The Department of Biblical Archaeology exists to provide a venue and apparatus for instruction, research, and field experience in archaeology within ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman contexts. Biblical archaeology seeks to illuminate our understanding of the biblical world by recovering and investigating its material culture and ancient texts. This department provides the opportunity for students to participate in scheduled excavations throughout the modern countries representing this historical context. Participants in such excavations will be equipped to demonstrate the skills necessary for all phases of fieldwork, follow-up analysis, conservation, and the publication of such findings. To learn more about Shepherds’ biblical archaeological research, click here

This concentration allows a student to go deeper into the field of biblical archaeology—exploring issues of methodology, theory, fieldwork, excavation, analysis, and conservation. It offers ideal academic preparation for the student who desires to progress toward doctoral work. The concentration includes the following courses in addition to the 48 core credit hours for the MABS and the 80 core credit hours for the MDiv.

Below are the requirements for this concentration in both the MABS and MDiv degree programs: