History
It was founded in 1870 by Samuel Birch and others as a learned archaeological society (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)
Its Secretary was William Ricketts Cooper (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)
A. H. Sayce was its President from 1898 until it ceased to exist independently in 1919 (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)
It declined during World War I with the loss of many overseas members, and suffered financial problems when the Egypt Exploration Fund withdrew from their tenancy of part of 37 Great Russell Street (F. Legge, ‘The Society of Biblical Archæology, ’ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (January 1919)
It was incorporated into the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland in 1919
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What was reforming about it?
It was a determinedly scholarly, rather than explicitly religious, society; it did much to advance Egyptology and the study of ancient Middle East history in the UK
Where in Bloomsbury
Its chief founder, Samuel Birch, was Keeper of Oriental Antiquities at the British Museum, and the Society continued to cultivate strong links with the Museum
Its meetings were originally held in the rooms of members, then in 1872 it took rooms at 9 Conduit Street, near Regent Street, and later held classes in hieroglyphics in Islington and elsewhere (F. Legge, ‘The Society of Biblical Archæology, ’ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (January 1919)
It was when it moved to Bloomsbury that the Society really began to thrive; it had offices at 33 Bloomsbury Street by 1876, and the classes, lectures, and library were all brought under the same roof (F. Legge, ‘The Society of Biblical Archæology, ’ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (January 1919)
The Society moved to Hart Street in 1881, and then to 37 Great Russell Street in 1891, opposite the British Museum, where it “registered under the Companies Acts for the purpose of taking a long lease of its new premises” (F. Legge, ‘The Society of Biblical Archæology, ’ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (January 1919)
Website of current institution
The successor institution is the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, at royalasiaticsociety.org (opens in new window)
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Books about it
F. Legge, ‘The Society of Biblical Archæology, ’ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (January 1919)
C. F. Beckingham, ‘The Society of Biblical Archaeology 1870–1919’ (Appendix), in S. Simmons and S. Digby eds, The Royal Asiatic Society: Its History and Treasures, 1979
Archives
Some of its records dating from 1892 are public and are kept in the National Archives, Kew, ref. BT 31/15276/37742; details are available online via the National Archives catalogue (opens in new window)
Copies of its published Transactions and Proceedings are held in the Royal Asiatic Society’s library, which probably also has manuscript records not yet catalogued online; details are available online via the RAS library website (opens in new window)
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