The Biblical Archaeology Society was established in 1974 by American lawyer Hershel Shanks, as a non-sectarian organisation that supports and promotes biblical archaeology. Its current publications include the Biblical Archaeology Review, whilst previously circulating the Bible Review (1985–2005) and Archaeology Odyssey (1998–2006). The Biblical Archaeology Society also publishes books about biblical archaeology aimed at a general readership. The Society has, for more than 45 years, run seminars and tours offering an opportunity to learn directly from archaeologists and scholars. It also produced videos (DVD) and CDs on archaeology and biblical archaeology.

The Biblical Archaeology Society has gained global traction through its popular publication The Biblical Archaeology Review. It has also been involved in multiple authenticity scandals.

The Biblical Archaeology society was founded by lawyer, turned amateur archaeologist, Hershel Shanks in 1974. Despite having never studied archeology or religion, Shanks was inspired by a year-long sabbatical to the archaeological digs of Jerusalem. Upon his return, Hershel published an article in The Israel Exploration Journal and approached U.S magazines hoping to produce a similar suite of columns regarding biblical archeology. These propositions were rejected, which led Shanks to establish his own publication, Biblical Archeology Newsletter. In 1974, the Biblical Archeology Society was a recognised nonprofit corporation and by 1975, the group had published its first edition of the new Biblical Archaeology Review. Shanks considered himself as an 'outsider' of the field and attributes Israeli archaeologist Yigael Yadin as crucial in assisting his early efforts in making archaeology accessible through the society. It was these early publications that Shanks suggests have led to now infamous excavation sites, such as David's burial palace and the entrance to Hezekiah's Tunnel. Shanks suggested that his desire was merely to publish 'a little newsletter about Israel as a land of stones' and that the subsequent successful circulation of the review was 'a dream'. By the early 2000s, the Biblical Archaeology Society had reached its peak of 250,000 subscribers and had earned Shanks a position as "the world's most influential amateur biblical archaeologist." The Biblical Archaeology Society, along with its founder, has been said to have 'transformed… the trajectory' of not only archaeological studies, but the understanding of 'Jewish and Christian worlds'.

In 1985, the Biblical Archaeology Society, under the direction of Shanks, focused its operations on the accessibility of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls formed some of the oldest biblical writings, and as such, were deemed crucial in illuminating the development of both Christianity and Judaism. However, Shanks took issue with the 'monopoly' over access to the scrolls, given to a select group within Israel's Antiquities Department. The Biblical Archaeology Review had characterised the push for access as a "matter of intellectual freedom and the right to scholarly access". By 1991, the scrolls became widely publicised after the Biblical Archaeology Society published a two-volume of the scroll photographs and a computer generated version in a "final act in the drama to access the Dead Sea Scrolls". By 2001, the society had released almost all the transcriptions from the Scrolls to the general public, which was said to have 'changed the rules of the game' regarding public access to hushed archaeological finds.

Shanks served as editor for 42 years, retiring at the end of 2017. Robert R. Cargill was selected to replace Shanks as editor of the Society and associated publications in 2018. Cargill stepped down in 2021 and was replaced by Glenn J. Corbett. Hershel Shanks died in 2021, apparently due to the Covid-19 virus.

The Biblical Archaeology Society is the publisher of its own magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review, which has generated extensive public following. BAR is both nonsectarian and "non-academic" and as such, has been attributed with setting the agenda for discourse surrounding issues relating to both the Bible and archaeological matters. Shanks declared that he saw an overall failure in experts publishing the results of their excavations, and as such, sought to remedy this through the creation of BAR. Contributors to the Biblical Archaeology Review are that of scholars, researchers and archaeological experts. The Society's review has been suggested to have "a kind of de facto control" over mainstream media regarding biblical archaeological endeavours and as such, is considered "the gate keeper" for most major news outlets.

The review discusses both the latest discovers and controversies of the archaeological field, providing a multi-medic publication with photography, maps and diagrams. It is through this publication that the Biblical Archaeology Society has raised the important need to publish the Dead Sea Scrolls in an egalitarian fashion. BAR also promoted a renewed comprehensive archaeological analysis on the Temple Mount, in addition to a report on matters of litigation, regarding a lawsuit involving Muslims accused of destroying a historic site for three of the world's major faiths. In addition, the publication allows for a forum in which the analytical studies of important biblical artefacts can be questioned.

The content of The Biblical Archaeology Review is considered to articulate the academic field of archaeology and biblical studies in a manner that is understood and easily digested to a broader general audience. That is, their publication has been argued as a palliative for the archaeology field's lost ability to communicate beyond the academy itself and for bridging the gap between academic scholarship and the lay public's desire for key archaeological questions. The review was said to have "simplified esoteric" scholarship and writings, to which they were attributed with "tantalising headlines". The Society's delivery of archaeological news through the Biblical Archaeology Review has been suggested to use sensationalist tactics.