3/10/11 Thursday Lecture

21st Century Jerusalem

1. Conflict btwn Israelis and Palestinians (continued from previous lecture)
2. Hard to make peace
• Israel had peace with Jordan
• Israel gave back the Sinai Peninsula to make peace with Egypt
• Syria and Lebanon left in order for Israel to have peace at all borders, but Palestine doesn't want this
• Syria leader died and successor did not want to make peace with Israel
3. So much strife over such a small piece of land (size of Vermont)
4. Mt. Gilboa(?) is a fertile high mountain that Israel does not want to give up
5. After 9-11, America basically destroys two nations (Afghanistan and Iraq)
6. This becomes a model as Israel also starts to bomb those that attack them.
7. Israel also starts to build (an unfair) West Bank Barrier wall
• Many inconveniences for Palestinians to move about
8. In Gaza, a military leader Hamas defeats Fatah in the Palestinian Elections, but he doesn't know how to rule and only picks fights with Israelis --> cut off foreign aid --> "Palestinian Civil War" --> Hamas controls Gaza, Fatah controls West Bank --> "Operation Cast Lead" or "Gaza War" where Israel attacked Gaza --> Israel announces new housing settlements in E Jerusalem --> IHH Gaza Flotilla boarded by Israeli troops (if nonviolent, better stay nonviolent)

This is my last entry of a very interesting and eye-opening class.  I feel like I have a much better understanding of Christians, Muslims, Jews, religion in general, Jerusalem, human sociology and history, and current events in the middle east.  I have walked away from this class with a new perspective on how I view the world, which is truly an invaluable gain.  

I was also very very surprised Professor Cargill was raised a Christian.  I suspected him to be Jewish.  It was ironic that a class which made me examine my own Christian views was actually taught by a Christian professor!  

Thank you Professor Cargill for a great class.  (:

3/8/11 Tuesday Lecture

20th Century Jerusalem

1. British Mandate Period 1918-1948
• Secular Zionism
• 1840 Yehuda Hai Alchelai says, buy land in Palestine for Jews, orthodox Jews reject Zionism as impious
• Theodore Herzi write The Jewish State 1896, that pushed for a Zionist state (not a religious impetus)
• 1899 first "Zionist" conference in Basel, Switzerland
• Herzl described as "Messiah the Son of David"
• Zionists build Tel Aviv
• Anti-semitism and immigration
• Rise of European Nationalism
• Anti-Semitic pogroms in Islamic world instigated by Catholics
• Jews flee to Palestine (2nd aliyah in 1902) --> conflicts with Arabs
• Hitler
• After WWI, Ottomans are destroyed and Britain takes over as General Allenby conquers Palestine 1917
• Armenians flee genocide in Turkey, Armenian Quarter swells
• Balfour Declaration 1917
• British PM Lloyd George directs Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to write to Lord Rothschild (Jew) saying that the British will support Zionism in Palestine, as long it doesn't interfere with the existing communities in Palestine
• Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916 - Britain-France divides the Middle East
• Secret agreement btwn France and UK to divide former Ottoman Empire into French (north, Mediterranean, Syria, Turkey) and British (south, Jordan, Irag, Tigris/Euphrates, Bhagdad to Kuwait) areas.
• Winston Churchill's "White Paper" 1922
• In reaction to the Arab riots against Jews, Churchill wrote the White Paper in order to clarify the Balfour Declaration, but the Arabs and Jews still were confused and believed the British would support them.
• Peel Plan 1937
• Suggested in response to violence between Arabs and Jews
• Jewish State in Galilee, Upper Jordan Valley, and Coastal Plain
• Arab State in Central Hills, West Bank, and Negev
• Jerusalem as "international city"
• Zionists accepted this as the bare minimum, but Arabs rejected it because of the population imbalance
• WWII 1938-1945, Jewish flight to Palestine
2. Israeli State, 1948-present
• War of "Independence" or Arab-Israeli War 1948
• British depart ending the British Mandate
• Truce arranged by UN, where Green Line created.  
• East bank under Jordanian Rule, 1948-1967
• West bank under Israeli Rule/"Occupation" 1967
• Israeli is more populated and advanced, so they start building in the East which leads to conflict
• The centrality of Jerusalem
• David Ben-Gurion talks about the importance of Jerusalem
• Israel defies the international community and makes West Jerusalem the capital of the new Israeli State (not Tel Aviv)
• Jordanean Jerusalem
• Occupation by both Israel and Jordan illegal by UN.  Both factions still want Jeruslaem
• Only know are they willing to talk for tourist $
• Six-Day War 1967
• Basically at this point, Jews and Arabs got land, but the Palestinians are the ones with nothing.  Some say they should have taken the Peel commission (How would the Peel commission have helped them if divided the land between Zionists & Arabs/Israelis & Jordaneans?)
• Israeli destroys Egyptian/Jodanean forces and annexes Jerusalem although the UN rejects it
• Moshe Dayan, Israeli General gives control of Haram to Muslims to say that the only want political power.
• Palestinians want to go back to the negotiating table, but by now Israelis have come to far.  --> Modern conflict
• Irgun Israeli terrorist bombing.  
• What exactly is terrorism? 
• Gotta know that this term can apply to any group including Christians
• Infantidas "Uprising"
• Palestinians were angry that the Israelis had all the control
• Organized and non-violent protests (it better stay non violent)
• Tunnel under temple mount
• Jews can't go on the temple mount
• 1st intifada
• Oslo Accords 1993: Palestinians recognized Israel's right to exist, and Israel recognized Yasser Arafat's role as the leader of the Palestinians...
• 2nd intifada
• Provoked by the israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon walking on the Al-Aqsa Mosque
• PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization)
• Led by Yasser Arafat
• Considered to be terrorists by Ameria
• Bottom line: Hard to find peace between the Israelis and Palestinians because no one wants to be the bigger person.  And whenever there's a bombing, the other side walks away.

