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Introduction to Biblical Archaeology
Hebrew and Semitic Studies 241/Jewish Studies 241
Introduction to Biblical Archaeology, either Hebrew and Semitic Studies 241 or Jewish Studies 241, meets on Thursday night between 6:30 and 9:15 pm in Room 2080 Grainger Hall. Jeffrey A. Blakely is the instructor for the class. Office hours are Thursday afternoon from 2:00 to 3:00 pm at Café Espresso Royale (next to Einstein Bagels on State Street) and Thursday evening from 5:15 to 6:15 pm in the classroom should it be available, or, failing that, outside and in front of the classroom. Other times can be arranged by calling my home number, 238-2227 (before 9 pm). I can also be reached by EMAIL at jblakely@wisc.edu. I can usually guarantee a response within 24 hours.
Each class consists of a 120-minute lecture, a 15-minute break, and a 30-minute discussion covering the lecture, the assigned readings, and, if desired, optional readings. The sequence of lecture and discussion may vary. Grading for the course is based on a book review essay (15%), a term paper (40%), a take home mid-term exam (15%), and a take home final exam (30%). The mid-term exam will be distributed on 15 October via email and will be due via email on 22 October at 6:30 pm. The final exam will be distributed during the final class period and will be due via email before 7:05 pm Thursday 17 December or that evening between 5:05 and 7:05 pm in the exam room. Auditors will be required neither to take exams nor to prepare papers, but will be expected to complete the readings and participate in class discussion.
One textbook is required, which is copied and available at the bookstores:
Silberman, Neil A.
1982 Digging for God and Country. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Two supplemental texts are also available at the bookstores. They cover much of the same material, but from different perspectives. A few brief sections from these texts are assigned as required or optional readings and for that purpose copies are also available in the Reserve Room of Helen C. White Undergraduate Library.
King, Philip J., and Lawrence E. Stager
2002 Life in Biblical Israel. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press.
Rainey, Anson F. and R. Stephen Notley
2005 Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World. Jerusalem: Carta.
The following list of articles are also required and can be downloaded at the University of Wisconsin Library web-site, at:
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/journals/00060895.html?cookieSet=1
and
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/action/showPublication?journalCode=neareastarch
Banning, E. B.
1998 The Neolithic Period: Triumphs of Architecture, Agriculture, and Art. Near Eastern Archaeology 61 (4): 188-237.
Levy, Thomas Evan
1986 The Chalcolithic Period. Biblical Archaeologist 49 (2): 82-108.
Richard, Suzanne
1987 The Early Bronze Age. The Rise and Collapse of Urbanism. Biblical Archaeologist 50 (1): 22-43.
Dever, William G.
1987 The Middle Bronze Age: The Zenith of the Urban Canaanite Era. Biblical Archaeologist 50 (3): 148-77.
Leonard, Albert, Jr.
1989 The Late Bronze Age. Biblical Archaeologist 52 (1): 4-39.
Bloch-Smith, Elizabeth, and Beth Alpert Nakhai
1999 A Landscape Comes to Life: The Iron Age I. Near Eastern Archaeology 62 (2): 62-92, 101-27.
Herr, Larry G.
1997 The Iron II Period: Emerging Nations. Biblical Archaeologist 60 (3): 114-183.
Betlyon, John
2005 A People Transformed: Palestine in the Persian Period. Near Eastern Archaeology 68 (1-2): 4-58.
Berlin, Andrea M.
1997 Between Large Forces: Palestine in the Hellenistic Period. Biblical Archaeologist 60 (1): 2-51.
Chancey, Mark, and Adam Porter
2001 The Archaeology of Roman Palestine. Near Eastern Archaeology 64 (4): 164-203.
Parker, S. Thomas
1999 The Byzantine Period: An Empire’s New Holy Land. Near Eastern Archaeology 62 (3): 134-180.
Schick, Robert
1998 Palestine in the Early Islamic Period: Luxuriant Legacy. Near Eastern Archaeology 61 (1): 74-108.
Boas, Adrian J.
1998 The Frankish Period: A Unique Medieval Society Emerges. Near Eastern Archaeology 61 (3): 138-74.
Walker, Bethany
1999 Militarization and Nomadism: The Middle and Late Islamic Periods. Near Eastern Archaeology 62 (2): 202-32.
The following books and articles are either on 3-hour or 3-day reserve in the Reserve Room of Helen C. White Undergraduate Library. Some of these books and articles will be assigned or noted in class lectures or discussion. Other books and articles on reserve may be useful for research papers or book reviews.
Aharoni, Yohanan
1979 The Land of the Bible: Historical Geography, rev. and trans. by Anson Rainey. Philadelphia: Westminster Press. BS630 A4213 1979.
