HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 1st degree (Bachelor)

Responsible Department: The Bible & the Ancient near East

Semester: 2nd Semester

Teaching Languages: English

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Dr. Doron Ben-Ami

Coordinator Email: doron.ben-ami@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours:

Teaching Staff:
Dr. Doron Ben-Ami

Course/Module description:
The significant archaeological findings from each period included in this survey are accompanied by textual evidence from the same time. The course examines the steps in the rise of Jerusalem concerning archaeology, ancient Near Eastern texts, and the biblical narrative.
In the early periods (Middle and Late Bronze Ages ca. 2000-1200 B.C.E), external documents contribute the historical background to the archaeological evidence, which is relatively sparse. During the Iron Age (ca. 1200- 586 B.C.E), biblical texts played a significant role in the attempts to reconstruct the city's status. According to these descriptions, Jerusalem, the city chosen to house the temple and the capital of the Kingdom of Israel in Kings David and Solomon's days, gets special attention and is vividly described as a glamorous city. Surprisingly, the archaeological evidence does not corroborate these descriptions.

Course/Module aims:
This course intends to survey the archaeology of Jerusalem between the Early Bronze Age (ca. 3500 B.C.E) and the Early Roman Period (1st-century C.E).

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
This course intends to understand the dialogue between these two fields – the archaeological evidence and the biblical texts relating to the city.

Attendance requirements(%):
10%

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: Frontal lectures, PowerPoints

Course/Module Content:
Session A. Canaanite Jerusalem:
• Jerusalem in the Early Bronze Age (ca. 3500-2000 B.C.E)
• Jerusalem in the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000- 1550 B.C.E)
• Jerusalem in the Late Bronze Age - (ca. 1550-12001150 B.C.E)

Session B. Intermediate Phase:
• Jerusalem in the Early Iron Age (ca. 12001150-10th century B.C.E) – Jebusite or Israelite?

Session C. Capital of the Judean Kingdom:

• Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE – indeed a glamorous capital?
• Jerusalem in the Iron Age II (ca. 900-586 B.C.E) – the capital of the Judean Kingdom.
• Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period (ca. 6th century B.C.E-1st century C.E)

Required Reading:
Maeir, A.
2011. The Archaeology of Early Jerusalem: From the Late Proto-Historic Periods (ca. 5th Millenium) to the End of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1200 B.C.E.), Unearthing Jerusalem: 150 Years of Archaeological Research in the Holy Land, eds. K. Ganor and G. Avni, Eusenbrauns, pp. 171-187. E-book

Regev, J. et al. 2017. Absolute Dating of the Gihon Spring Fortifications, Jerusalem, Radiocarbon 59: 1171–1193.

Ussishkin D. 2016. Was Jerusalem a fortified stronghold in the Middle Bronze Age? —an alternative view. Levant 48(2):135–51.

Finkelstein, I. Koch I., and Lipschits, O.
2011 The Mound on the Mount. A Possible Solution to the “Problem with Jerusalem”, in: The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 12, article 12

Na’aman N. 1996. The Contribution of the Amarna Letters to the Debate on Jerusalem’s Political Position in the Tenth Century B.C.E.”, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR) 304: 17-27. E-journal

Yurco, F. J.1990. 3,200-Year-Old Picture of Israelites Found in Egypt, Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. XVI, No. 5, pp. 20-38.

Killebrew, A. E.
2003. Biblical Jerusalem: An Archaeological Assessment, Jerusalem in the Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period, ed. A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature. Overseas Library E114 V371

Mazar, A. 2010. Archaeology and the Biblical Narrative: The Case of the United Monarchy. In, Kratz, R. G. and Speickermann, H. (eds), One God — One Cult — One Nation; Archaeological and Biblical Perspectives: 29–58. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 405. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter.

Mazar A. 2010. Archaeology and the Biblical Narrative:
The Case of the United Monarchy. Pages 29–58 in One God—One Cult—One Nation:
Archaeological and Biblical Perspectives. Edited by R. G. Kratz and H.Spieckermann. Berlin: de Gruyter.

