The Biblical Archaeologist - Vol.41, N.2

44 Pages·1978·10.98 MB·English

by  American Schools of Oriental Research

I '9 _
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BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGIST Biblical Archeologisti s publishedq uarterly
is published with the financial assistance of (March,J une, September,D ecember)b y the
AmericanS chools of OrientalR esearch.I ts
ZION RESEARCH FOUNDATION
purposei s to providet he generalr eaderw ith
Boston, Massachusetts an accurates cholarlyy et easily understand-
able accounto f archeologicadl iscoveriesa nd
A nonsectarianP rotestant foundation
their bearingo n the biblicalh eritage.U nso-
for the study of the Bible licited mss. are welcome but should be
and the history of the Christian church accompaniedb y a stamped, self-addressed
envelope. Address all editorial correspon-
dence to Biblical Archeologist, 1053 LSA
Building,T he Universityo f Michigan,A nn
-
Arbor,M I 48109. Addressa ll businessc orre-
The American Schools of Oriental Research is
spondence to ASOR, 126 Inman Street,
no longer affiliatedw ith the Centerf or Scholarly Cambridge,M A 02139.
Second class postagep aid at Ann Arbor,M l
Publishing and Services at Missoula, Montana.
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Effective3 0 June 1978, the productiona ndp ublica-
Copyright i' 1978 American Schools of
tion of ASOR journalsa nd booksw illb e centeredin OrientalR esearch.A nnuals ubscriptionr ate:
the PublicationsO ffiicein Ann Arbor,M ichiganA. ll $12.00. Currents ingle issues:$ 4.00.
orders, payments, and other matters concerning Compositionb y EisenbraunsW, inonaL ake,
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should be directedt o our business off ces at the
Editor:
following address:
David Noel Freedman, The Universityo f
Michigan
ASOR
Associate Editor:
12 6 Inman Street
H. T. Frank, OberlinC ollege
Cambridge, MA 02139
Editorial Committee:
Frank M. Cross, HarvardU niversity
John A. Miles, jr., Universityo f California
Press
Assistants to the Editor:
Ronald L. Guengerich, Kent P. Jackson,
TerrenceM . Kerestes,K ennethA . Mathews,
William Rudolph, Bruce Willoughby
Credits:
'te, Le A Tale of Three Cities: fig. I by Kent P.
Jackson,A nn Arbor,M l; figs. 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10,
r%;tlW*.fssoW;§ 0St8w
and 11 by Michael M. Eisman;f ig. 3 used
w * s -* 4 .N 5 \ 2 l 0
so\ \ S @5 X; s l \ ww 8 r*^ with permissiono f TheodorA . Busink;f ig. 4
- ' t V v ! z used by courtesy of the Israel Exploration
_ * s , , , , s _ . Society; fig. 7 used by courtesy of the
#''._'r' '5
DeutschesA rchaologischesI nstitut, Athens.
. : ,_I i w- a.: . * .: t
; -' %N' Paul's MissionaryJ ourneyt o Spain: Tradi-
%;.' . 8- \ o ce wgvt t tion and Folklore:p hoto on p. 62 c/ o Otto F.
A. Meinardus.
1';'/f'W,z. e ., The Prideo f the Jordan-The Jungleo f the
Jordan:p hoto on p. 64 reprintedfr omN elson
_ t k ' t. o ' s 4 *
- _ P v t . Glueck, The River Jordan ( 1968), p. 49;
. . . < . . . photo on p. 67 by RichardW . Cleave,u sed
f 'TC,' -;; .' '.
, 5 , . . . with permission;m ap on p. 69 by Kenneth
:' '''- \ ;,
v '* ' ' ..Mr. ¢- ; ; -; 1' t - ^ .t 1 t; 1 . t - ; ; . . , . t . .s, s ., \ Mathews,A nn Arbor, Ml; photos on pp. 70
*; t z ,,'} *j; %-,, 't ' and 73 c/o Menashe Har-El.
Cover: .;, I r s ."^s "' ,,,. t Colophon: by David Jones, reprintedf rom
Solomon' s Temple,t he centrals hrineo f Jerusalem.T her esponse -,' , X.\ ' _ 't'} - .s,,-, ;' ' 7the Sleeping Lord and Other Fragments,
to a critical situation made an unimportantv illage a religious , S;, s, - ,*,, . v i .' ^ , . t;. ChilmarkP ress, New York;i ' David Jones,
and political capital. t. \,\"'{ 't. '-; 1955.
BI BL ICAL
9Stv
ARCHEOLOGIST
Michael M. Eisman 47 A TALE OF THREE CITIES
A study of the urband evelopmento f Jerusalem,A thens,a nd
Rome, the three great ancient cities which are the fountain-
heads of westernc ivilization.T he responset hat each madet o
its own urban crisis determinedi ts place in history forever.
Otto F. A. Meinardus 61 PAUL'S MISSIONARY JOURNEY TO
SPAIN: TRADITION AND FOLKLORE
Did Paul ever visit Spain as he had intended?A n examina-
tion of traditionsa nd legends, some of which persist to the
present day.
Menashe Har-EI 65 THE PRIDE OF THE JORDAN THE
JUNGLE OF THE JORDAN
The lush, tropical strip of land which borders the Jordan
Riverc ontrastss harplyw ith the barrenh ills on eithers ide of
the valley.A ncientt ravelersa nd moderng eographerds escribe
the uniquee cosystemw hich the Jordan River has createdi n
the wilderness.
42 LETTER TO THE READERS 77 BOOK REVIEWS
Coats and Long, Canon and Authority (Blenkinsopp);
Slingerland, The Testamentso f the Twelve Patriarchs:A
42 OP-ED
CriticalH istory of Research( Reese); Moeller, The Legacy
of Zion: IntertestamentaTl exts Related to the New Testa-
ment (Burrows); Towner, How God Deals with Evil
43 COLLOQUIA
(Myers);B urrows,J esus in the First ThreeG ospels( Cope);
Aulen, Jesus in ContemporaryH istoricalR esearch( Bailey).
