Edward Robinson, 1794-1864) Was an Research Paper

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Dr. David Livingstone seemed to epitomize this view, "These privations, I beg you to observe, are not sacrifices. I think that word ought never to be mentioned in reference to anything we can do for Him….Can that be a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay… it is a privilege."

With this attitude of sacrifice for the greater glory, and it was certainly that for many who endured pain, pestilence, disease, hunger and bodily harm, also came a certain attitude about modernizing and bringing the native populations into the modern world through Christ. In places as diverse as Hawaii, the Philippines, central Africa, and even the Muslim world, these well-meaning missionaries invariable also brought with them cultural baggage and xenophobia. While wishing to save the population from the fires of Hell through Christianity, there was an inference that the indigenous culture and traditions were pagan and evil. Thus, approaching the Palestinian problem for Robinson was a difficult juxtaposition between heathen conversion and objective, academic scholarship. In an 1830 sermon, for instance, Smith emphasized how important and exciting missionary work in the New East was. This was because smith found it both important and gratifying that modern ways and modern religion were brought to lands of idolatry, fanaticism, and superstition. Smith criticized Eastern Orthodoxy as well as Islam, being unable to actually move his mind around the concept of divergent paths. In fact, religion was such a powerful tool for Smith, and his zealousness often blended with his assistance to Robinson. Foremost for Smith, was the task to "reform and save the degenerate and perishing people who now dwell there."

Robinson was clearly more of an academic, which is not to say that he was any less serious or devout, but simply that his verbiage and ability to synthesize action may have been more developed than that of Smith. For example, Robinsons traveled with only a few basic surveying supplies: compass, measuring tape, a thermometer, and telescopes. Smith, however, carried various bibles and past accounts of expeditions into a similar area. It was clear that Smith was the more fervent in his belief system, and was of the ilk that Smith would find it as rewarding to convert a soul rather than find an important archaeological discovery. In the same way, Smith viewed most of the linguistic discoveries as part of a dead tradition and no longer relevant to the task at hand.

We must also remember that, during Robinson's trip, there were not guides to middle-eastern scholarship, nor did vast journal articles and a potent bibliography as reference exist. Instead, one had to pick and choose between thousands of documents, most written in one of 7-8 languages, decide what was and what was not important, and then work in the final biblical scholarship.

As we've seen, Robinson was not particularly outgoing which caused many of his students to view him as aloof and unapproachable. Thus, his methodology and theoretical views are never taken up until much later in the 20th century. This was also due to his thoroughness and technique. In fact, Biblical geography and archaeology were fairly stagnant for decades following Robinson. "Rather than continuing in the path that he began, Americans scholarship became oriented towards Assyriology, which the geographic component became subsumed by the world of the National Geographic Society.

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The resulting scholarship, for its time, was seminal in character and development. For the modern reader, it is a bit of a dialog between scholarly references and religious observations. Robinson did perform a great service by uncovering a number of scholarly proofs, but most of all, his attention to detail and his willingness to look beyond culture for the historical antecedent to what his beliefs told him was true, and to bring this truth to the world in a verifiable and factual basis are his most enduring legacy.

REFERENCES

Aharoni, Y. (1962). The Land of The Bible. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press; Brisco.

Arnold, B.T. (2002). Readings from the Ancient Near East: Primary Sources for Old Testament

Study. New York: Baker Academic Press.

Brisco, T. (1999). Holman Bible Atlas: A Complete Guide to the Expansive Geography of Biblical History. New York: B & H. Publishing Group.

Hallote, R. (2006). Bible, Map, and Spade: the American Palestine Exploration Society. Gorgias Press, LLC.

Hammond, P. (2005). "What Inspired the Greatest Century of Missionary Advance?" Frontline

Fellowship. Cited in: http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/whatinspired_greatest.htm

Hasting, A., ed. (2000). A World of Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans

Hitchcock, R. (1868). The Life, Writings, and Character of Edward Robinson. New York: Anson

Randolph. Cited in: http://books.google.com/books?id=52HcoCSa9oAC&pg=PA3&dq=Edward+Robinson&hl=en&ei=ABQ8TK-MobSsAOIorXaCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Kent, C.F. (2009). Biblical Geography and History. New York: Biblio Bazaar.

Hammond, P. (2005). "What Inspired the Greatest Century of Missionary Advance?" Frontline

Fellowship. Cited in: http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/whatinspired_greatest.htm

Robinson, E. (2005). Biblical Researches in Palestine, 1838-52. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Microfilm Library, Cited In: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AFG7241.0002.001

Rushmore, L. (2006). Biblical Companions: Geography, Archaeology and Sacred History.

Rushmore Press.

Smith, E. (1834). Missionary Researches in Armenia: Including a Journey Through Asia Minor

London, J.S. Hudson. Cited in: http://books.google.com/books?id=-c0NAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Eli+Smith&hl=en&ei=e0Y9TN3FG4rCsAP3xLjaCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFYQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Stinespring, W.F. (1939). "The Critical Faculty of Edward Robinson. Journal of Biblical

Literature. 58 (4): 379-87.

Williams, J. (1999). The Times of Edward Robinson: Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature.

Stinespring, W.F. (1939). "The Critical Faculty of Edward Robinson. Journal of Biblical Literature. 58 (4): 379-87.

Robinson, E. (2005). Biblical Researches in Palestine, 1838-52. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Microfilm Library, Cited from: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AFG7241.0002.001.

Hitchcock, R. (1868). The Life, Writings, and Character of Edward Robinson. New York: Anson Randolph. Cited in: http://books.google.com/books?id=52HcoCSa9oAC&pg=PA3&dq=Edward+Robinson&hl=en&ei=ABQ8TK-0MobSsAOIorXaCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Brisco, T. (1999). Holman Bible Atlas: A Complete Guide to the Expansive Geography of Biblical History. New York: B & H. Publishing Group.

Kent, C.F. (2009). Biblical Geography and History. New York: Biblio Bazaar.

Arnold, B.T. (2002). Readings from the Ancient Near East: Primary.....

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