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JOTTING DOWN JERUSALEM

Revolt Money

Concerning your editorial (“A Little Jot on a Jerusalem Column,” BAR, January/February 2019), may I call to your attention that Jerusalem is spelled YRWShLYM, i.e., with the second yod, on shekels of the First Revolt in the late 60s C.E.

Dr. Fulco, that is correct! In fact, Jerusalem is spelled both ways on the Great Revolt coinage. Year 1 coinage reads YRWŠLM (יושלים), while Year 2 coins add the second yod and read YRWŠLYM (ירושלים). So we can see that there is evidence that the second yod was still working its way into the spelling in the first century C.E. With the discovery of the Jerusalem column, we see that this change took some time, as we now have evidence that the extra yod appeared outside of manuscripts even earlier, in the first century B.C.E.—B.C.

Well Jotted

Kudos to Editor Cargill for his “A Little Jot on a Jerusalem Column.” This is precisely the sort of detailed, factual archaeological information that I look for in your magazine. Keep up the good work.

DIRTY DETAILS

How’s Your Breakfast?

I have learned a great deal from reading BAR. I enjoyed the article “Digs 2019: A Day in the Life” (BAR, January/February 2019) and had many curiosities about what that would be like.

I do have one concern. I sincerely hope I’m misunderstanding your reference to the Lord of the Rings-inspired “first breakfast,” unless I missed the fact of it being somehow presented as the deception it is. It seems to me that the Lord of the Rings books and movies are occult in nature. I’m hoping you can tell me that you have not replaced a morning devotion to Jesus with a devotion to anything else.

Yes, Alan, I was referring to the first and second breakfasts mentioned in the Lord of the Rings. And while I consider Tolkien’s work to be epic fantasy and not in any way occult, my physical size in the article’s photos reveals what those who have dug with me already know: After a hard morning of digging the earth, I consider each on-site second breakfast to be a religious experience.—B.C.

All That I Missed

Thank you for the great article by Robert Cargill, which I think of as “A Day in the Life” of the dream I had as an 18-year-old, of becoming an archaeologist.

It just wasn’t to be. My love and interest in archaeology has never waned, even at age 80. Until reading this article, I never had a clue what a day “in the life” would have been like. Now I know what I missed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fantasy Archaeology

I’ve always suspected that I am actually an archaeologist in the guise of a retired medical and blood bank technologist, and the article “Digs 2019” confirmed it. Reading this article, I felt like I was actually on the dig and a part of it. I’m tempted to think, “If I were 25 years younger…,” but I will have to live vicariously through excellent articles such as this one.

Broken Pieces of Memory

I was interested in reading Bob Cargill’s account of a day on a dig. I was interested to learn that there is such a thing as a “discard pile” where most excavated pottery goes! It raised a number of questions, including: What happens to the pottery? And if it’s truly discarded, why not document each piece, in terms of location and time period, sell them 010cheap, flood the antiquities market with little mementos that a lot of folks might be happy with, and undercut the sale of unprovenanced artifacts?

Keep up the great work.

Jim, the broken pieces of pottery are examined, but largely deemed non-indicative, that is, they are not as helpful as other pieces in dating the locus in which they were found. They have no commercial value.—B.C.

WHAT’S IN A TITLE?

Can You Spell It for Me?

The recent article “Commander of the Fortress? Understanding an Ancient Military Title” (BAR, January/February 2019) concerning seals and Hebrew linguistics was interesting and informative. The box “How Do You Spell in Ancient Hebrew?” raises a question that extols the nuances of the Bible. Could the author comment on the concurrent use of the two words for “prophet/seer” in addition to a third term (ozeḥ) to distinguish King David’s advisors in 1 Chronicles 29:29?

William Schniedewind responds: The Book of Chronicles was written much later than the books of Samuel and Kings, and it is collecting and interpreting from its sources. In 1 Chronicles 29:29, the author collects all the various prophetic titles and ascribes a different title to each early Biblical figure. The editing process of these titles can be illustrated in 2 Samuel 24:11, where Gad is called both a “nabî’ ” and the “ozeḥ of David.” 1 Samuel 9:9 indicates that the titles ro’eh and ozeḥ (“seer”) are older than the term nabî’. In sum, Chronicles relies on sources for collecting prophetic titles, and it sometimes levels the diachronic aspects of these titles in its recounting of the history of Israel.

BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Ancient Skin Care

The article “The Last Days of Canaanite Azekah” (BAR, January/February 2019) states that found near the skeleton of a young woman was an artisan kit with grinding tools, minerals, and pigments. The ceramic vessels contained various kinds of oils and fats. It is obvious to the casual eye that the product(s) manufactured were skin creams and makeup. Another look may turn up perfume used to make the creams and makeup smell more pleasing than oils tend to be.

Oded Lipschits responds: The use of the artisan kit to produce makeup creams or perfume is indeed very likely. However, we do not want to set our minds on one option only and rule out other possibilities, such as the production of jewelry or ceramics. We hope that future excavations will clarify this riddle.

LOT AND ABRAHAM

Given to Abram. Period!

I think there is no problem with Abram giving land to Lot as suggested in “Safeguarding Abraham” (BAR, January/February 2019). Yes, Genesis 12:7–9 is the first place God promises the land to Abram. However, in Genesis 13:14–15, after Abram lets Lot select land for his herds, God again promises the land to Abram and his “offspring forever.” Then in Genesis 15:17–21 God makes a covenant with Abram, reiterating and expanding the previous promise of the land. Then in Genesis 26:3–4 God promises the land to Isaac, and in Genesis 35:10–12 he makes the same promise to Israel and “to [his] offspring after [him].” How could God have been clearer that the land was given to the descendants of Israel, and that use by Lot did not affect the ownership of the land?

Lot Selfish and Lustful?

I have a question regarding Lot and his wickedness, greed, and cunning in choosing the Jordan Valley (“Safeguarding Abraham”). The two Early Church Fathers Dr. Rickett quotes (Chrysostom and Ambrose) both concur that Lot was selfish and lustful. But in 2 Peter 2:7–8, Lot is called “a righteous man” and reference is made to his “righteous soul.” Did Lot somehow become righteous later? What am I missing?

Dan Rickett responds: The patriarchal history includes declarations of promise and accounts of separation between brothers (incidentally, Lot is called Abram’s “brother” in Genesis 13–14). Add to this the later statements concerning Ammonites and Moabites, and Abram’s offer appears problematic.

The comments by Chrysostom and Ambrose are interpretive. Lot seems ambiguous in Genesis 13, and in the 2 Peter passage it isn’t necessary to equate righteousness with blamelessness. It is not imperative when Lot was righteous but solely that he was and that hearers/readers can see in Lot’s rescue their own hope of deliverance in Jesus.

GREETINGS AND GRIEVANCES

A Future Archaeologist

I walked into our living room and saw our 6-year-old grandson reading your magazine. He looked up and said, “Grandpa, look at these pig bones!” Later 064that morning, he had the newest issue and said, “Grandpa, what’s a fibula?” I think we have a future archaeologist!

Armchair Archaeology

Congratulations to Robert R. Cargill as editor of BAR. This praise comes from a subscriber since Volume 1, No. 3. You give me information and photos that I, an armchair archaeologist, cannot get anywhere else.

Christian Era

I fail to understand why people get so upset when they read B.C.E. (Before CHRISTIAN era) and C.E. (CHRISTIAN era). When I read them that way I don’t get upset about others’ ignorance. May you do as well as Hershel!

Cargill’s Era

I’ve noticed a trend among museums and academics to switch to a nondenominational dating system (B.C.E. and C.E.), instead of the Christian terms B.C. and A.D. In keeping with this trend, perhaps Bob Cargill could add the honorific “Editor” after his name. He could then initial his columns and comments “B.C.E.,” instead of the fraught “B.C.”

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ON THE SAME PAGE

We’re All Political

I appreciate your editorial (First Person: “Political v. Partisan,” BAR, November/December 2018). If those of us who claim a commitment to truth and justice rooted in an identity with God can’t relate to one another without force and rancor, who can?

We’re all political, if we have even a cursory involvement in the welfare of our nations and communities. It’s when we “get political” and endeavor to force our political positions on others that we create problems. Perhaps we would be better to take Jesus’s example to heart. As you know, when the people of a village chose not to be hospitable to him, he simply elected to go to another village (Luke 9:53-56).

I have always thoroughly enjoyed the “cancel my subscription” letters. Disagree as I might with some of the things said and claimed in the pages of BAR, I have continued to renew my subscription. I have a complete collection of BAR: every issue from #1 to now.

Walking the Line

As a former newsletter editor I can understand your unenviable position expressed in your editorial. There is a fine line between opinions and facts. You walk that line quite well.

First discovering an abandoned issue of BAR on a bookshelf about two years ago, I knew immediately I had to subscribe. As a fledgling ordained Christian minister, I have learned more from your magazine than I did from any other non-Biblical source.

