Easy to read book that walks the reader through the reasons and methods of archaeological research in the Bible area of Israel. The author clearly shows the reasons why Biblical archaeology is important in revealing the material culture from the past, and how that can be used to interpret life in the Old and New Testament times. While archaeology should not be used to prove or disprove the Bible, it can be used to bring historical and cultural context to Biblical events and people. Structures such as temples, churches, houses and palaces are described and shown how they were historically built, used, and what was preserved and how it was preserved thorough time. Engineering practices from wells, irrigation and urban water systems to rural and city development are discussed. Cultural practices are discussed, concerning idols, altars, burial customs, musical instruments and the evolution and use of coins in the holy lands. The methods used in archaeological research are also described, such as underwater archaeology, and even "bad archaeology" which is used to prove or disprove a point, or to make money from illegally digging for artifacts or constructing fake items to sell or create prestige.
This is an excellent book on the archaeology of the Holy Lands, and can be read and enjoyed by the general public, even those with little knowledge of archaeology or Biblical history. Recommended for private collections, archaeology collections of the Middle East, church libraries and school and public library collections. This book is also highly recommended for seminary collections, as it is a good introduction to what archaeology in the Holy Lands is, is not, and what it can and can't do. For example, there is an excellent section on how difficult it is to attach archaeological finding to dates and events in the past, because there is so much uncertainty about exact dates in the pre-Roman periods of Israel. ( )

Digging for Insights by John F. Brug, is an easy to understand book about how archaeology helps us to understand the Bible. Archaeology does not prove or disprove the Bible, but uses the principles of science to interpret the artifacts that the archaeologists find.