Archaeology

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Archaeology

• Riddles in the Dirt

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Archaeology

• ???a??????a? Ancient Discourse
• The science\art concerned with the material
  remains of mans past
• Firstly directed to Biblical Discoveries
• Covers both the Magnificent and the Mundane

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Ancient Eras
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Beginnings

• Napoleon in Egypt 1798 Rosetta Stone, c.
• Excavations in Mesopotamia, Paul-Emile Botta,
  1842
• Excavations of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann, 1870

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Levant (cont.)

• John Garstang (1876-96)
• Kathleen Kenyon (1906-1978)
• William Foxwell Albright (1891-1971)

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Archaeology in the Levant

• Edward Robinson, 1838, 1852
• His work led to further discoveries -
• Moabite Stone, 1868
• Siloam Inscription, 1880
• Sir Flinders Petrie, Tell el-?esi, 1890

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Dating Methods

• Stratigraphy
• Pottery
• Numismatics
• Paleography

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Stratigraphy Mound Cross Section
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Pottery Dating

• Material
• Manufacturing Technique
• Shape
• Decorations

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Numismatics

• Material
• Image
• Writing

Samaria, 4th cent. B.C.E. Silver 0.74g. 8-9mm.
Helmeted head of Athena Owl standing and facing
with open wings Aramaic letters "SN" in fields.
500.00.
John Hyrcanus I, 134-104 B.C.E. Bronze. 15mm.
Hebrew inscription, "Yehohanan the High Priest
and Council of the Jews," within wreath. Rv.
Double cornucopia with fillets pomegranate in
center. 200.00.
http//www.usask.ca/antiquities/coins/greek_coins.
htmlMinting
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Paleography

• Material
• Handwriting Style

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Early Genesis

• Enuma Elish Babylonian Creation Account
• Gilgamesh Epic Babylonian Flood Account

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Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from
him silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden
beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead,
staves for the hand of the king, javelins.
http//www.kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/meso/obelisk.html
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Tel Dan Bet David Inscription

• Stone inscription that contains the phrase House
  of David
• http//www.kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/westsem/teldan.htm
  l

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Mesha Stele

• aka Moabite Stone
• "I am Mesha, son of Chemosh, king of Moab... My
  father was king of Moab for thirty years and I
  became king after my father and I built this
  sanctuary to Chemosh in Qerihoh, a sanctuary of
  refuge for he saved me from all my oppressors
  and gave me dominion over all my enemies. Omri
  was king of Israel and oppressed Moab many days,
  for Chemosh was angry with his land. And his son
  succeeded him and he also said I will oppress
  Moab. In my days he said this, but I got the
  upper hand of him and his house and Israel
  perished for ever.... I have had the ditches of
  Qerihoh dug by Israelite prisoners..."

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Cyrus Cylinder

• Confirms the account in Ezra of Cyrus returning
  the Jews to Judea

http//www.kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/meso/cyrus.html
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Persepolis - Apadana of Darius (ca. 520 B.C.)

• Stairway to the Palace depicts many foreign
  peoples in their traditional clothes and
  implements
• http//oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IRAN/n15265_4.htm
  l

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Joash Inscription

• Matches the account in 2 Kings 12
• http//www.orientalisti.net/ioash.htm

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Qumran Manuscripts

• Ante-dates Hebrew manuscripts by 1,000 years
• Important to historical and linguistic studies

http//www.ibiblio.org/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibi
t/Library/psalms.html
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James Ossuary

• James, son of Joseph,
• brother of Jesus
• The James ossuary may be the earliest tangible
  evidence of Jesus of Nazareth, who until this
  point we knew only through literary texts.
• Royal Ontario Museum
• http//www.rom.on.ca/ossuary/ossuary_intro.html