As an incarcerated federal inmate, I appreciate BAR’s help with explaining to non-believers what really happened in Biblical times.

I want you to know that your efforts are cherished and greatly appreciated!

Ye Truth-Diggers

The reader who “unsubscribed” via comments in the November/December 2018 issue caused me to give even more credence to your reporting. You are true to digging up the facts (literally) to take us where evidence goes. Helping us know Biblical facts is a step beyond believing. Borrowing the reader’s phrase, “If what you say is true,” I differ with him to conclude that “there is a big need for you to exist.” Truth is the most important thing in human life, and you take us there.

Joe, thank you. At BAR, we report the facts and the evidence. We leave it up to you, our readers, to decide what to do with that evidence and what to believe.—B.C.

Still Laughing

I had to laugh. Quoting Mark Bushell’s letter in the November/December 2018 BAR … am I the only one who thought that was funny? Well, maybe I find humor in odd places, but to me, it was funny: adding “God bless” at the end of an irate tirade. Still laughing.

PS: Your First Person column is right on and excellently expressed. People ARE political beings, and no matter what group you are discussing, out of necessity, there WILL BE political terms involved. Inevitably!

Best Ever

This is the best mag for me, ever. Also like your replies to letters to the editor.

Gary, we read all of the letters sent to us and can only print a few of them. I think it is important to respond to some in an effort to offer additional explanation or thanks. To you I say thank you.—B.C.

THE WORDS OF JESUS

Aramaic with Italian Accent

The article on Aramaic by Yona Sabar was a wonderful read (“Saving the Aramaic of Jesus and the Jews,” BAR, November/December 2018), and I was intrigued by the part where Sabar says he has contributed to various TV/movie projects where there has been a need to have something said in Aramaic. Of course, the big project that immediately comes to my mind is The Passion of the Christ, which, supposedly, is all in Aramaic.

So, I ask the good professor, was that really Aramaic spoken010 in the movie, and how was it he was not consulted for the project?

Yona Sabar Responds: Naturally, there are other qualified scholars of Aramaic, thank God. The more the better! And yes, the individual words in the movie are Aramaic, but it is difficult to understand them due to the actors’ various accents and often bad audibility. Yet, I am very happy that Aramaic was chosen for the entire movie.

WATER OF PURIFICATION

Drawing from the Gospels

Eyal Regev (“The Hasmonean Kings: Jewish or Hellenistic?” BAR, November/December 2018) writes, “Netzer also excavated 12 ritual baths (mikva’ot) as well as four ‘treasuries’ (stepless small pools, connected by a channel or a pipe used to ‘purify’ the water of the adjacent bath since drawing water would invalidate it for ritual immersion) within the same palatial complex.”

John 2:6 says, “Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.”

The bath waters are not “drawn.” The jar water is drawn. What is the difference in ritual use?

Eyal Regev Responds: The Law (explicitly attested only in later rabbinic literature) demands that the water used in ritual baths be either rainwater or groundwater, and that it not be drawn. The stone jars were used to prevent water from becoming defiled.

WORLDLY CONCERNS

Is Money to Blame?

I have a question concerning the scroll v. codex column (Archaeological Views: “Early Christian Dilemma: Codex or Scroll?” BAR, November/December 2018). The author explores the question of why the early Christians preferred the codex to the scroll. But he didn’t seem to realize the most obvious reason: the cost of paper! With a book you can write on both sides of a leaf; with a scroll you can only write on one side. So, did economics play a part?

Larry W. Hurtado Responds: The space taken up by margins in codices means that the amount of writing material saved in using a codex over a roll is only about 25 percent. Even more significant, the generous margins of Christian codices, the typically generous line-spacing, and size of writing all show a lack of concern to economize writing space or material. Also, a codex required extra work, planning, and skills involved in decisions about the size of sheets, how many to cut, how to join them together, etc.

So, no, the choice of a codex over the bookroll wasn’t an obvious one and can’t be accounted for as an economic move.

Sweets Not Sweet Enough

Megan Sauter claims a “sweet tooth” in offering up a recipe for mersu (“Ancient Syrian Date Pastries,” BAR, September/October 2018), but it is not quite sweet enough, methinks. There’s no way this little date, pistachio, and flour delicacy would have been served in a king’s court or a peasant’s hut without lashings of honey: in a dipping bowl or mixed with the date filling or blended into the pastry casing or all of the above, with a honey-comb side salad.

Kudos to BAR (and especially Megan) for giving a high profile to articles that make archaeology so much more human when looking at what ancient sources reveal, but never ever forget the honey.

Dear Robert, I am glad that you enjoyed our take on ancient mersu. Although dates and date honey were common sweeteners in the ancient world, I agree this recipe would benefit from a bit more sugar—and spice!—M.S.

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LOOTED ARTIFACTS

Addressing the Elephants

Just read your First Person (“The Importance of Archaeological Provenance,” BAR, September/October 2018). A couple of things that were left out jumped out at me. For me they represent two elephants in the room.

The first issue is what to do with all the already looted objects. There are literally thousands of010 cuneiform tablets out there. What is to be done with them? Are they to be left unstudied, because they have no provenance, and because their publication might add fuel to the looting problem? Do we just abandon the data that they might provide?

Second, you mention the issue of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but pass it off rather casually by noting that they were looted before existing antiquities laws were put in place. But you need to address the issue of how any future discoveries of looted Biblical manuscripts should be handled. If an antiquities dealer put forward a scroll of a complete Jeremiah (to give an extreme example to make the point), what should be done with it?

Dr. Zorn, you raise excellent questions!

Regarding looted objects that are already known, one solution is to place them in a special category—an island of misfit toys for looted archaeological objects, if you will—that will permanently taint them. While some scholars may study and reference them, many will not; they will never receive major institutional funding, they will never be published in major academic journals, and any scholar mentioning them will note that they are unprovenanced finds. This permanent ambiguity diminishes their resale value and assists in discouraging against looting.

As for existing fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls in private collections, both known and unknown, I argue that these should be transferred to those archaeological authorities governing the region in which they were discovered. The terms of these agreements must, of course, be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. We recently saw this problem first-hand when the Museum of the Bible announced, on Oct. 22, that at least five of the unprovenanced scrolls in its collection were actually fakes. This is all the more evidence that the days of anonymous, black-market sale of the Dead Sea Scrolls must end.—B.C.

That’s Ridiculous!

I read with utter disbelief your First Person column that you will not write about archaeological finds unless a chain of custody can be established. What happens if a boy finds the Arc [sic] of the Covenant down his basement? It will be front page headlines around the world, but you will not write about it because a chain of custody cannot be established. By your own admission you would not have written about the Dead Sea Scrolls until after other scrolls in the caves at Qumran were found. And you would never have written about the James Ossuary as the chain of custody may never be established. Perhaps you should reevaluate your position.

Ralph, rest assured that if someone finds the actual Ark of the Covenant “down his basement,” BAR will report on it. This is because in the same editorial I stated, “BAR occupies a unique place between the academy and the public,” and that, “If and when the next sensational unprovenanced archaeological object is introduced to the media, BAR may use its position to explain to our readers what the claims being made are and why the unprovenanced nature of the discovery makes the discovery problematic.” BAR is not a tabloid. BAR can be trusted. We publish actual archaeology, and when something controversial arises, we’ll tell you why controversy surrounds the object. More likely than not, the issue will have to do with provenance. It usually does.—B.C.

Cuneiform Tablets Exempt?

Reading your First Person, I cannot believe that cuneiform tablets are exempt from sanctions. Your second footnote states that ASOR and SBL provide an exemption for cuneiform tablets. Huh? Objects without provenance are objects without provenance. How can there be an exemption?

Also, do museums and organizations destroy unprovenanced items? I doubt it. I am sure they are studied, documented, cataloged, and stored.

Should I destroy my copies of BAR that contain articles about unprovenanced archaeological objects?

Dear E., this is a fantastic question, and one for which I don’t have a good answer. I am told that ASOR made an exemption for a number of reasons, including the fact that cuneiform tablets are much more difficult to forge (I’m not sure if I buy that), they don’t directly relate to the Bible (and therefore don’t command as high of a price on the black market), aren’t as readable by most people (unlike Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek inscriptions, which people who study the Biblical languages can read), and because much of what exists in the form of cuneiform tablets are already unprovenanced. This exemption allows for the study and publication of these tablets by ASOR and SBL. But you make an excellent point that many scholars within ASOR and the academy make: If something is unprovenanced, it’s unprovenanced, and forgers will always catch up to the scholars. So why make the exception? An excellent question, indeed!—B.C.

