BLS 552/652 Exploring the Land of the Bible

WESTERN SEMINARY

Portland, Oregon 97215

BLS 552/652 Exploring the Land of the Bible

Spring Semester, 2015

J. Carl Laney, Th.D.

Course Description

This course introduces three disciplines which are very helpful in reading and interpreting Scripture–biblical archaeology, biblical culture and historical geography. The course will function as a virtual time machine, taking students back to the biblical period to learn how the people of Israel lived, worked and worshiped. The purpose of the course is to provide students with sufficient background to read and interpret Scripture through the eyes of the earliest readers.

Course Textbooks

John A. Beck, The Land of Milk and Honey (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006). ISBN 0-7586-0056-9 $21.99; Kindle Edition $9.99

Randall Price, The Stones Cry Out (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1997). ISBN 1-56507-640-0 $15.99

You are encouraged to purchase your books through the Amazon.com associate program. Links are provided on the Western website under “Current Students/Portland”

http://www.westernseminary.edu/students/portland

Course Goals

1. The student shall gain an awareness and appreciation of the importance of archaeological, cultural and geographical backgrounds in biblical studies.

2. The student will be able to use background insights in the practice of exegesis and interpretation.

3. The student will gain a greater understanding of the biblical backgrounds through reading, lectures and reports.

4. The student will become a specialist in one aspect of biblical backgrounds.

Course Requirements

1. Read the required textbooks. A reading report will be submitted on the last class day of class (December 8th) . 20 hours

2. Complete a course project. This may take the form of a research paper or a PowerPoint presentation.. The project must be selected and approved by the professor by the end of the second week of class. 25 hours

a. In the research paper, the student will investigate thoroughly a biblical custom, archaeological site or geographical region which illuminates the background of Scripture. The student will then relate his or her study to relevant biblical passages, demonstrating the value of background studies to a proper interpretation of the text. A bibliography will be included.

b. A student may choose to present research on an archaeological site, geographical region or cultural institution by means of a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation. The script accompanying the pictures must be based on careful research. A bibliography will be submitted with the presentation. A copy of the script, list of images, and bibliography will be submitted.

c. Suggested areas of research include:

Archaeology of Hazor, Gezer or Megiddo

Archaeology of Capernaum, Chorazin or Bethsaida

Geography of Galilee, Benjamin or the Judean Hill Country

Geography of the Sea of Galilee or Dead Sea

Cultural aspects of the Agora/Forum; Roman theater; Travel or Music

Cultural aspects of Slavery, Marriage, Children and Adoption or Athletics

3. Students will present the results of their research in class. This will take the place of a final exam. Approximately 20 minutes will be allowed for each presentation. A two-page summary of the research (with bibliography) will be prepared for class distribution. 10 hours

4. Th.M. Students are required to read Josephus' Jewish War and write 8-10 page paper discussing how this book illuminates the background of the New Testament. 20 hours

5. Museum Field Trip. Arrangements are being made to schedule a visit to the Prewitt/Allen Archaeological Museum at on the campus of Corban College in Salem. The date and details will be announced. 10 hours.

Course Evaluation

Four items will be considered in determining the student's grade:

Project 40%

Reading 40%

Presentation 20%

100-93 = A [A+ = 99-100; A = 95-98; A- = 94-93]

92-86 = B [B+ = 92-91; B = 90-88; B- = 87-86]

85-79 = C [C+ = 85-84; C = 83-81; C- = 80-79]

78-70 = D [D+ = 78-77; D = 76-74; D- = 73-70]

Course Schedule

3

January 6 Importance of Historical Geography;

Israel and the Negev

The Hill Country and Jezreel Valley

The Wilderness and Dead Sea

“Explorers of the Holy Land” DVD

January 20 The Coastlands

The Shephelah

OT and NT Jerusalem

Galilee

February 3 Introduction to Archaeology

4

Biblical Archaeology: What is it?

