The Stones Cry Out: What Archaeology Reveals About the Truth of the Bible,   ISBN:9781565076402

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"The Stones Cry Out" by Randall Price (paperback, 1997) has some problems which I will discuss first, and then I will mention some of its good points.

Problem #1: The first few pages, and last several pages, are falling out. The binding is evidently not of the best quality.

Problem #2: The oldest/earliest/bottom-most layer of ancient Israelite and Near Eastern cities dates back to only 2300 BC (diagram, p. 45). Yet the author assigns dates earlier than this, such as 2500 BC (for Noah and the flood), and 4134 BC (for Adam and Eve). Hence, in doing this, he goes BEYOND the archeological evidence, and indulges in speculation. (I conclude that the earliest date he assigns which IS based solidly on the archeological evidence is c. 2135 BC [for Abraham's birth]["Chronology of Historical Figures," p. 354].)

(In fact, as I have come to understand it, Abraham is the earliest/first actual/real/historical person in the Bible; everything before him is PRE-history. So yes, God made the heavens and the earth, but not necessarily in seven literal days. And yes, there was a great flood [at the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, according to geologists], but again, the author of Genesis uses "poetic license" to fill in the details.)

Incidentally, I was interested to learn that other ancient cultures (besides the Hebrew culture, with its Bible) had stories of Creation from a watery chaos, out of which separated the heavens and the earth; of the gods creating the first humans from clay of the ground; and of the chief (creator) god later sending a flood to destroy all humanity, but warning one man who builds a boat and so survives (Babylonian and Assyrian epics; pp. 60-64).

Problem #3 with this book: incomplete information. For example, the author states, "We can provide a computer model of a scientific mechanism for the parting of the Red Sea" (p. 134), but no such mechanism is described. Was it simply "a strong east wind all night" (Genesis 14.21)? We are given not even the slightest hint.

Another example of insufficient information is where the author says that satellite imagery analysts, using infrared light, can see ancient caravan routes through the desert by the "heat patterns left in the earth" (p. 136). What exactly the "heat patterns" are is not explained. Did the caravans pack the ground, so that it now holds more heat along the ancient routes? Again, I am left to my own guessing...

While I think Randall Price is a highly competent archeologist, I also think that he needs a good professional writer as co-author of this book, to fill in the gaps and supply more information wherever needed.

Now I turn to the good parts of the book. It was an eye-opener for me to read that an ancient city has been excavated which could be the Sodom mentioned in the Bible. A layer of ashes several feet thick covers the city, evidence of a massive destroying fire.

Subsequent erosion has destroyed any remains of buildings in the city itself, but its nearby cemetary contains ruins of "burial houses," which show evidence that the fire started on the roofs, which then caved in, spreading the flames to inside the buildings.

A possible natural explanation is that an earthquake (common in this region, which lies above a fault line [p. 110]) forced deposits of sulfur, asphalt, petroleum, and natural gas (also common in this area [p. 118]) to the surface. It would then have taken only a lightening bolt to ignite a catastrophic firestorm which "rained on Sodom...brimstone [stones of burning sulfur] and fire...out of heaven" (Genesis 19:24).

(Of course, knowing a probable natural cause....in no way excludes simultaneous supernatural intervention also.)

Another find that impressed me was the 1990 discovery of a limestone burial box ("ossuary") near Jerusalem, with beautiful flower-designs engraved on the front (photograph p. 306), indicating a person of high rank. On the side of this stone coffin was inscribed the name "Caiaphas," and the bones of the 60-year-old man found inside the container are indeed thought to be those of the very same high priest who asked Pilate to condemn Jesus to death.

And speaking of Pilate, in 1961 a 2 x 3 ft. stone plaque was unearthed, inscribed in Latin, "Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea" (p. 307), the first archeological evidence for the man who sentenced Jesus to execution by crucifixion.

And if anyone should doubt the reality of crucifixion as described in the gospels, a seven-inch-long nail going through a man's ankle bone, and lodged in a knothole of a piece of wood from an olivewood cross, was found in an ossuary near Jerusalem, originating from about the time of Jesus (p. 309).

In summary, overall I liked this book and recommend it. In spite of its imperfections, I found it to be one of the more fascinating books I have read in recent years.

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I read this book quite a while ago and remember that it was a good read. One impression I had was that the writer doesn't point out the obvious: Prior to the time of the Kings, there is a virtual dirth of evidence for anything. For example, in the chapter on the Exodus, after sifting through all of the dialogue, you come to realize that millions of pre-Israelites spent forty years in the desert and there is not a potsherd of evidence. At the end of the chapter, the author all but admits this. I realize that absence of evidence is not usually evidence of absence, but when you should expect to find evidence and you don't, well... To add some balance to what I've just said, this book was written in 1997 and I think that more evidence has emerged since then.

The chapter on Sodom was interesting, but full of speculation.

Read this book and enjoy it, but be sure to read what isn't said.

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I really enjoyed this book. I expected it to be written in a way that would be hard to read, but it was actually written very simply and in a format that made it easy to understand. It doesn't go as in depth as a would have liked on certain subjects, but its a good survey of Biblical Archeology.

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Who says the Bible is myth? And who says archaeology is boring? This is a captivating book, one that has turned my travel fantasies from Germany and Austria to the Holy Land.

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This book has so many strong points:

First of all, the author's uncompromising integrity gives his information tremendous plausibility. He rejects popular theories that lack true evidence, even if those theories would support his own beliefs. He's very honest about the limits of archeology, whether you are a biblical skeptic or a believer. He also admits that, due to ongoing discoveries, any book on archeology is outdated before it goes to print. Such humility is a refreshing change from how many archeologists, both minimalists (biblical scholars who minimize the authority of biblical text as a reliable source of historical and factual information about the past)and maximalists (biblical scholars who give maximum authority to the Bible as a source of, etc.), present their finds. Regardless, the finds that have stood the test are presented here in fascinating detail, both photographic and literary.

Price also emphasizes archeology's limits (mostly due to financial constraints). For example, Price writes that only 10% of discovered cuneiform tablets have been published. So yes, 50,000 tablets is a lot, but remember that means that there are 450,000 tablets that haven't been published. There is a lot of information like this in the book.

The discoveries and their conclusions are fascinating. I particularly liked the chapter discussing Sodom, its possible location, and the evidence discovered there showing that the houses had burned from the rooftops and downward.

Great photos throughout the book, and good organization, including a glossary.

Price maintains an admirably respectful tone when writing about minimalist archeologists, even though their beliefs and archeological philosophies must totally contradict his.

Price is obviously and enthusiastically Christian, but he doesn't in any way force his religious views on the reader, nor does he put down other religions. I'm Jewish, so I think I would've picked up on any slights (to my own religion, at least).

The style and tone of his writing is enjoyable. He has a sense of fun and wonder about his work that really comes through. It could be a dry subject, but Price gives it life.

Just a FYI: Here in Israel, a minimalist archeologist repeatedly insists that archeological evidence shows that camels were absolutely not domesticated in the time of Abraham. When a maximalist archeologist showed him clear and numerous evidence that camels WERE domesticated then, and that the Bible wasn't lying, the minimalist said he didn't care, and continues to this day to restate his original (and proven false) claims. Minimalists are obviously no more objective than maximalists, which is why I think it's very important to read books by straight-shooting archeologists (regardless of their religious views)like Randall Price in order to get the whole story.

It goes without saying: I loved this book!