The Right Move

I applaud the editor’s decision to no longer publish unprovenanced finds in BAR. I recognize the validity of the opposing argument—that not publishing these objects deprives the readers of the valuable insights these objects can provide, despite their lack of provenance. However, because of the past policy of allowing these objects to be published, BAR has been boycotted for years by some of the world’s most respected archaeologists who refuse or are forbidden by their employers to write for BAR. I hope the revised publication policy will open the doors to publication by these esteemed scholars. I look forward to hearing from them!

JOB WELL DONE

Thumbs Up for Motherhood

Kudos to Alicia D. Myers for her essay “Motherhood and the Early Christian Community” in the September/October 2018 issue of BAR. An interesting article, well presented. I’m eager to read more!

Unbeatable Masada

Dear Mr. Editor: Way to go for the inspired combining of the definitive photo of frosty Masada on the cover with the two-page spread of the rarely011 seen northwest side inside (“Masada Shall Never Fail [to Surprise] Again,” BAR, September/October 2018).

READER REQUESTS

Keep Christ in the Style

I will buy a life-time subscription to BAS if you change B.C.E. back to B.C., and C.E. (continuing education?) back to A.D.

Dear Richard, per our “Note on Style” in the masthead on page 4, we allow authors to use the chronological designation of their choice. Some choose to use B.C./A.D., most prefer B.C.E./C.E. We publish both, as BAR does not discriminate against either format.—B.C.

My Dirt-Loving Granddaughter

I’ve been a subscriber to your awesome publication for two years or so. I learn so much and am inspired by all of your articles. Thank you very much.

I have a 10-year-old granddaughter. She has decided that she would like to be an archaeologist!!! That’s pretty cool, ehhh!

Might you have any suggestions of books or articles that might inspire and give beginner guidance for one of her age? I would like to get her whatever you might suggest.

Robert, thanks for the kind note, and congratulations to your brilliant granddaughter on the wisdom to become an archaeologist. That is very cool! As for books, there is, of course, The Cities That Built the Bible (I’ve heard it’s great!). I would also recommend Eric Cline’s Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford Univ. Press, 2009) or Jean-Pierre Isbouts’s Archaeology of the Bible: The Greatest Discoveries from Genesis to the Roman Era (National Geographic, 2016).

And your encouragement and support will make all the difference. Tell her never to stop searching and asking questions! Good luck to you both.—B.C.

CORRECTIONS

In the September/October 2018 issue, endnote 2 on page 40 erroneously referenced classicist Richard Foerster. It was actually classical archaeologist Gideon Foerster who pointed out the architectural similarities between the layout of the upper terrace of the hanging Northern Palace at Masada and that of the Roman villa under Villa Farnesina in Rome.

The caption on page 52 suggests that King Hammurabi reigned from c. 2025 to 1763 B.C.E. Those dates actually refer to the total time period covered by the king list. King Hammurabi ruled 1792–1750 B.C.E. (as calculated according to the Mesopotamian Middle Chronology).

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SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE

Shanks Shares Sentiments

Cancel my subscription!

Actually, don’t cancel it. I just wanted to see what it felt like to write those words after 43 years of having them written to me.

I did, however, want to write my first ever letter to the editor of BAR and share a couple of thoughts regarding the wonderful tribute issue of BAR (March/April/May/June 2018) in my honor.

First, several people have noticed the lack of reference to my wife in this issue. For the last 53 years I have been married to my darling Judith, but we do have different interests. We also have two daughters—Elizabeth and Julia—and two grandchildren—Nancy and Charlie—each with his or her own interests and accomplishments.

Second, BAS President and BAR Publisher Susan Laden notes in her BAR history (“Raising the BAR,” BAR, March/April/May/June 2018) that, “In 1994, I left the [Biblical Archaeology] society … Almost 10 years later, Hershel asked me to come back.” This conceals a bitter disagreement that persists to this day: Sue claims that I fired her; on the contrary, I claim that she quit.

In any event, I kept up with her when she left—and I badly needed her. Eventually after nearly 10 years, I convinced her to come back. We have not had a serious disagreement before or since. And I don’t know what got into her to quit—and then deny it! Still, it is she who is largely responsible for BAR’s success.

Third, and perhaps most poignantly, toward the end of last year, when I decided to retire, I was 87 years old, and fortunately we had someone who could fully take my place—Bob Cargill. So we announced my retirement as of the end of the year. Everything went smoothly. Then something else happened quite independently. I was diagnosed with a mild case of dementia.

What a horrible name for a disease. With my wife’s help, I did find a much better name for the disease: cognitive impairment. But it was not much better, and it was impossible to remember—or cure! It is one of a number of mental diseases that especially attack older people—Parkinson’s disease, etc. Fortunately, my case is mild, and I can function relatively normally. Still, I think it important to share this detail of my life in an effort to exercise some control over this disease with which I shall now wrestle in my retirement.

Finally, it is natural that in a project (Special Double Issue of BAR) as large and complicated as this, I would expect to find minor aspects that I would have wished had been handled somewhat differently. But there aren’t!

Releasing Ancient Writings

A big thank you to Hershel Shanks for putting on the pressure to make the scrolls accessible to all of us (Martin Abegg, Jr., “Hershel’s Crusade No. 1: He Who Freed the Dead Sea Scrolls,” BAR, March/April/May/June 2018). In the years ahead, may BAR continue to release ancient writings to us.

Analyzing the Evidence

I enjoyed the special issue honoring Hershel Shanks and very much appreciate his hard work through the years, as well as those who worked with him. BAR provides me, as it does others, with reference materials and helps keep me up to date on the opinions of the archaeologists, who are uncovering evidence, and Biblical scholars. I am grateful to Hershel for providing us with useful information that can help us understand what the evidence is telling us.

Sharing Archaeological Truth

Thank you for the wonderful festschrift issue honoring Hershel Shanks! Especially for the original statement of principles for BAR by Hershel Shanks (“In Their Own Words”), the careful history of BAR by Sue Laden (“Raising the BAR: The History of the Biblical Archaeology Society”), and the great analysis of “maximalists” and “minimalists” by William Dever 010(“Hershel’s Crusade No. 2: For King and Country: Chronology and Minimalism”). Some scholars and lay people might prefer it if archaeology proved every statement in the Bible to be true (“maximalists”), while a few others are influenced by postmodern skepticism and tend to believe that very few statements in the Bible are true (“minimalists”). Fortunately, Hershel Shanks and BAR have focused on seeking and sharing archaeological truth and letting the chips fall where they may. Again, thank you for this issue!

FUTURE BARS

Pledging Ongoing Support

I am an emeritus professor of music from the University of Wyoming, having retired way back in 1993. Although 90 years of age, I still co-teach a senior citizens string orchestra.

I have always been deeply interested in Israel and in its history and development over centuries—especially the House of Aaron. I have appreciated BAR magazine for a long time.

I look forward to Robert Cargill managing BAR’s growth in many ways. With 25 great-grandchildren and limited income, I can only financially support in a small amount, but that I will.

ENTHUSIASM FROM BEHIND BARS

BAR Transports Me

I love BAR! I am currently in prison but I have the world in my mind, thanks to BAR.

For decades, the Biblical Archaeology Society has been sending complimentary copies of BAR to various prisons across the country. Those who work with prisoners in correctional facilities understand the importance of this work.—B.C.

DEAD SEA SCROLLS CONNECTION?

Reader Remembers Father

I was fascinated by the story “He Who Freed the Dead Sea Scrolls” by Martin Abegg, Jr., in your special double issue of BAR. In early 1950s, my father, Rev. Alan J. Pickering, a Presbyterian minister, was a doctoral candidate at Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. He was featured as one of five scholars there on a fellowship in an article in the HUC Bulletin of October 1953 under the title “Christian Scholars study at HUC under Unique Interfaith Program,” an issue which he saved.

I remember him mentioning the Dead Sea Scrolls during my childhood almost as 077if he knew them well; certainly they must have been discussed by the HUC students as their discovery was only a few years before. Now I wonder whether HUC had closer connections to the scrolls at the time than most. Certainly Dad would have been highly interested as his doctoral study was in Semitic Languages and Literatures. As my father, a longtime BAR subscriber, is no longer living, I may never know if he had any special scroll connections, but your article was a nice tie-in to a past family memory.

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BAR NEWS

Kudos to Cargill!

Congratulations on your appointment to the stellar editorship of BAR, Robert (Bob) Cargill!

I love the new format, which is now comparable to Harvard Magazine. What’s not to like?

One letter stated you are a Midwesterner, no doubt because of your professorship at the University of Iowa. Your roots, however, are more in line with the climate and terrain of Israel. You grew up in the San Joaquin Valley around Fresno, California, noted for table grapes, prune plums, and almonds—and to the east lay the higher plateaus and Sierra Nevada Mountains. It’s like looking east from the Jezreel Valley across vineyards and almond groves and locating the Golan Heights and the Lebanon Range. Then you moved to the Los Angeles area to complete graduate degrees—a locale more in keeping with Tel Aviv and Haifa.

