Episode 67 - Scratching the Surface: Biblical Archaeology with Dr. Cynthia Shafer-Elliott

Talking to Dr. Shafer-Elliott about ancient history and archaeology in Israel is a revelation! I learned so much about how archaeologists work, the relationship between the stories we read and the findings in the dirt. We even blow up some common misunderstandings about ancient Israel. Enjoy! Cynthia Shafer-Elliott (Ph.D., The University of Sheffield, England) is an Associate Dean of the School of Theology and Leadership and Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible & Archaeology at Jessup University in Rocklin, California. Dr. Shafer-Elliott specializes in the historical, cultural, and social contexts of ancient Israel and Judah, particularly within domestic contexts. Her major publications include: Food in Ancient Judah: Domestic Cooking in the Time of the Hebrew Bible (2013) and editor of The 5 Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant (2016), along with numerous chapters, encyclopedia and dictionary articles, articles, essays, and papers presented on food, households, religion, and gender. She is currently co-editing the T & T Clark Handbook of Food in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel (forthcoming in September 2021). Dr. Shafer-Elliott is an experienced field archaeologist and is part of the archaeological excavations at Tell Halif and Tell Abel Beth Maacah in Israel.