CLAS 3115/ANTH 3891/HIST 3001Spring Semester 2018
Time: T3:30-6:00 pm Location:609 Gelman
Instructor: Dr. Eric H. ClineCampus Address: 661 Rome Hall
Phone: 202-994-0316Email:
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:30-3:00 pm
JERUSALEM BESIEGED
(AKA JERUSALEM THROUGH THE AGES)
COURSE OUTLINE
DESCRIPTION
Jerusalem Besieged will chronologically survey the history and archaeology of Jerusalem from earliest times until the present. The focus will be on historical, archaeological, military, religious, political, and architectural aspects of Jerusalem during the past 4,000 years, from the time of the Canaanites through the 1967 War, seen through the lens of the most important and impactful battles fought for control of Jerusalem, from earliest times until the present. During that time, Jerusalem, “the city of peace,” has experienced 118 separate conflicts;been completely destroyed twice; been besieged 23 times; been attacked an additional 52 times; been captured and recaptured 44 times; been the scene of 20 revolts and innumerableriots; had five separate periods of violent terrorist attacks during the past century alone; and has only changed hands peacefully twice.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
General: This course will contribute to student competence in:
critical thinking, by analyzing and engaging with the concepts that underlie an argument and in which the logic and evidence underlying an interpretation is evaluated in terms of the conclusions reached. As such, students should be able to:
- Analyze and evaluate abstract information
- Understand and analyze scholarly literature and argument, particularly with respect to theoreticalorientation and sources of support
- Formulate a logical argument based on that analysis
Specific: By the end of this course, students should be able to understand and/or demonstrate:
the ways that archaeologists, ancient historians, and historians of more recent eras collect and interpret data, both material culture and textual evidence;
how historians and others utilize the evidence we have for the past;
how to use that evidence to interpret what the past was like at a specific time and place
an ability to critically engage with primary sources as well as interpretations in secondary sources;
an understanding of the ongoing relevance of the ancient world;
an ability to locate and evaluate information about the ancient and modern world in both traditional and digital forms and present their findings in clear and logical oral and written forms.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
Armstrong, Karen. 1997. Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths. Ballantine Books.
Cline, Eric H. 2004. Jerusalem Besieged: From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel. University of Michigan Press.
Montefiore, Simon S. 2011. Jerusalem: The Biography. Vintage Books.
There will also be numerous articles and other resources posted on BlackBoard that will be of use.
Note that all three books are available in paperback as well as in Kindle versions, so there is no need to buy a more expensive edition in hardback. However, it would be best to buy them, either new or used,via Amazon as soon as possible, so that you have them in time for the first class meeting.
COMPLETELY OPTIONAL (but possibly useful) BOOKS
Galor, Katerina, and Gideon Avni. 2011. Unearthing Jerusalem: 150 Years of Archaeological Research in the Holy City. Eisenbrauns.
Galor, Katerina and Hanswulf Boedhorn. 2013.The Archaeology of Jerusalem: From the Origins to the Ottomans. Yale University Press.
Galor, Katerina. 2017. Finding Jerusalem: Archaeology between Science and Ideology. Berkeley: UC Press.
Goldhill, Simon. 2009. Jerusalem: City of Longing. New York: Belknap Press.
Reich, Ronny. 2011. Excavating the City of David: Where Jerusalem’s History Began. Israel Exploration Society.
OUT-OF-CLASS or INDEPENDENT LEARNING
It is expected that students will spend a significant amount of time studying outside of class -- approximately two hours studying on their own for every hour spent in class. The best way to do this is to read the material over once before class and then read it over again immediately after class. Over the course of 15 weeks, students will spend 2 ½ hours (150 minutes) per week in lecture, so studying and other out-of-class work should be approximately 300 minutes per week. As such, note that the reading assignments are listed according to the dates by which they are to be completed. In order for the lectures to be effective, it will be necessary for the student to keep up with the readings and to attend all class sessions. The lectures given by the instructor will amplify and synthesize the material covered in the textbook. The readings and lectures will be supplemented by audio/visual aids when appropriate.
WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULE
Date / Topic(s) / ReadingsWeek 1 (T)
(Jan 16) / Introduction. Overview of battles for Jerusalem through the ages / Cline 1-10; Armstrong xiii-xxi; Montefiore xxi-xxx
Week 2 (T)
(Jan 23) / Canaan to Israelites;
David and the Jebusites,
ca. 1000 BCE / Cline 11-35; Armstrong 3-47;
Montefiore 17-30
BlackBoard: Reich and Shukron 1999; Coogan 2006; Cline 2009; Ilan 2008; Mazar 1997, 2006; Finkelstein et al. 2007; Shanks 2008a; Finkelstein et al. 2011; Maeir 2017
[Journal Entry #1 due Jan 22]
Week 3 (T)
(Jan 30) / No Class (Instructor out of town) / --
Week 4 (T)
(Feb 6) / Divided Kingdoms;
Sheshonq/Shishak’s attack,
ca. 925 BCE
(Group #1) / Cline 38-45, 136-37, 161-63; Armstrong 47-68;
Montefiore 30-36
BlackBoard: Gonen 1989; Na’aman 1997; Shanks 1998, 2005; Steiner, Cahill, and Na’aman 1998; Cline 2000 (chapter on Shoshenq); Levin 2012
Week 5 (T)
(Feb 13) / Neo-Assyrian period;
Sennacherib’s attack, 701 BCE
(Group #2) / Cline 45-50; Armstrong 68-73;
Montefiore 38-44
BlackBoard: Bleibtreu 1990, 1991; Rosovsky 1992; Shanks 1999; Shea 1999; Cogan 2001
[Proposal and Preliminary Bibliography due by Feb 16]
Week 6 (T)
(Feb 20) / No Class (Instructor out of town) / --
Week 7 (T)
(Feb 27) / Neo-Babylonian period;
Nebuchadnezzar’s attacks,
598-582 BCE
(Group #3) / Cline 36-37, 50-70; Armstrong 73-102;
Montefiore 45-51
BlackBoard: Cahill et al 1991; Malamat 1999;
Barkay 2009
[Journal Entry #2 due Feb 26]
Week 8 (T)
(March 6) / Persians through Greeks;
The Maccabean Rebellion,
ca. 167-142 BCE
(Group #4) / Cline 70-91, 93-95; Armstrong 103-24;
Montefiore 52-75
Blackboard: Shanks 2008; Resig 2010;
Weksler-Bdolah and Onn 2014
[Rough Draft #1 due by March 9]
Week 9 (T)
(March 13) / No Class / Spring Break
Week 10 (T)
(March 20) / Roman period;
The First Jewish Revolt,
66-70 CE
(Group #5) / Cline 96-99,106-131; Armstrong 140-52;
Montefiore 3-13 (Prologue), 76-132
Blackboard: Avigad 1983; Magness 2006; Shanks 2008b, 2010b; Shimron and Peleg-Barkat2010;
Gadot 2018
[Journal Entry #3 due March 19]
Week 11 (T)
(March 27) / Roman period, cont’d;
The Second Jewish Revolt,
132-135 CE
(Group #1) / Cline 96-99, 130-35; Armstrong 152-66;
Montefiore 135-47
Blackboard: Eshel 1997; Geva 1997; Magan 1988
Week 12 (T)
(April 3) / Byzantines, Persians, and the arrival of Islam;
Islamic conquest of Jerusalem,
638 CE
(Group #2) / Cline 136-63; Armstrong 166-270;
Montefiore 151-86
BlackBoard: Magness 1998; Mazar 2004;
Shanks 2010a
[Rough Draft #2 due by April 6]
Week 13 (T)
(April 10) / The Islamic period;
Crusaders and Saladin,
1096-1193 CE
(Group #3) / Cline 160-61, 164-83, 232-34; Armstrong 271-94;
Montefiore 187-273
BlackBoard: Meinhardt 2000; Woodfin 2000
[Journal Entry #4 due April 9]
Week 14 (T)
(April 17) / Saladin through the Ottoman period; Allenby and World War I,
1917 CE
(Group #4) / Cline 183-284; Armstrong 295-390;
Montefiore 274-411 (skim as desired), 412-46
Week 15 (T)
(April 24) / Arabs and Israelis, 1920s on;
Battles of 1948 and 1967 CE
(Group #5) / Cline 235-98; Armstrong 371-412;
Montefiore 447-519
[Final Paper due by April 27]
NOTE:The above schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. Inaccordancewithuniversitypolicy,thefinalexamwill begiven duringthefinal exam periodand notthelastweekofthesemester. For details andcompletepolicy,see: provost.gwu.edu/administration-final-examinations-during-examination-period
EXAMS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND GRADING
There will be a semester research paper, minimum 15double-spaced pages in length (see specifics posted on Blackboard). The research paper should be concerned with some aspect of a battle or some other significant event in the history of Jerusalem (and that has not already been covered by one of the journal entries). There will be a preliminary proposal and bibliography and two rough drafts required, prior to turning in the final version; each of those will be worth a maximum of ten (10) points, for a total possible of forty (40) points (see grading rubrics below).