Very confusing lecture as it went very fast.  

Questions

1. Why did anti-semitism come out in the first place?
2. What is "VIII Turkish Corps"
3. What was the motive for the Armenian genocide by Turkey?  Are the Armenians Jewish?
4. Why did "Britain at first not support a Jewish National Home"?  This is not what the Balfour Declaration and White Paper said.
5. Why did the Arabs not accept the terms of the Peel Commission?  Why was it not favorable for them?
6. Who performed operation Kilshon (Pitchfork) to capture "Bevingrad" in central Jerusalem
7. What is the difference btwn the Green Line division and the Peel Commission?  Seems like no one won the War of "Independence" because both Israelis and Jordans got land
8. Where is Tel Aviv located?
9. Are Zionists Israelis?
10. Did both Arabs and Israelis try to inhabit Jerusalem?
11. Why did a radical Arab assassinate an Arab King Abdullah?
12. Where did these sudden Palestinians come from?  Wasn't there conflict between just the Israelis and the Turks?

3/3/11 Thursday Lecture

Mamluk & Ottoman Jerusalem

1. Saladin conquers Jerusalem 9/26/1187
2. Mamluk Period 1244-1516
• Mamluk means "owned"; grassroots movement of slaves; defend Jerusalem by the lower class for religion, not politics
• Politically and militarily insignificant, unwalled city, used as place of political exile, only citadel restored 1310
• Became a center of religious study with attention to schools, mosques, Haram development, used Crusader structures as quarries for stone
• Population dwindles to 10,000; economically impoverished
• Jews continue to return to Jerusalem
• Ziyara (visit) to Jerusalem
• Nachmanides (1267) rabbi makes aliyah ("go up" to Jerusalem), founded Ramban Synagogue, which becomes Jewish Center, develops Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism, spiritual mystical form of Judaism, Temple --> path to God, Zion --> final innermost stage)
• 1351-1353 Jerusalem suffers from The Black Death
• Mumluk architecture - alternating red & white stones, domed, Muqarnas decorative technique, alternating black & white designs, monumental entrances
• Qur'anic school built by Sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbey in 1482 was the "third jewel of Jerusalem" after the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Ghawanima Minaret - NW corner of Haram, built 1298 by Chief Judge (Qadi) of Jerusalem, reuse Crusader columns and capitals, built on the foundations of the Umayyad minaret (tall spires used for the call of prayer)
• 3 main areas: (1) Haram am-Sharif (2) outside the Haram (3) along the street running east from the Jaffa Gate to the Bab al-Silsila in the western wall of the Haram
• Development of NW Islamic quarter
• Mausoleum linked Jerusalem and Haram with the place of the Last Judgment
3. Ottoman Period 1517-1918
• Ottomans take Constantinople 1453
• Selim I defeats the Mamluks in 1517 at Marj-Dabik (N. Syria)
• Jerusalem peacefully surrendered in 1516
• Described as "the first qiblah"
• Turkish-Ottoman kingdom flourished under strong centralized government
• Sultan Seleuman (=Solomon) "the Magnificent" rebuilds western retaining wall, 1537-1541
• Follow Hasmonean foundations except Mt. Zion excluded
• Refurbish Haram with new mosaics
• Damascus Gate 'Bab el-Amud"
