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

MEYERS:TEACHINGSECONDTEMPLEJUDAISMINLIGHTOFARCHAEOLOGY 159

ancientNearEasternworld,ThoughitwascomposedinEgypt,it isa sign
ofhowcentralGreeklanguagehadbecomeandwastobecomeinPales-
tineinsucceedingcenturies.
Nomatterwhatone'sopinionisabouthowmuchoftheHebrewBible
wascomposedoreditedintheHellenisticperiod,thetransferofPalestine
toSeleucidcontrolatthebeginningofthesecondcemuryhadmomentous
importforthesecondhalfoftheHellenisticperiod.If anything,thepace
of Hellenization accelerated, and archaeological evidence exhibiting
accommodationtoHellenismmaybenotedinthepresenceofmorethana
thousandGreek(Rhodian)stampedjarhandlesfromJerusalemandthe
coinsofthisera,aswellastwolongGreekinscriptionsfromJerusalem
dating to the timeofAntioclus Epiphanes, and possibly a third tariff
inscription.3^2 DespitetheobvioustrappingsofGreekculturethatbegan
toenveloptheJewishheartland,nOlalljewsagreedthataccommodation
toHellenismwastheappropriatewaytotrulyprosper.Thusariftdevel-
oped be(ween thosewho werein favor ofcultural compromise, the
pro-Hellenizers,andthemoreconservativegroupwhosawtheoldways
thre~ltened,AmongthelatterweretheI-Iasidim,thepietistsandtheclan
ofHashman,thelaterHasmoneans.
In resisting foreign involvement in their internal affairs judeans
expressedtheirsuspicionsregarding outsiders.Antiochus'sstrugglewith
thePtolemiesdidnotendin 200 B.C.E.,andinretreatfromEgypthelooted
thetempletreasury(IMace1:21-24),thentwoyearslaterfortifiedtheCity
ofDavidwitha citadel,callecltheAkra,andplaceda Macedoniangarrison
there(Josephus,Al1t.12.252),SomeJewsdecidedtoliveinthisfortified
sectionofjerusalem,whileotherscontinued(0live in theirtraditional
neighborhoods.'f11eobvioustensionbetweenthetwogroupsofJewsnow
embroiledin majorcivilunrestforcedAntiochustodesecratethetemple
(1 Mace1:44-50),andwhenthepro-Seleucidgroupfailed (0react and
condemnhim,unrestgavewaytocivilwar.Thestruggleisknownasthe
Maccabeanrebellion(ca.]67-1641l.C.I:.).
ThebookofDanielcanhardlybeunderstoodwithoutappreciating
thecomplexityoftheeventssurroundingtherevoltandthesuccessofthe
Maccabees.Itwouldbeincorrect,however,toviewthestrugglesimplyas
onebetweenHellenismandjudaism,anclif anythingthearchaeologyof
this periodshows that the adoption of Hellenisticculture already in
processforcenturiesproceededandincreasedregardlessoftheposition
adoptedbytheHasmoneans.Ifanything,theHasll10neanswithina very
shorttimebecamethemainpurveyorsofHellenisticcultureastheyrein-
stalledtheofficeofking,mergingitwiththehigh-priestpositionalre::ldy

32 Berlin,"ArchaeologicalSourcesFortheHistoryofPalestine,"17.