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

(^188) UI:1WEENTEXrANDARllFACf
andnumismaticscancontributeIllosttoourunderstandingofpagancul-
ture.Writtendocumentsrangingfrommonumentalinscriptions(0personal
graffitioftennamedeitiesandtheirworshipers,whosenameswouldnever
otherwiseturnlipinliterarysources.Suchdataindicatepracticessuchas
dedicationsorpilgrimagestoholysites.Thean~l1ysisofcoininscriptions
andimageshelpstoidentifycultsthatarenot(yet)attestedintheliterary
orepigraphicrecord.Inshort,thestudyofpaganreligioninancientPales-
tine calls for an approach that essentially breaks down traditional
boundariesofdisciplines; itineviwblyneeds 10 bemore"archaeological"
thantext-oriented.
Thegreaterroleofarchaeology,ofcourse,hasinterestingmethod-
ologicalconsequences.BecausethestudyofpaganismCdnnotrelyonthe
availabilityoftextualsources(becausetherearesofew),wemustbecare-
fulconcludingthattherewerenopaganswherewehavenotexts.Since
monumemalinscriptionsareusuallyanelementofurbanculture,it ishard
toreconstruct paganlifeinruralareaswheresuchsourcesaremissing.
Studyingpag:.II1ismmeanstogetdowntothelevelof"anonymous"arti-
facts such as lamps, ponery, and glass, which at most allow us to
reconstructgeneralculturalinfluences.Consideringthelimitedvalueof
texts,it isalsodifficulttoreconstructpaganlifefromJewishtexts.Again,
wemustavoidconcludingthatincel1ainregionsthere\verenopagansjust
beGlu:.ethey ale!lut1Ilellllulleu illJewi:.11 texts. Inshort, thestudyof
paganismhighlightsthecomplicatedproblemofcombiningtextualsources
(orthelackofthem)witharchaeologicalevidence.
LetusdigalittledeeperandincludethefaclOroftimeinourscenario.
BecausePalestinewaspartoftheandentEasternMediterrdneanandhis-
toricalandpoliticaleventshavealwayslefttheirtracesinthereligiouslife
oftheregion,paganism,too,wasconstantlyinnux.Whatdoesth;;1{mean
forthestudyofPalestinianpaganism?
ASPECTSOFPAGANLIFEtNPALESTINE
DavidFlu5Seriscerrainlyrightinstarringhisstill-valuablesurveywith
theprogrammaticphrase:"AtnotimeinhislOrywasJudaismtheonlyreli-
gionofPalestine,"JAndasI saidbefore,paganismhadbeenpresentfor
centuries~ll1ddidnotarrivewiththeGreeks,Thoughit isclearfromthe
hislOrlCal and archaeological sources that the two wars against Rome
j DavidFlus-..er, "l'ag:miSlllin P:llt:stinc:in 71JejewishP/.vpleillI/)eFirstCeil/liT)'."
I·/iston·calCt'f)!lmpby.-Political(-liS/OT)';Social,Cltltllml,andReli~iollSLifeal/fllllstitllliollS
(ed.S.S;lfmiand~1.Stern:CRINTI;Assen:VanGorcum;I'hiladt::lphi:l:Fonrcss,t974-76),
1:I06S.