How did all this impact the study of the Bible? Chapman traces the development of biblical higher criticism, which often suggested the Bible was full of folktales and mythology. Certainly, there was skepticism about the details, but as these nineteenth-century explorers brought back reports from Egypt, Palestine, and Mesopotamia, it was clear that the overall context of the Bible is credible. This transformed archaeology from antiquarian collecting into a scholarly science. Chapman suggests that Sir Flinders Petrie was the first scientific archaeologist to explore the holy lands.I noted the publication of the book here.
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