Archaeology of Jericho

Archaeology of Hazor

Archaeology of Megiddo

“The Stones Cry Out” DVD

February 17 Archaeology of Lachish

Archaeology of Masada

Archaeology of Qumran

“Herod’s Lost” Tomb DVD

March 3 Introduction to Cultural Backgrounds

Homes, hospitality and the nativity of Jesus

Ancient Agriculture

“The Roman Empire in the First” Century DVD

March 17 Fishing the Sea of Galilee

The Roman Army

“The Roman Soldier” DVD

Crucifixion and Burial Practices

April 7 Class Presentations

Research Resources

Geographical Backgrounds

Yohanan Aharoni, The Land of the Bible

Michael Avi-Yonah, The Holy Land

Denis Baly, Geography of the Bible

J. Carl Laney, Baker's Bible Atlas

J. Carl Laney, “Geopolitics of the Judean Hill Country”

J. Carl Laney, “Selective Geographical Problems in the Life of Christ”

Orni & Efrat, Geography of Israel

Pfeiffer & Vos Wycliffe Historical Geography

George A. Smith, Historical Geography of Holy Land

George Turner, Historical Geography of Holy Land

Cultural Backgrounds

Arnold, William Thomas. The Roman System of Provincial Administration. Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1971.

Bailey, Kenneth E. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. InterVarsity Press, 2008.

Barrett, C. K. The New Testament Background: Selected Documents. NY: Macmillan Company, 1957.

Bouquet, A. C. Everyday Life in New Testament Times. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1953.

Carcopino, Jerome. Daily Life in Ancient Rome. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1940.

Cary, M. and Haarhoff, T. J. Life and Thought in the Greek and Roman World. London: Meuthuen & Co. Ltd, 1961.

de Vaux, Roland. Ancient Israel. 2 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1965.

Edersheim, Alfred. Sketches of Jewish Social Life. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974.

______. The Temple: Its Ministry and Services. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950.

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987.

Grant, F. C. The Economic Background of the Gospels. New York: Russell & Russell, 1973.

Grosvenor, Melville Bell, and Vosburgh, Frederick G., eds. Everyday Life in Bible Times. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1967.

Grosvenor, Melville Bell, ed. Greece and Rome: Builders of Our World: Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1969.

Gower, Ralph. The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times. Chicago: Moody Press, 1987.

Harris, Harold Authur. Sport in Greece and Rome. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1972.

Hoehner, Harold. Herod Antipas. Cambridge: At the University Press, 1972.

Jeremias, Joachim. Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969.

Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews, The Jewish War, Loeb Classical Library.

King, Philip J. and Stager, Lawrence E. Life in Biblical Israel. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001.

Lyall, Francis. Slaves, Citizens, Sons: Legal Metaphores in the Epistles. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984.

Matthews, Victor H. Manners and Customs in the Bible. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988.

Neveg, Avraham, ed. Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Publishing House, 1972.

Pedersen, Johannes. Israel: Its Life and Culture, 2 vols. London: Oxford University Press, 1953.

Sherwin-White, A. N. Romand Society and Roman Law in the NT. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978.

Teringo, J. Robert. The Land And People Jesus Knew (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1985.

Vegetius Renatus, Flavius. Military Institutions of the Romans. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1966.

Webster, Graham. The Roman Imperial Army, 2nd ed. NY: Barnes and Noble, 1979.

Wright, Fred H. Manners and Customs of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody, 1953.

Yadin, Yigael. The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 2 vols. NY: McGraw-Hill, 1963.

Wright, G. Ernest. Great People of the Bible and How They Lived.Pleasantville, NY:

Archaeological Research

GENERAL SURVEY

Avi-Yonah, Michael. Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Inc., 1975.

Blaiklock, E. M. The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology. Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1983.

Mazar, Amihai. Archaeology of the Land of the Bible. New York: Doubleday, 1990.