76 TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO 80 COLOPHON
oopp--eedd
WWiitthh tthhee aappppeeaarraanncceeoo ff OOddeedd BBoorroowwsskkiiss eessssaayy
oonn ""BBiibblliiccaallAA rrcchheeoollooggyy aanndd BBiibblliiccaall AAnntthhrrooppoollooggyy,,""
wwee iinnaauugguurraatteett hhee oopp--eedd sseerriieess iinn BBAA.. WWee hhaavvee iinnvviitteedd
aa nnuummbbeerr ooff ccoolllleeaagguueess,, oolldd aanndd yyoouunngg,, ttoo eexxpprreessss
LLeetttteerr ttoo tthhee RReeaaddeerrss tthheemmsseellvveess oonn aassppeeccttss ooff BBiibblliiccaall AArrcchheeoollooggyy ((tthhee
ssuubbjjeecctt aass wweellll aass tthhee mmaaggaazziinnee,, ssiinnccee tthheeyy oovveerrllaapp
ssuubbssttaannttiiaallllyy)):: ttoo rraaiissee qquueessttiioonnss,, pprreessss iissssuueess,, rriiddee
TThhee CCiittyy aanndd tthhee CCoouunnttrryy
hhoobbbbyy hhoorrsseess oorr ttiilltt aatt wwiinnddmmiillllss,,mm aaiinnllyy ttoo wwrriittee wwhhaatt
TThhee ccoonnttrraasstt bbeettwweeeenn cciittyy aanndd ccoouunnttrryy hhaass tthheeyy tthhiinnkk,, ssoo tthhaatt oouurr rreeaaddeerrssww iillll hhaavvee tthhee bbeenneeffiittaa nndd
ffaasscciinnaatteeddoo bbsseerrvveerrssoo ff tthhee hhuummaann sscceennee ssiinnccee eeaarrlliieesstt ssttiimmuulluuss ooff mmaannyy vvooiicceess aanndd ddiiffffeerriinngg ooppiinniioonnss..
ttiimmeess,, aanndd sstteerreeoottyyppeessll iikkee ""cciittyy sslliicckkeerr""aa nndd ""ccoouunnttrryy WWee hheerreebbyy eexxtteenndd tthhee iinnvviittaattiioonn ttoo aallll ooff oouurr
bbuummppkkiinn""hh aavvee bbeeeenn iinnggrraaiinneedd iinn oouurr llaanngguuaaggee aanndd rreeaaddeerrss ttoo wwrriittee uuss lleetttteerrssff oorr tthhee sseeccttiioonn PPoolleemmiiccss &&
tthhoouugghhtt.. FFaabbuulliissttss aanndd pphhiilloossoopphheerrss,, ssaattiirriissttss aanndd IIrreenniiccss oorr eessssaayyss ffoorr tthhee oopp--eedd ppaaggee.. WWee aawwaaiitt yyoouurr
ssoopphhiissttss hhaavvee hhaadd tthheeiirr ssaayy,, aanndd iinn lliitteerraattuurreeaa ss iinn lliiffee ccoommmmuunniiccaattiioonnss..
tthhee tteennssiioonnss ooff mmuuttuuaall iinntteerrddeeppeennddeenncceepp eerrssiisstt.. IInn aa
DDNNFF
ff11eelldd ooff iinnqquuiirryy wwhheerree hhaarrddhheeaaddeeddaa nnaallyyssiiss sshhoouulldd bbee
ccoommbbiinneedd wwiitthh ccooooll,, ddiissppaassssiioonnaattee rreefflleeccttiioonn,, sseennttii--
mmeennttaalliittyy aanndd pprreejjuuddiicceess ttiillll aabboouunndd..
IInn aann eeffffoorrtt ttoo sshheedd lliigghhtt aanndd ssttiimmuullaattee
BBiibblliiccaall AArrcchheeoollooggyy aanndd BBiibblliiccaall AAnntthhrrooppoollooggyy
rreeaassoonnaabbllee ddiissccuussssiioonn,, wwee hheerree pprreesseenntt ttwwoo aarrttiicclleess,,
eeaacchh ooff wwhhiicchh ttaakkeess uupp oonnee ssiiddee ooff tthhiiss ccoonnttrraasstt..TT hhee SSiinnccee tthhee iinncceeppttiioonn ooff bbiibblliiccaall aarrcchheeoollooggyy,,
ffiirrsstt iiss aa pprroovvooccaattiivvee aasssseessssmmeenntt ooff tthhrreeee cciittiieess ooff ppeeooppllee wwhhoossee mmaaiinn iinntteerreessttww aass tthhee hhiissttoorryy ooff aanncciieenntt
aannttiiqquuiittyy wwhhoossee hhiissttoorriiccaall rroolleess wweerree ddeecciissiivvee aanndd IIssrraaeellaa ss ddeeppiicctteeddii nn tthhee BBiibblleeaa nndd eexxttrraa--bbiibblliiccaassll oouurrcceess
wwhhoossee ssyymmbboolliicc iimmppoorrttaanncceehh aass bbeeeenn ooff eevveenn ggrreeaatteerr hhaavvee ddoommiinnaatteedd tthhiiss sscciieennccee.. AAnnootthheerr ddoommiinnaattiinngg
mmaaggnniittuuddee.. JJeerruussaalleemm,, AAtthheennss,, RRoommee cciittiieess ooff ffaaccttoorr hhaass bbeeeenn rreelliiggiioouussff aaiitthh aanndd tthhee ddeessiirreett oo ppuurrssuuee
wwiiddeellyy vvaarryyiinnggcc hhaarraacctteerraa nndd ssttaattuuss--aarree nnaammeessww hhiicchh iittss bbiibblliiccaall rroooottss.. TThheessee ttwwoo ffaaccttoorrss bbrroouugghhtt iinnttoo tthhee
ttoo tthhiiss ddaayy eevvookkee ssttrroonngg rreeaaccttiioonnss ffrroomm aallll kkiinnddss ooff ffiieelldd ppeeooppllee ffrroomm ddiiffffeerreennttww aallkkss ooff lliiffee wwhhoo,, iinn ttuurrnn,,
ppeeooppllee,, nnoott lleeaasstt ffrroomm tthhoossee wwhhoo hhaavvee nneevveerr lliivveedd iinn hheellppeedd sshhaappee bbiibblliiccaall aarrcchheeoollooggyyaa nndd mmaaddee iitt aa sscciieennccee
aannyy ooff tthheemm.. MMiicchhaaeellEE iissmmaannhh aass ttaakkeenn oonn tthheessee tthhrreeee ((oorr aann aarrtt)).. TThheesseeff aaccttoorrss nnoott oonnllyy pprroodduucceeddaa ccttiivveeff iieelldd
cciittiieess iinn aa rreemmaarrkkaabblleeee ffffoorrtt ttoo sshhooww hhooww tthheeyy ccaammee ttoo aarrcchheeoollooggiissttss,, bbuutt ccoonnttiinnuuee,, iinn tthhee pprreesseenntt,, ttoo ccrreeaattee
bbee cceenntteerrssoo ff ppoowweerr aanndd aauutthhoorriittyyaa nndd wwhhyy tthhaatt ssppeecciiaall aanndd mmaaiinnttaaiinnaa ssttrroonngg iinntteerreessttaa mmoonngg llaayy ppeeooppllee iinn tthhee
aauurraa oorr nniimmbbuuss ssuurrrroouunnddsstt hheemm ttoo tthhee pprreesseenntt ddaayy,, oonnggooiinngg ffiieellddwwoorrkk..