Mazar, E.
2007. Preliminary Report on the City of David Excavations 2005 at the Visitors Center Area. Jerusalem: Shalem. Overseas Library E114 M475

Finkelstein, I., Herzog, Z., Singer-Avitz, L., and Ussishkin, D. 2007. Has the Palace of King David Been Found in Jerusalem? Tel Aviv 34: 142-164. E-journal

Hurwitz, V. 2011. Solomon's Temple in Context, Biblical Archaeology Review 37 (2): 46-57. ERESERVE

Gadot, Y., and Uziel , J.
2017. The Monumentality of Iron Age Jerusalem Prior to the 8th Century BCE, Tel Aviv 44: 123 –140.

Additional Reading Material:
Kenyon, K.M. 1974. Digging Up Jerusalem, pp.55-75 (Excavation Methods and the Dig in Jerusalem). Overseas Library E114 K37 + ERESERVE 001918317

Mazar, A. 1990. Archaeology of the Land of the Bible 10,000-586 B.C.E., pp.1-34. Overseas Library E13 M475 + ERESERVE 001918316

Na’aman N.1992. Canaanite Jerusalem and its Central Hill Country Neighbors in the Second Millennium B.C.E. Ugarit-Forschungen 24: 275-291. ERESERVE 001228883

Knauf, E. A.2000. Jerusalem in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages: A Proposal, Tel
Aviv, 27:1, 75-90.

Whitelam K.W. 2000. ‘ISRAEL IS LAID WASTE; HIS SEED IS NO MORE’:
WHAT IF MERNEPTAH’S SCRIBES WERE TELLING
THE TRUTH? Biblical Interpretation, 8(1-2), 8-22

Steiner, M.2003. The Evidence from Kenyon's Excavations in Jerusalem: A Response Assay, Jerusalem in the Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period, ed. A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, pp. 347-363. Overseas Library E114 V371

Finkelstein I. 2011. The “Large Stone Structure” in Jerusalem
Reality versus Yearning. ZDPV 127: 1-10.

Na'aman, N. 1995. "The Debated Historicity of Hezekiah's Reforms in the Light of Historical and Archaeological Research", ZAW 107:179-195.

Munnich, M. 2004. "Hezekiah and Archaeology. The Answer for Nadav Na'aman", Ugarit Forschungen (&eq;UF) 36: 333-346.

Grading Scheme :

Additional information:
Overall reading list:

Reading - selected bibliography:
Ben-Dov, M. 2002. Canaanite Jerusalem: From Yqr'm to Araunah 3000-1000 BCE. Historical Atlas of Jerusalem, New York: Continuum, Ch. 2, pp. 28-42. Overseas Library E114(084) B456; ERESERVE
Ben-Ami, D. 2014. Notes on the Iron IIA Settlement in Jerusalem in Light of Excavations in the Northwest of the City of David, Tel-Aviv 41: 3-19. E-journal

Broshi, M.
1974. The Expansion of Jerusalem in the Reign of Hezekiah and Manasseh, Israel Exploration Journal 24: 21-26. E-journal

Cahill, J.M.
2003. Jerusalem at the Time of the United Monarchy: Archaeological Evidence, Jerusalem in the Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period, ed. A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, pp. 13-80. Overseas Library E114 V371; ERESERVE

Finkelstein, I.
2001. The Rise of Jerusalem and Judah: The Missing Link. Levant 33: 105-115. E-journal

Finkelstein, I., Herzog, Z., Singer-Avitz, L., and Ussishkin, D.
2007. Has the Palace of King David Been Found in Jerusalem? Tel Aviv 34: 142-164. E-journal

Finkelstein, I. Koch I., and Lipschits, O.
2011 The Mound on the Mount. A Possible Solution to the “Problem with Jerusalem”, in: The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 12, article 12.

