On October 28, 2014 at 7:00 pm in the David A. Glock Auditorium, Emmaus Bible College will sponsor the 2nd annual Archaeology Lecture Series. The event is FREE. No tickets are required. This year’s guest will be Dr. Steven Ortiz, Director of the Tandy Institute for Archaeology, and Associate Professor of Archaeology and Biblical Backgrounds at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His lecture is entitled “The Search for King Solomon: Recent Excavations at Tel Gezer.”
The Bible paints a picture of a robust kingdom centered in Jerusalem and led by Solomon. This kingdom exerted power over the whole southern Levant during the Iron age. It was eventually destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. This presentation will detail the latest evidence uncovered in Israel that contributes to our understanding of Solomon and his kingdom.
Dr. Ortiz brings over 30 years of archaeological field experience. He has lived in Israel and now spends most of his summers there. He is currently the co-director and principal investigator at Tel Gezer in southern Israel.The project is now in its eighth season and is focused on understanding borders and state formation in Judah in the Iron age (1200-586 B.C.).
Dr. Ortiz’s expertise is the use of archaeology to reconstruct the history of ancient Israel and the Second Temple Period (New Testament). Dr. Ortiz has contributed to several books and monographs: History of Ancient Israel, Do Historical Matters Matter to Faith?, Critical Issues in Early Israelite History, Buried Hopes or Risen Savior, Archaeological and Historical Studies in honor of Amihai Mazar, and The Future of Biblical Archaeology. He is currently working on the publications of Tel Gezer as well as a book entitled Intersections of Archaeology and Biblical Interpretation.
In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Dr. Ortiz is passionate about teaching the relevance of historical and cultural context in the proper interpretation of scripture. He is a frequent supply preacher and conference speaker. He has contributed to over 100 radio interviews, newspaper articles, and denominational publications.
For more information contact:
Steve Sanchez
Chair, Bible and Theology Department
Emmaus Bible College
Dubuque, IA
563-258-3023
ssanchez@emmaus.edu
