My Daughter's New Bible

I bought a new bible for my daughter the other day. She's 12 and she asked for this specific bible - Archaeological Study Bible (an illustrated walk through biblical history and culture) published by Zondervan.

I was quite pleased to buy this for her.  Pleased that she asked for it. Pleased that she expresses such an interest in archaeology (she wants to be an Egyptologist) and in the bible and pleased that it was more than 60% off .  This father was beaming. Still is.

But I have a couple of slight reservations about it.

For one - it's the King  James Version.  This is only a minor reservation.  I don't have anything against the KJV. It's fine, I suppose. It's not my favorite. It wouldn't usually be my choice.

My real concern is in the conservative / fundamentalist bias in the notes.
For example - The Documentary Hypothesis is casually dismissed with a brief note on page 15.  "The main arguments for this theory are the existence of repetition and apparent contradiction within these five books [the Pentateuch], as well as the use of different names for God." The theory, we are told, has been abandoned by scholars because it is "based on a faulty understanding of ancient Near Eastern literature" and that it "contributes nothing helpful to our understanding of the Pentateuch."

Another example -  questions raised by archaeologists about the date of the "conquest" of the Promised Land are glossed over.  2nd and 3rd Isaiahs are dismissed without consideration.  Jonah is assumed to be factual history.

I could go on with this list, but I really haven't given the book a thorough examination yet.

While I am concerned about some of the bias in the notes - I am quite pleased to see the inclusion of "Ancient Voices" within the text; quotes from other ancient extra-biblical sources that help shed light on biblical texts.  There are numerous photos of archaeological sites and discoveries.  There are maps and time-lines and all the usual study-bible-stuff. It really is a neat bible - one I might be inclined to borrow from my daughter on occasion.

As I said, I was pleased to buy it for my daughter. I encourage her to read and to study - even material that I don't necessarily agree with.  I trust her to use her brain. And maybe we can both learn something new.