Albright, William Foxwell
1960 The Archaeology of Palestine. Baltimore: Penguin Books. DS108.9 A6 1960.
Ben-Arieh, Yehoshua
1983 The Rediscovery of the Holy Land in the Nineteenth Century. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society. DS 125 B3813.
Ben-Tor, Amnon, ed.
1992 The Archaeology of Ancient Israel. New Haven: Yale University Press. DS111 A2 M3513.
Bliss, Frederick Jones
1906 The Development of Palestine Exploration. New York: Scribner’s Sons. DS108.9 B5.
Dahlberg, Bruce T., and Kevin G. O'Connell, S.J., ed.
1989 Tell el-Hesi: The Site and the Expedition. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns. DS110 T4 B58 4/ 1 201.
Davis, Thomas William
2004 Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology. New York: Oxford University Press. BS621 D38 2004.
Drinkard, Joel F.; Gerald L. Mattingly; and J. Maxwell Miller
1988 Benchmarks in Time and Culture. Essays in Honor of Joseph A. Callaway. Atlanta: Scholars Press. DS 94.5 B46 1988.
Faust, Avi
2006 Israel’s Ethnogenesis : Settlement, Interaction, Expansion and Resistance. London: Equinox Pub. DS111 F38 2006
Hallote, Rachel
2006 Bible, Map, and Spade: The American Palestine Exploration Society, Frederick Jones Bliss, and the Forgotten Story of Early American Biblical Archaeology. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. DS111 H34 2006
Kenyon, Kathleen M.
1987 The Bible and Recent Archaeology, rev. ed. by P.R.S. Moorey. Atlanta: John Knox Press. BS621 K4 1987.
King, Philip J., and Lawrence E. Stager
2001 Life in Biblical Israel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press. DS112 K48 2001.
Lapp, Paul W.
1969 Biblical Archaeology and History. New York: World Publishing Company. BS621 L35.
Levy, Thomas Evan, ed.
1995 The Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land. New York: Facts On File. DS112 A73 1994.
May, Herbert G., ed.
1984 Oxford Bible Atlas, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. BS630 O96 1984.
Mazar, Amihai
1990 Archaeology of the Land of the Bible: 10,000 - 586 B.C.E. Garden City: Doubleday. BS621 M39 1992.
Moorey, P.R.S
1991 A Century of Biblical Archaeology. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press. BS621 M583.
Rainey, Anson F., and R. Steven Notley
2005 Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World. Jerusalem: Carta. BS630 R356 2006
Rast, Walter E.
1992 Through the Ages in Palestinian Archaeology: An Introductory Handbook. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International. DS111 R27 1992.
Riley-Smith, Jonathan, ed.
1995 The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades. New York: Oxford University Press. D156 O48 1997.
Shepherd, Naomi
1987 The Zealous Intruders: The Western Rediscovery of Palestine. San Francisco: Harper and Row. DS107 S54 1988.
Smith, George Adam
1972 The Historical Geography of the Holy Land, 25th Edition. Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith. DS107 S6 1972.
Stiebing, William H., Jr.