Perhaps you do have Midwestern roots. Four of your Pepperdine graduate professors had doctorates from the University of Iowa: John Wilson, Royce Clark, Richard Hughes, and me. Many Iowans migrated to southern California. In the 1950s, Iowa expatriates held a Fourth of July picnic on Long Beach to which 100,000 people came.

You are charged with a great task. Carry on.

Thank you, and many thanks for introducing me to the theology of the Hebrew Bible.—B.C.

Apt Editor Initials

How appropriate for Bob to sign off on his inaugural editorial introduction as B.C.

Well done!

I was apparently born for this job.—B.C.

WORDS UNSEEN

Powerful Words

I have been a BAR subscriber for many years, and Jeremy Smoak’s article, “Words Unseen: The Power of Hidden Writing” (BAR, January/February 2018), stands out as one of the best I have ever read. His style and prose gave clear—and poetic—context to his subject. The facts were enlightening, and his writing was really compelling.

Tiny Text Techniques?

The miniature words covered in Jeremy’s Smoak’s article are interesting, but how were they inscribed? The size implies the scribe was severely nearsighted or used a magnifier. Then, there is the tool used to make the small characters. Enough with the words, what about the technology?

Vision Viewpoint

Jeremy Smoak’s article was amazing on many levels. The fact not addressed here is that no magnifying glasses were available at that time to facilitate the manufacturing of the tiny words. The article almost makes it seem like they appeared there by magic as the will of God.

I am an optometrist, and, in reality, an extremely nearsighted person could have done this. They would have had to hunch over the work at a distance of several inches. This focusing can’t be done by people with normal vision for more than a second or two, if at all, and not at all as people with normal vision grow older.

Even though it wasn’t necessarily good for the individual to have been nearsighted, it was good for the community to have a few people that could do these specialized tasks. They might even have been revered (or not).

MUSIC OF THE BIBLICAL PSALMS

Original Performance

In Thomas Staubli’s Archaeological Views column, “Performing Psalms in Biblical Times” (BAR, January/February 2018), he keenly observes that “The Bible does not tell us much about how psalms were originally performed.” Yet, hints of performance technique peek from references within the psalms themselves.

In particular the psalmist(s) refer to a ten-stringed instrument. Instructions for augmented performance with this instrument appear in Psalms 33, Psalms 92, and Psalms 144. We are urged to “Praise the Lord with lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings” (Psalm 33:2). While recognizing Staubli’s astute observation of subscripting, in a Song for the 010Sabbath (Psalm 92:1–3), we are “to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name … to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.” Also to “sing a new song to you, O God, upon a ten-stringed harp” (Psalm 144:9).

The often recommended ten-stringed harp is not a solo concert instrument with a large range. Conceivably it was tuned to strum a diatonic scale with an extra accidental, an instrumental accompaniment and grounding for the singer—as modern folk singers use an autoharp. This combination of voice and small harp suggests a spiritual style (mainly Islamic) such as ghazal singing or Hindustani vocal, raga-based, khayal performance in which a short text, such as a psalm, supplies the basis for a melodic improvisation. In such vocal arts, the singer often self-accompanies on a small harp-like instrument of limited range to set the melodic background colors. Performed thus, psalms offer a pleasant challenge to the singer and audience.

Thomas Staubli Responds: In fact, the call to praise YHWH on the ten-stringed nevel is one of the performance hints we find in the Bible itself. As the Levant has a centuries-old tradition of a musical formation with a small and a large lyre, but not a single representation of a harp, I maintain that the ten-stringed nevel is a bass lyre—not a harp. Both lyre types, kinnor and nevel, are even attested on the coins from the time of the Jewish uprising against Rome.

The reference to grounding in folk music seems accurate, helpful, and seminal. However, I do not think that the next parallels are to be found in Hindustan, but rather in the Horn of Africa, where West-Semitic music traditions have survived among the Semitic-speaking, non-Muslim population, because they escaped the Islamic transformation. Furthermore, the traditional Ethiopian music scene has among its cordophones a six-stringed lyre (kirar, probably related to Hebrew kinnor) and a ten-stringed lyre (begena), which corresponds to the Hebrew nevel.

JERUSALEM DIET OR FISH TALES?

Catfish Isn’t Kosher!

The boxes with expert supplementary subject matter were pleasant additions to Yuval Gadot’s article “Jerusalem and the Holy Land(fill)” (BAR, January/February 2018). Two of those reports, however, seem to conflict with each other in part. “The Jerusalem Diet” on page 43 notes that livestock bones indicate remains from Jewish food, both in ritually pure animals and butchering methods. But “Fish Tales” on page 44 notes a small 062amount (1.4 percent of fish bones sampled) of ritually impure catfish bones (see Leviticus 11:9–10 and Deuteronomy 14:9–10).

So there were at least some remains of non-Jewish food.

Yuval Gadot Responds: It is true that the data do seem contradictory because different lines of research may sometimes conflict with one another. As evidence regarding food habits accumulates, there is renewed interest in the role and significance of food customs in ancient Israel.

A recent research project involving scholars at Tel Aviv, Lausanne, and Zurich universities reexamines the laws in Leviticus and Deuteronomy about clean animals and their relationship to the material culture of ancient Israel. Indeed, fish bones discovered in Iron Age II strata (late ninth to seventh centuries B.C.E.) in Jerusalem, Ramat Rahel, and other sites in Judah do include species defined as unclean according to the Pentateuchal legislation.

These finds illustrate how archaeology provides an important context for situating the origins, formation, growth, and implementation of the purity laws of the Pentateuch in general, and the food laws of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 especially. The main conclusions are that the material evidence suggests a much more complex and nuanced picture, and it might be that some laws, like the prohibition against fish, appear to be much more theoretical and may even reflect later developments.

From Trash to BAR Treasure

Always interesting articles—and sometimes astounding. “Jerusalem and the Holy Land(fill)” in the January/February 2018 issue was one such time.

Thank you so, so much for “gettin’ real” about the nexus of ancient and modern life.

A NEW CHAPTER

Loaded Language?

In Robert Cargill’s First Person, “A New Chapter” (BAR, January/February, 2018), reference is made to “the Biblical world, including Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq,” as if “West Bank” refers to a country like the others listed. It does not. The correct designation of this area is Judea and Samaria, although your description is also wrongly used in other media.

BAR has commendably avoided involvement in this heated and divisive issue, but as a very early devoted subscriber, I hope the correct description will be used. I wish BAR to go from strength to strength in following Hershel Shanks’s great pioneering dedication to furthering knowledge of Biblical archaeology and related fields across the globe.

BAR will maintain its independence and neutrality on issues pertaining to modern political disagreements between the State of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority. It is for this reason that when I recited this litany of geographic entities in my First Person, I did not use the word “state” or “nation,” but said, “which highlights the active excavations throughout the Biblical world, including Israel, the West Bank, Jordan,” and so on.

This was done deliberately, to avoid engaging in the very modern political debate you describe. I understand the fervor this debate foments, especially for those living within contested areas. Likewise, I understand that the State of Israel, 064especially the Israeli Civil Administration, refers to the West Bank as the Territories of Judea and Samaria. However, because the West Bank is the commonly understood international name for this geographic region, it is common practice for Biblical and ancient Near Eastern scholars to use it to identify this area.

BAR has followed and will continue to follow accepted scholarly convention and employ the terms Israel, Judea, Samaria, Palestine, Canaan, the Levant, the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan, and so on. These terms are in no way a political commentary, as my First Person is in no way a political statement; quite the opposite—they are neutral and long-accepted scholarly conventions.—B.C.

Historical Patterns

In response to Robert R. Cargill’s Digs 2018 (“Migration and Immigration in Ancient Israel,” BAR, January/February 2018), a well-documented academic counterargument is the genetics-based conclusion that the original Israelites didn’t migrate into Canaan from points further east or south. Rather they were rural natives of the same land who stayed in place and adopted a new set of theological theories. This isn’t to claim that there was no foreigner migration to the Levant. Clearly the Sea Peoples, who supposedly came from lands further west around the Mediterranean and became Philistines, were such immigrants (or at least haven’t yet been mapped genetically). This is to observe that any discussion of Israelite origins now needs to include the native-culture-change-in-place evidence.

Martin, I am aware of and agree with this theory regarding Israelite origins. In my article, I was distinguishing between pre-Israelite peoples (see “Phoenicians, Canaanites, Amorites, Israelites,” all of whom migrated and dwelled in Canaan prior to the establishment of the “Israelites” [p. 27]) and the literary record (“According to the Bible, ‘Ancient Israel’ was first a concept of a new world” [p. 24]).—B.C.

CORRECTION

The reference to the size of a dime in “Words Unseen: The Power of Hidden Writing” (BAR, January/February 2018) is a clerical error. It should read “the standard diameter of a dime is 0.7 inches.”