Negev, Avraham. ed. Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1972.

Pfeiffer, Charles. The Wycliff Historical Geography of the Bible. Chicago: Moody Press, 1967.

Pfeiffer, Charles. The Biblical World. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966.

Price, Randall. The Stones Cry Out. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1997.

Schoville, Keith N. Biblical Archaeology in Focus. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978.

Stern, Ephraim. New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Jerusalem, 1993.

Wright, G. E. Biblical Archaeology. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1957.

OLD TESTAMENT:

Beersheba:

Aharoni, Yohanan. Beer-Sheba I, Excavations at Tel Beer-Sheba, 1969-1971 Seasons. Tel Aviv University, Institute of Archaeology, 1973.

Biblical Archaeologist. March, 1974; June, 1987.

Biblical Archaeology Review. March, September, December 1977

Bethshemesh

Bunimovitz, Shlomo, and Lederman, Zvi, "Bethshemesh," BAR 42-75.

Dan:

"`David' found at Dan," Biblical Archeological Review, (Mar./Apr., 1994): pp. 26-39.

Gibeah:

Albright, W. F. "Excavations and results of Tel el-Ful." Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 1922-23, p. 1- 89.

Albright, W. F. "Excavations and Results of Tel el-Full," Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research. 1981.

Lapp, P. "The Third Campaign at Tel el-Ful: The Excavations of 1964." Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 1981, p. 1-38.

Sinclair, Laurence. "An Archaeological Study of Gibeah." Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 1954-56 (1960), p. 5-52.

Sinclair, L. "An Archaeological Study of Gibeah (Tel el-Ful)." Biblical Archaeology, 27:52-64, May 1964.

Hazor:

Yadin, Yigael. Hazor: The Rediscovery of a Great Citadel of the Bible. Jerusalem: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1975.

Jericho:

Garstang, John. The Story of Jericho. 1948.

Kenyon, Kathleen. Digging up Jericho. London: 1957.

Jerusalem: First Temple Period

Avigad, Nahman. Discovering Jerusalem. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1980.

Biblical Archaeological Review. Nov./Dec., 1985; May/June, 1987; July/August, 1987; May/June, 1989; May/June, 1992; July/August, 1997; Jan/Feb, 1997, Jan/Feb, 1996; May/June, 1996.

The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1993.

Yadin, Yigael, ed. Jerusalem Revealed. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1976.

Jezreel:

"Excavations at Tel Jezreel 1990-1991, First Preliminary Report." The Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University, vol. 19, 1992.

Ussishikin, David and Woodhead, John. "Excavations at Tel Jezreel 1992-1993, Second Preliminary Report." Levant. vol. 26, Jerusalem: British School of Archaeology, 1994.

Lachish:

Shanks, H. and Ussishikin, D. BAR, (Mar./Apr., 1984; Jan./Feb., 1987).

Megiddo:

"Megiddo," BAR, (Jan./Feb., 1994): p. 27-43.

Mizpah:

"Mizpah," BAR, (Sept/Oct), 1997): 29-66

Samaria:

Crowfoot, J. W. and Crowfoot, G. M. Early Ivories From Samaria. (Samaria-Sebaste 2), London: 1938.

Crowfoot, J. W. and Crowfoot, G. M., and Kenyon, K. M. The Objects of Samaria. (Samaria-Sebaste 3), London: 1957.

Crowfoot, J. W., Kenyon, K. M., Sukenik, E. L. The Buildings at Samaria. (Samaria-Sebaste 1), London: 1942.

Reisner, G. A., Fisher, C. S., and Lyon, D. G. Harvard Excavations at Samaria. (1908-1910), 1-2, Cambridge, Mass. 1942.

Shechem:

Campbell, E. F. Shechem II: Portrait of a Hill Country Vale. Atlanta, 1991.

Cole, D. P. Shechem I: The Middle Bronze IIB Pottery. Winonia Lake: 1991.

