ABSTRACT
Since its beginnings in the nineteenth century, the archaeology of the lands of ancient Israel and Judah has been forced into uncomfortable dialogues with the political issues of the day. Perceptions and misperceptions of the biblical past have influenced political discourse both before and after the founding of the modern State of Israel, and such misperceptions are still used to advance political agendas in the region today. This chapter explores the main scholarly issues and political trends that have tried to harness archaeology into their service, from Millenarism to Zionism to revisionist scholarship.
