Jerusalem and Judea from Herod the Great to 70 CE - The Archaeological Perspective

The course will combine analysis of both archaeological finds and ancient texts to illuminate various key questions that relate to the material culture and society in Judea in the period between the reign of Herod (37-4 BCE) and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. It will start with an examination of Herod's art and architecture as a reflection of his many faces, continue with focusing on the city of Jerusalem, which was both the capital city until 6 CE and the religious centre and pilgrimage destination. The special character of the city as the sole cultic centre for Judaism will be exemplified via the unique architecture and material finds that preserve the traces of the pilgrims who flocked in the thousands to the city in the main holidays. Lastly, the relationship between Jews and their Idumean neighbours to the south will be discussed, as a case study that will allow the students to appreciate how these interrelations affected the construction of Jewish identity in this period.

The course aims at providing the students with methodological tools for analysis of archaeological remains and their interrelation with ancient texts, by focusing on several case studies of early Roman Jerusalem and Judea that are currently at the forefront of archaeological research.

In presence

Lectures using slides and workshops.

Written paper.