Between Text and Artifact: Integrating Archaeology in Biblical Studies Teaching (Archaeology and Biblical Studies)

142 IlETWEENTEXTANDARllfACr

theurbansettingsinGalileecanaddtoOUfunderstandingofChristianori-
gins. Inthis regard he examinestheLord's Prayer, the parableofthe
Tenants,theparableoftheLaborersintheVineyard,andothersayingsin
whichJesusis saidtohavereferencedtheeconomicconditionsofhisday.
ByexaminingthelanguageofJesusthat suggestsa familiaritywith the
urbancontext,Reednotesthatuurban-ruralcontactswerenOIuncommon,
whichraisesthequestionofwhetherJesuscanbeplacedinanexclusively
villagecontext, first aroundNazareth andthen around Capernaum, or
whetherhedid,infact,visitTiberiasorSepphoris.»20
SeveralarticlesbyDouglasEdwards,theDirectoroftheCanaExcava-
tions in Galilee, offer another noteworthy avenue for exploldtion.^21
Edwardsisinterestedintheeconomicimpactofthenewurbancenterson
theresidentsofthemanyagrarian~basedvillagesinthearea. Usingthe
analysis ofpOllery distribution in Early Roman Galilee completedby
DavidAdan-Bayewitzashisstartingpoint,Edwardsprovidesevidencefor
a reasonablyamenablerelationshipbetweenurbanandruralinhabitams
inthetimeofJeslls.^22 Sincetheresidentsofa smallGalileanvillagesuch
asKefarHananya(25kmfromSepphoris)wereabletoproduceponery
thatwasdistributedovermuchofGalilee,includingsupplyingover 50
percentofthekitchenware inSepphoris, Edwardsarguesthat at least
someoftheruralinhabitantswereabletousethebuildingoftheurban
centersasanopportunityforemploymentandeconomicgain.Ratherthan
understandingthenewHerodiancitiesasnegativelyaffectingthevillage
inhabitants,thusleadingtoanimositybetweentheurbanandruralset-
tings,hesuggestsmorecollaborationthananimositywasinvolvedinthe
relationship. Regarding the potential impacton theearlyfollowers of
Jesus,heconcludes,

itwouldbea mistaketoassumethaitheUesus]movementoperatedin

cultural,politic..loreconomicisolationfrommajorurbanareas.Villages

mentionedin thetraditionwerenear(C..pernaum,Bethsaida)orcon-

nectedto(Naz:lrelh,Caesare..Philippi,regionofTyreandSidon)urban

areasandlinkedtoa vibrantregionalmarketnetwork.Nordoesaninnate

20 [hid.,99.

21 DouglasEdwards.~FirslCcnturyUrbanlRuralRelationsinl.owerGalilee:Exploring

theArchaeologicalandLiteraryEvidence,'SBlseminarPa~, 1988 (ed.D.Lull;SBLSP27;

Atlanl:!: Schol:!rsPress, 1988),169--82;idem,kTheSocio-economicandCulturalEthosof

LowerGalileeintheFirstCentury: ImplicationsfortheNascentJesusMovement,"inThe

Gal/feeinLilfeAI/tiquity(ed.L.I.Levine;NewYork:JewishTheologiC:l1seminary,1992),

53-73-

22 DavidAd3.n-B:Iyewitz.Commo"PoucryillRania"Galilee:AStudyofLocalTrade

(R:llll:It-Gan,Isr-...el:Bar-IlanUniversityPres..., [993).