A history of ancient Israel : from the Patriarchs through the Romans

90 Pages·2006·1.994 MB·English

by  Eric H Cline, Recorded Books, Inc

A H
ISTORY OF
A I :
NCIENT SRAEL
FROM THE PATRIARCHS
THROUGH THE ROMANS
COURSE GUIDE
Professor Eric H. Cline
THEGEORGEWASHINGTONUNIVERSITY
A History of Ancient Israel:
From the Patriarchs Through the Romans
Professor Eric H. Cline
TheGeorgeWashingtonUniversity
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AHistoryofAncientIsrael:
FromthePatriarchsThroughtheRomans
ProfessorEricH.Cline
(cid:1)
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Lecturecontent©2006byEricH.Cline
Courseguide©2006byRecordedBooks,LLC
7
2006byRecordedBooks,LLC
Coverimage:KingDavidbringstheArkoftheCovenanttoJersusalem©Clipart.com
#UT078 ISBN:978-1-4193-8872-9
Allbeliefsandopinionsexpressedinthisaudio/videoprogramandaccompanyingcourseguide
arethoseoftheauthorandnotofRecordedBooks,LLC,oritsemployees.
CourseSyllabus
AHistoryofAncientIsrael:
FromthePatriarchsThroughtheRomans
AboutYourProfessor...................................................................................................4
Introduction...................................................................................................................5
Lecture1 AbrahamandthePatriarchs..................................................................6
Lecture2 TheExodusandEgypt........................................................................13
Lecture3 TheConquestofCanaan:Israelites,Philistines,
andPhoenicians..................................................................................20
Lecture4 KingDavidinHistoryandTradition.....................................................25
Lecture5 KingSolomoninHistoryandTradition................................................31
Lecture6 Excursus:TheArkoftheCovenant.....................................................37
Lecture7 TheKingdomofIsraelandtheOmrideDynasty.................................42
Lecture8 TheKingdomofJudahUntiltheTimeofSennacherib.......................48
Lecture9 Neo-BabyloniansandtheEndoftheKingdomofJudah....................54
Lecture10 PersiansandGreeksinJudea............................................................61
Lecture11 TheComingoftheRomansandChristianity......................................66
Lecture12 Excursus:QumranandtheDeadSeaScrolls.....................................71
Lecture13 FromtheFirstJewishRevoltandtheDestructionof
JerusalemtoBarKochbaandthe
SecondJewishRebellion....................................................................77
Lecture14 Excursus:Masada,WhatReallyHappened?......................................82
CourseMaterials........................................................................................................87
3
Cline
H.
Eric About Your Professor
of
Photocourtesy Eric H. Cline
Dr.EricH.Cline,aformerFulbrightscholar,ischairoftheDepartmentof
ClassicalandSemiticLanguagesandLiteraturesatTheGeorgeWashington
UniversityinWashington,D.C.,whereheholdsajointappointmentasan
associateprofessorinboththeClassics/SemiticsDepartmentandthe
AnthropologyDepartment.
Aprolificresearcher,Dr.Clineistheauthororeditorofsevenbooksand
hasmorethanseventyarticlesandbookreviewstohiscredit.Hisbooks
includeTheBattlesofArmageddon:MegiddoandtheJezreelValleyfromthe
BronzeAgetotheNuclearAge,whichreceivedthe2001Biblical
ArchaeologySociety(BAS)PublicationAwardforBestPopularBookon
Archaeology;JerusalemBesieged:FromAncientCanaantoModernIsrael;
SailingtheWine-DarkSea:InternationalTradeandtheLateBronzeAge
Aegean;AmenhotepIII:PerspectivesonHisReign(coeditor);TheAegean
andtheOrientintheSecondMillenniumBC;ThutmoseIII:ANewBiography;
andabookforyoungadultsentitledTheAncientEgyptianWorld(coauthor
withJillRubalcaba).
ProfessorClinereceivedtheMortonBenderAwardforTeachingatThe
GeorgeWashingtonUniversityin2004andtheArchaeologicalInstituteof
America’sNationalExcellenceinUndergraduateTeachingAwardfor2005.He
currentlyteachesawidevarietyofcourses,includingTroyandtheTrojan
War,HistoryofAncientGreece,HistoryofRome,andArtandArchaeologyof
theAegeanBronzeAge.