Wright, G. E. Shechem: The Biography of a Biblical City. New York: 1965.

Shiloh:

Finkelestein, Israel. "Shiloh Yields Some, But Not All, Of Its Secrets." BAR (Jan./Feb., 1986), 22-41.

Tel Qasile:

Mazar, A. Excavations at Tel Qasile 1-2: The Philistine Sanctuary. (Qudem 12; 20), Jerusalem 1980-1985; ib., IEJ 36 (1986), 1-15.

Trude, Dothan. "What We Know Aboyt the Philistines." BAR (July/ August, 1982), 20-44.

The Philistines and Other Sea Peoples. Jerusalem: The Israel Museum, 1970.

NEW TESTAMENT

Ashkelon:

Nicole Prevost Logan, "Hands On: No Grid Lock at Ashkelon - The View from the Square," Biblical Archeological Review, (Nov./Dec., 1992): pp. 34-37.

Caesarea Maritima:

Bull, Robert. "Caesarea Martima: Herod's City." BAR (May/June, 1982), 23-41.

Hohlfelder, Robert. "Caesarea Beneath the Sea." BAR (May/June, 1982), 42-47.

King Herod's Dream: Caesarea on the Sea. (Exhibition Cat., Smithsonian Institution, eds. K. G. Holumet al., New York, 1988).

Levine, L. I. Caesarea Under Roman Rule. (Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity 7), Leiden, 1975: Roman Caesarea: An Archaeological-Topographical Study, (Qedem 2), Jerusalem: 1975.

Levine, L. I. and Netzer E. Excavations at Caesarea Maritima 1975, 1976, 1979: Final Report (Qedem 21), Jerusalem: 1986.

Raban, A. The Harbours of Caesarea Maritima: Results of the Caesarea Ancient Harbour Excavations Project 1980-1985, 1-2 (HUCMS 3: BAR/IS 491), Oxford: 1989.

Caesarea Philippi (Banias)

Wilson, John F., and Tzaferis, Vassilios, "Banias Dig Reveals King's Palace," BAR (January/February, 1998), 54-85.

Capernaum:

Laughlin, John C.H. "Capernaum From Jesus' Time and After," BAR (Sept./Oct. 1993), 54-61.

Loffreda, Stanislao. Recovering Capernaum. Modena, Italy: Poligrafico Artioli, 1985.

Loffreda, Stanislao. A Visit to Capernaum. Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press, 1982.

Shanks, Hershel & Strange, James F. "Has the House Where Jesus Stayed in Capernaum Been Found?" BAR (Nov./Dec. 1982): 26-37

Shanks, Hershel & Strange, James F. "Synagogue Where Jesus Preached Found at Capernaum," BAR (Nov./Dec. 1983): 25-31.

Wright, G. Ernest. Biblical Archaeology. Westminster, 1962.

"Has the House Where Jesus Stayed in Capernaum Been Found" James F. Strange and Hershel Shanks in Archaeology and the Bible: The Best of BAR, Vol. II, eds. Hershel Shanks and Dan P. Cole. Washington, D.C.: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1990, pp. 188-199.

"Synagogue Where Jesus Preached Found at Capernaum" James F. Strange and Hershel Shanks in Archaeology and the Bible: the Best of BAR, Vol. II, eds. Hershel Shanks and Dan P. Cole. Washington, D.C.: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1990, pp. 200-207.

Caesarea Philippi:

"Banias," BAR. (Jan/Feb., 1994): 54

Blaiklock, E. M. The Zondervan Pictoral Encyclopedia of the Bible. Vol. 1, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975.

Edwards, W. T. Holman Bible Dictionary. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1991.

Josephus: The Jewish War. (II. 168, III. 443, 510, VII. 23), Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.

Millard, Alan. Discoveries From The Time Of Jesus. Oxford: Lion Publishing, 1990.

Smick, Elmer B. Archaeology Of The Jordan Valley. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973.