Were the women depicted in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible more than mothers of the children of Israel? Did they contribute to Israelite tribal survival by experimenting with food plants and seeds, shearing wool and weaving cloth, making pots and devising ways to cook, preserve, and store food? And what about their religious lives?

The second talk in the First Presbyterian–First United Methodist Church Faith-and-Science Lecture Series will be on “The Archaeology of Women in Ancient Israel.” The lecture will be presented by Erin Darby, associate professor of religious studies and co-director of the ‘Ayn Gharandal Archaeological Project at the University of Tennessee.

Darby will deliver her lecture at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 2, in the fellowship hall of the sanctuary building of First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge, 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Refreshments will be served.

An archaeologist, Darby takes UT students to Jordan every other summer to learn about human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. [Read more…]