Four journal entries/responses will also be required of each student, which will be 3-5 pages in length (see specifics posted on Blackboard). Each of the four journal entries/responses will be worth a maximum of ten (10) points (see grading rubric below).
In addition, participation in every class session will be expected, with topics and/or readings assigned to groups of individual students who will be responsible for presenting them to the class.The class will be split into five groups; each group will be responsible for leading the discussion twice during the semester. Each student will receive a separate grade for their portions of the two presentations, worth five (5) points each time, for a total of ten (10) points.Late assignments will not be accepted for a grade. If a student is absent when their group is presenting, they will receive a zero (0) for their grade. During each presentation, the members of the group must divide up and cover each of the following topics/categories:
a) general overview of the time period in the ancient Near East as a whole, to set the context;
b) generaldetails of the archaeology and history known from the time period in Jerusalem;
c) specific details of the battle or attack, as gleaned from various available sources;
d) examples of how the battle or attack is still relevant today (i.e., do people refer to it and, if so, how?)
Finally, attendance and general participation throughout the semester will be worth a maximum of ten (10) points.
The course grade will be determined by combining the grades with attendance and participation, for a total of 100 points as follows:
Assignment / Total Points Possible / Due DateProposal and
Preliminary Bibliography / 10 / End of Week 5 (Feb 16)
Rough Draft #1 / 10 / End of Week 8 (March 9)
Rough Draft #2 / 10 / End of Week 12 (April 6)
Final Paper / 10 / End of Week 15 (April 27)
Journal Entries / 40 / See schedule
Presentations / 10 / As assigned
Attendance/Participation / 10 / Throughout
Total Points / 100 / --
Rubric for Journal Entries (10 points possible on each):
Criteria / Novice(D) / Competent
(C) / Proficient
(B) / Very Good/Excellent (A)
Facts/Content / 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 3
Organization / 1 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2
Persuasiveness / 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 3
Writing and Grammar / 1 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2
Total / 4 / 6 / 7.5 / 10
Rubric for Rough Drafts and Final Version of the Paper (10 points possible for each stage):
Criteria / Novice(D) / Competent
(C) / Proficient
(B) / Very Good/ Excellent
(A)
Facts and Content / 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 3
Organization / 1 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2
Persuasiveness / 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 3
Writing and Grammar / 1 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2
Total / 4 / 6 / 7.5 / 10
Class Policies
Office hours will be held on Tuesdays, from 1:30-3:00 pm, in 661 Rome.
Regular class attendance and participation are mandatory. For every two unexcused absences, the final semester grade may be lowered by one full grade (an “A” drops to a “B”) at the discretion of the instructor.
Use of cell phones during class time for any reason is strictly forbidden, whether for calls, texting, games, or anything else. Similarly, use of laptops during class time for anything other than note taking is also strictly forbidden; this includes Gmail, Facebook, chats, games, and anything else that will preclude the user from participating fully in classroom discussions. Violators will have their cell phones and laptops confiscated.
There will be no make-ups given except in extreme emergencies. Late assignments will not be accepted for a grade and will be awarded a “0”.