wwhhaatteevveerrtt hhee rreeaalliittiieessoo ff tthheeiirr mmuunnddaanneeee xxiisstteennccee,,ee ..gg..,, IItt wwaass oonnllyy nnaattuurraall tthhaatt tthhee iinntteerreesstt iinn hhiissttoorryy
tthhee ddaaiillyy ttrraaffffiicc jjaammss iinn tthhee sshhaaddoowwss ooff tthhee ggrreeaatt aanndd rreelliiggiioonn wwoouulldd lleeaadd ttoo aa sseeaarrcchh ffoorr ppllaacceess wwhheerree
mmoonnuummeennttss ooff aannttiiqquuiittyy.. ffaammoouuss eevveennttss ooccccuurrrreeddaa nndd tthhee aatttteemmpptt ttoo ffoollllooww iinn
TThhee ootthheerr ssiiddee ooff tthhee ccoonnttrraassttii ss pprreesseenntteeddii nn tthhee tthhee ffoooottsstteeppss ooff tthhoossee ffiigguurreessww hhoo ppaarrttiicciippaatteeddiinn tthheemm..
aarrttiicclleeoo nn tthhee JJuunnggllee ooff tthhee JJoorrddaannbb yy MMeennaasshheeHH aarr--EEll.. TThhiiss sseeaarrcchh bbootthh lliimmiitteedd aarrcchheeoollooggiissttsstt oo ssiitteess wwhhiicchh
TThhee JJoorrddaann RRiivveerr--ssiimmiillaarrllyy ssyymmbboolliicc--iiss ppeerrhhaappss ccoouulldd bbee iiddeennttiiffiieeddww iitthh bbiibblliiccaall ppllaacceess aanndd ddeetteerrmmiinneedd
tthhee mmoosstt wwiiddeellyyaa ccccllaaiimmeeddoo ff aallll tthhee rriivveerrssoo ff tthhee wwoorrlldd.. wwhheerree mmoonneeyy aanndd eeffffoorrtt wwoouulldd bbee iinnvveesstteedd.. IItt aallssoo
TThhee rreeaalliittyy,,hh oowweevveerr,,ii ss rraatthheerruu nniimmpprreessssiivveeaa,, ss aann eeaarrllyy ddeetteerrmmiinneedd tthhee ttyyppee ooff eevviiddeennccee ssoouugghhtt bbyy aarrcchheeoo--
ffoorreeiiggnn vviissiittoorr,, tthhee SSyyrriiaann ggeenneerraallNN aaaammaann,, wwaass qquuiicckk llooggiissttss,, nnaammeellyy,, ssttrruuccttuurreessaa nndd ootthheerr rreemmaaiinnss wwhhiicchh
ttoo oobbsseerrvvee ((22 KKggss 55::1122)).. TThhee JJoorrddaann vvaalllleeyy aanndd iittss ccoouulldd bbee rreellaatteedd ttoo bbiibblliiccaall aaccccoouunnttss.. AA ffeeww ppeeooppllee
JJuunnggllee aarree oonnllyy sslliigghhttllyy lleessss iimmbbuueeddww iitthh tthhee ppaattiinnaa ooff wweerree iinntteerreesstteeddii nn aa bbrrooaaddeerr,,rr eeggiioonnaall ppiiccttuurree,,bb uutt tthhiiss
aaggee aanndd ttrraaddiittiioonn..BB uutt wwhhaatt wwaass tthhee aaccttuuaall ssiittuuaattiioonnii nn aallssoo hhaadd ttoo bbee rreellaatteeddtt oo bbiibblliiccaallee vveennttss.. DDaattiinngg ssyysstteemmss
aanncciieenntt ttiimmeess?? FFoorr tthhoossee wwhhoo lliivvee tthheerree ttooddaayy,, oorr aarree ddeevveellooppeedd oorr aaddoopptteedd bbyy aarrcchheeoollooggiissttss wweerree uusseedd
aammoonngg tthhee mmiilllliioonnssww hhoo hhaavvee ccoommee ttoo sseeee tthhee rriivveerraa ss iitt mmaaiinnllyyaa ss ttoooollss iinn uunnccoovveerriinnggaa nndd ddaattiinnggll ooccaall eevveennttss iinn
wwiinnddss iittss wwaayy ffrroomm nnoorrtthheerrnnGG aalliilleeee ttoo iittss DDeeaadd SSeeaa tthhee hhooppee ooff rreellaattiinngg tthheemm ttoo bbiibblliiccaall aaccccoouunnttss..