• Largest of 7 gates of Jerusalem, on the North, usually for gates you have to turn left and then right for protection from battering rams and most people are right handed
• Jaffa Gate is the exception because you can walk straight through
• German Kaiser Wilhelm wanted a grand entrance with his entourage so he tore down the narrow Jaffa gate, but a British general entered on foot because he wouldn't go on a horse when the Savior rode a donkey.
• St. Stephan's Gate (Lion's Gate)
• Sultan's Pool
• Rebuilt "Tower of David"
• Rebuilt aqueduct from "Pools of Solomon"
• Markets, Khassaki Sultan complex
• Makes Jerusalem 3rd great city of Islam (after Mecca and Medina)
• Establishes a shari'a court - law based upon qu'ran
• Let's Jewish refugees settle in Jerusalem, even italian Jewish refugee David dei Rossi says it a good to live under Muslim rule, restored Church of Holy Sepulcher along with Islamic sites, gave western wall to Jews as a place of prayer (Shekhina/presence of here now)
• Gradual decline of Jerusalem after death of Suleiman
• Jerusalem suffers from neglect
• Explosion of Jews from Spanish w 15-16th cen immigration to Palestine
• 1892 railroad connects Jerusalem w Jaffa
• 19th cen Jewish settlements outside city walls
• Jerusalem lost to Mohammad Ali in Egypt 1831
• Ottoman rule restored 1840
• Jerusalem revived following building of Suez Canal 1869; Jerusalem still a small town until Suez Canal
• Early Jewish "Zionism"
• Zionism - Jew's need to settle in the promised land/Jerusalem
• Saladin (aka "the New Cyrus") allows Jews to resettle in Jerusalem, and gives Maghribi Quarter to the Jews
• Judah Halevi (Toledan Physician) tries to make aliyah (Eliade)
• Maimonides, Jewish philosopher, says the haram is still holy
• --> These three people made Jerusalem a focal point again
• Jewish Settlements
• European Jews start settling in Jerusalem
• Mishkenot Sha'ananim 19th cen initiated Sir Moses Montefiore, a British jew, with funding from Judah Touro, an American Jewish philanthropist to build 20 residential units and a windmill landmark
• 1882 marks the beginning of secular "Zionist" immigration - ethnic Jews (not religious Jews) moving to ancestral homeland
• Changing demographics in Jerusalem
• Crusader Jerusalem: only Christians
• Mamluk Jerusalem: Muslims, Jews, and Christians
• Ottoman Jerusalem: dominant population is now the Jews, not the Muslims
4. British Mandate Period (1918-1948)
• Balfour Declaration, 1917, for a "Jewish National Homeland"

Islam is very open to other religions.  Monotheistic religions (like Christians) from a religious point of view is a good thing.  But I know see that from a political point of view, it is a negative thing that can lead to violence and arguments.

3/1/11 Tuesday Lecture

The Crusades
Note: guest lecturer did not use Cargill's slides


Factors contributing to the Crusades

1. Political - Holy Roman Empire
2. Religious - Christian population of Jerusalem
• Holy Sepulcher destruction by Caliph Al-Hakim 1009
• Difficulty of Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Christian & Muslim sources of the Crusades

1. William of Tyre - Christian POV
2. Ibn Al-Qalanisi(sp?) - Muslim POV

Pope Urban II's speech 11/27/1095

• Called upon the nobility of western Europe
• Example of unintended consequence
• Brought in a religious element and reward
• Indulgence - remission of penalties due to sins by donating, preaching, and settling in the Holy Land

