and Dibon. He has also lectured in Old Testament studies.
In a preface, Mr. (Dr. Prof.) F.F. Bruce observed that archaeology has made an “important contribution to the study of the Bible.” It has “greatly illuminated” variously the “text, language and narrative of the Bible.”
This 494-page book has 415 wonderful and helpful illustrations/pictures. To repeat, these are wonderful pictures.
It is available at: http://www.amazon.com/
But, before proceeding to the book directly, historical reviews such as this book...invokes confession (of faith), a prayer of thanksgiving and a hymn of gratitude. At the end, we will confess, pray and sing; we bring the incomparable Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 5) followed by the “General Thanksgiving” from The Book of Common Prayer and the hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God” (Lincoln Minster Choir).
Now, back to the book.
Mr. Thompson is a lecturer in Biblical archaeology at the University of Melbourne. For several years, he was the Director of the Australian Institute of Archaeology, Melbourne. He has direct field experience with the American Schools of Oriental Research at sites for Roman Jericho and Dibon. He has also lectured in Old Testament studies.
In a preface, Mr. (Dr. Prof.) F.F. Bruce observed that archaeology has made an “important contribution to the study of the Bible.” It has “greatly illuminated” variously the “text, language and narrative of the Bible.”
This 494-page book has 415 wonderful and helpful illustrations/pictures. To repeat, these are wonderful pictures.
The book is constructed as follows.
Foreword
Preface
List of Illustrations
List of Maps
List of Charts
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Biblical Archaeology Today
Part One: Archaeology and Old Testament Studies up to 587 B.C.
2. Abraham the Migrant
3. Land of Pharaohs
4. Egypt to Canaan
5. Settling in the Land
6. One Nation—One King
7. Kings of Israel
8. Kings of Judah
Part Two: Archaeology and Pre-Christian Centuries
9. Days of Exile
10. Return of the Jews from Exile
11. Persian Period in Palestine from 500 B.C. to 330 B.C.
12. Jews outside Palestine in the Fifth Century B.C.
13. Coming of the Greeks
14. Religious Community of Qumran
15. Herod the Great
Part Three: Archaeology and the New Testament
16. History of New Testament Times
17. Archaeology and the Roman Occupation in New Testament Times
18. Jerusalem that Jesus Knew
19. First Century Towns in Palestine
20. Luke the Historian
21. Archaeology, John’s Gospel, and the Book of Revelation
22. The New Testament and the Papyri
Appendices
Bibliography
Indices
Historical reviews such as the above induces us to confession (of the faith), a prayer of thanksgiving and a hymn of gratitude.
We bring the utterly incomparable Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 5) followed by the “General Thanksgiving” from The Book of Common Prayer and the hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God.”
Westminster Confession of Faith
I. God, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.
II. Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly, yet, by the same providence, he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.
III. God, in his ordinary providence, maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at his pleasure.
IV. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in his providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first Fall, and all other sins of angels and men, and that not by a bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to his own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God; who being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.
V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God, doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.
VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous judge, for former sins, doth blind and harden; from them he not only withholdeth his grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon their hearts; but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had; and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin; and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan; whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others.
VII. As the providence of God doth, in general, reach to all creatures, so, after a most special manner, it taketh care of his Church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof.
“The General Thanksgiving,” Book of Common Prayer
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for thine inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we beseech thee,
give us that due sense of all thy mercies,
that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful;
and that we show forth thy praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to thy service,
and by walking before thee
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit,
be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
“Now Thank We All Our God,” Lincoln Minster Choir
http://www.youtube.com/
1. Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.
2. O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us;
and keep us still in grace,
and guide us when perplexed;
and free us from all ills,
in this world and the next.
3. All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given;
the Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven;
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
1. Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.
2. O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us;
and keep us still in grace,
and guide us when perplexed;
and free us from all ills,
in this world and the next.
3. All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given;
the Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven;
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
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