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

Shocked and Comforted

SHOCKED was my initial reaction to Hershel Shanks’s last “First Person” column (“My Final ‘First Person,’” BAR, November/December 2017). His column has always been the first thing I read. But after my emotions abated, I just wanted to say to you a very well-deserved “job well done”!

Hershel, I shall miss your imprint and brilliant contributions. You have moved Biblical archaeology onward for all of us. I am, however, comforted by your comments about not disappearing completely, and, at the same time, I eagerly anticipate getting to know Bob Cargill better.

Thanks for Making a Difference

Congratulations, Hershel Shanks, for the many years that you piloted BAR with fine presentations in each issue. I have really enjoyed the articles written on subjects as varied as my interests.

You have done your share of making our lives interesting. Thanks for your expertise. I have enjoyed reading BAR and especially looked at the pictures of people who gave their time and labor to start digs and make discoveries at them.

May you find happiness as you find more time for getting things done at an easier pace.

Also, thank you for sharing your daughters with us. They are precious to all of us.

Gratitude and Ongoing Support

I have enjoyed BAR for many years and am sure I will continue to do so. As an outsider (no specific theological axe to grind), I have enjoyed the back and forth by the many contributors!

Someday I hope to visit Israel, but for now I will continue to read, make contributions, and hope to provide more for the volunteers who go on the digs [via the BAS Dig Scholarship Program].

Thank you sincerely for your many years of hard work and dedication.

Say It Isn’t So!

Ah, Hershel Shanks, say it isn’t so. But thanks for choosing a Midwesterner to succeed you. I will look forward to BAR articles penned by you.

Go Hawks!—B.C.

“Digging” Hershel Shanks

You have been the best excavation that Biblical archaeology has “dug” up. You will be sorely missed, and although we readers will welcome Bob Cargill as Editor, you will always be the “First Person” of this magazine.

A Profound Coup

Congratulations on your being promoted to Editor Emeritus. As your last official act as Editor you performed the profound coup of revealing the big archaeological story of the century with the Te’omim Cave piece.

Feeling Nostalgic

Hershel, we are sorry to see you go as Editor. It’s been your magazine since the start, and you have led it well and interested us all for many years. We will miss you at the helm.

Biblical Archaeology Review is the world leader in making academic discoveries and insights of the archaeology of the Biblical lands and textual study of the Bible available to a lay audience. Every word, every photo, every insight—it can all be yours right now with an All-Access membership. Subscribe today!

A Broad Perspective

I want to both congratulate you on assuming emeritus status and thank you for the hard work you have put in these many years to make BAR a success. I appreciate your viewpoints, as they have 010covered a broad range of topics other than pure archaeology, such as conservation, looting, and the antiquities trade. I am going to miss that, and I hope Bob Cargill will continue to explore that wide range of issues.

I, too, have always appreciated Hershel’s dedication to covering a broad range of topics and underscoring the relevance of each discovery and issue to the reader. I shall continue this editorial practice of finding and discussing the “so what” of every discovery. And, yes, I’ll have plenty to say about looting, issues of provenance, and the antiquities trade.—B.C.

A Lifetime of Work

I want to say a huge thanks for your lifetime of work in this important field. I am grateful your daughter picked up that pottery sherd so many years ago. A single event changing the course of a life sounds a bit Biblical.

An Indelible Mark

Thank you for everything you have given us. Many of us long to leave some mark to show where we have passed. Your mark is indelible.

Shanks Is the Man

I am going to sorely miss your commentary in each issue. Even though we’ve never met, I feel that you are an old and dear friend. Bob is surely a great fellow, and I know he will do well. But you will always be the man.

On this we agree: Hershel is “the man”!—B.C.

A Man of Valor

Hershel Shanks, a man of valor, a man who has thrown bright light into dark corners, regardless of what might be seen there. Thank you, Hershel.

Bravo

Thanks to Hershel Shanks for a great magazine.

WELL WISHES FOR SHANKS

From a Longtime Subscriber

I have thoroughly enjoyed BAR for the past 31 years. I wish you all the best and hope you will continue to contribute your thoughts.

Enjoy!

I want to wish you the best. I was introduced to BAR through my daughter. I am now into year five, and I read every one cover-to-cover. Enjoy partial retirement. I know that I enjoy mine at age 85.

All the Best

I always read Hershel Shanks’s First Person column with interest, and I am saddened at reading his final column. I shall miss his insightful remarks and wish him the best in his new venture as Editor Emeritus!

SHANKS SETS THE BAR HIGH

Historian Honors Shanks

While rummaging through my father’s study in the mid-1990s, I discovered a stash of magazines—Biblical Archaeology Review and Bible Review—to which he subscribed. Suspecting that there was more to understanding the Bible and its context than I learned in Sunday school, I began reading through his collection and was amazed at the BAR articles, authored by many of the most prominent archaeologists and Biblical scholars in the world. Covering a variety of new and fascinating issues, the articles were informative, challenging, and understandable to an interested layperson—but never oversimplified.

The man responsible for bringing this incredible group of experts together and making their scholarship accessible was Hershel Shanks, founder of the Biblical Archaeology Society and BAR.

Hershel has also promoted a better understanding of the Biblical world through other forums, such as the society’s annual Seminar at Sea, land seminars, and highly touted travel program. Each allows participants to meet and interact with one or two scholars for days or even weeks, listening to their presentations, getting to know them, asking questions, and sharing ideas. While these events emphasize depth, the annual BAS Bible and Archaeology Fest goes for breadth. Attendees may choose from lectures offered by more than 20 scholars during two and a half days. (The 2017 Bible Fest set a record for high attendance; one expects that will be exceeded in the coming years.)

I only met Hershel once, so I cannot offer any personal insights or anecdotal comments about him. I can, however, attest to the tremendous impact the society he founded has had on my life (with seven Seminars at Sea, several land seminars, six Bible Fests, and my own BAR subscription as the tangible proof). My original passing curiosity about the Biblical world has been transformed into a long-term, fascinating, and intellectually stimulating journey. And for that I have Hershel Shanks to thank. As a final thought, it would be nice if his approach to Biblical studies were adopted by other professions for which there is a large public interest and done so in comprehensible terms to informed laypeople.

Educator Appreciates Learning Forums

When I heard the news that Hershel Shanks was stepping down as Editor, I reflected on how BAS has become an integral part of my experience over the years.

I have been teaching religious studies for 23 years now. I honestly forget which BAS seminar I first attended, but I can tell you that I found it so 012informative and life-giving that I have been back many times since. As is common knowledge, the BAS Bible and Archaeology Fest is held at the same time as the annual meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Both BAS and SBL are important, and it comes down to an individual choice as to which one suits better. The BAS Bible and Archaeology Fest is admittedly smaller, more intimate, and less harried. Most importantly, it seems to bear the marks of its founder. Although, regrettably, I do not know Hershel Shanks personally, he generates a certain sense of comfortableness around heavy topics and has a great respect for the faith lives of others while not shying away from how that faith may be informed by new archaeological discoveries. He exudes a contagious curiosity.

There (in my impressions of Hershel) you have my experience of the Bible and Archaeology Fest: calm, comfortable, rational, and respectful. It gently provides attendees real depth of subject, along with the space needed to think about and digest it.

Attending the Bible and Archaeology Fest is like slipping into the comfortable shoes of academics and feeling the joy of the journey in them. I will be forever grateful for the great good that will continue to be Hershel’s legacy.

Pastor Values Bridge to Broader Public

Many years ago, up-to-date information on Biblical archaeology was in the possession of a small group of specialists—archaeologists and scholars—who didn’t think in terms of communicating that knowledge to a broader public. Hershel Shanks recognized the need for communication and, via BAR, became the bridge to a broader public.

Communication between specialists and the general public was difficult. Some specialists are very skeptical about the truthfulness of parts of the Bible. They didn’t communicate easily to a broader public, some of whom held fairly traditionalist views. Hershel filled this communication niche without ever talking down to those with different viewpoints.

Hershel paid careful attention to maintaining a tone of respect for diverse audiences wanting accurate information about Biblical archaeology. Parts of his readership (Jews, Christians, and nontheists, or liberals and conservatives) have had strong opinions about many Biblical matters. I think that Hershel monitored the tone of articles carefully to keep everyone’s attention on the unifying factor, which was accurate information about Biblical archaeology.

In my own case, I went from being a card-carrying atheist in my teenage years to being a fairly traditionalist 088pastor. I’m an Intentional Interim Pastor who has taught a survey course on the entire Bible 19 times in nine different congregations, and I care deeply about archaeological accuracy. I felt like Hershel spoke directly to me through BAR, without insulting me, and I appreciate it very much!

Recently, in retirement, I attended my first Bible and Archaeology Fest (organized by the Biblical Archaeology Society). What a delight! The opportunity to hear up-to-date information on Biblical archaeology and engage in dialogue with top experts was a great experience! I will be back again.

