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Recent Testimony of Archaeology to the Scriptures.
III. THE PALESTINIAN CIVILIZATION. Other recent testimony of archaeology brings before us the Palestinian civilisation of the conquest period. Palestinian explorations within the last few years have yielded a start ling array of “finds” illustrating things mentioned in the Bible, finds of the same things, finds of like things, and finds in har mony with things'28’. Individual mention of them all is here neither possible nor desirable. Of incomparably greater impor tance than these individually interesting relics of Canaanite antiquity is the answer afforded by recent research to two questions: 1. First in order, Does the Canaanite culture as reveale by the excavations accord with the story of Israel at the con quest as related in the Bible ? How much of a break in culture is required by the Bible account, and how much is revealed by the excavations? For answer, we must find a standpoint somewhere between that of the dilettante traveler in the land of the microscopic scientist thousands of miles away. The careful excavator in the field occupies that sane and safe mid dle point of view. Petrie'24’, Bliss'25’, Macalister'28’, Schu- macker'27’ and Sellin'28’—these are the men with whom to stand. And for light on the early civilization of Palestine, the great work of Macalister at Gezer stands easily first. d HISTORICAL VALUE OF POTTERY. In determining this question of culture, too much impor tance has been allowed to that estimate of time and chrono logical order which is gained exclusively from the study of pottery. The pottery remains are not to be undervalued, and neither are they to be overvalued. Time is only one thing that shows itself in similarity or dissimilarity in pottery. Dif ferent stages of civilization at different places at the same time, and adaptation to an end either at the same time or at widely different times, show themselves in pottery, and render very uncertain any chronological deduction. And, still more,
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