BiblicalArchaeology

Comunicación y Gerencia

September 25, 2010

What is Archaeolo

gy?

What is Archaeology?

Archaeology – Study of Human Material Culture

Usually associated with Prehistoric or Ancient Cultures.

Archaeology is Interested in the ObjectsOther Disciplines: Linguistics, Physical Anthrpology, Cultural Anthropology

Archaeology

• Stratigraphy

Archaeology

• Excavation Techniques

Ohio Archaeology

Ohio Archaeology

Timeline

• Neolithic: 5,000 + B.C• Chalcolithic: 5,000 - @ 4,000B.C.• Early Bronze I: 3,100 – 2,900 B.C. • Early Bronze II: 2,900 – 2,650 B.C.• Middle Bronze 1: 2,200 – 1,950 B.C.• Middle Bronze II: 1,950 – 1,730 B.C.• Late Bronze: 1,500 – 1,200 B.C.• Iron I: 1,200 – 900 B.C.• Iron II: 900 – 800 B.C.

Arad

• Early Bronze Age - @ 3,000 B.C.

• Canaanite Stronghold• Ref in Numbers 21:1 - 3• Taken by Joshua Jos 12:14

Arad

• View from fortress • House

Arad

• Iron age Holy of holies • Iron age temple.

Gezer

• Middle Bronze gate (above)

• Middle Bronze tower (right)

• Important fortress city of Judah• Continuously settled from 3500 BC –

AD 500• Held by Canaanites, Philistines, and

Egyptians before possession by Solomon in 10th cent. BC

Gezer

• Solomonic triple chambered gate (above)

• Standing stones (below)

Hazor

• Northern capital of Canaanites against Joshua (Jos. 11:10)• 21 levels of occupation (2700 BC – Greek period)

Hazor

• Building with orthostats (top left) • Solomonic gates (top right)

• Stable/storehouse building (bottom left)

Hazor

• Four room house (above)

• Water system (below)

Jericho

Jericho

• Neolithic tower (above) • Retainer wall (above)

• Destruction told of in Joshua 2• Oldest town in world with towers and walls

(at least 7,000 BC)• Visited by Elijah (@ Kings 2:4-5 and Jesus

(Lk 19:1-9)

Jericho

• Collapsed mudbrick wall (above)

• Grain storage jars (below)

Jerusalem

• Southern Temple Mount Excavations (above)

• First century street beneath Robinson’s Arch (right)

• According to 2 Sam 5:6-10 taken by David and later made his capital

• 4,000 years of continuous occupation

Jerusalem

• Gethsemene steps (above)

• Pool at Bethseda (below)

Lachich• 2nd city in southern Palestine• Provided info on invasion of

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 598

• 2nd city in southern Palestine• Provided info on invasion of

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 598

• Approach ramp to city (right)

Lachish

• Palace fort (above)

• Siege ramp cross section (below)

Megiddo

• Aerial view (top left)

• Early Bronze alter (top right)

• Middle Bronze gate (bottom)

• Most famous city in Palestine

• Commanded only pass between Egypt and Mesopotamia through Mount Carmel

• Location of King Josiah’s death in 609 BC

• Described in Rev 16:16 as site of Armageddon

Megiddo

• Megiddo Pass (above)

• Subterranean passage (right)

Samaria

• Samaria Tell

Samaria

• Iron age acropolis (top left)

• Hellenistic tower and Roman theater (top right)

• Steps to Herodian temple

• Founded n early 9th cent.

• Capital of northern kingdom

• Captured and destroyed by Assyrians in 722 BC

• Re-established after return in 539 BC

Shechem

• Baal Berith temple

• Associated with Abraham and Jacob in Genesis

• Site where Joshua renews covenant

• Remains suggest a site of splendor during Middle Bronze age

Shechem

• Middle Bronze wall

Sea of Galilee

• View from Mt. of Beatitudes (left)

• View from Arbel (below)

Dead Sea Scrolls

• Cave 3 – copper scroll found in right niche (above)

• Cave 4 (right)

• In all 11 caves, some biblical books were found in large numbers: • 34 copies of Psalms• 27 copies of Deuteronomy• 24 copies of Isaiah• 20 copies of Genesis  

Dead Sea Scrolls

• Cave 10 (above)

• Cave 1 (below)

• The seven scrolls were the Manual of Discipline,• War of Sons of Light, Thanksgiving Scroll,• Isaiah A and B, Genesis Apocryphon• and Habakkuk Commentary.

Rosetta StoneFound in 1799 during a FrenchMilitary expedition to Egypt in the Town of Rashid (Rosetta)

Compiled by decree @ 196 B.C.of reign of Ptolomy V

Contains writing in:• Ancient Greek

• Heiroglyphics

• Demotic Egyptian

Implications of Archaeology

• Archaeological Excavations are not a threat to Biblical events– Archaeological Evidence (or Negative

Evidence) does not validate or invalidate Biblical text

– Useful to show tangible historical connections

– Continuity of occupation– Contingency of history– Intrinsic knowledge of our past