On November 16, 2021, Father Josef Briffa SJ, director of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem, delivered a fascinating lecture entitled: “Beyond the hype: Archaeology and the Bible in 2021”. The lecture was delivered as part of the series “Tuesdays at Tantur” in the Tantur Ecumenical Institute”, situated midway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Father Josef was welcomed and introduced by the rector of Tantur, Father John Paul SJ. His talk focused on the challenges in the field of archaeology today, in particular the attempt to make media headlines by offering less than precise and sometimes even quirky explanations for archaeological finds. He offered certain criteria by which the informed public might sift headlines in order to understand what is really going on in the field. He surveyed some of the most important digs in the Holy Land, sharing also about the dig he is personally involved in at the site of Azeka.

There was a lively discussion after the talk. Four members of the Jesuit community attended the lecture as well as representatives from many other communities, including the Dominicans of the Ecole biblique.