First Person: Archaeology in Israel and in Countries to the East

006

My critics will say I often write about things I know nothing about. But this “First Person” is about something I admit I know nothing about: I want to compare archaeology in Israel with archaeology elsewhere in the Near East, more specifically in the swath of Syria and Iraq.

We observed our 40th anniversary in the March/April issue with an interview with Eric and Carol Meyers about developments in our field during the past 40 years. I just reviewed the text of a volume we are producing called 40 Futures, which will be available in November 2015. It is a collection of 40 contributions by 40 leading scholars about likely developments in various subfields of archaeology in the next 40 years—from excavation techniques, to paleography, botany, pottery, etc. These future developments can be summarized as more scientific, more subfields, more computers (even in the field), more detailed studies. Whether all this is good is still a question, but it seems inevitable. I remember Bill Dever, one of last generation’s leading archaeologists, telling me (although it is not original with him): “We are learning more and more about less and less until we will know everything about nothing.”

In short, Israel is about as exciting a place for archaeology as there is in the world—with excavations of large major tells to small farming installations, sites that bring thousands of volunteers to the country, hundreds of specialists from around the world, as well as hundreds of archaeologists and specialists from a major governmental agency (the Israel Antiquities Authority).

Compare this with what is happening and has been happening archaeologically in Syria and Iraq even before the current turmoil. Let me recognize at the outset: There are exceptions, like the Italian excavation at Ebla^a in Syria directed by Paolo Matthiae and the work of Glen Schwartz at Kurd Qaburstan in Kurdish Iraq. There are others. But sophisticated archaeology—certainly compared to Israel—has been largely absent from these countries in the past few decades.

There is another contrast between Israel and the nations to the east. The finds in Israel are for the most part visually unexciting. To the east were major ancient empires with impressive surviving structures, breathtaking statues and altars and fabulous cuneiform archives.

In Israel most of the exciting finds come from non-Israelite cultures. The opening of the archaeology section in Jerusalem’s Israel Museum features some Philistine anthropoid coffins, a suitably dramatic exhibit. There is plenty that is exciting about Israelite culture but little that knocks your eye out. Moreover, much of Israelite material culture is derivative. I think of the extraordinary Biblical painting in the Syrian synagogue of Dura-Europos: These paintings are Persian paintings although the subjects are Israelite. Ancient synagogues (like ancient churches) are models of Greek architecture. 076 Even Solomon’s Temple, at least what we know about it, features other models. Perhaps the most distinctive Israelite architecture is the simple Four-Room House.

There is, of course, one other thing: Israel has the Bible. But the obvious answer to this is: The lands to the east are also the lands of the Bible—Sumer, Mesopotamia, Babylonia and Persia. But the modern countries that comprise these lands don’t want to think of their countries this way. And who can blame them? They have their own heritage.

Even within Israeli archaeology, there is sometimes a contrast (or contest?) between people who want to find out what archaeology has to say concerning the Biblical text and scholars who want to focus on the details of daily life for its own sake or, more specifically, as background to the Bible.

In sum, archaeology is thriving in Israel, despite its comparative material poverty. In the east, archaeology was much more circumscribed even before the present turmoil.

So what are we to make of all this?

Clearly, I do not have answers. I can only make these disparate observations, some of which themselves may be inaccurate. But can I start a conversation? Let me have your thoughts. We will publish the most interesting.

My critics will say I often write about things I know nothing about. But this “First Person” is about something I admit I know nothing about: I want to compare archaeology in Israel with archaeology elsewhere in the Near East, more specifically in the swath of Syria and Iraq. We observed our 40th anniversary in the March/April issue with an interview with Eric and Carol Meyers about developments in our field during the past 40 years. I just reviewed the text of a volume we are producing called 40 Futures, which will be available in November 2015. It is […]