tteerrmmiinnuuss,, iitt iiss hhaarrdd ttoo iimmaaggiinnee tthhaatt tthheerree wwaass eevveerr aa BBuutt bbiibblliiccaall aarrcchheeoollooggyy iiss nnoott aa ffoossssiilliizzeedd ffiieelldd,,
""jjuunnggllee,,""oo nnee wwiitthh iittss sshhaarree ooff wwiilldd aanniimmaallss.. BBuutt tthhee aanndd mmaannyy cchhaannggeessii nn ddiirreeccttiioonnaa nndd mmeetthhooddsstt ooookk ppllaaccee
lleeaarrnneeddgg eeooggrraapphheerrff rroomm HHeebbrreewwUU nniivveerrssiittyyaa ssssuurreessuu ss iinn iitt aass aa rreessuulltt ooff tthhee vvaarriieedd bbaacckkggrroouunndd ooff tthheeiirr
tthhaatt tthhiiss wwaass iinnddeeeedd tthhee ccaassee aanndd ppaaiinnttss aann eevveenn mmoorree iinniittiiaattoorrss.. LLaatteellyy,, aanndd iitt iiss vveerryy hhaarrdd ttoo ddeetteerrmmiinnee
ccoolloorrffuull ppiiccttuurree ooff tthhiiss rreeggiioonn iinn eeaarrlliieerr pprreehhiissttoorriicc eexxaaccttllyy wwhheenn,, aa cceerrttaaiinn ddeevveellooppmmeenntthh aass bbeeeenn ttaakkiinngg
ttiimmeess.. ppllaaccee.. IItt mmiigghhtt hhaavvee bbeeeenn ssttaarrtteedd dduurriinngg tthhee 5500''ss aatt
DDAAVVIIDDNN OOEELLFF RREEEEDDMMAANNJJ eerriicchhoo bbyy DDaammee KKaatthhlleeeennKK eennyyoonn oorr aatt SShheecchheemm bbyy
11997788
4422 JJUUNNEE
GG.. EErrnneesstt WWrriigghhtt aanndd tthheenn wwaass ccoonnttiinnuueedd bbyy tthheeiirr ttrraaiinneedd hhaarrddeerraa nndd lloonnggeerr iinn oorrddeerr ttoo bbee pprreeppaarreeddff oorr
ssttuuddeennttss aatt ootthheerr ssiitteess.. TThhiiss cchhaannggee iinn aapppprrooaacchh,,bb ootthh tthhee eennoorrmmoouuss ttaasskk.. MMoosstt eexxppeeddiittiioonnss,, hhoowweevveerr,, wwoorrkk
aass ttoo tthhee ttyyppee ooff eevviiddeenncceett hhaatt sshhoouulldd bbee rreeccoovveerreeddaa nndd oonn aa ""sshhooee--ssttrriinngg""bb uuddggeettww iitthhoouutt hhaavviinngg"" aa rriicchh uunnccllee""
ttoo iittss iinntteerrpprreettaattiioonnii,,nn fflluueenncceeddtt hhee ddeevveellooppmmeennttoo ff nneeww ttoo ssuuppppoorrtt tthheemm.. IInn ssppiittee ooff tthhiiss,, aarrcchheeoollooggyyii ss aa ffiieelldd
mmeetthhooddss ooff ddiiggggiinngg aanndd rreeccoorrddiinngg..TT hhee nneeww aattttiittuuddee ooppeenn ttoo aannyyoonnee wwhhoo wwaannttss ttoo ppaarrttiicciippaattee,,aa nndd tthhee llaayy
ttaakkeess iinnttoo aaccccoouunntt mmaatteerriiaallrr eellaatteedddd iirreeccttllyynn oott oonnllyy ttoo ppeeooppllee wwhhoo aawwaaiitt tthhee rreessuullttssww iitthh eexxppeeccttaattiioonnssss hhoouulldd
bbiibblliiccaall eevveennttss bbuutt ttoo hhuummaann hhiissttoorryy aanndd ttoo tthhee rreeaalliizzee tthhaatt nnooww mmoorree tthhaann eevveerr bbeeffoorree bbiibblliiccaall
eennvviirroonnmmeennttii nn wwhhiicchh iitt ttooookk ppllaaccee.. aarrcchheeoollooggyy nneeeeddss aanndd ddeesseerrvveess tthheeiirr ssuuppppoorrtt..
BBeeffoorree tthhllss ttuurrnniinngg ppooiinntt,, bbiibblliiccaall aarrcchheeoollooggyy OODDEEDDBB OORROOWWSSKKII
wwaass aa oonnee--mmaann oorr aa ttwwoo--mmaann sshhooww.. TThhee ddiirreeccttoorr((ss)),, EEmmoorryy UUnniivveerrssiittyy
wwhhoo bbyy hhiimmsseellff ddiidd mmoosstt ooff tthhee ssoopphhiissttiiccaatteedd wwoorrkk AAttllaannttaa,, GGAA
((pphhoottooggrraapphhiinngg,,dd rraawwiinngg,,ee ttcc..)) wwaass iinn tthhee ppuurrssuuiitt ooff aa
cceerrttaaiinn pprroobblleemm,, uussuuaallllyy rreellaatteedd ttoo pprroovviinngg oorr
ddiisspprroovviinnggaa bbiibblliiccaallaa ccccoouunntt.. WWhhiillee llooccaall llaabboorreerrssdd uugg
CCoollllooqquuiiaa
uunnddeerr tthhee wwaattcchhffuull eeyyee ooff aa llooccaall oorr ""iimmppoorrtteedd""
ffoorreemmaann,,tt hhee ddiirreeccttoorr,,hh oowweevveerrll iimmiitteedd bbyy tthhee ssccooppee ooff
hhiiss kknnoowwlleeddggee oorr iinntteerreesstt,, iinntteerrpprreetteeddtt hhee ffiinnddss..
AAss ffaarr aass aaccttiivvee ffiieellddwwoorrkk wwaass ccoonncceerrnneedd,, AAIIAA RReeppoorrtt
aanntthhrrooppoollooggiissttssll iimmiitteedd tthheemmsseellvveesstt oo ssttuuddyyiinngg pprreehhiiss--
ttoorriicc mmaann aanndd iilllliitteerraattee ssoocciieettiieess,, ttoo tthhee rreesseeaarrcchh ooff TThhee 7799tthh mmeeeettiinnggoo ff tthhee AArrcchhaaeeoollooggiiccaallII nnssttiittuuttee
ssuubbssiisstteennccee ssyysstteemmss aanndd ddaaiillyy lliiffee ooff tthhee aannoonnyymmoouuss ooff AAmmeerriiccaa,,hh eelldd aatt AAttllaannttaa,, GGeeoorrggiiaa,,DD eecceemmbbeerr22 88--3300,,
iinnhhaabbiittaannttss.. TThheessee rreesseeaarrcchheerrssww eerree iinntteerreesstteedd,, bbaassii-- 11997777,, ffeeaattuurreedd ttwwoo eevveennttss ooff ssppeecciiaall iinntteerreesstt ffoorr BBAA
ccaallllyy,, iinn ddeevveellooppmmeennttssaa nndd cchhaannggeess wwhhiicchh ttooookk ppllaaccee rreeaaddeerrss.. TThhee sseeccttiioonn oonn ""SScciieennccee iinn AArrcchhaaeeoollooggyy,,""
dduurriinngg ppeerriiooddss eeaarrlliieerr tthhaann tthhoossee ssttuuddiieedd bbyy bbiibblliiccaall iinnttrroodduucceedd iinn 11997766,, wwaass eexxppaannddeedd bbyy aa ""wwoorrkksshhoopp""
aarrcchheeoollooggiissttss,, oorr iinn ootthheerr rreeggiioonnss.. ddeessiiggnneedd ttoo aaffffoorrdd sscciieennttiissttssaa nn ooppppoorrttuunniittyytt oo eennqquuiirree
MMoorree rreecceennttllyy,, bbiibblliiccaall aarrcchheeoollooggyy hhaass aabbaann-- iinnttoo tthhee nneeeeddss ooff aarrcchheeoollooggiissttss aanndd ttoo ddeessccrriibbee aanndd
ddoonneedd tthhee oonnee--mmaann--sshhooww aapppprrooaacchh aanndd bbeeccoommee aa eevvaalluuaattee tthhee llaatteesstt tteecchhnnoollooggiiccaalldd eevviicceess wwhhiicchh ccoouulldd
ccoonncceerrtt iinn wwhhiicchh tthhee ddiirreeccttoorrii ss tthhee ddrriivviinnggff oorrccee bbeehhiinndd aaiidd iinn ddaattaa rreettrriieevvaallaa nndd aannaallyyssiiss.. AAnnootthheerr ""ffiirrsstt""ww aass
aa mmuullttiiddiisscciipplliinnaarryyrr eesseeaarrcchh,,ww hheerree ppaarrttiicciippaattiinnggii nnvveess-- tthhee SSppeecciiaall PPaanneell ddeeaalliinngg wwiitthh ""CCoonnsseerrvvaattiioonnaa nndd
ttiiggaattoorrss ccooooppeerraattee iinn tthhee eeffffoorrtt ttoo rreeccoonnssttrruucctt ppaasstt PPrreesseerrvvaattiioonn,,""aa ssuubbjjeecctt ooff iinnccrreeaassiinnggcc oonncceerrnn ttoo tthhee
ssoocciieettiieess aanndd tthheeiirr eennvviirroonnmmeenntt..TT hhee iinntteerreesstt ooff tthheessee aarrcchheeoollooggiiccaallcc oommmmuunniittyy..
