A01=Kristofer B. Zimmitti
artifacts and museums
Author_Kristofer B. Zimmitti
biblical archaeology
biblical interpretation
biblical reception
biblicism
British Museum
Category=NK
Category=QRA
Category=QRMF1
Category=QRVC
classical reception
classicism
disenchantment
Edward Robinson
empire and excavation
empire and religion
empire and science
enchantment
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_nobargain
forthcoming
History of archaeology
history of religion
history of religion and science
J.R.R. Tolkien
literalism
religious studies
William Foxwell Albright
Product details
- ISBN 9781469698168
- Dimensions: 25 x 235mm
- Publication Date: 24 Nov 2026
- Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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Archaeology began in an era when many people read ancient religious texts literally, believing that what was described on the page corresponded to a material reality that existed beneath the soil. With a shovel in one hand and a sacred text in the other, early archaeologists sought confirmation in concrete evidence. In the process, they opened themselves to the disturbing possibility that they would find nothing—or, perhaps even more unsettling, discover evidence that would challenge their cherished beliefs.
Using accounts of excavations in Italy, Egypt, Iraq, and Palestine, Kristofer B. Zimmitti explores the tensions between science and religion, faith and reason. As archaeology grew more popular during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, excavations from Herculaneum to Babylon and discoveries such as the Moabite Stone transformed the modern understanding of the ancient past for Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and Latter-day Saints. While some archaeological findings confirmed the truth of ancient texts, others threatened to overturn them. Rather than abandon or question their faith, many believers kept digging. When the dust of excavation had settled, today’s religious world had been forged.
Using accounts of excavations in Italy, Egypt, Iraq, and Palestine, Kristofer B. Zimmitti explores the tensions between science and religion, faith and reason. As archaeology grew more popular during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, excavations from Herculaneum to Babylon and discoveries such as the Moabite Stone transformed the modern understanding of the ancient past for Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and Latter-day Saints. While some archaeological findings confirmed the truth of ancient texts, others threatened to overturn them. Rather than abandon or question their faith, many believers kept digging. When the dust of excavation had settled, today’s religious world had been forged.
Kristofer B. Zimmitti is a scholar of religion and history who works in colleges and congregations.
