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

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greatpanoftheLatinWestemerged.Moreover,thevariouspeoplesin
AsiaMinorfinallysuccumbed(0Greekcultureandbecamea vitalpanof
it. Thesituation inancientPalestinewasdifferent.Here,from!.hevery
beginning,aneedtomanageirreducibleculturalandreligiousplurality
affectedthedeepestlayersofancientPalestinianhistorywithallitsviolent
lmgedies.ThereligioussituationinancientPalestinewasmorepluralistic,
thesocialsituationmorecolorful,andthepoliticalSitual)onmorecomplex
thaninmanyotherregionsoftheGreco-Romanworld.Therefore,unlike
inolherpartsoftheancientworld,!.hepresenceofdiversereligiouscults
didnotmeanmoreorlessmtUualrespectandopencompetitionbetween
religiousoptions ofessentiallyequal value but al best a complicated
cohabitationofgroups who,at leastin part,consideredthemselvesas
irreconcilableandmutuallyexclusive.
A studyofpaganreligiouslifeinancientPalestinecangiveusa better
understandingofthismechanismandhowdefiningoneselfinevitablyalso
entailsconstmctingtheolher.Itcanhelpustoreconstmctandunderstand
pauernsofcohabit<ltionaswellasthoseofconfrontationandtragedy.In
that,thesrudyofpaganismconstitutesanessentialpartinthestudyofthe
historyandreligiouslifeinPalestineasawhole.

AI'PROACIIlNGPAG........ISMONTIlEGROUND

InthefollOWing p<lragraphsI willsketcha fewparametersthattome
seemnecessarytoconsiderifoneventuresintothelargelyunexplored
fieldofancientPalestinianpaganism.Untilnow,myremarkswererather
generalandnotlimitedtoPalestine.Therearetworeasonsforthat.Inthe
firstplace,fromapaganpointofview,ancientPalestinewouldnothave
beenseenasespeciallydistinctive,apartfromthelargepresenceofJews
(andChristians).Despiteallitspeculiarilies,Palestinewasstillpartofthe
culturalworldoftheEasternMediterranean.Therefore,muchofwhatcan
besaidwithregardtoneighbouringregionsprobablywasalsotmefor
ancientPalestine.Second,myremarksarerathergeneralsimplybecause
paganisminancientPalestinehasneverbeencomprehensivelystudied.A!;
IsmelihistorianJosephGeigerwroteina recentSUlVeyoftheevidence:
~Thehistoryofthenon-Jewish(andnon-Samarit.lO)inhabitantsofPalestine
betweentheconquestofAlexandertheGreatandthatoftheMuslimsis
Stilla largelyunexploredterritory.~2Thisisespeciallytruefortheimme-
diateMlewTestamentperiod,MbenercalledtheL-lteHellenistictoEarly

2 JosephGeiger."AsJX.'CtSofI'alesllnianPaganism 10 lateAntiquiry: 10 Sban"8lbe
Sacrrxl.ReligiQu.sCo"tu<:1Stllldeo,IjIKISintheHoly/.,{lIIdFfTSl-PffteentbQ>rllury(ed..A.Kofski
andG.G.Stroumsa:J"''TU5;I!emYadIzh3kBenlvi.1998),';