Biblical Archaeology Society – Bias and Credibility

Biblical Archaeology Society is rated Least biased with Mostly Factual factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED (-0.5)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (4.0)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY

History

The Biblical Archaeology Society (BAS) is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1974 by Hershel Shanks. According to its About page, it disseminates archaeological and historical scholarship concerning the lands and cultures associated with the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.

Its flagship publication, Biblical Archaeology Review, was launched in 1975 and is intended to make academic biblical archaeology accessible to general readers. BAS describes itself as nondenominational and nonsectarian. Current editor-in-chief Glenn J. Corbett is supported by an editorial staff that includes scholars specializing in archaeology, ancient Near Eastern religion, and biblical studies.

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Funded by / Ownership

BAS is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It generates most of its revenue through subscriptions, memberships, publications, educational programs, tours, and other program services, supplemented by donations and advertising. Its 2024 IRS filing reported approximately $3.2 million in revenue, with about 91% derived from program services.

The organization also sells subscriptions to Biblical Archaeology Review and its digital library and accepts advertising through its magazine, website, and email products.

Analysis / Bias

BAS generally approaches biblical archaeology from an academic rather than devotional perspective. Its publications include Jewish, Christian, secular, minimalist, and maximalist scholars and frequently discuss disagreements surrounding biblical texts, archaeology, and historical reconstruction.

For example, Three New Assyrian Kings Discovered summarizes peer-reviewed research by scholars from the University of Münster and Yale University and links directly to the academic publication. The article clearly explains the evidence and distinguishes established knowledge from the researchers’ proposed reconstruction.

Likewise, The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls presents competing scholarly approaches to textual variants in the Hebrew Bible rather than asserting a doctrinal conclusion.

BAS also publishes material that explicitly rejects fundamentalist readings. Its discussion of Genesis describes biblical creation accounts in the context of earlier ancient Near Eastern myths, while another article notes that identifying the serpent in Eden with Satan would have been foreign to the original Israelite authors.

Some headlines use religious language such as describing archaeological locations as sites of Jesus’ “miracles.” However, the underlying reporting usually examines the historical location or development of the tradition rather than claiming that archaeology proves a supernatural event.

The organization’s greatest factual controversy involves unprovenanced artifacts. BAS and founder Hershel Shanks strongly promoted the James Ossuary, Ivory Pomegranate, and other disputed artifacts. The Israel Antiquities Authority concluded that the James Ossuary inscription was forged, although the collector accused of forgery was later acquitted and the object’s authenticity remains debated. BAS has continued to publish arguments supporting authenticity and criticizing the IAA investigation.

BAS was also successfully sued over its publication of scholar Elisha Qimron’s reconstruction of a Dead Sea Scroll text, resulting in damages for copyright infringement. This was an ethical and legal publishing controversy rather than evidence of inaccurate archaeological reporting.

Failed Fact Checks

• None to date. However, its promotion of disputed biblical artifacts represents a significant historical credibility issue. Scholars and the Israel Antiquities Authority have challenged the authenticity of several artifacts strongly defended by BAS, particularly the James Ossuary and Ivory Pomegranate.

Overall, we rate The Biblical Archaeology Society as Least Biased based on its nonsectarian approach, presentation of competing scholarly perspectives, and reliance on mainstream archaeological and textual scholarship. We rate it Mostly Factual due to generally strong academic sourcing, with deductions for its longstanding promotion of several highly disputed archaeological artifacts and occasional presentation of contested interpretations with greater certainty than the scholarly consensus warrants. (D. Van Zandt 08/11/2026)

Source: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/

Last Updated on August 11, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check

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