Archaeology and Bible--two simple terms, often used together, understood by everybody. But are they understood properly? If so, why are both subject to such controversy? And what can archaeology contribute to our understanding of the Bible? These are the problems addressed by Professor Dever in this book. Dever first looks at the nature and recent development of both archaeology and Biblical studies, and then lays the groundwork for a new a productive relationship between these two disciplines. His "case studies" are three eras in Israelite history: the period of settlement in Canaan, the period of the United Monarchy, and the period of religious development, chiefly during the Divided Monarchy. In each case Dever explores by means of recent discoveries what archaeology, couples with textual study, can contribute to the illumination of the life and times of ancient Israel. Given the flood of new information that has come from recent archaeological discoveries, Dever has chosen to draw evidence largely from excavations and surveys done in Israel in the last ten years--many still unpublished--concerning archaeology and the Old Testament. Dever's work not only brings the reader up to date on recent archaeological discoveries as they pertain to the Hebrew Bible, but indeed goes further in offering an original interpretation of the relationship between the study of the Bible and the uncovering of the material culture of the ancient Near East. Extensive notes, plus the use of much new and/or unpublished data, will make the volume useful to graduate students and professors in the fields of Biblical studies and Syro-Palestinian archaeology, and the seminarians, pastors, rabbis, and others. This book provides stimulating, provocative, and often controversial reading as well as a compendium of valuable insights and marginalia that symbolizes the state of the art of Biblical archaeology today.

The book starts with a background story of the author which explains what led him to his strange life- long hobby of "collecting religions". It then continues by building a systematic foundation to his Exodus theory. It starts with a closely related descriptions of North African history, geography, climate, the Africans, Egypt, and its powerful Nile in ancient times. The author then tells the story of his experiences in Africa, which led him to start his investigation and come up with the theory that the Exodus was partially occurred in North Africa. The book supports the theory with rational proofs including military, engineering, leadership, and common-sense explanations to many mystical stories about the Exodus, including the 10 plaques, crossing the sea of reeds, the reasoning for moving west, the locations of mount Sinai and its volcano "pillar of fire", the Tombs of Lust, the snakes attack in the Valley of the Serpents, the Manna tree, the golden Calf, the construction of the large Ark of Covenant and more. In addition, the author supports his theory by identifying 20 locations, which are listed in the Bible through which the Israelites passed from Egypt to Canaan, that still exist in North Africa today. Finally, the author brings additional evidence in support of his theory which relate to the similarity of African languages, such as Bambara, to Hebrew as well as similarities of African religious traditions, customs, and rituals to the ancient Jewish ones. Thus, concluding that some of the Israelites left The Exodus journey and settled in Africa, such as the Bambara tribes. The second part of the book describes the author's search for the hidden footsteps of the Ten lost Tribes on Israel. It starts with an historical background of the life in Canaan after the Israelites arrived there from Egypt, and the misfortunate events which led to the expulsion of the Ten Tribes by the Assyrians. It also presents some known historical records of the Japanese people since the time they arrived in their islands including some personal adventurous experiences of the author along the route that they took from Assyria through Asia to Japan. The proof of the theory is greatly related to the author's discoveries of similarities between the Japanese mythological stories, customs, holidays, rituals and their parallel biblical Jewish stories, holidays, custom and traditions. In addition, it presents many linguistic similarities between Hebrew and Japanese including words, writing letters and symbols that support his theory that the Japanese and the ancient Ten Lost Tribes of Israel are strongly related. The book finishes with a dictionary that shows similarities in meaning and pronunciation of many Hebrew, Bambara and Japanese words that support the author's theories that their history is closely related.