Interview with archaeologist Dr. Chris McKinney

Welcome to Bible Fiber! We are taking a break today from our Ezekiel deep dive to catch another archaeologist before he sets off for a summer expedition in Israel. Today’s guest is Chris McKinny. Chris has his PhD from Bar Ilan University in Israel. His dissertation focused on the historical geography and archaeology of the town lists of Judah and Benjamin in the book of Joshua. If you have never met a biblical geography junkie, you are in luck because you are going to today.

Chris currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at several universities. I had the privilege of taking a class with Chris on the Peoples of the Bible two years ago. He is also a senior staff member on the Tel Burna Archaeological Project which is why he is heading to Israel soon. He is the host of a great podcast called OnScript: Biblical World. Check out his recent episode on the Gilgamesh Epic. A couple years ago, I had a great time in Israel with Chris and the rest of his team at Gesher Media filming an upcoming feature film called Quest for the Throne of God, which I want an update on as well.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Background
• 06:41 The Importance of Historical Geography
• 09:48 Tel Burna: Biblical Libna
• 24:39 Discoveries at Tel Burna
• 27:03 The Importance of Architecture in Archaeology
• 33:36 The Formation of Tel Burna
• 38:53 The Quest for the Throne of God

Takeaways

• Historical geography combines physical geography, philology, and toponymy to understand the biblical world.
• The Tel Burna excavation site is identified as biblical Libna and provides insights into the history of Judah.
• Despite the ongoing conflict in Israel, precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the excavation team.
• The Tel Burna excavation project is in its final season, and the focus is on the late Bronze Age and understanding the destruction of the site. 
• Architecture plays a crucial role in archaeology, providing insights into ancient societies and their religious practices.
• New technologies, such as residue analysis and XRF, are being used to analyze artifacts and understand how people used the land in ancient times.
• The upcoming film 'The Quest for the Throne of God' explores the story of the Ark of the Covenant and its significance in the Hebrew Bible and Christian theology.