Stephen Humphreys

Stephen Humphreys was commissioned in the US Air Force following his completion of a BA in History at the University of North Texas. He served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Following an assignment as Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at Texas A&M University, he separated in order to attend a seminary program with the intent of returning to military service as a chaplain. A trip to a dig at Tel Gezer, Israel convinced him to become an archaeologist instead.

Stephen holds a Ph.D. in archaeology from Durham University as well as an MA in Archaeology and Biblical Studies and an MA in Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His academic areas of interest are charity in the Early Christian era, and health and wellness in antiquity. His doctoral thesis was on the development of ‘Holy Water’ in the Christian church between the 4th and 7th centuries (spoiler: it was for demon-killin’). He is a National Geographic Explorer and a dedicated field archaeologist with dig experience in Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Sicily, and the USA.