The Board of Directors of the Associates for Biblical Research is especially proud of the job Dr. Bryant Wood has done over the years in support of this work at Khirbet el-Maqatir...

Dear ABR Friends,

Thank you for your participation in our dig at Khirbet el-Maqatir in Israel. We believe this project will have far-reaching consequences in the areas of biblical archaeology and biblical studies, and we appreciate your part in helping uncover the evidence. The Board of Directors of the Associates for Biblical Research is especially proud of the job Dr. Bryant Wood has done over the years in support of this work. ABR Director Scott Lanser and I would like to take this opportunity to put in a few good words for his ministry with ABR.

The heart of any Christian organization is the people who work for it. The ministry of the organization only will be as effective as those who are working within it. ABR is no exception. We have been richly blessed since God has sent us exceptionally well-qualified people to do the unique work He has called ABR to do.

Bryant is a case in point. He left a lucrative career as a mechanical engineer with the General Electric Company to pursue archaeology and serve the Lord in that field. His training is exceptional: he earned a doctorate from the University of Toronto in the field of ceramic analysis, which is central to Palestinian archaeology. Almost all dating is dependent upon the analysis of pottery. Before Bryant came along, there were no evangelical scholars trained in this specialized study. We were dependent upon the say-so of secular scholars, many of whom were biased against the Bible. Now, evangelicals have a voice in the interpretation of archaeological data.

A good example of the impact Bryant has had is his research on Jericho. Kathleen Kenyon, who excavated the site in the 1950s, said Jericho didn't exist at the time of the Israelite conquest because it had been destroyed 150 years earlier. This conclusion was based on her interpretation of the pottery evidence. Bryant conclusively has demonstrated that Kenyon was wrong. Jericho actually was destroyed in about 1400 BC, the very time the Israelites burned the city according to biblical chronology! Bryant's results have shaken the scholarly community and received worldwide media attention. Before Bryant's work, scholars had written off the biblical account of the conquest of Canaan. His research has forced scholars to rethink their position on the historicity of the book of Joshua.

We are at a critical juncture with regard to the Khirbet el-Maqatir excavation. It is time to publish the findings so that scholars and the general public can have access to this important evidence that demonstrates the truth of the Bible. Bryant is responsible for publishing the 1995-2000 and 2009-2013 seasons, and he needs your financial support in order to accomplish this task. Ours is a missionary organization. Each staff member is responsible for raising his own support, including Bryant. There is much work that needs to be done. We have the data to support the historical reliability of Scripture, but it must be documented in order to be effective. It is up to evangelicals to underwrite and carry out this much-needed work. If we don't do it, no one else will! And ABR is the only Christian organization engaged in this type of research. Bryant has the desire, training and scholarly reputation to get the job done.

'Why is this work necessary?' you may ask. Many Christians have the attitude that it is not necessary to prove the Bible; we know that it is true, no matter what the critics say. Yes, certainly that is correct. The sad thing is, however, that the anti-Bible theories of the critics are being taught in our colleges and universities and, I am sorry to say, even in many of our seminaries. Academics are leading young people and others under their influence away from the truths of God's word. ABR is not out to prove the Bible, but to set the record straight and disprove the critics. We are dedicated to turning around the current negative attitude toward the Bible prevalent in our society today. Secular scholars are raising millions of dollars to support their anti-God research. Evangelicals should be just as eager to support research which upholds the truth of Scripture.

Paul admonished the Philippians to 'stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you' (1:27-28, NIV). Should we do any less today? I'm asking you to stand with us as we contend for the faith in our generation. Won't you become a member of Bryant's support team? He needs your prayers and regular financial help. Please click here to make a donation to support Bryant's ministry with ABR. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours for the truth,

Scott Lanser & Scott Stripling
ABR Director Director, Maqatir & Shiloh Excavations