A Lanier Center for Archaeology conference
A Lanier Center for Archaeology conference
Reframing the Philistines and Judahites
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM (regsitration starts at 8:00 AM)
Location: Ezell 147 (Boardroom), Lipscomb University
The Bible gives the impression that the Philistines and Israelites were mortal enemies. Recent archaeological discoveries and excavations present a picture that there was more interaction between these two groups. This conference will present current research and fieldwork (especially that of the LCA) and highlight new research plans of the Lanier Center for Archaeology.
General registration: $45.00
Student registration: $15.00 (students may be from any institution)
Registration includes lunch, refreshments, and conference materials.
Registration will open soon!
GPS Address
The best address to use with your GPS is 3906 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37204. This will get you the closest to the building in which our conference is being held (#2 in the yellow circle), as well as the best options for parking.
Driving North on Belmont Blvd
If you come in driving north on Belmont Blvd, you will turn onto Belmont Blvd from Shackleford Rd. After you turn onto Belmont Blvd, you will take the second possible right onto campus, where you will find parking available to your left, right, and straight ahead.
Driving South on Belmont Blvd
If you come driving in south on Belmont Blvd, after you pass Glen Echo Rd, you will take the third possible left onto campus. You will find parking available to your left, right, and straight ahead.
The conference is being held in the Ezell Building, which is #2 in the yellow circle on the map. You may enter this building through several doors, including through the Shinn Event Center (#1 on the map).
The map shows the different areas of parking available all around the conference location, though please note that the day of the conference is also a regular school day for the university and so parking can be sparse if you arrive after 8 AM.
If the lots to the left and right of the recommended entrance to campus (see the directions above) are full, please continue straight ahead to the Arena West Parking Garage (#48/P2 in the yellow circle on the map) as this will be your best bet for close parking.
8:00 am - 9:00 am Registration
9:00 am - 9:15 am Welcome and Introduction
9:15 am - 10:45 am Session I: Philistine and Israelites in the Biblical Text
10:45 am - 11:00 am Break
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Session II: Philistine Research
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Session III: Judah's Expansion Beyond Jerusalem
2:30 pm - 2:45 pm Break
2:45 pm - 4:15 pm Session IV: Fight for the Coastal Plain: Foreigners in the Land
4:15 pm - 5:00 pm Break
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Keynote Lecture: "Becoming a Philistine: Rethinking Origins, Identity, and Cultural Change in the Iron Age" with archaeologist Dr. Itzhaq Shai
More information coming soon!
Coming soon!