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Jesus and his world : the archaeological evidence PDF

194 Pages·2013·3.67 MB·English
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Craig Evans is the Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Acadia University and Acadia Divinity College in Nova Scotia, Canada. He has published more than fifty books, many on Jesus and the Gospels, including (with N. T. Wright) Jesus, The Final Days (2009). Professor Evans has lectured in many universities and museums around the world and has appeared several times as an expert commentator in television documentaries and news programmes. He is married and has two grown daughters and a grandson. JESUS AND HIS WORLD The Archaeological Evidence CRAIG A. EVANS © 2012 Craig A. Evans First published in the United States of America in 2012 by Westminster John Knox Press 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville, KY 40202 First published in Great Britain in 2012 by Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge 36 Causton Street London SW1P 4ST 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952 a nd 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Cover design by Dilu Nicholas Cover Art: © Eldad Carin / istockphoto.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Evans, Craig A. Jesus and his world : the archaeological evidence / Craig A. Evans. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes. ISBN 978-0-664-23413-3 (alk. paper) 1. Bible. N.T. Gospels—Antiquities. 2. Jesus Christ. I. Title. BS621.E885 2012 2225.9'3—dc23 2011051970 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Th e paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. Westminster John Knox Press advocates the responsible use of our natural resources. The text paper of this book is made from 30% postconsumer waste. Most Westminster John Knox Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, and special-interest groups. For more information, please e-mail [email protected]. For Master Chief Gator Franklin, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, United States Navy, in appreciation Contents List of figures ix Preface xi List of abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 1 In the shadow of Sepphoris: growing up in Nazareth 13 2 Among the devout: religious formation in the synagogue 38 3 In the books: reading, writing and literacy 63 4 Confronting the establishment: ruling priests and the temple 89 5 Life with the dead: Jewish burial traditions 113 Summing up 141 Appendix 1: Have we found the family tomb of Jesus? 144 Appendix 2: What did Jesus look like? 148 Notes 153 Suggestions for further reading 175 Index of ancient writings and sources 179 Index of modern names 185 Index of subjects 188 vii 1.1 Sepphoris street walk 22 1.2 Sepphoris theatre 23 1.3 Miqveh, Sepphoris 25 1.4 Sepphoris Mona Lisa 27 1.5 First-century Capernaum 31 2.1 Theodotos inscription 42 2.2 Capernaum columns 1 47 2.3 Capernaum columns 2 48 2.4 Capernaum synagogue wall 49 2.5 Gamla synagogue (2009) 50 2.6 Herodium synagogue 52 2.7 Migdal site (2010) 54 2.8 Magdala Stone 55 2.9 Masada synagogue 56 2.10 Moses’ seat, Chorazin 61 3.1 Milestone, Capernaum 64 3.2 Baker and wife, Pompeii 67 3.3 Palatine Graffito 72 3.4 Sketch of the Palatine Graffito 72 3.5 Great Isaiah Scroll, column 43 78 3.6 Great Isaiah Scroll, column 44 78 3.7 Nazareth Village scroll 87 4.1 Temple Warning 91 4.2 Miqveh, Jerusalem 95 4.3 Miqveh, Qumran 95 4.4 Priestly mansion, Jerusalem 96 4.5 Caiaphas ossuary 98 4.6 The ‘Burnt House’, Jerusalem 103 4.7 Tyrian half sheqel 106 4.8 Qorban inscription, Jerusalem 108 5.1 Ossuaries, Mount of Olives 116 5.2 Pilate Stone, Caesarea Maritima 122 5.3 Heel bone of a crucified man 124 5.4 Tombs in the Kidron Valley 133 5.5 Nazareth Inscription 138 A1.1 Tomb, Talpiot 145 A2.1 The face of Jesus? 149 A2.2 Berlin Man 150 A2.3 Berlin Boy 150 x The goal of this book is to present what I regard as the most im portant archaeological discoveries pertaining to Jesus of Nazareth in a way that can be accessed by non-experts. For 20 years now I have myself benefited greatly from visits to active excavations, onsite tours and explanations from archaeologists, their publications and the many fine museums where artefacts are housed, preserved and explained. Among these I especially have in mind the Israel Museum and its Shrine of the Book, the British Museum in London and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. I have benefited too from a number of libraries, including Acadia University’s Vaughan Memorial Library, Harvard University’s Hollis Library, Princeton University’s Firestone Library, Princeton Theological Seminary’s Speer Library, Yale University’s Beinicke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and Oxford University’s fabled Bodleian Library, along with the Sackler Library’s collection of papyri. To the many patient librarians and accommodating curators I offer my heartfelt thanks. Among the archaeologists who have been very helpful, providing on-site tours and explanations, are Rami Arav, Gabriel Barkay, Richard Batey, Ronny Reich, James Strange and the late Douglas Edwards. (Acadia was favoured by a visit and several stimulating lectures by Jim Strange and Doug Edwards in the spring of 2008.) I am also grateful to Dirk Obbink for some very helpful show- andtell in the Sackler papyri room in the autumn of 2009. I also wish to acknowledge the helpful correspondence with Jane Evans, Shimon Gibson, Franck Goddio, Kurt Raveh and Shelly Wachsmann. I was pleased when the good people at SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press asked me to write this book. I especially thank Rebecca Mulhearn and Philip Law. Part of the book was written during a peaceful stay at the Cistercian Abbaye Notre-Dame du Calvaire in Rogersville, New Brunswick. I extend my thanks to Bro ther Graham Touchie for the hospitality shown me and for the engaging conversation about Jesus and archaeology. I thank Jeremiah Johnston, PhD (cand.), for assistance in the preparation of the indexes and for carefully reading the manuscript and asking good questions. The book is dedicated to Master Chief Gator Franklin, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, United States Navy (retired). For 30 years Gator risked life and limb in the excavation, recovery and dismantling of explosives and in training others at home and abroad to do the same. Because of his work countless lives have been saved. C. A. Evans Acadia Divinity College xii 1 Apol. Justin Martyr, First Apology 1 Clem. 1 Clement AASOR Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary ’Abot Mishnah: ’Abot ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library Ag. Ap. Josephus, Against Apion Ant. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities Apol. Plato, Apology of Socrates b. Ketub. Babylonian Talmud: Ketubbot b. Meg. Babylonian Talmud: Megillah b. Mo’ed Qat. Babylonian Talmud: Mo’ed Qatan b. Pesah. Babylonian Talmud: Pesahim b. Qidd. Babylonian Talmud: Qiddushin b. *abb. Babylonian Talmud: Shabbat BA Biblical Archaeologist BAR Biblical Archaeology Review Bib Biblica BibOr Biblica et orientalia BibSem Biblical Seminar CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CD Cairo Genizah copy of the Damascus Document CIJ Corpus inscriptionum judaicarum CIL Corpus inscriptionum latinarum CIS Corpus inscriptionum semiticarum CJO Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries (ed. L. Y. Rahmani) CJZ Corpus Jüdischer Zeugnisse aus der Cyrenaika (ed. G. Lüderitz) CRINT Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum Dial. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Dreams Philo, On Dreams DSD Dead Sea Discoveries xiii Embassy Philo, On the Embassy to Gaius Esth. Rab. Exod. Rab. Esther Rabbah Exodus Rabbah Haer. Irenaeus, Against Heresies Hist. eccl. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History IEJ Israel Exploration Journal IG Inscriptiones graecae. Editio minor. Berlin, 1924– Ign. Eph. Ignatius, To the Ephesians Ign. Smyrn. Ignatius, To the Smyrnaeans Joseph Philo, On the Life of Joseph JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JJS Journal of Jewish Studies JQR Jewish Quarterly Review JR Journal of Religion JRASup Journal of Roman Archaeology: Supplement series JSHJ Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus JSJSup Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Periods: Supplement Series JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSPSup Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha: Supplement Series J.W. Josephus, Jewish Wars LÄ Lexikon der Ägyptologie Lev. Rab. Leviticus Rabbah Life Josephus, The Life m. Keritot Mishnah: Keritot m. Ma‘a?. *. Mishnah: Ma‘aser Sheni m. Meg. m. Mo‘ed Qat. m. Ned. m. Nega’im m. Parah m. Pesah. m. *abb. m. Sanh. m. Ta‘anit Mishnah: Megillah Mishnah: Mo‘ed Qatan Mishnah: Nedarim Mishnah: Nega’im Mishnah: Parah Mishnah: Pesahim Mishnah: Shabbat Mishnah: Sanhedrin Mishnah: Ta‘anit m. Yoma Mishnah: Yoma Mas Masada ostraca MdB Le Monde de la Bible Moses Philo, On the Life of Moses Nat. Pliny the Elder, Natural History NEAEHL The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land (ed. E. Stern) NovT Novum Testamentum NovTSup Novum Testamentum Supplements NTS New Testament Studies NTTS New Testament Tools and Studies OGIS Orientis graeci inscriptiones selectae (edited by W. Dittenberger) PEQ Palestine Exploration Quarterly P. Oxy. Papyri Oxyrhynchus Ps.-Diogenes A writing falsely attributed to Diogenes the Cynic Qoh. Rab. Qohelet Rabbah RAr Revue Archéologique RB Revue biblique REJ SBLRBS SBLSBS SEG Sipre Deut. Sipre Num. SNTSMS Song Rab. Spec. Laws t. Me‘ila t. Menah. T. Mos. t. Qidd. Tosefta: Qiddushin t. *abb. Tosefta: Shabbat t. Sukkah Tosefta: Sukkah Tg. Ps.-J. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan TSAJ Texte und Studien zum antiken Judentum xv Revue des études juives Society of Biblical Literature Resources for Biblical Study Society of Biblical Literature Sources for Biblical Study Supplementum epigraphicum graecum Sipre Deuteronomy Sipre Numbers Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series Song of Songs Rabbah Philo, On the Special Laws Tosefta: Me‘ila Tosefta: Menahot Testament of Moses WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament y. Ketub. Jerusalem Talmud: Ketubbot y. Meg. Jerusalem Talmud: Megillah y. Mo‘ed Qat. Jerusalem Talmud: Mo‘ed Qatan ZNW Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche In a column that appeared in a popular archaeology magazine, respected Professor of Hebrew Bible Ron Hendel provides a succinct definition of biblical archaeology: ‘Biblical archaeology,’ says Hendel, ‘involves the rigorous correlation of textual data from the Bible and material evidence from archaeology.’1 Quite so. If archaeologists and historians could not find correlation between archaeology and the biblical text, there would be no such thing as ‘biblical archaeology’. But of course they do find such correlation, and lots of it. This is why there are many magazines and journals devoted to archaeology, a great many scholarly reference works on archaeology and countless scholarly and popular books that treat this subject from every conceivable angle. What archaeologists and historians find can also be called verisimilitude, or ‘resemblance to the truth’; that is, resemblance or likeness to the way things really were. This means that the writings of the Bible speak of real people, real places and real events. Many of these things can be corroborated by archaeological discoveries and by other ancient sources. Often what archaeologists uncover is not so much proof but clarification.2 The Bible may

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In this provocative work, world-renowned scholar Craig A. Evans presents the most important archaeological discoveries that shed light on the world of Jesus of Nazareth. Evans takes on many sensational claims that have been proposed in recent books and peddled in the media, and uses actual archaeolo
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