1st Crusade

• Peasant's Crusade was poor, ill-equipped, took many routes, had waves of people at different times, and were defeated by the Turks
• Arrived at Jaffa Harbor/Akko (Crusader architecture)

Ruthless attack of Jerusalem from the North in 1099; many Muslims killed

Crusader Principalities

• 4 latin states: odessa, antioch, tripoli, Jerusalem (most powerful)
• Quarters: Patriarch (NW), Templars (SE), Syrian (NE), and Armenian (SW)

Crusader period monuments

1. Existing Islamic monuments were modified
• Dome of the Rock --> templum domini
• Al-Aqsa Mosque --. templum solomonis
2. Rebuild ruined Byzantine churches
3. Build new churches - 42, Armenian quarter
4. Holy Sepulcher
• Complex architecture with many things under one roof
• A Muslim family holds the key to the doors
• Divided between many Christian sects
5. St. Anne's Church at Pool of Bethesda
• Anne = mother of Mary; assume church location is near Anne's birth
• Amazing acoustical properties
• Citadel?

The Templars

• Modern day Temple Mt.
• Order of Knights Templar founded in 1118 to protect pilgrims coming to Jerusalem as all Christians wanted to come to Jerusalem
• Coin with two people riding one horse

Remaking Jerusalem Christian

1. 1st Crusade by Urvan II at Clermon 1095
• Jerusalem conquered by Godfrey de Bouillon
2. 2nd Crusade by St. Bernard at Vezelay
3. Battle of Hattin
• When Saladin and his army were stranded in the dessert, he made a Muslim victory, obtained water, and it was an easy march to Jerusalem
4. Ayyubid Jerusalem and later crusades
• Saladin unified all Muslim factions against the Crusaders to obtain Jerusalem.  Islamic people liked him, while Crusaders didn't
• Victory at "Horns of Hattin"in July 1187
• Jerusalem surrenders to Saladin on 9/26/1187
• Saladin legend from contrast btwn Saladin and Crusaders
• Purification and reclamation of the Haram
• Church of Holy Sepulcher given to Greek Orthodox
• Settlement of Jews again in Jerusalem: Jews from Ashkelon settled in Maghribi Qtr (Jewish qtr) in 1190
• Christian topography replaced w Muslim shrines
• Saladin's successors struggle for power (similar to Alexander the Great)
• 3rd, 4th, and 5th Crusades happened with not much success.  5th crusade was when Jerusalem's walls were destroyed.  
• --> Jerusalem becomes an unimportant city bc it cannot protect people any more.  Similar to when people fled Samaria to Jerusalem for protection when Samaria was destroyed
• Crusaders regain control of Jerusalem in the 6th Crusade when al-Kamid cedes Jerusalem for 10 years in a treaty.  Some Muslims didn't want to make peace and called him a traitor to Islam.
• 7th and 8th Crusades
• Akko, last Crusader outpost, falls 1291

End of the Crusader era

• Lasted less than 100 years, Muslims have control of Jerusalem again
• Truce with Richard the Lionheart for Muslims to let pilgrims enter Jerusalem

Were there only 3 crusades?

Interesting to see that familiar things like the Nights Templar actually make sense under a historical background.  (:
With parallels drawn to Alexander the Great and also the destruction of Samaria, is was interested to see specific examples of how history truly does repeat itself.  But this kind of takes out the magic of history and religion for me.  If history does repeat itself, if is just a repetitive, predictable, understood process.

2/24/11 Thursday Lecture

Islamic Jerusalem


End of Byzantine Jerusalem

1. Sasanians take Palestine and Jerusalem 614-628
• Jews allowed to resettle, but this causes Christian riots against the Jews in Jerusalem
2. Byzantine Emperor Heraclius retakes Jerusalem and allows massacres of Jews in Jerusalem

Early Islamic Jerusalem (638-1099)