ProfessorClinehaslecturedattheSmithsonianInstitutioninWashington,
D.C.,theMetropolitanMuseumofArtinNewYork,andtheSkirballMuseum
inLosAngeles.HisresearchhasbeenfeaturedintheWashingtonPost,the
NewYorkTimes,USNews&WorldReport,theLondonDailyTelegraph,the
LondonMirror,andmanyotherpublicationsaroundtheworld.
Inaddition,ProfessorClinehasbeenfeaturedonnumerousradioand
televisionbroadcasts,suchastheBBCWorldServices,NationalPublic
Radio,theDiscoveryChannel,theNationalGeographicChannel,andthe
HistoryChannel.
Dr.Clineismarried,withtwochildren,twocats,andvaryingnumbersoffish.
4
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Introduction
Israelconjuresupmyriadassociationsforpeoplesofallculturesandreli-
giousbackgrounds.Inextricablyassociatedwiththeworld’sthreemostpromi-
nentreligions(Judaism,Christianity,andIslam),Israelissteepedinhistory
andconflict,muchofwhichisknownthroughthetalesofbiblicalfiguressuch
asMoses,David,Solomon,and,ofcourse,JesusChrist.
ButhowmuchoftheBiblecanberelieduponasaccuratehistory?Andhow
muchofthebiblicalrecordcanbeverifiedthrougharchaeology?Esteemed
professor,researcher,andauthorEricH.ClineofTheGeorgeWashington
Universityaddressestheseandotherquestionsinthisfascinatingseries
oflectures.
AHistoryofAncientIsraelfollowsthecourseofIsrael’shistoryfrom
AbrahamandthePatriarchsthroughtheExodus,Exile,andtwogreatJewish
rebellions,encompassingarichhistorythatincreasesone’sunderstandingof
Israel’splaceintheworldtoday.Inadditiontothisstoriedregion’stumultuous
past,ProfessorClinedelvesintosuchcompellingdigressionsaslectureson
theArkoftheCovenant,theDeadSeaScrolls,andcontroversysurrounding
thefabledmasssuicideatMasada.
5
Lecture1:
AbrahamandthePatriarchs
TheSuggestedReadingforthislectureisHershelShanks’s(ed.)
AncientIsrael:FromAbrahamtotheRomanDestructionoftheTemple
(chapter1:“ThePatriarchalAge:Abraham,Isaac,andJacob”).
nyattempttoteachthehistoryofancientIsraeldepends
primarilyonthebiblicalrecord.SomesaytheBibleisa
completelyaccurateandadequateaccount.Othersviewit
asacollectionoffolktalesandmiraclestories.Thebiblical
writersthemselvesdidnotclaimtobasetheirworkonfac-
tualrecords,becausetheywerenotasconcernedwith
whatactuallyhappenedaswithconveyingtheWordofGod.Ontheother
hand,thereisalotofinformationintheBiblethatcanbecorrelatedwith
independentsources.
TheHolyLand
ThelandofancientIsraelandJudahwasknownbeforetheIsraelitesgot
thereasthelandofCanaan,whichiswhattheEgyptianscalledit.This
regionisacoastalcorridor,positionedbetweengreatempiresformostofits
history.TothenorthweretheempiresinancientMesopotamia,modern-day
IraqandnorthernSyria,whichhousedtheAssyriansandtheBabylonians
throughouttime,andtheHittites,whodwelledinTurkey.Tothesouthwere
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6
theEgyptians,notonly
KingTutandthepeople
oftheNewKingdom,but
Egyptiansfromevenear-
lier.Latercamethe
GreeksandtheRomans
fromEgyptandelse-
whereintheancient
NearEast,soancient
Israelwasmanytimes NASA
caughtbetweentwo ©
prLeToafhwneidrser.erasTdr.hetaaotiadssefrstehigqenuHaetonioltylny Books,LLC;Background:
coversthemodernstates Recorded
ofIsraelandJordan,for ©
themostpart,buttheborderschangedramaticallyoverthecourseofthehis-
toryofthisregion.TheMediterraneanisalwaysthewesternboundary,but
theeasternboundaryismoreindeterminate.SometimesitliesontheJordan
River,andsometimesitliesfurthereast,wheretheregiongiveswayto
desert.DownsouthistheSinai,whichhistoricallyformedabarriertosettle-
ment.Tothenorthisdifficulthillcountry,wheremodern-dayIsraelnowgives
waytomodern-dayLebanon.