rreesseeaarrcchheerrsshh aass ggrroowwnn ttoo eennccoommppaassss mmoorree tthhaann jjuusstt SSeevveerraall ppaappeerrss ooff ppaarrttiiccuullaarr iinntteerreesstt ttoo NNeeaarr
""BBiibblliiccaallLL aannddss aanndd TTiimmeess""ii nn tthhee lliimmiitteedd sseennssee ooff tthhee EEaasstteerrnn aarrcchheeoollooggiissttss wweerree rreeaadd iinn tthhee sseeccttiioonn oonn
wwoorrdd.. TThheeyy uunnddeerrssttaannddtt hhaatt aarrcchheeoollooggyy iiss aann iinnssttrruu-- ""SScciieenncceeii nn AArrcchhaaeeoollooggyy..""RR .. HH.. JJoohhnnssttoonnii ss aa mmeemmbbeerr
mmeenntt ffoorr pprroodduucciinnggdd aattaa wwhhiicchh ccaann tthheenn bbee uuttiilliizzeedd iinn ooff AASSOORR''ss eexxccaavvaattiioonn tteeaamm eexxpplloorriinnggtt hhee hhaarrbboorraa nndd
mmuullttiipplleeww aayyss ttoo hheellpp eexxppllaaiinn mmaann iinn hhiiss wwoorrlldd aanndd tthhee ttoopphheett(( bbuurriiaall ggrroouunndd ffoorr iinnffaannttss ssaaccrriiffiicceeddtt oo TTaanniitt
iinnfflluueennccee ooff bbootthh ssoocciieettyy aanndd tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeennttoo nn tthhee aanndd BBaaaall--HHaammoonn))aa tt CCaarrtthhaaggee,,TT uunniissiiaa.. HHee ddeessccrriibbeedd
hhiissttoorriiccaallpp rroocceessss..TT hhee mmoosstt ssiiggnniiffiiccaannttcc oonnttrriibbuuttiioonnoo ff hhiiss eexxppeerriimmeennttss wwiitthh tthhee uussee ooff xxeerroorraaddiiooggrraapphhyyii nn
tthhee nneeww aapppprrooaacchhii ss tthhee rreeaalliizzaattiioonntt hhaatt bbiibblliiccaallff iigguurreess wwoorrkkiinngg wwiitthh aanncciieenntt cceerraammiiccssff rroomm JJoorrddaann,, IIrraaqq,, aanndd
ddiidd nnoott aacctt ((nnoorr ddiidd eevveennttsstt aakkee ppllaaccee))ii nn aa vvaaccuuuumm,,bb uutt TTuunniissiiaa.. TThhiiss pprroocceessss ppeerrmmiittsstt hhee ssttuuddyy ooff tthhee iinntteerriioorr
tthhaatt cceerrttaaiinncc oonnddiittiioonnssii nn tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntthh eellppeeddtt hheemm ooff cceerraammiiccss wwiitthhoouutt ddaammaaggee ttoo oorr ddeessttrruuccttiioonnoo ff tthhee
ttaakkee sshhaappee.. oobbjjeecctt.. BBootthh ppoossiittiivvee aanndd nneeggaattiivvee eexxppoossuurreess ccaann bbee
TTooddaayy,, mmoosstt aarrcchheeoollooggiiccaallee xxppeeddiittiioonnssmm aakkee uussee mmaaddee ooff ccuunneeiiffoorrmmtt aabblleettss,, ffiigguurriinneess,,jj uugglleettss,, aanndd ootthheerr
ooff tthhee sseerrvviicceess ooff ssppeecciiaalliissttss,,aa nndd,, wwhheenneevveerrpp oossssiibbllee,, oobbjjeeccttss mmaaddee ooff ccllaayy.. RRaaddiioollooggyy mmaayy pprroovvee ttoo bbee
tthheeyy aarree aaccttiivvee iinn tthhee ffiieelldd.. IInn aaddddiittiioonn ttoo tthhee aannootthheerr ttooooll ffoorr tthhee ddeetteerrmmiinnaattiioonnoo ff pprroovveennaanncceeaa nndd
pprrooffeessssiioonnaallss ttaaffff wwhhiicchh iinncclluuddeess ttrraaiinneeddaa rrcchheeoollooggiissttss,, ddaattee ooff aarrcchheeoollooggiiccaall ffiinnddss aanndd tthheerreebbyy ffaacciilliittaattee
pphhoottooggrraapphheerrss,, ddrraaffttppeerrssoonnss,, eettcc..,, eexxppeeddiittiioonnss bbrriinngg iinntteerrpprreettaattiioonnoo ff tthhee mmaatteerriiaall..
