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 Dr. Ronald Youngblood, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Hebrew
Bethel Seminary San Diego
6707 Lofty View Point
San Diego, CA 92120-1734
president@neasweb.org
Dear NEAS Members
As you know, the late W. Harold Mare was the distinguished president of the Near East Archaeological Society (NEAS) from its earliest days and for most of its existence. Under his leadership the NEAS took its place as a respected member of the archaeological community as a whole. He was followed by equally competent archaeologists in the persons of Keith Schoville, John D. Wineland, and David Merling, Sr. Since I cannot in any way approach the archaeological expertise or experience of any of these men, I am honored by the fact that you have chosen me to succeed them in the office of president of our Society.
My qualifications for that office are both meager and limited. My forays into dirt archaeology consist of three weeks during the academic year 1967-68, most of which were spent at Gezer but which also included a couple of days each at Jebel Qa’aqir and Khirbet el-Qom. Those were heady times, however; during that sabbatical year I had the privilege of visiting virtually every important archaeological site in Israel, and my main mentor was Bill Dever, whose friendship and advice I have cherished through the decades ever since. I have also taught courses in Biblical Archaeology, in formal academic settings as well as in informal church series, on numerous occasions. My love of archaeology has remained undiminished, even if mostly of the “armchair” variety.
It is therefore with deep appreciation that I continue to serve you as president. All of us still have a lot of work to do as we build on the foundations so solidly laid by our predecessors. The relationships between the Bible and archaeology are being questioned on many fronts and attacked from many sides. So let’s roll up our sleeves, individually and collectively, and move forward in fulfilling the tasks to which we believe God has called us.
Faithfully yours,
Ronald Youngblood
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