1. Caliph Umar takes over Jerusalem 638 CE
• At first doesn't allow Jewish settlement, but later he does
• Aelia = Temple
• Bait Maqdis --> al-Quds = Holy
• Haram al-Sharif = Temple Mount
• Qibla - direction of prayer
• Jerusalem --> Mecca
• Mihrab - niche pointing the direction of prayer
• Praying towards Jerusalem was an idea in 1 Kings & Daniel too
• Kaaba - stone box built by Abraham, known to be a meteorite from space (Eliade's theophany), used to be a pagan shrine pre-Islam
• Five Pillars of Islam: (1) Shahada - testimony/witness (2) Salat - prayer (3) Zakat - Almsgiving (4) Sawm - fasting (5) Hajj - prilgrimage w/ door decorations
2. Umayyad Dynasty 638-750 CE (Damascus)
• Caliph Umar build wooden Mosque
• Abd al-Malik built Dome of the Rock 691 CE and also restores Haram al-Sharif
• Many traditions moved to the Dome of the Rock
• Al-Aqsa Mosque built
• Great Umayyad Palaces
• Started in Caliph Walid's reign
• Fresh water + sewage systems --> technologically advanced
• Build over Byzantine buildings
• Geometric shapes
• New Ramla = Palestine capital
• All of these edifices were meant to divert pilgrimage from Mecca to Jerusalem
• Tolerance of Christians and Jews and their pilgrimages
• Sacred mosque = Mecca; farthest Mosque = Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
• Dome of the Chain
3. Abbasids 750-969 (Bagdad)
• Try to wipe out memory of Umayyid accomplishments
• Ex: Abbasid Caliph Al-Ma-mun takes credit for Dome of the Rock but forgets to change the date of the construction
• Al-Ma-mun's polemic against Christianity - they incorporated and accepted Jews and Christians, and called them the people of the book.  They accepted the prophets, but not the theology.
• Unlike the Umayyads, more hostility toward Christians
• Muhammad al-Sanhaji, governor of Jerusalem, kills John, Patriarch of Jerusalem, 965 CE
4. Fatimids 969-1099 (Egypt)
• Not Sunnis
• Welfare of Christians and Jews change depending on the ruler
• Near the end of their rule, Fatamids appoint Jewish and Christian governors of Jerusalem
• 969-1029 "The War of Sixty Years": Byzantine army goes South, captures Muslim territory of Syria, with aim of recapturing Jerusalem
• 1009 Caliph al-Hakim orders destruction of all Jewish and Christian houses of prayer, including Holy Sepulcher
• 1033 - earthquake destroy's Jerusalem, wall, and Dome of the Rock (wall and Dome later restored)
• 1070-1098 - Seljuqs occupy Jeruslaem, looting and massacring inhabitants
• 1098 - Fatamid's 40 day siege lets them to retaike Jerusalem with a part of the wall destroyed.
• Similar to the previous situation where two parties quarrel amongst each other and weaken themselves, just enough so that other third parties (Byzantines) could take over.

The Islamic history is one I am not very familiar with, so it was confusing for me to follow along during this lecture, especially with the use of esoteric words like Haram al-Sharif instead of the Temple Mount.

2/22/11 Tuesday Lecture

Byzantine Jerusalem (Christian city)

- Western expansion of Christianity: Jerusalem --> Babylon --> Turkey --> Greece --> Rome
- New center has been shifted to Rome from Jerusalem which leads to tensions

• Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple
• NT Apocalypses about Jerusalem in Mark 13:1-2 and Luke 21:20-24
• Spiritualization
• John 4:19-26
• Jerusalem is where Jesus was said to have been crucified, buried, and resurrected
• Temple = Jesus' body
• 
  
• Byzantine History

1. 285 CE - Emperor Diocletian splits Rome Empire into West and East
2. Augustus Diocletian & Caesar Maximian
3. WEST: Augustus Maximian & Caesar Constantius
4. EAST: Augustus Diocletian & Caesar Galerius
5. Constantine
• Changed the way Orthodox Christianity was practiced
• Rallied people to fight for Jesus, who was a pacifist
• Legalized Christianity
6. New churches and Pilgrimages
• Constantine's mother, Helena, went on the first Christian Pilgrimage
• Dedicated Church of Nativity (Bethlehem), Church of the Ascension (Mount of Olives), Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Chapel of Helena, the new Axis Mundi)
• Based on unsound evidence of Jesus' whereabouts (Mark Twain)
• Pilgrimages become important
7. Julian "The Apostate" rejected Christianity 361-363
8. Theodosius names Christianity as state religion 391
9. Empress Eudocia, wife of Theodosius II goes on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem 438 CE
10. Justinian expands Jerusalem 527-565 CE
11. Madaba Map mosaic on church floor accurately depicts Jerusalem during that time
• Damascus Gate, Hadrian's Gate, St. Stephen's Gate, Dung Gate, Zion Gate, Jeffa Gate, Golden Gate
• Temple Mt is not the center of Jerusalem in Christian minds anymore
• The Cardo which runs down the center
• Church of the Holy Sepulcher is in the center of map
• Edicule, Golgotha (rock where Jesus was crucified), Sepulcher (where Jesus was buried), and the Basilica.
• Myths migrated to this church
• Nea (new) Church (very similar to Solomon's Temple)