Easttowest,thisregionisdividedintofivedifferentzones,mostlybytopog-
raphyandclimate.ThewesternmostistheCoastalPlain,nexttothe
MediterraneanSea.TheplainitselfisbrokenupintothePlainofSharon,the
PlainofDor,thePlainofAcco,andthePlainofPhoenicia.
Eastward,thesecondzoneistheso-calledWesternHills.Thesefoothills,
knownastheShephelah,riseupfromtheCoastalPlaintothecentralridge
ofthecountry.Theywereheavilywoodedinantiquityandheavilysettled.
Thehigherground,justabovethese,isknownastheHillCountry.Thisis
whereancientIsraelandJudahislocated,andthisiswheretheclassictrinity
ofMediterraneanfoodisfound:wheat,olives,andvines.Alongthesummit
lineofthisridgeareimportanttownsfromtheBronzeAgeandIronAge(for
example,Hebron,Jerusalem,Shechem,Beth-shean).Thehighestpeak
alongthesehillsisaboutfourthousandfeetabovesealevel.
SlightlyfurthereastistheRiftValley,thethirdzone,oneofthedeepest
pointsonthefaceoftheearth.TheRiftValleyisamajorstructuralriftthat
runsupfromEastAfricaandformstheRedSea,theDeadSea,theJordan
Valley,LakeTiberias,andLakeHuleh.
Continuingeastisthefourthzone,knownastheEasternHills,whichare
highandrugged.ThesearewheretheMoabites,theAmmonites,andothers
mentionedintheHebrewBiblelived.
BeyondtheEasternHillsisthefifthzone,thedesertofSyria,Jordan,and
Arabia.Thisformedtheeasternborderoftheareaformuchofitshistory.
Frequently,theeasternborderwasattheJordanRiver,ratherthanthe
desert,butthisisasfarasthiscoursewillextendgeographically.
7
EarlyHistory
ThebiblicalbooksofGenesisthrough2Kingsprovideacontinuousaccount
ofIsraeliteandJudeanhistoryfromtheirearliesttimesuntilthefallof
Jerusalemin586BCE.GenesisthroughJoshuatellabouttheoriginsofthe
IsraelitesandhowtheycametopossessthelandofCanaan.Thestory
beginswiththeCreationinGenesis.BytheendoftheBookofJoshua,the
peopleareatrestintheLandofPromise.
TheHebrewBibleistheonlyancientsourcethatdirectlyaddressesthe
questionofIsraeliteorigins.AftertheGreatFlood,whichNoahsurvivedinhis
ark,thedescendantsofNoah’sthreesonsbegantomultiply.Theymigrated
tothelandofShinar,whichisbelievedtobeinlowerMesopotamia,theland
ofIraqtoday.Theretheybegantoconstructagreattowerthatwassupposed
toreachtheheavens.Tostoptheproject,Godordaineddiversity,hencethe
TowerofBabel.Notabletounderstandeachotheranymore,thedescen-
dantsofNoah’sthreesonsscatteredtodifferentpartsoftheworld.
AmongthedistantdescendantsofShemintheninthgenerationisatent
dwellernamedAbraham.Abraham’sfatherhadleftUroftheChaldeesto
migratetothelandofCanaan,butratherthanmigratingimmediately,
Abraham’sfathersettledinthevicinityofaplacecalledHaraninUpper
Mesopotamia.Itwasonlyafterhisfather’sdeaththatAbrahammigratedfrom
HarantoCanaan,wherehelivedasasojournerintheland;thatis,heresist-
edintegrationintolocalsociety.GodpromisedAbrahamthatsomedaythe
wholelandwouldbelongtohisdescendantsandthattheywouldbegreatin
number,soeventuallyhemadeapermanentcampnearHebronandhadtwo
sons.Theoldersonwas
Ishmael,andhebecame
thefatherofthedesertfolk,
buthisfavoriteandtheonly
sonofhiswifeSarahwas
Isaac,bornwhenAbraham
wasonehundredyearsold
andSarahninety.