aalloonngg ggeeoollooggiissttss,, ppaalleeoobboottaanniissttss aanndd ppaalleeoozzoooollooggiissttss,, LLeeoonnaarrdd GGoorreelliicckk rreeppoorrtteedd"" OOnn tthhee UUssee ooff tthhee
aanntthhrrooppoollooggiissttss,,aa nndd mmaannyy ootthheerr eexxppeerrttss ttoo hheellpp iinn tthhee SSccaannnniinngg EElleeccttrroonnMM iiccrroossccooppee(( SSEEMM)) iinn tthhee SSttuuddyy ooff
rreeccoovveerryyaa nndd iinntteerrpprreettaattiioonnoo ff mmaaxxiimmuummdd aattaa.. PPuuttttiinngg AAnncciieenntt NNeeaarr EEaasstteerrnnSS eeaallss..""TT hhee uussee ooff tthhiiss ddeevviiccee iinn
tthheeiirr sskkiillllss aatt tthhee aarrcchheeoollooggiissttss'' ddiissppoossaall,, ccoommppuutteerr tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonn ooff aanncciieenntt ssttaammpp aanndd ccyylliinnddeerr sseeaallss
eexxppeerrttss,, nnuucclleeaarrpp hhyyssiicciissttss,,aa nndd ootthheerr sscciieennttiissttssss uuppppoorrtt ffuurrnniisshheess aaccccuurraattee ddeetteeccttiioonn ooff ffaakkee sseeaallss.. TToo mmaakkee
bbiibblliiccaall aarrcchheeoollooggiissttssii nn tthheeiirr rreesseeaarrcchh,,ww iitthh tthhee rreessuulltt ffaakkee sseeaallss wwiitthhoouutt ddaammaaggiinngg tthhee oorriiggiinnaallss,, ssiilliiccoonnee
tthhaatt mmuucchh mmoorree iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn iiss ggaaiinneedd ffrroomm eeaacchh iimmpprreessssiioonnssaa nndd aaccrryylliicc ccaassttiinnggss aarree uusseedd ttoo ccooppyy wwiitthh
sshhoovveellffuulloo ff ddiirrtt.. TThhiiss aassppeecctt ooff bbiibblliiccaallrr eesseeaarrcchhmm eerriittss ggrreeaatt aaccccuurraaccyy bboorreess aanndd ootthheerr ppaarrttss ooff sseeaallss.. SSEEMM
aa nneeww ttiittllee,, nnaammeellyy,, BBiibblliiccaall AAnntthhrrooppoollooggyy..GG oonnee aarree ppeerrmmiittss cclloossee oobbsseerrvvaattiioonn aanndd rreeccoorrddiinngg ooff ffiinnee
tthhee ddaayyss ooff aa mmaann wwiitthh aa BBiibbllee iinn oonnee hhaannddaa nndd aa ssppaaddee ttooppooggrraapphhiiccaalldd eettaaiillss rreepprroodduucceeddii nn tthhee iimmpprreessssiioonnoo rr
iinn tthhee ootthheerr.. TTooddaayy''ss ffiieelldd aarrcchheeoollooggiissttss hhaavvee ttoo bbee ccaassttiinngg.. NNoottaabbllee ddiiffffeerreenncceesscc oouulldd bbee oobbsseerrvveeddbb eettwweeeenn
BBIIBBLLIICCAALLAA RRCCHHEEOOLLOOGGIISSTT 4433
the abrasion characteristicso f the genuine and fake silver coins struck by Ptolemy III at Akko and Tyre.
seals. Pottery of the Israelite period as well as of the Late
Robert H. Brill explained "The Usefulness of Bronze Age was unearthed, including some Cypriot
Lead-Isotopesi n the Investigationo f Ancient Glass." White Slip ware; full investigationo f these strata has
Determinationso f isotope ratios for samples of lead been scheduled for the 1978 season.
extractedf rom ancient objects can identify the mining The American Expedition to Petra by the
regions from which the leads could have come. This Universityo f Utah concentratedu pon two excavation
evidence, in turn, is helpful in detectingt he locality of areas, one producing domestic architecture and
manufactureo f the objects. The techniquea lreadyh as remains and the other a cultic structure. Philip C.
been applied to a wide array of ancient materialss uch Hammondp ointed out that the domestic architecture
as metallicl ead and their corrosionp roducts,b ronzes, extended from the Nabatean period (ca. 2nd century
silvers, pigments, glazes, and glasses. B.C.) to about A.D. 750; pottery,j ewelry,a nd daily life
Other papers in this section dealt with subjects objects found within the succession of domestic
such as ;'Near Eastern Trade Communications structuresa ttest the occupation of this area after its
Evidences from Neutron Activation Studies of conquest by Trajani n A.D. 106. The cultic structure,a
Pottery," "UnderwaterE xcavation in the Garigliano temple from the time of Aretas IV (ca. 9 B.C.-A.D. 40),
River, Italy," "Provenance of Greek Statuary by was in use until the early 2nd century A.D.
Isotopic Methods,"a nd "ScientificC ollaborationw ith In his paper on "Patron Saints in the Icono-
Archaeologists A Report on the Activities of graphy of Petra, Palmyra,a nd Dura-Europos,"J avier
European Laboratories." Teixidor discussed the function of the Arab gods. At
In the section, "Preservationa nd Restorationo f Palmyra,g innaye (an Aramaict erm relatedt o the Arab
Ancient Sites," efforts in five countriesw ere described. jinn - meaning "tutelary gods') were believed to
Robert H. Dyson, Presidento f the AIA, painteda grim protect caravans, flocks, fields, and villages in the
picture of the situation in Iran, where the problemo f desert.T he Palmyrenesd escribedt hem as "thei ntimate
site preservationh as grown to crisisp roportionsd ue to ones," representingt hem as wearingl ocal costumea nd
the lack of adequate registrationo f sites, the use of riding horses. Aside from these ginnaye, the Palmy-
mechanized earth-movinge quipment in development renes recognized the goddess Fortune (gad), who,
projects, and the destructiono f mud-bricks tructures. however,d id not fulfill the same function as the Greek
Equally pessimistic was Martin Biddle's outlook for Tyche, the goddess of good luck and fortune. Aramaic
Great Britain's buried past. More positive are the Fortune expressed the theological concept of provi-
efforts of Italy and Greece, where the respective dence, rather than chance and individual fate.
governmentsa re actively involved in the preservation Representations of Aramaic Fortune from Dura-
of their national heritage. Conservation is receiving Europos show that any god or goddess could be
particulara ttention in Greece, where, during the past invokeda s the Fortuneo f individuals,t ribes,o r towns;
two years, emergency measures have been put into a recentlyf ound stele from Palmyras upportst he idea
effect to preservet he Atheniana cropolisa nd to protect that Aramaic Fortune personifiedt he power of a god
the Parthenon, Propylaia, and Erechtheion from or goddess. InterestinglyC, lassicala nd Early Christian
pollutiona nd consequente rosion. LawrenceJ . Majesti, writersc alledt he angels" virtutesd ei,"a traditionw hich
Chief Conservators ince 1964 of the Harvard-Cornell the Nabateans of the 1st century B.C. emphasizedb y
excavationa t Sardis, reviewedt he uniquec onservation calling the angel of their national god "The Raised
activities carried out in the field laboratory and on Hand"a nd representedh im on their coins by a raised
excavated monuments.T hese activitiesa re an integral hand.
part of the excavationa nd constitutea model for other Paul E. Zimanskyr eportedt hat recent German
large-scalee xpeditions. excavations at Bastam, Iran, found nearly 100 clay
In the Near Eastern section, J. D. Muhly, the dockets (bullae). Most of the dockets bear seal
projectd irector,g ave an account of the first season at impressionsw ith inscriptionsw hich identifiedt hem as
Tell Michal, a coastal site just north of Tel Aviv. At those of "Rusa,"t he name of several Urartiank ings.
