November 1, 2007
by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE – Renowned biblical archaeologist and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary professor Ron Tappy was the subject of a recent front-page feature in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The story, written by Presbyterian elder and retired Post-Gazette editor Mark Roth, can be found on the Post-Gazettes Web site (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07302/829332-85.stm).

In the story, Tappy is cited for his discovery two years ago near Jerusalem of a Hebrew "alphabet stone" that dates back to the 10th century B.C., during the time of King Solomon.

The discovery was described by some experts, Roth said, as the most important find in biblical archaeology in the last 10 years, because "it suggests the earliest Hebrew Scriptures could have been written down in that era – hundreds of years earlier than many scholars had believed."

Dr. Tappy puts himself among traditional archaeologists who believe that many scriptural tales are based on real historic events and places, but have been embellished or reshaped to serve a theological purpose, Roth reports.

The goal of the biblical writers, he said he believes, "is to explain history in the light of who God is and what God wants, so ultimately it's a theological work we have here. When the writers use historical details, that detail is not the point for them; the point is: What is God's nature, and what is our nature?"

Presbyterian News Service