The Dinesh D'Souza Podcast – THE STONES SPEAK

Date: December 16, 2025
Guest: Dr. Scott Stripling (Director of Excavations for the Associates for Biblical Research at Shiloh, Israel)
Host: Dinesh D’Souza

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the field of biblical archaeology with renowned archaeologist Dr. Scott Stripling. Dinesh and Scott explore how archaeology illuminates biblical texts, the development and methodology of the discipline, the intersection of science and scripture, notable discoveries, and the ongoing search for evidence of Old and New Testament events. Throughout, they discuss the philosophical tensions and biases within the field and highlight archaeological findings that corroborate or contextualize biblical accounts.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Archaeology?

• Scott Stripling: Archaeology is a subscience of anthropology, focusing on human remains and artifacts from recent millennia, especially in places like Israel and Jordan (the Southern Levant). Archaeology applies hard sciences (drones, soil samples, radiocarbon dating) to interpret material culture, often using ancient texts—including but not limited to the Bible—for context.

  "Archaeology is going to then illuminate [the text]. It’s going to set it into a context so that we can understand it here and now the way that they did then and there." – Scott Stripling (04:24)

2. The Role of Texts and Synchronisms

• Biblical archaeology seeks convergence (“synchronism”) between texts (biblical and extra-biblical) and archaeological findings, using multiple data points to confirm chronology and geography.

  "A synchronism is where the archaeological data and the biblical text converge. And as an archaeologist, when I can find like three data points... then we can really be certain in what our chronology is, what our geography is." – Scott Stripling (05:50)

• The Moabite Stone/Mesha Stele is a classic example, giving a “second side” to a biblical conflict and filling in the historical record (04:52-05:50).

3. Three Waves of Biblical Archaeology

• Dinesh and Scott map the development:
  1. 19th century: Early, often crude but groundbreaking expeditions (e.g., Flinders Petrie, W.F. Albright) and recognition that “tells” (man-made mounds) represent layered civilizations.
  2. 20th century: Accelerated discoveries, especially post-founding of Israel.
  3. Recent decades: Technological advances and dramatic increases in findings across the Middle East (06:22-08:00).

4. Methodology: Tells, Pottery, and Stratigraphy

• Archaeologists use the concept of “tells” and stratified digging (stratigraphy) to “time travel” through history; pottery typology is a key dating tool.

  "I can look at a broken piece of pottery and I can tell you the time period… as we go deeper... the pottery enables us to date the sequences." – Scott Stripling (08:00)

• Civilizations build atop earlier ones, influenced by water supply, climate change, and conquest; profound cycles reflect in archaeological layers (10:02-11:11).

5. Understanding the Bible’s Genre and Historicity

• The Bible is a “library” (biblia), with multiple genres and viewpoints. Archaeology doesn’t change the text but illuminates its context. The text has both religious and historical dimensions; hundreds of synchronisms exist with archaeology.

  "The Bible is a library. … In the process of reading and understanding that genre … we see real people, real places, and real events." – Scott Stripling (14:32)

6. Absence of Evidence vs. Evidence of Absence (Debunking a Fallacy)

• Skeptics often claim that lacking evidence for an event means it didn’t happen. Archaeologically, this is false; evidence is often lost, destroyed, or remains unexcavated.

  “The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” – Scott Stripling (17:36)

7. Confirming Biblical Figures & Fighting Bias

• The discovery of the Tel Dan Stele (“House of David” inscription, 1993) marked a turning point in confirming David as a historical figure—once doubted by scholars.

  “Since 1993, we now have three inscriptions validating David outside the Bible. ... Even David's own palace, most archaeologists would now accept, has been excavated in the City of David in Jerusalem.” – Scott Stripling (25:38-26:43)

8. Skepticism, Circular Reasoning, & Archaeological Bias

• The history of “higher criticism” often stemmed from philosophical skepticism and arguments from incredulity, as opposed to fieldwork. Archaeology is an antidote to “armchair theorists.”
• Skepticism can sometimes become circular: evidence contradicting the skeptics is dismissed by changing the criteria (e.g., dating the Book of Daniel or finding ceramic roof tiles earlier than previously assumed) (29:02-33:11).