1993 Uncovering the Past: A History of Archaeology. Buffalo: Prometheus Books. CC100 S75 1994.
Vaux, Roland de
1973 Archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls. London: Oxford University Press. DS110 Q8 V313 1973.
Wright, George Ernest
1957 Biblical Archaeology. Philadelphia: Westminster Press. BS620 W7.
The syllabus and readings for the course are as follows:
Week 1 (3 September) - Introduction to the Course; Research in the 19th Century, and the Geological, Geographical, and Topological Background of Palestine
Required Reading: Moorey, pp. 1-24
Levy (1995), pp. 9-23
Rainey and Notley, pp. 30-42
Optional Readings: May, pp. 48-53
Davis, pp. 3-46
Aharoni, all
Smith, all
Hallote, pp. 1-83
Week 2 (10 September) - Palestinian Archaeology and History
Required Readings: Moorey, pp. 25-53
Rainey and Notley, pp. 9-29
Optional Readings: Davis, pp. 47-144
Lapp, pp. 1-107
Rast, pp. 1-45
Hallote, pp. 85-183
Week 3 (17 September) - Archaeology, the Bible, and Archaeological Method in Palestine
Required Readings: Levy (1995), pp. 24-57
Optional Readings: Moorey, pp. 114-178
Davis, pp. 145-156
Frank and Horton in Dahlberg and O’Connell, pp. 88-96
Rose in Dahlberg and O’Connell, pp. 72-87
Eakins in Drinkard et al, pp. 441-454
Week 4 (24 September) - The Neolithic Period, Chalcolithic Period, and the Early Bronze Age; Archaeology; and the Environment (ca. 8000 - ca. 2000 BCE)
Required Reading: Banning, pp. 188-237
Levy, pp. 82-108
Richard, pp. 22-43
Optional Reading: Ben-Tor, pp. 10-125
Levy (1995), pp. 93-296
Rainey and Notley, pp. 43-49
Week 5 (1 October) - (Book Review Due) - The Middle Bronze Age and the Hyksos; Fortification Systems (ca. 2000 - ca. 1540 BCE)
Required Reading: Dever, pp. 148-177
Optional Readings: Ben-Tor, pp. 126-210
Levy (1995), pp. 297-319
Rainey and Notley, pp. 50-60
Week 6 (8 October) - The Late Bronze Age and the Iron I; Settlements and Ethnicity (ca. 1540 - ca. 1000 BCE); Everyone is supposed to meet with me for between 15 and 30 minutes during this week to go over progress on their term paper
Required Reading: Leonard, pp. 4-39
Bloch-Smith and Nakhai, pp. 62-92, 101-127
Optional Readings: Ben-Tor, pp. 211-301
Levy (1995), pp. 220-365
Rainey and Notley, pp. 61-154
Week 7 (15 October) - The Exodus and Conquest, Settlement, or Assimilation; Which Model Works? Mid-Term passed out electronically during class and due 22 October before 6:30 pm
Required Reading: None
Optional Reading: Faust, Avi
Kenyon, Kathleen M., The Bible and Recent Archaeology (Atlanta: John Knox,
1978), pp. 25-43. BS 621 K4 1978
Gottwald, Norman K., The Tribes of Yahweh: A Sociology of Liberated Israel, 1250-1050 BCE (London: SCM Press, 1979). BS 1199 S6 G67
Mendenhall, George E., “The Hebrew Conquest of Canaan,” Biblical Archaeologist
25 (1962): 66-87
Dever, William G., “Archaeology and the Israelite Conquest,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. by David N. Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), vol. 3 pp 545-58. Memorial BS 440 A54 1992
Finkelstein, Israel, “Ethnicity and Origin of the Iron I Settlers in the Highlands of
Canaan: Can the Real Israel Stand Up?” Biblical Archaeologist 59 (4) 1996: 198-212.
Zertal, Adam, “Israel Enters Canaan,” Biblical Archaeology Review 17 (5) 1991: 28-
49 and 75.
Week 8 (22 October) - Philistines, Saul, David, and Solomon (ca. 1000- ca. 930 B.C.E); The Bible as Myth? (Mid-Term due before 6:30 pm.)
Required Reading: Handout
Rainey and Notley, pp. 157-189
Optional Reading: Biran, Avraham and Joseph Naveh, “An Aramaic Stele Fragment
from Tel Dan,” Israel Exploration Journal 43 (2) 1993: 81-98
Coote, Robert B., and Keith W. Whitelam, The Emergence of Early Israel in
Historical Perspective (Sheffield: Almond Academic Press, 1987). DS 121 C6 1987
[Shanks, Hershel], “Face to Face: Biblical Minimalists Meet their Challengers,” Biblical Archaeology Review 23 (4) 1997: 26-42, 66
Week 9 (29 October) - The Iron II: Kingdoms of Israel and Judah; Siege Warfare (ca. 930 - 586 BCE)
Required Reading: Herr, pp. 114-183
Optional Reading: Ben-Tor, pp. 302-373
Levy (1995), pp. 368-431
Rainey and Notley, pp. 190-277
Week 10 (5 November) - The Persian Period and the Hellenistic Age; East Meets West (586 - 63 BCE)
Required Reading: Betlyon, pp. 4-58
Berlin, pp. 2-51
Optional Readings: Levy (1995), pp. 432-445
May, pp. 60-81
Rast, pp. 145-190
Rainey and Notley, pp. 278-341
Week 11 (12 November) - The Roman and Byzantine Periods; International Commerce (63 BCE -
630/640 CE) (Term paper due)
Required Reading: Chancey and Porter, pp. 164-203
Parker, pp. 134-180
Optional Readings:Kenyon, pp. 151-183
Levy (1995), pp. 446-487
Rainey and Notley, pp. 342-399
Frend, W. H. C., 1996, The Archaeology of Early Christianity: A History.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press. Memorial BR 132 F74 1996
Week 12 (19 November) - Guest Lecturer Tod Twist of the Hebrew Dept.; The Dead Sea Scrolls, Sects, Writing, and History
Required Readings: Handout
Week 13 (26 November) - No Class, Thanksgiving
Week 14 (3 December) - The Early Islamic and Crusader Periods; East versus West (630/640 - 1291 CE).
