REL 226: Biblical Archaeology. 2nd exam review sheet: The Iron Age. RJDKnauth
Settlement/Conquest
theories
Traditional Exodus and
Conquest as described in Joshua (conflict with Judges account?)
“Peaceful Infiltration,”
“Nomads Settling Down,” “Revolting Peasants” (Mendenhall)
Some
mix of all of the above…
Archaeological Evidence
Settlement Patterns
Wave(s) of destructions (who caused?), problems with interpretation…
“Conquest” of
uninhabited sites
The Jericho and Ai
(et-Tell) paradigm
Dating the Exodus, Israelite Conquest/Settlement, Arrival
of the Sea-Peoples
Tausert Faience Juglet
Medinet Habu relief
Merneptah Stella
Mycenaean IIIc pottery
End of Cypriot and Mycenaean imports
Iron Age Fortifications
Solomonic
6-chambered gates >> 4-chambered gates
Earth ramparts,
glacis
Casemate walls >> Offset-inset (solid) walls, inner and outer walls
and gates, towers
Pier and rubble
construction, Header-stretcher construction
Ashlar masonry,
orthostats, field-stones, mud-brick, plaster (mud, lime, etc.)
Major water
systems (Jerusalem “Siloam Tunnel” & “Warren shaft,” Megiddo, Hazor,
Gezer)
Methods of Siege Warfare, issues surrounding chariots (e.g. Solomon’s “chariot cities”), etc.
Town planning – perimeter road, piazza, significance of City Gate, typical dwellings (4-room, pillared) etc.
Neighboring Peoples - Allies and Enemies:
Canaanites, Philistines, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Babylonians/Chaldeans,
Assyrians, Edomites, Arameans, Moabites, Persians...
Dates to remember:
1207/9, 1200, 1175, 1000, 960, 923, 882, 853, 721, 701, 612, 609, 587, 538, 516,
330, 70
Major battles:
Siege of Lachish, Syro-Ephraimite coalition, Battle of Qarqar, Battle of
Carchemish, etc.
Significant developments in pottery:
LMLK jar handle seals, amphora, ostraca, Philistine bichrome, Mycenaean IIIc,
Cypriot imports, Collared-rim store jars, Samaria-ware, triangular-rimmed
cooking pot, stirrup jar, etc.
Significant Texts and Inscriptions:
Siloam tunnel inscription, “Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel”,
Assyrian and Babylonian annals, Ahiram sarcophagus inscription, Gezer calendar,
Samaria ostraca, Lachish letters, Nineveh relief, Merneptah stella, Moabite
stella / Mesha inscription, Shalmaneser III Black Obelisk, Medinet Habu relief,
Arad letters, Sennacherib’s Prism, Cyrus Cylinder, “Tale of Wen-Amon,”
Kuntillet ‘Ajrud graffiti, etc.
Major Sites –
know significance, general location, major finds there:
Jerusalem / “City of David”, Samaria, Bethel, Dan, Hazor,
Megiddo, Lachish, Beer Sheba, Arad, Shiloh, Kuntillet Ajrud, Horvat Qitmit,
Ezion-Geber, Gibeah, Jezreel, Hebron, Shechem – Mt. Ebal + Mt. Gerazim,
Nineveh, Damascus, Tyre, Sidon, Babylon, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, Ramat
Rahel, Tirzah, Jericho / Ai, etc.
Major rulers and leaders:
Rameses II, Merneptah, Tausert, Rameses III, Neco, Tiglath-Pileser, Shalmaneser
/ Sargon, Sennacherib, Joshua, Saul, David, Solomon, Jeroboam I, Omri, Ahab and
Jezebel, Jehu, Jeroboam II, Pekah + Resin, Mesha, Ben-Hadad, Hazael, Hezekiah,
Merodach-Baladin, Josiah, Nebuchadnezar, Cyrus, Alexander the Great, etc.
Religious artifacts,
considerations:
Four-horned
altars, incense altars, Taanach Cult Stand.
Baal bull imagery,
calves in Israel and Philistia
Kuntillet Ajrud
graffito and inscription “Yahweh and his Asherah”
Ashdoda, pillar-figurines, Horvat Qitmit horned god (Edomite?),
Asherah, Tanit, Baal, Dagon, Molech
Solomon’s temple – Ain Dara parallel, bit hilani
(pillared buildings), “Holy of Holies,” Ark of the Covenant
Cherubim iconography (sphinx?– lion/bull body, wings,
human head), Bronze sea, Jachin & Boaz pillars, tabernacle
Biblical Events marking
internal divisions of Iron Age: Tribal League, United Monarchy, 1st
Temple, Divided Monarchy:
Fall of Samaria and Exile of North, Fall of Jerusalem and Exile of Judah,
Babylonian Exile, Persian period.
More…. Review Mazar and Period Outlines!!!!!!!!!!