About this episode

Pete talks with archaeologist Cynthia Shafer-Elliott about the intersection of archaeology and the Bible.

On this week’s episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete talks with archaeologist Cynthia Shafer-Elliott about what archaeology can—and can’t—tell us about the Bible. Cynthia explains how archaeologists excavate ancient sites, highlights key discoveries like the Tel Dan Stele and the Lachish reliefs, and explores what everyday artifacts reveal about life in ancient Israel and Judah. Together they discuss how material culture complicates simple claims that archaeology either proves or disproves the Bible, offering instead a richer picture of the ancient world behind the text. Show Notes → https://www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episodes/bible-episode-322-cynthia-shafer-elliott-where-archaeology-intersects-with-the-bible Watch this episode on YouTube → https://youtu.be/7FFxqydz0Vc ********** This episode is sponsored by Factor. Head to Factormeals.com/normalpeople50off and use code normalpeople50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box, with new subscription only, while supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Pete

Guest: Cynthia Shafer-Elliott

Topics covered

• archaeology
• Bible
• ancient Israel
• material culture
• excavation
• artifacts

Keywords

• archaeology
• Bible
• ancient artifacts
• Tel Dan Stele
• Lachish reliefs
• excavation
• material culture

Sponsors

Factor

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Tel Dan Stele, Lachish reliefs

More episodes of The Bible For Normal People

• [Bible] Episode 326: Chris Keith - How do Scholars Reconstruct the "Historical Jesus?" · April 27, 2026 · 52 min
• [Bible] Episode 325: Pete Ruins Everything with Amy-Jill Levine · April 20, 2026 · 60 min
• [Bible] Episode 324: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - A City on a Hill: A Ten Year Retrospective · April 13, 2026 · 50 min
• [Bible] Episode 323: Andrew Tobolowsky- The Myth of the Twelve Tribes · April 6, 2026 · 54 min
• [Bible] Episode 321: H. Daniel Zacharias and T. Christopher Hoklotubbe - Native American Biblical Interpretation · March 23, 2026 · 1h 2m
• [Bible] Episode 320: Pete Ruins Everything on Jeremiah · March 16, 2026 · 55 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Bible For Normal People podcast page.