How did W.F. Albright become a biblical archaeologist?

W.F. Albright's journey into biblical archaeology began with his academic pursuits in Semitic languages at Johns Hopkins University. After obtaining his doctorate, he was appointed a fellow at the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem in 1919. He then served as the school's director for a significant period, from 1920 to 1929 and again from 1933 to 1936. During his time in Jerusalem, Albright led excavations at important biblical sites such as Gibeah of Saul and Tell Beit Mirsim. He was a strong advocate for the use of archaeology, topographical studies, and linguistic analysis in understanding biblical history, and he pioneered the use of pottery identification as a scientific tool.1