The standard University system will be used to assign letter grades as follows: A = 92-100; A- = 90-91; B+ = 88-89; B = 82-87; B- = 80-81; C+ = 78-79; C = 72-77; C- = 70-71; D+ = 68-69; D = 62-67; D- = 60-61; F = 0-59.
University Policies
Religious Holidays
In accordancewith Universitypolicy,studentsshouldnotifyfaculty duringthefirstweekofthesemesteroftheir intentionto beabsentfromclassontheir day(s)ofreligiousobservance. For details and policy, see:students.gwu.edu/accommodations-religious-holidays.
Academic Integrity Code
I personally support the GW Code of Academic Integrity. It states: “Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information.” For the remainder of the code, see: It is expected that all graded work products and assignments will be completed in conformance with The George Washington University Code of Academic Integrity.
Safety and Security
In the case of an emergency, if at all possible, the class should shelter in place. If the building that the class is in is affected, follow the evacuation procedures for the building. After evacuation, seek shelter at a predetermined rendezvous location.
Support for Students Outside the Classroom
Disability Support Services (DSS)
Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact the Disability Support Services office at202-994-8250in the Rome Hall, Suite 102, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to:gwired.gwu.edu/dss/
Mental Health Services 202-994-5300
The University's Mental Health Services offers 24/7 assistance and referral to address students' personal, social, career, and study skills problems. Services for students include: crisis and emergency mental health consultations confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and small group), and referrals. See: counselingcenter.gwu.edu/
ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY (posted on BlackBoard)
Avigad, N.
1983Jerusalem in Flames — The Burnt House Captures a Moment in Time. Biblical Archaeology Review 9/6.
Barkay, G.
2009 The Riches of Ketef Hinnom: Jerusalem tomb yields Biblical text four centuries older than Dead Sea Scrolls. Biblical Archaeology Review 35:04, Jul/Aug Sep/Oct 2009.
Bleibtreu, E.
1990Five Ways to Conquer a City. Biblical Archaeology Review 16/3: 37-44.
1991Grisly Assyrian Record of Torture and Death. Biblical Archaeology Review 17/1: 52-61, 75.
Blenkinsopp, J.
2002The Babylonian Gap Revisited: There Was No Gap. Biblical Archaeology Review 28/3.
Cahill, J.M., K. Reinhard, D. Tarler, and P. Warnock
1991It Had to Happen: Scientists examine remains of ancient bathroom. Biblical Archaeology Review 17/3.
Cline, E.H. 2000. The Battles of Armageddon: Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley from the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Cline, E.H. 2009. Did David and Solomon Exist? Bible and Interpretation website:
Cogan, M.
2001 Sennacherib’s Siege of Jerusalem: Once or Twice? Biblical Archaeology Review 27:01, Jan/Feb 2001.
Coogan, M.D.
2006Assessing David & Solomon: From the Hypothetical to the Improbable to the Absurd. Biblical Archaeology Review 32:04, Jul/Aug 2006.
Eshel, H.
1997Jerusalem No More. BAR 23/6: 46-48, 73.
Finkelstein, I.
2008Jerusalem in the Persian (and Early Hellenistic) Period and the Wall of Nehemiah.
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 32.4: 501-520
2009Persian Period Jerusalem and Yehud: A Rejoinder. The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 9/24.
Finkelstein, I., Z. Herzog, L. Singer-Avitz, and D. Ussishkin
2007Has King David’s Palace in Jerusalem Been Found? Tel Aviv 34/2: 142-64.
Finkelstein, I., I. Koch, and O. Lipschits
2011The Mound on the Mount: A Possible Solution to the “Problem with Jerusalem.” The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 11/12.
Gadot, Y.
2018Jerusalem and the Holy Land(fill). Biblical Archaeology Review 44/1:36-45, 70.
Geva, H.
1997Searching for Roman Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology Review 23/6: 34-45, 72-73.
Gonen, R.
1989Visualizing First Temple Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology Review 15/3: 52-55.
Ilan, D.
2008Archaeological Views: Archaeology Adding to the Powder Keg. Biblical Archaeology Review 34:06, Nov/Dec 2008.
Jacobson, D.