• Vision of the "New" Jerusalem

I always thought having a monotheistic religion was being upright.  You worshipped the one true God.  I am now seeing this concept under a different light.  I still believe there is only one true God, but the monotheistic aspect does leave room for religious persecution, such as the Zionism of Jews practicing violence on the Palestinians in Israel today.  

2/17/11 Thursday Lecture

Jerusalem in Revolt
Theme: Apocolyptism + Messianism + tired of being oppressed + Jewish nationalism + inept governors = revolt!


1. Pompey conquers Jerusalem 63 BCE

• After Herod, the kingdom was divided by this three sons: Archelaus the ethnarch of Judea, Herod Antipas the tetrarch of Perea and Galilee, and Herod Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis (on one that put graven images on the coins bc they were so far north of Jerusalem).  These three sons were eventually replaced by inept Roman procurators.  
• Pontius Pilate - only procurator in the Gospels that was ineffective and tried Jesus; Pontius Pilate Inscription

2. 1st Jewish Revolt 66-73 "Great Revolt"

• The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus explains it as a result of many things including zealots.  Histories by Tacitus explains it as a result of messianism and bad administration.
• Jews began to mint their own money as a way to assert authority/declare independence, and to use for propaganda; coins go all the way to year four(?), until Jerusalem is defeated by the Romans
• Mucianus --> Vespasian --> Titus (destroys Temple & Jerusalem which remained in ruins until Hadrian built a Temple to Jupiter)
• Cognitive dissonance again --> everything is spiritualized
• Vespasian instituted fiscus iuldaicus - fiscal incentive to give up being a Jew
• Masada - fortress hide-out for the Jews, originally Herod's Palace
• Signs of Roman victory: Arch if Titus, Judea Capta Coin, Judea Devicta Coin

3. 2nd Jewish Revolt 132-135 CE "Bar Kokhba Revolt"

• Simon ben Kosiba (which means liar) changed his name to Bar-Kokhba (which means son of the star)
• Depicted himself as a prince (greatest non-royal and non-priestly title possible)
• Played on emotions
• Name acronym reminded Jews of the Shema prayer in Deut. 6:4 to trust in God
• Embraced Messianism
• Center of Judaism migrates to Yavneh (West), then to Tiberias (Sea of Galilee)
• Jerusalem rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina by Hadrian
• Jews forbidden to visit Jerusalem (except on 9th of Ab)
• Bar-Kokhba revolt coins
• Words are misspelled
• Letters written in multiple languages
• Overstrikes
• Rhetoric tones down from year to year until no coin in year 4 where Hadrian punished the Jews

4. Aelia Capitolina 135-312 CE

• Hadrian punished the Jews heavily
• Banned circumcision, rebuild Jerusalem as Roman Aelia Capitolina with a temple to Jupiter, banned Jews from the city
• How did the faith survive?
• Decentralization
• Regional/local places of worship
• Synagogue (Masada, Gush Halav, Capernaum, Beth-Alpha)
• Spiritualization

These couple lectures have widened my perspective on religion.  The forming of a religion, and the interrelatedness between religions was not what I had known it to be.  It's surprising to know how powerful rulers like Constantine and Hadrian were able to shape the actual religious faiths that so many people follow today.

