One of the things that any study of ancient culture can do is help us understand some of the details in Scripture.

I'm a firm believer in the clarity of Scripture, so that the general truth of Scripture that God is,

from the very beginning of our rebellion against Him has sought to redeem humanity and has done so, especially in his son, Jesus,

and his death and resurrection. That is clear. I think anybody looking at scripture can see that.

But when we start looking at the details of passages and wanting to know more, the more we know

about culture can help us with that.

Welcome to the Crossway podcast, a show where we sit down with authors each week for thoughtful

interviews about the Bible, theology, church history, and the Christian life.

I'm Matt Tully, and today I'm talking with David Chapman.

David currently serves as professor of New Testament and archaechaeology at Covenant Theological Seminary,

and previously worked as director of the Abila Archaeological Excavation in Jordan.

He's also served as the New Testament editor for the ESV Archaeology Study Bible from Crossway.

Today, David and I discuss what it's like to be an archaeologist.

He shares from his experiences, overseeing an excavation site in the Middle East,

explains how archaeology can bolster our faith and enhance our understanding of the Bible,

and reflects on the most exciting archaeological discovery of his career.

Let's get started.

Well, David, thank you so much for joining us today on the Crossway podcast.

Thanks for inviting me. I'm glad to be with you.

So you teach archaeology at Covenant Theological Seminary, And on your bio page at the school's website,

there's this picture of you at the top of the page standing outside, I think, and pointing to

what looks to be an old map. And you're wearing a hat that is somewhat reminiscent of something

...