This article suggests that comparative studies, founded upon archaeology and linguistic evidence, constitute the most fruitful field for biblical research. The purpose in this article is to demonstrate with a particular example—the golden calves and the Egyptian concept of deity—the value of this approach for the understanding of the Bible.

Looking at the book of Exodus, this article discusses how archaeology can be used to give some background information on the Bible.

Comparing the historical account of Sennacherib with that of the Bible, this article shows that although the Bible recorded these events before archaeological discoveries, archaeology has shown that the biblical account of history is reliable.

This article discusses the use of archaeology and historical background studies while keeping biblical text as the center of interpretation.

This article looks at the contribution of background studies to the text of the Bible and the impact they have on interpretation. Archaeology and historical studies can hinder or enrich the meaning of a text.