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

160 1l1:1Wl-:EN'nxrANDAR11FACf

assumedbyJonathanin 152 ll.C.E.Surprisingly,however.theHasmoneans

intheircoinageandintheirpublicarchitectureeschewedfiguralartcon-

sistcot]y.3^3 Sincetheywereneitherdescendedfrom KingDavidorthe

highpriestZadok,theiradoptionofPaleo-Hebrewscriptontheircoinsor

sealsdidlillIetoassuagethetraditionalistsintheJewishcommunitythai

theywereinterlopers.Herethearchaeologyoftheeramustbebalanced

withajudiciollslookattheIitCr<IlYsources,especiallyJosephus.Opposi-

tion to Hasmoncan leadership arose not 50 much in reaction to the

Hellenisticwaystheycametoadoptbutratherbecauseoftheirviolation

ofbiblicalprecedent,cruclryinoffice,anclnepotisticways.Theendofthe

Hellenisticera inPalestineconvergeswith Pompey'sannexation in 63

B.C.E. whiletwoHasmoneandescendantswagedcivilwarovertheissue

ofdynasticsuccession.It is nowonderthatsomanyjews welcomed

Rome'sinvolvemematthistime.TheHellenisticenl,likethepreceding

Persianperiod,provedtobeofmajorsignificanceforthejewishpeople

andfortheshapingofanciemPalestine.

TilEROMANPERIOD(63ll.C.E.TO 70 c.I:.)

It isimpossibletosummarizeallthematerialsrelevanttoconsiderthe
importofarchaeologyonthelast 133 yearsoftheSecondTempleperiod.
ForatreatmentofKhirbetQumranandlheDeadSeaSuul!:',furexaIllple,
Jreferthe readertothearticlein thisvolumeby DanielFalk. What is
importantforallteacherstorememberisthatbytheturnofthecommon
eraandinitsfirstdecadesPalestinegiveswitnesstothebirthofJesusof
Nazarethandhisfollowers,significantdevelopmentsinnascemjudaism
underHilleltheElder,:'lI1dthecontinuingliteraryoutputofindividualsin
allsectorsofsociety,indudingthesectariansatQumran.Moreover,during
this unprecedented burst of spiritual, literary, and religious fermem
Jerusalemandthetempleunderwenta major, ifnothistoric,renovation
andrebuildingcampaign,launchedfirstbyHerod(37-4R.C-E.),whichcon-
tinuedthroughthefirstcenturybeforethefallofthecityandtemplein 70
C.E. Itis unusualinbiblicalandPalestinianhistorytoobserveatimein
whichbothmaterialcultureandspiritualorliterarycreaTivityoccursimul-
taneously. and it would be foolish to draw too many conclusions,
especiallywhenthemajoractiviryoccurredunderHerodtheGreat.Still,as

33 SoMeyers."JewishCultureinGrceo-Hom;tnPaleslinc:147:andLevine.judaism

andHellenismillAllliq1fiO'.44.However,whelhersuchaniconicbehaviorwasdeliberate

;ll1dwidespreadiscertainlydebatable.TheuseoftheTyrianshekelwiththebUSIoflhe

kingononesideandancagleontheotherthroughoulthisperiodsuggestslh:1\theissue

ismorecomplex.