1999a Sacred Geometry: Unlocking the Secret of the Temple Mount, Part 1. Biblical Archaeology Review 25:04, Jul/Aug 1999.
Jacobson, D.
1999b Sacred Geometry: Unlocking the Secret of the Temple Mount, Part 2. Biblical Archaeology Review 25:05, Sep/Oct 1999.
Jacobson, D.
2002Herod’s Roman Temple. Biblical Archaeology Review 28:02, Mar/Apr 2002.
Levin, Y.
2012Did Pharaoh Sheshonq Attack Jerusalem? Biblical Archaeology Review 38:04, July/August 2012.
Lipschits, O.
2009Persian Period Finds from Jerusalem: Facts and Interpretations. The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 9/20.
Maeir, A.M.
2017Assessing Jerusalem in the Middle Bronze Age: A 2017 Perspective. In New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region, edited by J. Gadot, Y. Zelinger, K. Cytryn-Silverman, and J. Uziel, 64*-74*. Jerusalem.
Magan, M.
1988Recovering Roman Jerusalem — The Entryway Beneath Damascus Gate. Biblical Archaeology Review 14/3: 48-56.
Magness, J.
1998Illuminating Byzantine Jerusalem: Oil lamps shed light on early Christian worship. Biblical Archaeology Review 24:02, Mar/Apr 1998.
2006What Did Jesus’ Tomb Look Like? Biblical Archaeology Review 32:01, Jan/Feb 2006.
Malamat, A.
1999Caught Between the Great Powers. Biblical Archaeology Review 25/4: 34-41, 64.
Mazar, E.
1997 Excavate King David's Palace! Biblical Archaeology Review 23/1: 50-57, 74.
2004Temple Mount Excavations Unearth the Monastery of the Virgins. Biblical Archaeology Review 30:03, May/Jun 2004.
2006Did I Find King David’s Palace? Biblical Archaeology Review 32/1: 16-27, 70.
Meinhardt, J.
2000When Crusader Kings Ruled Jerusalem. Archaeology Odyssey 3:05, Sep/Oct 2000.
Na’aman, N.
1997Cow Town or Royal Capital? Evidence for Iron Age Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology Review 23/4: 43-47, 67.
Reich, R., and E. Shukron.
1999Light at the End of the Tunnel: Warren’s Shaft theory of David’s conquest shattered. Biblical Archaeology Review 25:01, Jan/Feb 1999.
Resig, D.D.
2010Volunteers Find Missing Pieces to Looted Inscription. Biblical Archaeology Review36:03, May/June 2010.
Ritmeyer, L., and Kaufman, A.
2000Where Was the Temple? The Debate Goes On. Biblical Archaeology Review 26/2: 52-61, 69, 72.
Ritmeyer, K. and Ritmeyer, L.
1989Reconstructing Herod's Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology Review 15/6: 23-53.
Rosovsky, Nitza
1992A Thousand Years of History in Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter. Biblical Archaeology Review 18/3: 22-40, 78.
Shanks, H.
1998Where is the Tenth Century? Biblical Archaeology Review 24/2: 56-60.
1999Rewriting Jerusalem History: Everything You Ever Knew About Jerusalem Is Wrong (Well, Almost). Biblical Archaeology Review 25:06, Nov/Dec 1999.
2005Sifting the Temple Mount Dump: Finds from First Temple Period to Modern Times. Biblical Archaeology Review 31:04, Jul/Aug 2005.
2008aFirst Person: In Defense of Eilat Mazar. Biblical Archaeology Review 34:02, Mar/Apr 2008.
2008bSecret Passage Discovered Under Ancient Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology Review 34:04, Jul/Aug 2008.
2008cBackground to Hanukkah: Inscription Reveals Roots of Maccabean Revolt. Biblical Archaeology Review 34:06, Nov/Dec 2008.
2010aAncient Persians Massacre Jerusalem Christians. Biblical Archaeology Review 36:06, Nov/Dec 2010.
2010bEscape Clause: Where Jews fled from Roman destruction beneath the streets of Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology Review 36:03, May/Jun 2010.
Shea, W.H.
1999 Rewriting Jerusalem History: Jerusalem Under Siege. Did Sennacherib attack twice?