present,l ittle is known of the historyo f the coastlineo f The royal sealings provide new evidence of a highly
Israel between Ashdod and Akko and of the relation- centralizeda dministrationa nd imply that the kingdom
ship betweent he coast, the surroundingS haron Plain, remainedu nited until its final years, that is, to the end
and inland sites such as Tell Aphek. The expedition of the 6th century B.C.
concentratedo n eight separatea reas, three located on "A New Look at Syro-Palestinea t the Begin-
the mound proper, and five on smaller tells which ning of the Middle BronzeA ge" by Patty Gerstenblith
appeart o have been the "LowerC ity."T he bulk of the proposeda reevaluationo f the beginningo f that period
materialu ncoveredi s from the Persianp eriod,a nd Tell as well as a revisiono f the terminologyu sed to describe
Michal emergesa s a majorc oastal site duringt his era. it. She suggesteda terminologyo f EB IV, MB I, MB
A large Persian cemeterya ttests a good-sized popula- II, which would place the development of a more
tion. The outstandingE lndi n 1977 was a hoard of fifty sophisticatedp roductiono f ceramica nd metal types, as
44
978
JUNE 1
well as a more complex settlements ystem,i nto the MB motivated people to turn drawings of objects into
I period which, therefore, would constitute the truly abstracts ymbols, but it is preciselyt his process which
formativep hase of the fully urbanizedM B II and MB leads to the true origin of writing.
III periods. The present excavationso f the MB strata Writings ystemsa nd theirc omparisonw ith early
at Tell Aphek and a revisiono f the stratigraphyo f the alphabets were the subject of Jon Billigmeier'sp aper,
Megiddo loci furnish the basis for a new ceramic "The Byblos 'Hieroglyphicsa' s an Aegean Script."T he
typology. This sequence can be used to place in a "pseudo-hieroglyphic" or Gublitic writing system,
relative chronologicalo rder the many isolated groups dating from the 2nd millennium B.C., remains
of MB I material as well as foreign elements in the undeciphered, despite the efforts of Hrozny, the
ceramica nd metal repertoireo f Syria-Palestine.I t also decipherer of Hittite who read it as Hittite, and
providesf or the correlationo f the MB I phases in that Dhorme, who believed that it contained a Hebrew-
region with the cultureso f Mesopotamiaa nd Anatolia Phoenician dialect strongly infused with Egyptian
and results in a tentative dating of the MB I period elements. Billigmeier maintains that the Byblos
from about 2000/1950 to 1775/1750 B.C. hieroglyphsm ay have more in common with Aegean
Denise Schmandt-Besserat'sp resentation, "On scripts than with those found in the easternr egionso f
the Origin of Writing,"m aintainedt hat writingw as not the Mediterranean,t hat is, the Phoenician alphabet,
an invention of the Sumeriansi n the 4th millennium Egyptianh ieroglyphs,o r cuneiform,a lthough they are
B.C. but had evolved graduallyi n five stages from the permeatedw ith elements common to all of those. He
9th millennium B.C. onward by means of a local also finds remarkables imilaritiesb etweenG ublitica nd
recording system common to many Middle Eastern the Cypro-Minoans cript used at Enkomi in the Late
cultures. This recording system was based on tokens Bronze Age (only slightly later in date than the Byblos
(abnatl) usually of clay or stone and found in script). Finally, he notes that resemblancesb etweent he
clusters in storage areas all over the Middle East. A Byblos scripta nd LinearB are "in some respectsc loser
need for a recordings ystemw ent hand in hand with the than between the former and Cypriot."S o, while the
development of agriculture and the emergence of language may well be Semitic, a relationshipb etween
sedentary tribes ca. 8500 B.C. When the economy the script itself and the Aegeanw ritings ystems eemst o
changed and trade increasedb etween settlementsa nd be undeniable. A new signary and numberingo f the
over long distances, a new recording system was signs is recommendeda, s well as an examinationo f the
needed. Thus, in the second phase (4th millennium correspondencesw ith Aegean and Cypriot scripts.
B.C.), "tokens"r epresentings pecial transactionsw ere Dr. Hikmet Gur,cay, Director General of
enclosed and sealed in clay balls which served as Antiquitieso f Turkey,w as the guest of honor to whom
"envelopes."I n the Uruk period (ca. 3100 B.C.), these the papers in the Anatolian section were dedicated.
tokens have different shapes: some may have had Cecil L. Striker surveyed "ByzantineA rchaeology in
numerical value while others may have represented Istanbul: Kalendarhane( 1966-1977),"a nd Robert A.
commoditieso f daily life. The third phase entailedt he Bridgesd escribed" FuneraryA rchitectureo f the Elmali
custom of impressingo n the outside of each clay ball Plain." Robert T. Marchesep ointed out that in"The
the number and shapes of abnatic ontained within. Lower MeanderR iver Valley in SouthwesternT urkey
During the next stage, these outer markingsg ain in duringt he Late BronzeA ge"t hereh as been no detailed
importance, generally become understood, and are and systematict opographicals urveyo f the area nor an
transferredt o clay tablets which eventuallyr eplacet he analysis of specific ceramic types from an intensive
abnatis ystem. Finally, during the last phase, "writing surface collection. There is little doubt that two
develops with more precise, incised signs which still cultural traditions existed side by side and became
reproduce the shapes of those on the abnati."T hus, fused. One is of southwest Anatolian origins, as
marked "envelopes"c ould well be accepted as the exemplifiedb y the type-siteo f Beycesultant;h e other is
prototypeo f writing,w hile at the same time they would Aegean, as evidenced in the presence of Mycenean
serve as an explanationf or the widespreadu se of early centers and remains. These two well-established
clay tablets and the presence of rare pictographs. traditions, as attested by ceramic evidence, had a
It was objected,h owever,t hat these theoriesd o profound effect not only on the indigenous Late
not take into consideration that recording is not Bronze Age cultures of the Lower Meanderb ut may
writing, and if it is not writing, then the origins of even have influenced those of distant inland sites.
