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

l"10HELAND:AHClIAEOtOGY1'\'NEWTESTAMEi\'TCOUHS~:'~ 145

whilethenewurbancenterswereinhahitedbypeoplefromjudea,with
liestoJerusalemandtheIlerodianauthorities.Whilethisthesisisintrigu-
ing bec,luse it provides acle,lr identityfor the inhabitantsofGalilee
separatetromtheregionotJerusalem,thisdichotomyisnotsupportedby
thearchaeologicalmaterial.JonathanHeedhaswellillustratedthelackof
evidenceforacontinuousoccup,Hion ofGalileebydescendantsofthe
Israelitesandhasproposedinsteadth:llthearchaeologicalmateri:tlsug-
gests thatthe rc~identsofthe region had moved there fromJudea)1
HegardlessoftheexadethnicityoftheGalileans(atopicdiscussedfurther
below),whatHorsleyprovidesisusefulina cl<lssroomsettingasarejoin-
dertoEdwards'smoreoptimisticviewofurhan-ruralrelations.
Arna!'scontribution totht:area ofarchaeologyandNewTestament
studiesisinmanyrespectsmorespecializedthanthosepreviouslymen-
tioned, but his presentation ofthe material is thorough,<J('cessihle to
students,andeasytointegrateintoclassroomdiscussionsofhow~Irchaeo­
logicalresearchisbeingusedtoredescriheChristianorigins.Inhisrecent
publicltion,jesusalldtbeVillageScribes, Amal provides an admirahle
ovelviewofthesocioeconomicsettingofEarlyHomanGalilee.Ilisstudyof
coinage,monetization,debt,andtaxesisparticularlyusefulfordi~cussions
ofjesus'sayingsthatmentiontenantfarmers,landlords,anddebtors(Man
6:12;18:23-34;20:1-15;Mark /2:1-11;Luke12:16-20; /6:1-17))1Dueto
theproximityofthenew~ldministr:lIivecentersofSepphorisandTiberias,
ArnalillustratesthepossiblewaysthatthevillagecitizensofGalileewere
prcsst.:dintodebt.IIepointsoutthat,wilhtheriseintaxesthattypically
accompaniedtighteradministrativeoversight,

thepca.~ants't('nuousholdonthelandi.~threatened,:lI1dtheybegina

cycleofdebt,monetiz:uion,lossofland.tenancy.andfunbermonetiza-

tion, all ofwhich se....'e tobenefit the local ditl'sand the imperial

adminbtration.Bythepolitic:llimpositionoftax<-·s,theregioninquestion

isdrawnintoanempirewideorbitofmoneyandIrade.andmustredirect

itsownlocalresourcesaccordingly.B

Manyothersayingsofjesus,treintriguingtoreadwithinthecontextof
thegrowthoftheIlerodiancities.Forexample,rhavefoundit usefulin
myNewTestamentintroductioncoursestocoordinatea discussionofthe
Beatitudes(Q/Luke6:20-23;Mall'):1-4,6,I 1-12)~lIldsevcrJIoftheWoes
(Q/Luke11:42-43,46;Malt23:4-7,23)witha presentationoftheeconomic

jlRecti,ArcbueoioRI'lIlId1/)('ClilitelillJe.'lIs.Z.Ht.
j2WilliamE.Arm!.jeslls{/lui/be\/illal-WSailx'S:Cali/l'al/Crl/ljlicl.l"andtl)eSellil/goJQ
(Minneapoli~:Furtrcs~.2001).97-11".
33 Ibid..146.