ARCHAEOLOGY AND BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION These are exciting times for all those involved in the history of ancient Israel, Judaism and early Christianity, for the last few decades have seen an unprecedented amount of scholarly work upon both textual and artefactual evidence. A clear understanding of the relationship between archaeology and literary material is crucial for scholars who wish to reconstruct the history of emerging Israel. The papers assembled in this book use the most recent research in key areas – the early settlements of Israel, early Israelite religion, Qumran, Jerusalem, early Christian churches – to show that ancient writings and modern archaeology can illuminate each other, but only when used with professional care. The essays represent a new generation of archaeologists and historians, with new social, political and religious concerns who draw a fresh and vital picture of the emergence of ancient Israel. John R. Bartlett is the Principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College. He has researched and published widely in the history and archaeology of ancient Moab and Edom. He is the author of Edom and the Edomites (1990) and The Bible: Faith and Evidence (1990). ARCHAEOLOGY AND BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION Edited by John R. Bartlett London and New York First published 1997 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2002. Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 selection and editorial matter © 1997 John R. Bartlett individual chapters © 1997 the contributors All right reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Archaeology and Biblical Interpretation/edited by John R. Bartlett. Includes bibliographical references and index 1. Bible–Antiquities. 2. Excavations (Archaeology)–Middle East. 3. Bible–Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Bible–Evidences, authority, etc. 5. Middle East–Antiquities. I. Bartlett, John R. (John Raymond) BS621.A68 1996 220.9’3–dc20 96-13808 ISBN 0-415-14113-3 (hbk) ISBN 0-415-14114-1 (pbk) ISBN 0-203-13587-3 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-20066-7 (Glassbook Format) CONTENTS List of figures vii List of contributors ix Preface xi List of abbreviations xiv 1 WHAT HAS ARCHAEOLOGY TO DO WITH THE BIBLE – OR VICE VERSA? 1 John R. Bartlett 2 ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE EMERGENCE OF EARLY ISRAEL 20 William G. Dever 3 UNTILLET ‘AJRUD AND THE HISTORY OF ISRAELITE RELIGION 51 Andrew D. H. Mayes 4 THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF QUMRAN 67 John R. Bartlett 5 THE TEMPLE MOUNT OF HEROD THE GREAT AT JERUSALEM: RECENT EXCAVATIONS AND LITERARY SOURCES 95 Brian Lalor 6 ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE HISTORICAL JESUS 117 Sean V. Freyne 7 ON THE PILGRIM’S WAY TO THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM: THE BASILICA OF DOR IN ISRAEL 145 Claudine Dauphin Index of authors 167 Index of places 170 General index 173 Index of references to biblical texts and works of Josephus 176 FIGURES 2.1 Map of some early major Israelite sites 23 2.2 Plan of twelfth-century BCE village at ‘Ai 28 2.3 Typical twelfth-century BCE pottery from Giloh 29 2.4 Pillared courtyard house at Raddana 31 2.5 Plan of the house at Raddana 32 2.6 Inscribed thirteenth–twelfth-century BCE jar handle from Raddana 33 2.7 Plan of Stratum III, cIzbet Sartah 34 2.8 Pottery from Stratum III, cIzbet Sartah 35 2.9 Portion of plan of Stratum II, cIzbet Sartah 36 2.10 cIzbet Sartah ostracon 37 2.11 Reconstructed early Israelite village at Tel Masos 38 2.12 The ‘Bull Site’ 39 2.13 Isometric reconstruction of Stratum VII, Beersheba 41 4.1 F. de Saulcy’s map of the Qumran area 68 4.2 Clermont-Ganneau’s illustration of the ‘Cemetery of Goumran’ 69 4.3 Map of the Qumran area, showing Caves 1–11 71 4.4 Plan of Qumran, Period I (seventh century BCE) 74 4.5 Plan of Qumran, Period Ia (second century BCE) 75 4.6 Plan of Qumran, Period Ib (first century BCE) 76 4.7 Plan of Qumran, Period II (first century BCE–first century CE) 78 4.8 Plan of Qumran, Period III (late first century CE) 80 4.9 The ‘coenaculum’ 85 4.10 Couch, base and wine-jar stand 86 4.11 Plan of cAin Feshka 89 5.1 The Temple Mount in Jerusalem 96 5.2 Structural features of the Temple Mount 102 FIGURES 5.3 Robinson’s Arch and Pompeii Amphitheatre compared 108 5.4 A view of the western street 112 7.1 Dor church: general view from the north-west 154 7.2 Plan of Dor church 155 7.3 Cistern (from the north) with water channels, rock-cut shaft, doorway and corbels 157 7.4 The peristyle court of the Dor basilica from the north- east 159 7.5 The southern aisle of the Dor basilica with the saints’ tomb at its eastern end 160 7.6 The mosaic pavement of room 9 in the external northern aisle 163 viii CONTRIBUTORS John R. Bartlett was formerly Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Trinity College, Dublin. He is now Principal, Church of Ireland Theological College, Dublin. Claudine Dauphin is Research Fellow and Professor at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris William G. Dever is Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. Sean V. Freyne is Professor of Theology, Trinity College, Dublin. Brian Lalor was formerly Director of the Architectural Department, Temple Mount Excavations of the Hebrew University/Israel Exploration Society. Andrew D. H. Mayes is Erasmus Smith’s Professor of Hebrew, Trinity College, Dublin.