Required Reading: Schick, pp. 74-108
Boas, pp. 138-174
Optional Reading: Levy (1995), pp. 488-541
Riley-Smith, pp. 112-140, 217-259
Week 15 (10 December) - Late Islamic Periods; More East versus West (1291 - 1918 CE); Course Review; Going on a Dig; Final Exam passed out
Required Reading: Walker, pp. 202-232
Optional Reading: Levy (1995), pp. 488-541
Final Exam (17 December) - Due before 7:05 pm or through Email; or, probably, in Room 2080
Grainger Hall, but this location is far from certain at this point
All papers and book reviews will be due on the designated date. There will be no extensions of this deadline without penalty. Papers may be submitted in hard copy or as an attached file through my EMAIL account (IBM-compatible using a current version of either WordPerfect or Word, or as a .pdf). The format for papers will be presented separately.
Book review essays should briefly summarize the content of Silberman’s Digging for God and Country, and then provide your assessment of the book’s strengths and weaknesses (e.g., is it confusing to read, was it thorough in covering the given topic, is it now out of date, is there value in reading it given other things you have read, and did the author accomplish his stated goals). Other issues might include: do Silberman’s conclusions extend beyond the time frame he studied; and does a knowledge of 19th century archaeological research help explain work today? You might compare aspects of the book with class readings or class lectures. You might read published reviews of the book to gain new insight. The text and any bibliography should be seven to eight double-spaced pages long. Books which might assist in your review essay, include the following titles, many of which are on reserve in the Helen C. White Undergraduate Library:
Ben-Arieh, Yehoshua
1983 The Rediscovery of the Holy Land in the Nineteenth Century. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society. DS125 B3813.
Bliss, Frederick Jones
1906 The Development of Palestine Exploration. New York: Scribner’s Sons. DS108.9 B5.
Davis, Thomas William
2004 Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology. New York: Oxford University Press. BS621 D38 2004.
Hallote, Rachel
2006 Bible, Map, and Spade: The American Palestine Exploration Society, Frederick Jones Bliss, and the Forgotten Story of Early American Biblical Archaeology. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. DS111 H34 2006
Robinson, Edward
1841 Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai, and Arabia Petraea, 2 vols. London: John Murray. Memorial Library DS107 R65 1841.
Shepherd, Naomi
1987 The Zealous Intruders: The Western Rediscovery of Palestine. San Francisco: Harper and Row. DS107 S54 1988.
Smith, George Adam
1972 The Historical Geography of the Holy Land, 25th Edition. Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith. Memorial Library DS107 S6 1972.
Stiebing, William H., Jr.
1993 Uncovering the Past: A History of Archaeology. Buffalo: Prometheus Books. CC100 S75 1994
Thomson, William McClure
1874 The Land and the Book, 2 vols. New York: Harper. Memorial Library G61 T38 (Cutter).
Term papers are expected to be research essays with references and a bibliography. I can help direct you to necessary sources from which to start. The text and notes of these papers should be between 15 and 20 double-spaced pages long, not counting bibliography or illustrations. Pick a certain phase at a site, or a certain type of structure found at many sites, or an artifact type or phenomenon seen at many sites and examine this topic. How is it interpreted? Why? Is there a controversy over this topic? What is the basis of this controversy? Available topics include, but are not limited to (again check with me before going beyond this list):
Stratum A at Tell Beit Mirsim
Level III at Lachish (Tell ed-Duweir)
The Fosse Temple at Lachish
Level II at Beer-Sheva
Megiddo; Strata II, III, IV, or V
The EB-MB Tombs at Jericho
The EB Tombs at Bab edh-Dhra’
Ai (et-Tell)
Herodian Caesarea Maritima
Byzantine Caesarea Maritima
Jerusalem Temple (Solomonic or Herodian)
Church of Holy Sepulcher
City of David (Jerusalem)
Persian Period (Stratum V) Tell el-Hesi
Middle Bronze Age Shechem
Beth Shearim
Beth Shean (Iron Age or Byzantine)
Masada
Arad (Early Bronze Age or Iron Age)
Hazor (Late Bronze Age or Iron II)
Byzantine Period Jerash
Water Systems; Iron Age, or Roman/Byzantine periods
Siege Warfare; Iron Age, Roman, or Crusader periods
Agriculture in the Iron Age
Stables or Storehouses of the Iron Age
The “Solomonic Gate”
Chronology of the Iron II
Stamp Seals of the Iron II
The Lachish Ostraca
Crusader Castles
Mesad Hashavyahu
Madaba Map
Petra
Proto-Canaanite Script
The “Joshua” Altar on Mt. Ebal
The Shishak/Sheshonq Campaign
Roman Roads
Medieval Pilgrimage
Roman/Byzantine
Trade Amphorae