At Bible Fest, the new BAR Editor, Robert Cargill, gave an excellent talk on “Actual Fake News: Archaeology in the Public Media.” That talk gave me confidence that BAR will continue in the inclusive tradition that Hershel Shanks has exemplified. Thank you so much, Hershel!

FOSTERING DIALOGUE AND ADVANCES

Sharing Research Discoveries

We would like to express our deep gratitude for your support of our travel to the ASOR annual meetings in recent years. The society’s travel grants enabled us to present our latest discoveries and research at important archaeological meetings.

Dina Shalem lectured on the very latest research of the Chalcolithic period in the Galilee based on the unique artifacts from the burial cave at Peqi‘in, and Mordechai Aviam presented his recent discoveries on the Galilee in the Roman period. We believe that sharing these discoveries at the meetings was important for advancing research in our fields. This only happened thanks to your generous support.

Your support also strengthened the standing of our Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology, which is “young” in comparison with research institutions of well-established universities.

Thank you and all the best.

Spotlighting Unpublished Finds

My deep gratitude to Hershel Shanks and BAR for making my participation in the 2017 annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research possible. I was able to present my new research on Jerusalem’s Northern Aqueduct in a well-attended session on the Temple Mount. I discovered this “forgotten” aqueduct in the archives of the unpublished reports from the 19th century and have brought it into the spotlight of the 090scholarly community.

The conference provided me the opportunity for meeting many colleagues, establishing new collaborations, and exploring new research perspectives. I believe that this visit to ASOR will have an impact on my future career. All this could not happen without Mr. Shanks’s help, and I am most grateful for this.

THE LASTING IMPACT OF DIG SCHOLARSHIPS

Making Dreams Come True

I am grateful for the opportunity to dig at Abel Beth Maacah in Israel this past summer. Although I had enjoyed studying archaeology, I had never had first-hand field experience. Abel Beth Maacah proved to be an excellent first digging and learning experience. The directors Bob Mullins, Nava Panitz-Cohen, and Naama Yahalom-Mack were excellent at explaining dig strategy and what was being unearthed, and they answered my many questions.

Archaeological work is exhausting, but it is also extremely rewarding. Waking up early, digging into hard dirt with a pickaxe, and hauling buckets of dirt while working under the hot sun can quickly wear one out. However, the moment an ancient artifact begins to be uncovered, the weariness is forgotten in the excitement of discovery.

I have a new and greater understanding of archaeology and will never look at an archaeological artifact or report the same way again. I consider myself both honored and blessed to have been the recipient of a BAS scholarship. Receiving this scholarship made the dream of participating in a dig a reality.

Hooked on Digging

Thank you for awarding me with one of the annual summer dig scholarships, because without it, this experience would never have been possible. My involvement on the Mount Zion Archaeological Dig in Israel not only challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and learn something new, but it also made history come alive in a way that I could never have seen elsewhere.

I was amazed by the richness of our site. I particularly loved the fact that on the Mount Zion dig, we treated every single artifact—from the tiniest potsherd to the most intricate piece of glasswork—as precious and something that could teach us about the ancient past of this remarkable city.

I could not have asked for a better experience at my first archaeological dig … and I certainly hope this will not be my last!

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New Testament Political Figures

More Evidence

Thanks for the article by Lawrence Mykytiuk on political figures in the New Testament confirmed by archaeology and extra-Biblical writings (“New Testament Political Figures Confirmed,” BAR, September/October 2017). How about another one? Paul mentions an Erastus, the city treasurer in Corinth (Romans 16:23). An inscription in the theater at Corinth may very well refer to him.

Ancient Intertwining of Religion and Politics

In your list of real New Testament political figures, you failed to mention Lysanias (Luke 3:1), who is noted by Josephus in Antiquities 20.138 and War 2.27.

Also, while I’m sure you’ll be including various high priests in the follow-up piece on “nonpolitical figures,” according to Josephus, the Jewish high priests “were the political governors of the people,” and after the death of King Herod and his son (Archelaus), “the government became an aristocracy, and the high priests were entrusted with a dominion over the nation” (Antiquities 20.249–251; cf. Apion 2.185). This fact can be observed by the way Luke introduces various political figures at the beginning of chapter 3 and also includes in his list the names of Annas and Caiaphas (Luke 3:1–2).

Lawrence Mykytiuk responds: Thank you for the suggestions. In the article, identifications must be reliable, not merely possible, to be considered real and to appear in the table on pp. 56–57. More information on people not clearly documented outside the New Testament is available in my blog post, “New Testament Political Figures: The Evidence” (Bible History Daily, September 7, 2017; www.biblicalarchaeology.org/ntpeople), in which, regarding Erastus, I cite pieces by Henry J. Cadbury, Andrew D. Clarke, and Steven J. Friesen.

Professor Varner, Friesen’s chapter, “The Wrong Erastus,” shows that the identification of the Erastus of Romans 16:23 in the inscription on three remaining stone blocks in the plaza southeast of the theater at Corinth is founded on baseless speculation about the Biblical Erastus climbing to the higher social level and elite title of the inscriptional Erastus, inaccurate archaeology, and circular reasoning about the date of the inscription (which is more likely mid-second century C.E. than first century C.E.).

Mr. Rosenthal, I intentionally omitted Lysanias (Luke 3:1) from the table published in BAR because there is not enough data in sources outside the New Testament to identify Lysanias clearly. Josephus’s writings are vague in their time references and could refer to another Lysanias. In the inscription, there is enough evidence to make a reasonable (though not quite certain) identification of him and therefore to classify him as “almost real.” Also, Luke 3:1–2 specifies a particular time simply by listing public officials, political or not.

My forthcoming article on the remaining confirmed New Testament figures will address the political and religious aspects of ancient officialdom.

Clarification

“Hebron” Abbreviation in External Texts

In “Hebron Still Jewish in Second Temple Times,” (BAR, September/October 2017), author David Ben-Shlomo writes, “The name Hebron … is not mentioned in external texts and is known only from the Bible.” However, the four Hebrew letters that spell this word (ḤBRN) appear on seal impressions made during the First Temple period.

The authors of Numbers 3:27, Numbers 26:58, and 2 Samuel 2:1 used the same abbreviated spelling format.

Josephus on Hebron

I am somewhat puzzled by a statement in your article on Hebron that it is not known from external texts and only mentioned in the Bible, yet three paragraphs later you state it is found in Josephus (“Thus did Simon 010unexpectedly march into Idumea, without bloodshed; and made a sudden attack upon the city Hebron, and took it” (War 4.529).

Am I missing something here?

David Ben-Shlomo replies: There was possibly a misunderstanding regarding my statement about Hebron not being mentioned in external texts. I meant that Hebron is mentioned several times in the Old Testament but is not mentioned in any external Bronze Age or Iron Age texts. An exception would be the appearance of Hebron as one of the four cities of the LMLK seal impressions (ḤBRN) during the end of the Iron Age. This is interesting especially because Hebron and its fortifications are described in the Old Testament as very ancient: “built seven years before Zoan in Egypt” (Numbers 13:22).

Regarding the Second Temple period and Josephus, Hebron is mentioned several times, yet the construction of the monumental mausoleum on top of the Tombs of the Patriarchs by Herod the Great is not explicitly mentioned. However, Josephus might have mentioned this construction indirectly in a passage relating to the tomb of the patriarchs: “Their tombs are shown in this little town to this day, of really fine marble and of exquisite workmanship” (War 4.531–532).

THE TEMPLE MENORAH

Missing History and Mystery?

The article by Fredric Brandfon on the history of the Temple Menorah (“Did the Temple Menorah Come Back to Jerusalem?” BAR, September/October 2017) was a remarkably thorough account, save for one omission.

Jordanes tells us that Alaric moved south in Italy with his booty, but turned back, and then died suddenly. He was then buried somewhere in the bed of the Busento River with much of his booty. That supposedly might have included the Menorah, along with other Temple objects looted from Rome.

The account is of debatable historical value, but it surely should have been included as a variant on the Menorah’s obscure history.

Fredric Brandfon responds: Thank you for highlighting the story of Alaric and the Temple Treasure, possibly taken from Rome in 410 C.E. As historians, we are constantly making judgments about what we think is important and what we think is less so.

I make only oblique reference to Alaric in my article when I say that Procopius reported the sack of Rome by the Visigoths and their alleged capture of the “treasures of Solomon the King of the Hebrews.” 066Footnote 4 refers to the passage in Procopius where Alaric is indeed mentioned. But then, I go into far greater detail when describing the sack of Rome by the Vandals in 455 C.E.

Why did I choose the Vandals over the Goths? Why is Alaric in a footnote, and Geiseric, the Vandal leader, in the body of the article? I made that choice because that is the choice Procopius himself made. With regard to the Temple treasures, in Procopius, Alaric is little more than a footnote, while Geiseric and Belisarius are main characters.

CRUCIFIXION DARKNESS

Metaphor or Solar Eclipse?

