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

TEACHING SECO D TEMPLEJUDAISM

IN LIGHTOFARCHAEOLOGY

theM.Meyers

Ou!..¥!University

Althoughtherehasbeenenormousinterestinrecentyearsinthetopic
ofSecondTempleJudaism,reflectedin thewide rangeand numberof
publicationsonIhissubject,it isremarkablethaitherehasbeen;tnincon-
sistentuseofarchaeologyforthereconstructionofthiSimpon3merainthe
historyofreligion.Thefirst thingtodo,however,istoSlatetheprecise
chronologicaltimeframeaboutwhichweareconcerned:SISa.C.E.to 70
C.E.Thebeginningdateisdelenninedbytherededicationofthetemplein
JerusaleminthedaysofJoshuathehighpriestandZerubbabelthegover-
nor.^1 Itsendingdalein 70 C.E.isrelatedtothedestructionofthetempleat
thehandsoftheRomansatfheendoflheFirslRf'vnhonfheninfhofAh
accordingtojewishtraditionOosephus, War6.164-253; m.TaCani/4:6).
Duringlhecourseoflhose 585 y~ltS,lhetinynalionofjude-d,first known
as Yehud, survived under lhree different world empires: the Persian
(515-332B.C.E.),theGreek(332--63 Il,C,E.),andtheRoman(63B.C.E.-70
C,E.),whichcontinuedtoadministerPalesline,indudingjudeaandother
territories,untilthereignofConstantinetheGreat<306-337C,f..)Thefacl
thatthesesixcenturieswitnessedsuchepochalchangesmakesitespecially
impol13nttokeeplrJ.ckoflhematerialcultureoftheregionandtoobserve
thedegreetowhichitrenectsthosechanges.
Thepredominantapproachtopresentingthehistoryofthisperiod
asidefrom specialstudieshasbeentofocusonthemainliterarycomposi-
tions associated wilh each era or the major trends and movements
atlribUied to SecondTemplejudaism.Thisis true even withthewell-
receivedsmallvolumebyjamesVanderKamonearlyjudaism,whichis
virtuallyentirelyfocusedonIilerature,lFewhaveventuredlhelask of

I Carol LMeyersandEricM"'k}crs,lIuRSOi.Zecbanah1-8(ABZSU;GardenCit)'.

NY. I)oubk.-day.1987).JO(i,9-17.193-95

lJan'k.'S,C.VaneerKam,An1111mdllCtiOlltofArlyJudaism(GI""JndR:apl<b Eerum:ms,

(999).

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