Yesterday I had experienced an opportunity which I am truly grateful for. Viewable by appointment only, I had scheduled to meet with local professor of archaeology (who specializes in Ancient Near Eastern History and Biblical Archaeology), Dr. Adam E Miglio, Ph.D for a tour of the Archaeology Museum located on the campus of Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. And while theirs is a modest collection of artifacts excavated from the ancient Near East and dating from as early as the Middle Bronze and through the Iron Age, it was still a beautiful collection with a great history as it was presented within the context of Biblical Studies. I say modest only in comparison to other collections such as the one found at the Oriental Institute of Chicago, etc.

Dr. Miglio was gracious enough to give us (my wife, daughter and myself) a small part of his afternoon yesterday to provide a personal tour through the collection as he narrated almost every artifact. As a lover of ancient Near Eastern history, I enjoyed every bit of it and would highly recommend it to anyone finding themselves in the western suburbs of the Chicago land area. The collection ranges from Joseph P. Free’s work at Tel Dothan, Israel to others from the general Levantine region, Mesopotamia, and even Egypt and consists of pots, Bronze Age weapons, ancient idols, jewelry, ossuaries, inscriptions and more.

Despite enjoying every part of the collection, it was neat to see such displays that showcased the evolution of manufactured goods including pottery to even oil lamps and how the styles and methods evolved over time. Specifically pointing out the oil lamp, it was extremely interesting to see the Hasmonean push to preserve their heritage, culture, and faith and finding their roots away from Seleucid influence. Yes, some of the results in the Maccabean Revolt can be observed in how oil lamps were manufactured!

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