Graduate Programs >
New Courses in Archaeology |
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These courses are open to both undergraduate and graduate students. First Semester
The seminar will deal with Iron Age archaeology, the biblical text and ancient Near Eastern records. Among the topics which will be dealt with are: the rise of Early Israel in the Iron I; Philistine archaeology; Iron Age chronology; state formation in the Levant; the Northern Kingdom; the archaeology of Jerusalem; Judah in the late 8th century; Judah in the 7th century BCE: the days of Manasseh and Josiah. (Open to graduate students only.)
The Book of Samuel depicts the history of the early monarchy in Israel and lays down the foundations of the royal ideology in Judah. Therefore, it was subject to a long process of redaction and canonization. A careful reading of this book reveals many contradictive literary traditions, which raise the question whether this book may be used as a historical source for understanding the rise of the Davidic monarchy. The seminar will deal with the literary perspective of the early monarchy by a critical reading in the Book of Samuel compared with various similar literal traditions expressed in the Hebrew Bible and in other Ancient Near Eastern sources. These will enable us to set up the criteria for identifying the different redaction layers of the book, the time in which they were written and the ideology they reflect, towards an understanding of this book's literary history. Second Semester
The seminar will deal with the historical sources to the Babylonian and Persian periods in the Levant, and will compare the historical picture with data from archaeological excavations and surveys, especially in Judah and Jerusalem. All this will be compared to the biblical sources, especially Ezra - Nehemiah, in order to learn about the value of this book for historical research as well as its ideological intentions, the stages of its composition and the different additions and editions. (Open to graduate students only.)
The rise of Early Israel is currently viewed as a process within the wider framework of the history of the Land of Israel. A meaningful understanding of Iron Age Israel requires, therefore, familiarity with the history of the land in earlier periods. The seminar will deal with the archaeology of Canaan during the Late Bronze Age. This period saw the flourishing and decline of Canaanite culture as well as the growth and collapse of the Egyptian empire that ruled the country. It is also the time in which both Philistine and Israelite cultures were formed. Each seminar meets for four hours per week, for a total of 3 credits.
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