Gadot, Y., and Uziel , J.
2017. The Monumentality of Iron Age Jerusalem Prior to the 8th Century BCE, Tel Aviv 44: 123 –140.
Geva, H.
2003. Western Jerusalem at the End of the First Temple Period in Light of the Excavations in the Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem in the Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period, ed. A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, pp. 183-208 Overseas Library E114 V371; ERESERVE
10. Geva, H. and de Groot, A.
2017 The City of David Is Not on the Temple Mount after All, in: IEJ 67, 32 – 49.
11. Hurwitz, V.
2011. Solomon's Temple in Context, Biblical Archaeology Review 37 (2): 46-57. ERESERVE
12. Kalimi, I.
2002. The Capture of Jerusalem in the Chronistic History”, Vetus Testamentum 52, pp. 66-79. E-journal
13. Knauf, E. A.
2000. Jerusalem in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages: A Proposal, Tel
Aviv, 27:1, 75-90.
14. Killebrew, A. E.
2003. Biblical Jerusalem: An Archaeological Assessment, Jerusalem in the Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period, ed. A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature. Overseas Library E114 V371
15. Mazar A.
2001. Jerusalem in the 10th Century B.C.E.: The Glass Half Full. Essays on Ancient Israel in its Near Eastern Context: A Tribute to Nadav Na'aman, eds. Y. Amit, I. Finkelstein, and O. Lipschits. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, pp. 255-272. Main Library BS 1110 N32 2006; E-book

12. Mazar, A.
2006. Jerusalem in the 10th Century B.C.E.: The Glass Half Full.
Essays on Ancient Israel in its Near Eastern Context: A Tribute to
Nadav Na'aman, eds. Y. Amit, I. Finkelstein, and O. Lipschits. Winona
Lake, in: Eisenbrauns, pp. 255-272.
13. Mazar, A.
2010. Archaeology and the Biblical Narrative: The Case of the United
Monarchy. In, Kratz, R. G. and Speickermann, H. (eds), One God —
One Cult — One Nation; Archaeological and Biblical Perspectives:
29–58. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
405. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter.
14. Mazar, E.
2007. Preliminary Report on the City of David Excavations 2005 at the Visitors Center Area. Jerusalem: Shalem. Overseas Library E114 M475
15. Maeir, A.
2011. The Archaeology of Early Jerusalem: From the Late Proto-Historic Periods (ca. 5th Millenium) to the End of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1200 B.C.E.), Unearthing Jerusalem: 150 Years of Archaeological Research in the Holy Land, eds. K. Ganor and G. Avni, Eusenbrauns, pp. 171-187. E-book
16. Munnich, M.
2004. Hezekiah and Archaeology. The Answer for Nadav Na'aman", Ugarit Forschungen 36: 333-346. ERESERVE
17. Na’aman N.
1992. Canaanite Jerusalem and its Central Hill Country Neighbours in the Second Millennium B.C.E. Ugarit-Forschungen 24: 275-291. ERESERVE
18. Na’aman N.
1996. The Contribution of the Amarna Letters to the Debate on Jerusalem’s Political Position in the Tenth Century B.C.E.”, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR) 304: 17-27. E-journal
19. Na'aman, N.
1995. The Debated Historicity of Hezekiah's Reforms in the Light of Historical and Archaeological Research", Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (ZAW) 107:179-195. E-journal
20. Na’aman, N.
2007. When and How Did Jerusalem Become a Great City? The Rise
of Jerusalem as Judah’s Premier City in the Eighth–Seventh Centuries
B.C.E. BASOR 347: 21–56.
21. Regev, J. et al.
2017. Absolute Dating of the Gihon Spring Fortifications, Jerusalem,
Radiocarbon 59: 1171–1193.
22. Steiner, M.
2003. The Evidence from Kenyon's Excavations in Jerusalem: A Response Assay, Jerusalem in the Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period, ed. A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, pp. 347-363. Overseas Library E114 V371
23. Stern, E. (ed.).
1990. "Jerusalem" in: The new encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, Vol. 2, pp. 698-702. Overseas Library E13(03) A957; ERESERVE
24. Ussishkin, D.
1976. Royal Judean Storage Jars and Private Seal Impressions, BASOR 223:1-14. E-journal
25. Ussishkin, D.
1977. The Destruction of Lachish by Sennacherib and the Dating of the Royal Judean Storage Jars, Tel-Aviv 4:28-60. ERESERVE
26. Ussishkin, D.
2003. Solomon's Jerusalem: The Text and the Facts on the Ground. Pp. 103-115 in Jerusalem in the Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period, ed. A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, pp. 103-115. Overseas Library E114 V371; ERESERVE
27. Ussishkin D.
2016. Was Jerusalem a fortified stronghold in the Middle Bronze
Age? —an alternative view. Levant 48(2):135–51.