I usually find BAR interesting, but the Classical Corner: “A Comet Gives Birth to an Empire,” by Sarah K. Yeomans (BAR, September/October 2017) is especially intriguing. I live in the 99.2+ shadow of the recent eclipse that passed across the United States. It brought to mind a line from the Gospel of Matthew 27:45: “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.” Are there any records that might include an eclipse in Jerusalem?

Sarah Yeomans responds: The passage you refer to pertains to Jesus’s crucifixion, which the Gospels indicate took place during the Jewish festival of Passover—celebrated during a full moon in spring. A new moon is needed for a solar eclipse to occur, making it precisely the wrong phase of the moon for a total eclipse. If we accept that the Gospels give us the correct date for Jesus’s crucifixion, a solar eclipse would have been impossible. Furthermore, according to Brother Guy Consolmagno, a noted astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory, the darkness described during the crucifixion was too long to be a solar eclipse. While a partial eclipse can take several hours, the period of total darkness only lasts a few minutes at most.

NASA has a handy database that tracks solar and lunar eclipse events going back thousands of years (eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov). There was a total solar eclipse on March 19 in 33 C.E. that could be seen in Antarctica—not Jerusalem.

On April 3, 33 C.E., there was a partial lunar eclipse that would have been visible from Jerusalem, but if we are to take the passage in Matthew literally in terms of the timing during afternoon hours, we cannot point to either type of eclipse as an explanation.

There may have been cloud coverage, or the ancient authors may have combined separate events as a literary device to underscore the significance of the event.

PUZZLING POINT

Storage Amphora Bottoms

I enjoyed the piece in Strata, “Containers of the Ancient World,” (BAR, September/October 2017), but I am puzzled about the shape of the amphorae. They seem difficult to store with their pointed ends. Why were they constructed in such a strange way?

BAS Staff responds: Amphorae were formed to best serve their purpose. A 068seemingly unstable, pointed or rounded, base actually allowed for safe storage on uneven surfaces: The jars would be leaned against a wall or propped in the ground. On level surfaces, they could be kept upright in ring stands. Shipping amphorae could be propped shoulder-to-shoulder on wooden racks and fastened together with ropes around their necks.

GREAT DEBATES

Discussion Behind Bars

What makes BAR so good is that you allow different people to explain their work and let others debate and talk about it. I am a prison inmate, and I share BAR with friends. We all think differently, but we still love to discuss, debate, and talk about all the great articles in BAR.

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Canaanite Religion

Kudos on Canny Insights

Let me express my deep appreciation for your good work. I have appreciated so much reading BAR down through the years, even the so-called controversial issues. But especially Claude Doumet-Serhal’s article on Sidon (“Sidon—Canaan’s Firstborn,” BAR, July/August 2017), which gave new insights into Canaanite religion. I have studied the Ugaritic materials, but this article and others in BAR have been extremely helpful to me in teaching of the Old Testament Prophets.

The endnotes in BAR articles are very helpful and important. I studied at Dropsie College in Philadelphia under the late Moshe Held, whose writings consisted more of footnotes than text. Keep up the good work.

Why Pilate Washed His Hands

History and Interpretation

R. Steven Notley’s article (“Pontius Pilate: Sadist or Saint?” BAR, July/August 2017) confirmed what I have long suspected, that some redaction had taken place in the story due to the embarrassment of a Roman official being responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. This would have been particularly difficult after Rome had become the seat of Christianity.

Thank you for your wonderful work. I eagerly await each new issue of BAR!

Should Looters Go To Jail?

Hindering Historical Havoc

I read with interest the column by Hershel Shanks on looting (First Person: “Should These Looters Go to Jail?” BAR, July/August 2017). Being an archaeologist and conservator of many years’ standing, I thought I might offer some comments on it.

Looting, ancient or modern, is always driven by economic circumstances. People loot because they are financially desperate and have no other readily available way to make money.

The archaeological community (especially national authorities) needs to consider a program whereby they reward finders of antiquities with monetary payments for turning discoveries over to them. It may be argued that it is unaffordable to pay for such finds to be turned in, but when weighed against the legal and other costs of trying to repatriate looted antiquities, provided they can be traced, it is a bargain.

The most significant archaeological problem with this remedy is the loss of context, the physical circumstances out of which the looted (or illegally excavated find) comes, which is lost when not properly documented during excavation. It is a major problem and a valid point. But if we do not institute a system of reward, rather than punishment and imprisonment, we will keep the illegal activity underground, which will surely result in both loss of context, as well as loss of the antiquities themselves.

I appreciate your raising the issue with your article and hope it gets more attention and debate in future, as it deserves more discussion.

Justice and Prevention

Looters should go to jail. I presume that Israel, like most nations with a treasure of ancient artifacts, has laws to protect the patrimony of its people, and the looters broke that law.

Two solutions suggest themselves: The government of Israel could hire them to search the caves (and any others), pay them a living wage and supervise them to ensure that they don’t abscond with what they find, or the government could take the place of the dealers and buy what the freelance amateur archaeologists find. Of course, both solutions would require that Israelis and Palestinians cooperate on something, an unlikely event that would actually be beneficial in many other ways.

An Effective Alternative

Israeli justice seems to be very short-sighted regarding punishing young Bedouin looters in the Judean desert. As the information they provide archaeologists is clearly valuable, the looters should be paid for their efforts, not jailed for 18 months.

Israel should learn from Sir Charles Leonard Woolley when he was excavating the ancient Sumerian City of Ur (in modern 010Iraq), starting in the 1920s. He always paid his workers very well so they would not be tempted to loot. They were rewarded, not punished, for assisting archaeologists.

Give the Bedouin a position and financial reward of which they can be proud. Archaeologists cannot explore the terrain the way Bedouin youth can.

Two Thumbs Way Up!

Holding onto BAR

Living in far-off Australia, I have been reading BAR since the late 1980s. As we became pensioners, over the years we have had to cut out some subscriptions, and I have sadly let go three other archaeology journals and a couple of history journals—but I keep my BAR. This is just to let you know that your journal is appreciated, with affection!

Shards and Shakespeare

Discovery Play at Bethsaida

Thank you very much for Hershel Shanks’s interesting explanation pertaining to my use of the Shakespearian word “shard” (Strata: “Did Shakespeare Know Archaeology?” BAR, July/August 2017). I am not sure about my Shakespearian English, although some may have heard me at the dig saying: “A SHARD, A SHARD, MY KINGDOM FOR A SHARD” (an archaeological version of the famous quote from Shakespeare’s Richard III: “A horse. A horse. My kingdom for a horse.”)

Words and Music

Kudos and “at-a-boy” to Hershel and his team of writers. Romeo and Juliet were clearly mismatched by comparison.

The other magazines in your field are informative but bogged down by dry, technical verbiage. They rob the subject of all romance and excitement—assuming the readers are all jaded Rhodes scholars with 30 years of field experience at excavation sites.

Their writing reminds me of the time Mark Twain’s wife exactingly recited back to him a litany of swear words he had just uttered in a rage.

Twain sighed, “My dear, you have the words, but not the music.”

The Siege Ramp at Machaerus

Viewpoint

In Győző Vörös’s last article regarding Machaerus (“Machaerus: A 068Palace-Fortress with Multiple Mikva’ot,” BAR, July/August 2017), a caption on p. 38 says, “The military agger-ramp at neither Machaerus nor Masada was completed.”

However, according to Flavius Josephus (War of the Jews 7.8.5), a bank of earth was built, completed by a work of great stones, and then the war engines were able to destroy the wall of the fortress.

So, it looks to me that at Masada the earth work (ramp) was finished and was used by the Roman army.

Győző Vörös Responds: Thanks for your letter! When writing the article for BAR, I was following the latest archaeological research (published in 2016) concerning the “unfinished” Roman ramp at Masada.

However, an important academic article published last summer by Gwyn Davies and Jodi Magness brilliantly and convincingly proves that “the assault ramp [at Masada] was, in fact, completed and operational.”?¹

I now have no doubt that the Roman military siege ramp at Masada was finished and terminated, and I am correcting the article caption as follows: “Despite the strong similarities between the circumvallation siege monuments of the Tenth Roman Legion at Machaerus and Masada, only the agger-ramp at Machaerus remained incomplete.” The readers of BAR can see from this fine academic distinction how progressive science field archaeology revisits the ancient “cold-cases” with 21st-century scientific methods and techniques.

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The Arch of Titus in Color

It’s a Triumph!

BAR’s report on research into the color of the Arch of Titus is fascinating (Steven Fine, Peter J. Schertz and Donald H. Sanders, “True Colors: Digital Reconstruction Restores Original Brilliance to the Arch of Titus,” BAR, May/June 2017). As a professor of art history, this piece looks like a peep-hole into a magic world of polychromatic revelation. Words fail me to thank you.