Inthemeantime,Lot,
Abraham’snephew,settled
inoneofthecitiesofthe
plains,inthevicinityofthe
DeadSea.Hebarely
escapedwithhistwo
daughterswhenGod
destroyedseveralofthe
citieswithfireandbrim-
stone.Itwasduringthis
timethatLot’swifewas
E turnedintoapillarofsalt,
N
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U Lot’sdaughtersgavebirth ©
T Lot’swifeisturnedintoapillarofsaltafterlookingbackon
C totwosons,whobecame
E theburningSodomandGomorrah.
L
8
theancestorsoftheAmmonitesandtheMoabites.AfterSarahdied,
Abrahamremarriedandhadadditionalchildren,theancestorsofvarious
Arabictribes.Abrahamhimselfdiedattheageof175.Beforehedied,he
obtainedawifeforhissonIsaac,andIsaacthenwentontohavechildrenof
hisown.
AbrahamandHisDescendants
IfAbraham’sfathertookthejourneyfromUrinMesopotamiauptoHaran
nearmodernTurkey,hewouldhavefollowedthecourseoftheEuphrates
River,whichwasaknowninternationaltraderouteatthattime,anditisquite
possiblethathesettleddowninaregionineithernorthSyriaorsouth
Turkey.Therearevillagesintheregiontodaythatstilllookmuchastheydid
fourthousandyearsago.Abrahamalsofitsintosomeofthegeneralmigra-
tionsduringthistimeperiod.ItisquiteconceivablethatAbraham’sandhis
father’smovementsshouldbeseeninthelightofthesemajormigrations,
whichtakeplaceatthebeginningofthesecondmillenniumBCE.
Abraham’sdescendantsthenmigratedintothelandofEgypt.Thisfallsinto
thegeneralhistoricaleraoftheHyksos,agroupofpeoplewhoruledEgypt
from1720to1550BCE.Abrahamhimselffitswellintowhatwashappening
duringtheearlysecondmillenniumBCE,thatis,abreakdownofpowerful
city-statesthathadflourishedduringthethirdmillennium(disruptions
occurredinEgyptandinMesopotamia).Someofthedisruptionsofurbanlife
thattookplaceintheearlysecondmillenniumhavebeenattributedtoa
groupcalledtheAmorites,andtheybegintobementionedintextualdocu-
mentsoftheMesopotamiancity-states.
BuildingontheEvidence
Inthe1930s,WilliamF.Albright,oneofthemostfamoushistoriansstudying
ancientIsrael,builtupontheartifactualanddocumentaryevidence.Using
textsfromlaterAmoritestatesoftheMiddleBronzeAge,Albrightandother
scholarsformulatedwhatisknownastheAmoritehypothesis,whichstates
thattheHebrewPatriarchsenteredtheareaofCanaanasapartofwide-
spreadAmoritemovementsthatdisruptedthewholeregionduringtheearly
secondmillenniumBCE.Theysaidthatthepatriarchalnarrativestoldinthe
HebrewBibleshouldbeseenaccordingly,thatis,againstthebackgroundof
earlyAmoritesociety.
AnearlysecondmillenniumdateforAbrahamandIsaacandJacobessen-
tiallyagreeswiththechronologyfoundintheearlyHebrewBible,thatis,in
1Kings6.1,whichsaysthattheExodustookplaceabout480yearsbefore
Solomon’sTemplewasbuilt.InExodus12,theIsraelitesstayedinEgyptfor
about430years.ThismeansthatAbrahamandIsaacandJacobwouldhave
beenroamingaroundtheancientNearEastsometimeduringthenineteenth
centuryBCE,thatis,thebeginningofthesecondmillennium,because
Solomon’sTemplewasbuiltabouttheyear960.If480yearsareaddedto
gettotheExodus,andthenanother430yearsasthelengthoftimethe
IsraelitesstayedinEgypt,theyearwouldbe1870BCE.Thiswasduringthe
timewhentheAmoritesweremovingaroundtheancientNearEast,andit
alsowouldallowtheHebrewstobeplacedinEgyptduringtheso-called
Hyksosperiod,whenEgyptwasruledbyforeigners.Thestoriesof
9