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

I'Al.K:TilEDEADSEASCHOl.L'>A;\1[)Qt',\lIl:A:'>I 177

148.7em<lndanaveragerangeof143.9-153.8em,andcomparesIhiswith

theestimatesforelevenmaleskeletonsatQumr:an,withanaverageof 164

emanda rangeof159-168em.Onthiscomparison,Ziasmakesanappar-

emlystrongcaseforregardingthethreedisputedskeletonsasprohably

male rather than female. However,it is problemalic that he does not

includedatadrawnfromotherfemaleskeletonsatQumran:thestaturesof

thefourfemaleskeletonsofQ32-35rangefrom 152-162em.[fthiswere

thecomparison,thenthedisputedskeletonswouldbeseenasattheupper

endoftherangeforfemalestatureat Qumran:ilZiasdidnotuseIhese

comparisons because he regards the burials al Q32~35 10 be recent

bedouinburials;hecitesevidenceforIhisview,hlHilisstillanunproven

anddispuledhypothesis.^43 Thereisthussomecircularitytothearguments

bywhichZiaseliminalesJewishwomenfromthecemctery.

Thegreatestproblemwithcontrollingqueslionscomingfromtextsis

theneglectofuniquedata presenledbymaterialevidence. Archeology

providesdatarelevanttooftencompletelydifferentsetsofquestionsthan

thoseaddressedbytexts.Itallowsopportunitiestoexploreanthropologi-

cal and sociologicalissues on which texiS areoftensilent: diet, living

conditions,tools,domesticarrangements,andthelike.Controlledbythe

questionwhetherornotthiscommunitywascelibate,womenwereprim~l­

rilycategoriestoincludeorcxclude,andoncewomenweremarginalized,

evidencerelatedtothem waslargelyignored(besidesskeletons,there

werefoundtwospindlewhorls,awoodencomb,anda smallamountof

jewelry).Onlyinthe lastdecadeh:lve:tfcwscholarseven~lUemptedto

explorcthccondilionsandroleofwomenatQumran,H

Anotheravenuethat hashithertoreceived tooliulealtenlion isthe

scrolls themselves asartifacts ratherthan as merelytexls.4S Espedally

EmanuelTovhasdoneaconsiderableamountofworkonscribalfeatures

ofthescrolls,46butmuchofthisactivityh<lsbeenturnedtounderstanding

12 Stll~ri(bnStive~:1'ther:lni-:eforfem:t1e~keleton~:llQumran1')2-165em.Shcrilbn.
"Schobrs.Soldierl>.Cr.lfbmen.Elite""236-r.
43 SecZangenberg,"[l.one~ofCO!1lemion."·(JO-76
<14I...lwrenecIt.5chiffm~It1,R(,c:/(l;lI/ill~11)('OemlSeaS,-ml/s''/bef/i,\/IJI)'ofjll(/aism.Ibe
lkICkR,roUIIl/ojCbrislia1lilY./beJ.fJSI/.ibmrylifQllmrall(I'hil:ldelphi:l:Jewbhl'lIbliGnion
Sodety. 1991). 127-43: Elder. -\X()[lunQue~ti()nand FemaleA.scctit·1>:Imong E!>'>Cl1es-;
Schulk·r."WomenintheDeadSt.·:1Scroll,";T:lylor."CemeteriesofKhirbctQumran":MayerI
Gnllx:r,"WomenintheHclij.(iolll>SY1'>lemofQumr:m:innJejlldaismcifQllmrall'ASystemic
ReadillS(ifI/)e!J(-'(HISeaS<-rfJlls(P:lrtSofjudaismilllAueAI/liquily:cd.A.J.Avery-Pel-·k.
J.Neu~ner.and13.D.Chilton;llandbookofOrient:ll~tlldie'.TheNeM:lndMiddle1;;I1'>t56;
Lciden:Brill.200t).t:173--96:M~Ij.(nc_,1'>./ll"c1J(/(·()IOR,I'(ifQllmn:m.163-H7.
-isI'ctersen,• Arch,lculog)'ofKhil'betQumr;ln."2%-';').
·16E.g.,EmanuelTov."Scrih:ll1'r;I<.:ti(·c1'>~H1dI'hy1'>iGIIA.,pcc.,ofthcDC;lllSeaScroll~:
in71)eBibl('AsBook"11)('MtllIIIKnjJ/1"n:ulll,ol/(cd.J.I..SkIrrx' 111 andK.vanKampen: