1Bible, Archaeology,and Historicity Announcements Community of Returned Exiles(from last time) Bible, Archaeology, and HistoricitySeptember 13, 2006Announcements Participation grade for section As originally calculated, written assignmentsaccount for 95% of the grade Balance is reserved for participation in lecture and(especially) in section Electronic Reserves:catalog.umd.eduLook up course reserves under my namePassword hist282lapCommunity of Returneesin Judaea Returnees are under Persian sanction Sheshbazzar (539) and Zerubbabel (520s), descend. of David Ezra ca. 458, a priest and scribe. His charter (Ezra 7): to enforcethe law of his God, written in a Torah, a book of law or instruction Nehemiah (late 5th C) is a pious courtier of the Persian king. Clashes in Judaea Between leaders in Jerusalem and other local leaders (e.g.Samaria) in a position similar to Ezra’s or Nehemiah’s Between returned exiles and “peoples of the land,” possibly thedescendants of the Judaeans left behind. In reality, relations more intimate: intermarriage with “peoples of theland” protested by some leaders, practiced by others In this context: the formation of an association of returnees whovow to protect the Temple, provide for the priests and levites andseparate from the peoples of the land (Nehemiah 10)2Bible, Archaeology,and Historicity In general: documents or evidence from outside theBible do not precisely match the Bible. Differecesmay be telling Examples Cyrus Cylinder (ca. 538 BCE) and Ezra 1Royal policy and propaganda, vs. divine guidance of Israel’s fate Mesha Stele (ca. 830 BCE) and 2 Kings 3Biblical text evades a theologically embarrassing loss Palestinian archaeology and Joshua/Judges (ca 1200–1000)Biblical text (e.g., Joshua) creates a tidy historical and religiousnarrative, where outside evidence suggests a messier historyCyrus Cylinder and Ezra 1 Bible: Cyrus’ proclamation fulfills prophecyand divine promise Cyrus Cylinder reflects a general policy andin deference to another god! Is the biblical text a made-up or heavilyedited proclamation? Even if not, as presented it serves Israelite(now “Jewish”) interests, does not reflectCyrus’ motivations.Mesha SteleCurrently at the Louvre, Paris... Omri was the king of Israel, and heoppressed Moab for many days, forKemosh was angry with his land.And his son reigned in his place; andhe also said, "I will oppress Moab!" Inmy days he said so. But I [Mesha]looked down on him and on hishouse, and Israel has been defeated;it has been defeated forever! AndOmri took possession of the wholeland of Medeba, and he lived there inhis days and half the days of his son:forty years. But Kemosh restored it inmy days.... And the men of Gad livedin the land of Atarot from ancienttimes; and the king of Israel builtAtarot for himself, and I foughtagainst the city and captured it. And Ikilled all the people of the city as asacrifice for Kemosh and for Moab....32 Kings 3 and the Battleagainst Mesha Prophet Elisha b. Shaphan to Israelite kings:18 This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also givethe Moabites into your hand, 19and you shall conquer everyfortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree,and stop up all springs of water, and ruin every good piece ofland with stones The narrated unfolding of the events25 And they [the Israelites] overthrew the cities (as in vv 18-19) .... 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going againsthim, ... 27 Then he took his eldest son who was to reign in hisstead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. Andthere came great wrath upon Israel; and they withdrew from himand returned to their own land.Palestinian Archaeology andJoshua/Judges For discussion in section, and paper nextweek: Callaway, “Settlement in Canaan” Why not just rely on the Bible? Because of internal contradictions, problems Because of conflicts with archaeological data What to rely on instead? Bible as one group of sources (with problems) Archaeological and extrabiblical textual material Frameworks of interpretation