Early Judaism- A Comprehensive Overview

Alexandrou basileZs). Due to limited variation in iconography and nomen-

clature, many questions about precise chronology and iconographical de-

velopment of specific types are still open.

Stepped, Plastered Pools

The earliest finds with a clear connection to Jewish religious practices are

stepped, plastered pools. The earliest examples are attested in Sepphoris,

where such pools were built into a former cistern sometime in the first half

of the first centuryb.c.e., and in the palaces at Jericho. The houses of the

new Jewish settlers in Gezer also had stepped pools, as did the palace-

fortress of Masada, the wealthy mansions and small houses in Jerusalem,

and the earliest phase of the settlement at Qumran. The evidence from

Qedumim in Samaria shows that Samaritans also built stepped pools in

the first centuryc.e.Although many of these installations served as ritual

baths(miqva}ot),it is far from certain that all stepped, plastered pools had

ritual purposes or that their form was standardized.

The Late Hellenistic Diaspora

Archaeological evidence for Jewish life in the Diaspora during the second

and first centuriesb.c.e.is limited. While we know from numerous writ-

ten sources that Judaism considerably expanded in the eastern Mediterra-

nean basin during the Ptolemaic and Seleucid periods, no architectural

structures and only a few inscriptions are known. Jewish “identity mark-

ers” such asmiqva}ot,stone vessels, and ossuaries are virtually absent from

the Diaspora.

Alexandria

Egypt must come first in our survey. One of the most influential events

for Diaspora Judaism was the foundation of Alexandria at the mouth of

the Nile in 321b.c.e.Jews soon became a large and influential part of the

city’s inhabitants and enjoyed its economic opportunities, far-reaching

contacts, and famous centers of Greek learning. Because few large-scale

excavations have been carried out in the area of the ancient city, and be-

333

Archaeology, Papyri, and Inscriptions

EERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:04:12 PM