9. Case Study: Jericho and Dating Disputes

• Dinesh and Scott discuss debates like those over the destruction of Jericho—where Garstang and Kenyon dated remains differently—highlighting that both “pro-biblical” and “anti-biblical” perspectives can carry bias (33:11-35:46).

10. Current Excavation Work: Shiloh and the Tabernacle

• Scott’s most recent work at Shiloh seeks to uncover remains of the biblical tabernacle site. They discuss the biblical and archaeological context for Shiloh as Israel’s religious center before Jerusalem.

  "We are excavating that building right now." – Scott Stripling (38:55)

11. The Ark of the Covenant & Shiloh’s Significance

• The Ark’s biblical description, its contents, and its religious meaning are covered, with Scott detailing the destruction at Shiloh and his current excavations there (41:07-42:57).

  "God tells Jeremiah, go now to Shiloh, where I first caused my name to dwell. See what I did there? ... We're actually excavating through that destruction." – Scott Stripling (42:30)

12. Challenges of Biblical Site Identification

• Many biblical locales (Jericho, Ai, Hazor) do not come with clear markers, and names “migrate” over time, causing challenges for archaeology and leading to both controversies and new interpretations (45:05-47:58).

13. New Testament Archaeology: Pontius Pilate Stone

• Dinesh highlights how even New Testament details are confirmed archaeologically, like the inscription validating Pilate’s exact title as “prefect,” matching the Greek New Testament.

  "The biblical writers had it right all along." – Scott Stripling (49:23-51:05)

14. The Next Big Discovery: The Tabernacle at Shiloh?

• Scott expresses hope that his current dig will indeed yield the remains of the ancient tabernacle—the “place where God says I live.”

  “Give me three more years. And if it is what I think it is, then my answer is the Tabernacle at Shiloh.” – Scott Stripling (51:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Scott Stripling (on archaeological confirmation):

  "It takes more faith to believe that this didn’t happen than it did happen." (22:18)

• Dinesh D’Souza (on biblical detail and archaeological validation):

  "All these guys kind of spring in a way. They spring out of the Bible and into the pages of history, but via the pathway of archaeology." (54:20)

• Scott Stripling (responding to pro- and anti-biblical bias):

  “We have only excavated about 6% of the land of the Bible. ... it might be in the other 94%.”

• Dinesh D’Souza (on the value of archaeological findings for faith communities):

  “I’m really amazed that this information is not being shouted from the rooftops of every synagogue and church ... wouldn’t it be cool to show a couple of clay seals and point out that ... one could biblically validate, right? Not just a king, but some prophet who’s out in the streets.” (53:33)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Introduction and What is Archaeology? – 01:54–03:26
• Texts as Evidence & Illumination – 04:24–05:50
• Development of Biblical Archaeology – 06:22–08:00
• Pottery, Tells, Climate & Human Settlement – 08:00–12:28
• Interpretation of the Bible as a Historical Library – 14:32–16:23
• Absence of Evidence Fallacy – 17:36–18:40
• King David and House of David Inscription – 24:52–26:43
• Higher Criticism and Skepticism in the Field – 27:00–33:11
• The Case of Jericho – Competing Archaeological Narratives – 33:11–36:05
• Excavations at Shiloh and Its Biblical Significance – 36:05–38:55
• Ark of the Covenant and Shiloh – 41:07–42:57
• Identifying Ancient Bible Sites – 45:05–47:58
• Pontius Pilate Inscription and New Testament Validation – 47:58–51:05
• The Next Big Discovery: Tabernacle at Shiloh – 51:59–53:33
• Closing Reflections – 53:33–54:44

Conclusion

This episode offers a sharp and engaging look at the links between archaeology and the Bible, highlighting the rigor, surprises, and intellectual battles in the field. Dr. Stripling draws a vivid picture of how the stones truly do “speak,” affirming and enriching the historical context of sacred texts and uncovering layers of both human and divine narratives in the ancient world.