writingr emaini n the middleo f the 4th millenniumB .C. Fikret K. Yegul discussed" VillageA rchitecture
as previouslym aintained.U ndoubtedly,t he processo f of Asia Minor as Model for the Domestic Architecture
recording triggered the idea of writing, but the of Antiquity" and stressed the need for larger area
representationo f an object on clay, be it oil, sheep, or surveys in Anatolia with the objective of discovering
cattle, is not writing. It merely reveals the ability to rural settlements, villages, and farms alongside the
"abstract."T he transformationo f representationo f major sites. Such an investigations hould supply the
objects into symbols is a mental process demandinga kind of information needed to reconstructa spects of
second step in abstraction. We do not know what the village cultureo f antiquitya nd permitm ore reliable
BIBLICALA RCHEOLOGIST 45
comparisons between the past and contemporary monumentsm ore or less Greek in style, celebratinga
building forms. life-style which by this time had become less Greek
Keith De Vries' paper, "Greco-PersianA nato- than it had been in earlier times.
lia," pointed out that therei s cleare videncet hat during The award of the Gold Medal for Distinguished
the AchaeXnenidp eriod in the 5th century B.C., the ArchaeologicalA chievementt o Edith Porada evoked
upper classes in that region abandoned some Greek unanimous satisfaction. The citation not only took
modes of life in favor of various Persian customs. cognizance of her outstanding achievements as the
Representations from the second quarter of this world's foremost authority on ancient seals but
century show that dress, banquet procedures, local emphasized her unswerving devotion to scholarship
court etiquette, and methods of hunting followed the and her unique gift as an inspiringt eacherw ho "made
Persian pattern, while at the same time, however,t he the world of archaeology more learned and more
Anatoliansc ontinuedt o share the idioms of Greeka rt human."
(or to hire Greeka rtisans).T he resultsw ere a series of
LOTTAM OREAUG ASTER
a--n
coming next in
Biblical
Archeologist How have scholarsn eglectedw omen
in their analysiso f social history?
Have 3,000 years of male dominance
dulled our understandinogf the status
and role of womeni n ancientI srael?
I
Carol Meyers answers affirmativelya nd offers a provocativen ew suggestion to
explain the transformationo f women's social position.
f
Also in September'sB iblical Archeologist,J acob Milgroma nticipatest he English
translationo f the Temple Scroll from Qumranb y giving a summaryo f the content
of the scroll from Yigael Yadin's 3-volume study in Hebrew.
- Es-so-ces
46 JUNE I 978
A TALE OF THREE CITIES
MICHAELM . EISMAN
Threea ncient cities-Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome
have had an influenceo n westerns ociety which has not
faded throught he centuries.M ore than any other Cities,
these three have made contributionst o the world which
form not only the backgroundb ut the veryf oundation of
the religious,s ocial,a nd legals ystemso f the westernw orld.
Jerusalem,A thens, and and Islam. For Jews, SSThlea w of where the altar of the Temple stood,
Rome these three names, these the LORD shall go forth from Muhammeda scended to and
three cities, have probably meant Jerusalem,t he word from Zion." returnedf rom heaven, having
more to the western world than any Since its association with King receivedt he wisdom of Solomon.
others. Singly or linked in various David in the early part of the Jerusalemt hus remainst he
combinations,t hey have often been 10th century B.C. and the building of primaryc ity of religious inspiration
analyzed as the sources of our the Temple by King Solomon in the for western cultures.
cultural, intellectual,a nd religious latter part of the same century, On the other hand, Athens,
heritage. It is indeed in these three Jerusalemh as remainedt he most just inland from the Saronic Gulf, is
cities that our civilizationh as its sacredp lace for Jews. For Christians, an urban center of a differentt ype.
roots (fig. 1). Jesus' last days on earth were Here in the 5th and 4th centuriesB .C.
Jerusalem,s ituated among the centered in this city and its the intellectuala nd artistic heritage
rough and rugged mountains of monuments the great Temple of of Greece coalesced. Led in the 5th
Judea, overlooks the desert to the Herod, the Garden of Gethsemane, century by the work of Aeschylus,
east and is only a short distance and the Via Dolorosa; it remainst he Sophocles, and Euripides( who
from the narrow coastal plain and location of the pageant that is the themselvesw ere inspired by the
the Mediterraneant o the west. The physical center of the Christian achievementso f their beloved Athens
city is sacredt o Judaism,C hristianity, mystery. Finally, Muhammedo f in stopping the Persian invasions of
Islam, having receivedh is inspiration 490 and 480), the Athenians not
MichaelM . Eismani s AssociateP rofes- from Judaism and Christianity,i s only celebratedt heir city but
sor of History at Temple University. memorializedb y not one but two brought her to artistic and
During 1976-77 he received the Olivia major mosques on the Temple intellectualh eights seldom if
Jones TravelingF ellowshipf rom AIA Mount. They were built to enshrine ever matched in subsequentw estern
and visited- among other cities the belief that here, where Abraham history. Athens attractedt o her
Rome, Athens, and Jerusalem. preparedt o sacrifice Isaac and shores the best minds of Greece
BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGIST 47
Fig. 1. The EasternM editerraneanr egion showing the relative locations of Rome, Athens, and Jerusalem.
Protagoras,G orgias, and Hero- while encompassinga ll around her, they hold in common. Here the
dotus. Then, at the end of the 5th she did not subdue or eradicatet hat historian and archeologistm ay join
century and in the 4th, the city which had gone before. More than forces to explore the commonalities
produced Thucydides,S ocrates, this, she produceda world in which of these three crucial cities. First,
Plato, and Aristotle. These giants of Jerusalema nd Athens were acces- there is nothing in the early
the mind welded philosophy( literally: sible, not only to each other, but to developmento f Jerusalem,A thens,
the love of knowledge)a nd ethics the farthest shores of Britaina nd or Rome that hints at the
which becameA thens's upreme the inmost recesses of Germanya s subsequentr oles they were to play.
achievement.I n the centuriest hat well. With the city of Rome as its They were all rather minor
followed, HellenisticJ udaisma nd center, the Empire had a unity and settlements,o ne of many in their
Early Christianityj oined the philo- consistencyo f remarkables trength, own areas. Second, each city in turn
sophy of Athens to the religions of
Jerusalem. Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianityj oined the
It was Rome that made this
philosophy of Athens to the religions of Jerusalem. It was
synthesis endure. In the centuries
Rome that made this synthesis endure.
after the Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.),
Rome graduallyb rought the Medi-
terraneant ogether into a single unit. which enabled Rome to become the underwenta major transformationa t
Although never as successfula s her major center of Christianitya s well a specific crisis point, a transforma-
supportersh ave claimed in estab- as the place from which western tion which was accomplishedi n a
lishing a Pax Romana, she did more culture was spread. short period of time. It is just this
than her critics will admit. The While the glories of Jerusalem, aspect which archeologistsa nd
peace of Rome was very real. Rome Athens, and Rome have been told historianst ogether can do most to
brought new conceptsj of government over and over, little attention has explain. Finally, it was the nature of
and organizationi nto the West yet, been paid to certain features which the crisis and its effects that did
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