Colorful Revelations

Regarding the article on restoring the color of the Arch of Titus, are the bowls on the showbread table known to have been gold as depicted—or could they have been stone, as was required for certain ritual purposes?

Steven Fine Replies: As in our world, there were many different kinds of vessels available for use in first-century Judea. Very fine glass, for example, was well known, and even a vessel by the famous glassmaker Ennion was discovered in Jerusalem. Stone vessels were very popular, but so were terracotta.

Josephus describes two golden cups that were set above the showbread on the table (Antiquities 3.10.7). A rare gold first-century Roman beaker not unlike those illustrated on the Arch panel, now part of the J. Paul Getty Museum collection, was a significant inspiration for me (www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/130350/unknown-maker-beaker-roman-1st-century/).

The Bible and Archaeology

Making Bible Stories Come Alive

I appreciate William G. Dever’s article (“Whom Do You Believe—The Bible or Archaeology?” BAR, May/June 2017). I’d like to share what I teach my ten-year-old Sunday School class. I teach them that the Holy Bible is not the entire history of the House of Israel. Rather, it is the history of God’s dealings with the House of Israel. Hence, we’re missing a lot of history. I teach the Bible, but where I can and where appropriate, I supplement it with history and archaeology. BAR makes a regular appearance in my classroom.

But I am very careful to designate what is Biblical, what is history and myth, and what is archaeological—with Biblical getting the spotlight. I am not afraid that history and archaeology will supplant the Bible; to me, it helps it come alive.

The Reliability of the Bible

The Bible is so accurate that its text is always current, never needing to be updated. How many times have the interpretations of archaeologists and historians been revised in light of newer discoveries, which have only served to confirm the Bible text as accurate all along? Why do the so-called experts continue to treat the Bible as only a fallible human-devised work?

Biblical Scholarship at Risk?

Making Room for Debate

As a longtime reader of BAR, I was disappointed with your publishing the column by Ronald S. Hendel (Biblical Views: “Biblical Scholarship at Risk,” BAR, May/June 2017). It was obviously much more politically motivated than scholastically supported. It must be countered that many moderate/conservative professors have studied the arguments for the Documentary Hypothesis (JEPD) and have opted, based on internal and external evidence, to modify or even reject the assumptions of this argument. As a professor at a conservative seminary, I encourage all my students to study alternative views and rest their conclusions based on intellectual criteria and not just theological assumptions. I would not refuse a student from reading Hendel’s material or attend his class because he teaches “modern Biblical scholarship” unless he mocks and/or misrepresents counterarguments.

Bridging the Divide

I was sad to read of Ronald Hendel’s experience in being attacked as un-American for teaching modern Biblical scholarship. Biblical archaeologists, professors and well-trained pastors face the same challenge: the widespread lack of awareness of scholarly Biblical research. The field of study has become so highly specialized that the quantity of information a trained scholar possesses has become a barrier to communicating with the untrained believer. We don’t speak a different language, but we do have a different vocabulary.

A close-minded approach not only discourages debate; it eliminates it. Perhaps our real challenge is to faithfully teach the willing, while at the same time maintaining a loving attitude toward others.

BAR Tidbits

Digging Up the Past

Receiving your request for a donation for dig volunteers brought back fond memories.

It all started in 1989–90 at a Bible study class at St. James Episcopal church in Birmingham, Michigan. I mentioned that I would like to volunteer on a dig in Israel and was told I should get BAR. I also discovered the BAS trips available that sounded wonderful. So thanks to BAS, I traveled to Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and twice to Greece, all trips led by Avner Goren.

During the tour through Israel, we stopped at Tel Miqne. I talked with Avner about volunteering even though I was in my 60s. He assured me that I could, so I signed up for the first time in 1992 at Tel Miqne, planning to go once. I got hooked and went every season through 1996. I am so grateful that I was able to have that experience. Yes, there were a few down days, but digging in 3,000-year-old dirt, learning so much, working with college students from the U.S., Europe and the Middle East (not to mention Avner, Sy Gitin, Trude Dothan and others) and exploring Jerusalem on weekends was wonderful.

And it all started with you. Thank you.

P.S. Throughout the past 20 years, I have continued to enjoy and learn about digs in the Middle East thanks to BAR.

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Lukewarm Laodicea

Water as Metaphor

Congratulations to Mark Fairchild on his spectacular photos of Laodicea and to the Turkish excavators who are doing an amazing job of restoration (“Laodicea’s ‘Lukewarm’ Legacy: Conflicts of Prosperity in an Ancient Christian City,” BAR, March/April 2017). However, I was surprised he did not fully explore the metaphor of “lukewarm” Laodicea. With five nymphaea and four Roman baths, clearly water was both a source of pride and expense.

Laodicea was dependent on outside sources for its water, brought in by aqueduct. Nearby Hierapolis was famous for its hot springs, which you can still enjoy today in the ruins of a Roman bath. There were cold springs in Colossae, also nearby. So whichever the source, by the time the water got to Laodicea it would be lukewarm (even in the church).

Learning About Laodicea

Congratulations to Mark Fairchild for his outstanding article on Laodicea. I suspect I’m not alone in wanting to learn the historical story behind the many places, people and practices mentioned in the Bible. This article is a fabulous example of revealing just such historical detail and context. Kudos!

KING SOLOMON’S TEMPLE

A Symbol to Freemasonry

Your writers Joseph Patrich and Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah describe Charles Warren’s giving the name Free Masons Hall “for some unknown reason” to an “impressive hall about 400 feet from the Temple” (“Old, New Banquet Hall by the Temple Mount,” BAR, March/April 2017).

However, if it should happen that Charles Warren was a Freemason of the 19th century, the reason would not be far to seek. Masonic rituals of both the three basic degrees and many of the added degrees are built around teaching stories purporting to relate to the building of Solomon’s Temple. That the stories are allegories, not history, should be plain from the fact that the first thing a new Mason is taught is that “Freemasonry is a system of morality,” rather than an assertion that it preserves history. However, in the 19th century, much more than today, there were many Masons who took quite literally that their modern Masonic order was descended from the rituals of those masons who built Solomon’s Temple.

Sir Charles Warren was initiated into Freemasonry in 1859 and was involved in various lodges throughout the British Empire.—Ed.

DEPICTING THE MESSIAH’S MOTHER

The Virgin Mary Comes to Light

What a very fine piece of writing by Mary Joan Winn Leith (“Earliest Depictions of the Virgin Mary,” BAR, March/April 2017). I now have a new appreciation for the place and person of Mary in Christian history and tradition. Leith gently lifts Mary, the mother of God, as a singular and unique lady out of centuries of pious themes and remembrances with archaeological support.

DISRESPECT OR DIALOGUE?

The Misuse of “Misogyny”

Hershel Shanks attempts to prove that the Bible has contempt for women (First Person: “Misogyny in the Bible,” BAR, March/April 2017). He uses the article by Christopher Rollston that gives several examples in the Bible to make that point. What Shanks doesn’t mention, and he should know better, is the context of the cultures in which the Biblical texts were written.

Archaeology is supposed to be the study of those cultures. The world in general did not treat women as they should. The Bible made laws to protect women in those difficult times, even giving a woman who was raped the opportunity to be married and have someone take care of her. Tamar never married because of this very reason but was taken care of by the family of King David.

The books of Ruth and Esther honor great women of old; there is Hannah who by her faith gave birth to the great prophet Samuel, etc. In the New Testament, Jesus surrounded himself with women, many of whom the world had cast off, like Mary Magdalene, who was the first person Jesus appeared to after his resurrection. Hershel and Christopher 056should not be celebrating but weeping for what they have done. This is one more reason I let my subscription expire.

BAR Builds Respectful Dialogue

For years now when my frosty-covered Alaskan mailbox delivers my BAR magazine, I become lost to the people I know as I devour every article, test myself against Strata answers and enjoy my hand-held paper media device. My brain enjoys where you take me. Yet this time you moved me emotionally. Hershel Shanks’s “Misogyny in the Bible” was more than an essay on sexism.

More so now than since the McCarthy blacklisting of the 1950s, our world is partitioning itself and building barriers, dividing on tribal DNA, political thought and economic fear—growing hate and anger. We need to see hope and examples. Showing the friendship and respect that Mr. Shanks and Dr. Rollston hold for each other—despite where they live, their religious backgrounds and their professional thoughts—was wonderful. They are what true scientific exploration and debate is about.

Yes, BAR has brought up controversial issues in the past. Great! We need to see the issues as readers. Yet in debate, BAR always respects the thought process and the scholar.

GRATITUDE BEHIND BARS

A Heartfelt Thanks to BAR Readers

I want to thank not only all of you at BAR, but all the people who responded to the letter of mine that you printed in the magazine (Queries & Comments: “Bible Questions from Behind Bars,” BAR, July/August 2016). I want them to know I’m grateful for the mail. And I’ve learned a lot from their letters!

Stay healthy!