The Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages of Southern Canaan

Description

The Late Bronze Age in the Levant is a period of much interest to archaeologists, historians and biblical scholars. This is a period with intense international relations, rich in ancient sources, which provide historical data for the period, and is a crucial formative period for the peoples and cultures who play central roles in the Hebrew Bible. Recent archaeological research in Israel and surrounding countries has provided new, exciting, and in some cases, groundbreaking finds, interpretations and understanding of this period. The fourteen papers in this volume represent the proceedings of a conference held at Bar-Ilan University in 2014 (with the additional of several invited papers not presented at the conference), which provide both overviews of Late Bronze Age finds from several important sites in Israel and surrounding countries, as well as several synthetic studies on the various issues relating to the period. These papers, by and large, represent a broad view of cuttting edge research in the archaeology of the ancient Levant in general, and on the Late Bronze Age specifically. The Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages of Southern Canaan Foreword Contents The Late Bronze Age at Tell es-Safi/Gath and the site’s role in Southwestern Canaan General Points Discussion References The Wheat-People of Canaan Introduction Methods Late Bronze floral list Results and discussion General patterns of Late Bronze Shephelah plant assemblage Diet and subsistence Shared patterns of dietary preferences Site-specific diet preferences The Shephelah in a regional context Late Bronze Canaan Agronomy Type of agriculture Practice for soil fertility maintenance Conclusions Wheat-People of Canaan Acknowledgments References Late Bronze Age Azekah – an almost forgotten story Introduction Late Bronze stratigraphy The pottery Absolute chronology Residue analysis Human remains Pictorial and figurative amulets Clay figurines Historical reflections and conclusions References A reevaluation of Gezer in the Late Bronze Age in light of renewed excavations and recent scholarship History of excavations and debates Overview of HUC excavations “Palace 14120” Late Bronze Age occupation in Fields I and II The “Outer Wall” Late Bronze Age tombs at Gezer Gezer in recent research Gezer and the Amarna tablets (LB IIA) Gezer and LB site distribution Where is the Egyptian Governor’s residence? Gezer and recent material culture studies Summary Tandy excavations Late Bronze Age Outer Wall Conclusion References Tel Batash in the Late Bronze Age – a retrospect The foundation of the town: Middle Bronze Age: Strata XII–XI The Late Bronze Age levels: architecture and finds Stratum X Stratum IX Stratum VIII Stratum VII Stratum VIA-B Area A stratigraphic sequence Area C: possible gate passage Additional finds: non-organic and organic Radiometric dates and some chronological queries Historical and chronological synthesis Continuity from Middle Bronze to Late Bronze Geopolitical status Regional occupational history Urban planning Architecture and its social reflections References First impression on the urban layout of the last Canaanite city of Lachish: a view from the northeast corner of the site Introduction The vicinity of the city and the location of the city gates The topography of area BB “Lower City” and “Upper City” The citadel The temple The transition between Level VII and VI Summary References Lachish is Lachish on the Lachish bowl: an object lesson for reading Hieratic, with little surprising results. The Lachish Bowl in the context of Hieratic inscriptions from southern Canaan Toponym I: Lachish! Toponym II: Jaffa? References Tel Burna in the Late Bronze – assessing the 13th century BCE landscape of the Shephelah Introduction Tel Burna The LB at Tel Burna Area B2 Area B1 13th century BCE date for Area B1? Comparison of excavated sites in the Shephelah Gezer Beqoʿa Tel Miqne-Ekron Timnah (Tel Batash) Beth Shemesh Tel Harasim Tell es-Safi/Gath Azekah Tel Yarmuth Tel Erani Tel Zayit Lachish Tel ʿEton Tell Beit Mirsim Tel Nagila Tell el-Hesi Conclusion References Jerusalem in the Late Bronze Age – The Glass Half Full The evidence at hand Recent finds from the excavations in the Area of the Gihon Spring Discussion References Hebron in the Late Bronze Age: Discoveries of the of the American expedition to Hebron (Tell er-Rumeide) The site The AEH expedition Later excavations at Hebron Area I.1 – A domestic living structure Area I.6 – Another domestic living structure Area I.3 and Area I.7 – Outside the city fortifications Area I.4 – Additional late bronze evidence Tomb #2 Adjustments to AEH phase correlation MBII, LB, and Iron I sherd frequency Conclusions References The Transjordanian Jordan Valley in the Late Bronze Age: under Egyptian control? Introduction Chronology Selected earlier studies The case of Pella The case of Tell Abu al-Kharaz The case of Tell Deir ʿAlla The case of Tell es-Saʿidiyeh The case of Kataret es-Samra Discussion and conclusions References Shifting meanings and values of Aegean-type pottery in the Late Bronze Age Southern Levant Introduction Preamble: terms and concepts State of research Horizons of interaction with Aegean-type pottery Cretan horizon Horizon Tell Abu Hawam Horizon Nami Phoenician Horizon The Philistia References Prestige and authority in the Southern Levant during the Amarna Age Introduction: perceptions of Amarna politics Socio-political textual clues Prestige, authority and patronage A socio-political sketch of the Southern Levant in Amarna times Conclusion References Southwestern Canaan and Egypt during the Late Bronze Age I–IIA Introduction Settlement history: Late Bronze Age I–IIA Changing charms Goddess in translation Discussion Conclusions References Index