Biblical Archaeology and the Press: Shaping American Perceptions of Palestine in the First Decade of the Mandate

Abstract

The work of archaeologists in Palestine in the 1920s constituted big news: newspapers such as The New York Times turned the story into one of dramatic proportions. The press created an "archaeological theater." Stories of discovery took on a melodramatic quality that emphasized the universal significance of biblical archaeology. The act of excavation became the confirmation of the truth of the Bible and its world-enveloping vision. How did this "theater" play in Peoria? In subtle ways, a temporal transposition was carried out. Stories described the biblical past with sufficient theatrical effect to make it more real than the Arab present, with tangible consequences for the future of Palestine.