2/15/11 Tuesday Lecture

Roman/Herodian/Jesus' Jerusalem


Roman rule in Palestine began in 63 BCE when Pompey annexed it for Rome.  He settled the dispute between brothers Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II

• Hyreanus installed as "ethnarch"
• Idumean Antipater installed as procurators; sons installed as local rulers (Herod in Galilee) 
• "The Abomination of Desolation" 63 BCE, Pompey enters "Holy of Holies" (??)
• After Antipater is murdered, Herod aids Rome in expelling the Parthians, and Rome in turn declares Herod as King.
• Theme: Rome chooses Client Kings (someone who's not fully a Jew and loyal to Rome) to rule Palestine

Herod the Great

• No graven images on coins --> he was sensitive to the Jews
• Was superficially Jewish bc Idumea was "Juadized" by the Hasmonians
• King of the Jews from 37 to 4 BCE
• Paranoid and impulsive; brutal dictator that terrorized people
• Effective for Rome, but hated by the Jews
• Best known for his massive building projects; good for the economy because it employed people
• Solomon's temple --> 2nd temple --> Herod's Temple --> Dome of the rock
• Holy architecture - concentric circles of holiness (Eliade)
• Steps to the temple mount - where Jesus truly was
• Triple gate - walled up underground tunnel entrance; double gate too
• Miqvah - Jewish ritual bath --> concept of Baptism
• Robinson's Arch - steps to side entrance, only a stone sticking out and walled up door left
• HUGE Temple Mount
• Retaining Western Wall
• Josephus, Jewish historian, writes of temple landmarks from a Roman POV
• Place of trumpeting, highest point on the Mt.
• Citadel of David - Herod's hiding place if people got mad at him
• Herodian Theatre
• Herodian Palace
• "Burnt House" 70 CE destruction showed that there was economic stability under Herod
• Antonia Fortress - place where Romans could watch over the temple
• Temple inscription warns non-Jews/gentiles from entering the Temple
• Jerusalem Hippodrome - place to race horses, named "Caesarea Hippondrome" in order to honor Rome.  Able to do this bc it was far enough away from Jerusalem.  Roman aqueducts and underwater port also at Caesarea
• Triclinium (eating positions), fortress in the middle of a mountain, and Miqveh at Herodion

Jesus

• No archaeological evidence
• Boat from Ginosar on Sea of Galilee is not sound evidence
• Fake Talpiot Tomb w ossuaries
• But evidence of the tradition of crucification
• Branching out of Christians from Jews --> Church of Holy Sepulcher

Interesting how Herod, an economically efficient tyrant, could be depicted as evil in the Bible under the light of God.  

2/10/11 Thursday Lecture

Hellenistic Jerusalem
- Jerusalem was influenced by the Greeks, just as they were influenced by Persians from before.
- Sources: Apocrypha (Catholic book), Josephus (Roman Historian)
- Jerusalem re-named as Palestine

1. Alexander the Great
1. Conquered the world at that time, including Palestine; 336-323 BCE
2. The power of the high priest increased, while the power of the king decreased
3. After Alexander, Ptolemies, and then the Seleucids ruled Palestine
4. Theme: the Greeks had self-glorifying names

1. Seleucids
1. Aggressively advocated Hellenism
2. They believed Hellenistic culture was superior to others
3. Wanted to turn Jerusalem into a Polis (highest and most natural Civil institution, as said by Aristotle and Pausanias), center of Greek life
4. Every aspect of Jewish life was effected by Hellenism (ex: tomb architecture, burial inscriptions, Sephhoris Mosaic, Bet She'an, Beth Alpha Mosaic having zodiacs in the synagogue, Septuagint LXX Greek copy of the bible)! --> Clashes with religion
5. Pattern: if there is resistance, the Greeks would simply replace the high priest with someone of their interest.  Therefore, conservative Jews did not trust the high priest Jason
6. To suppress Jewish resistance, Antiochus IV sacrificed a pig on the Temple Altar, outlawed Jewish religious practices like circumcision, and converted the Temple into a Temple of Zeus
7. Reaction to Hellenization
1. Welcomed it - abandon circumcision (Epispasm), "must be part of God's plan for the Greeks to conquer us"
2. Resisted it
3. --> Jewish infighting and revolt!

Hasmonean Jerusalem

1. Maccabean Revolt
1. Leader: Judas Maccabeaus ("The Hammer")
2. Used Guerilla tactics
3. Was successful and regained control of Jerusalem and the Temple from Seleucids
4. Hasmonean coins during the Hasmonean Dynasty --> Jews had control of their own coins and government, did not have any human images
5. Hasmonean kings were supposed to be temporary, but they did not relinquish power --> fail
6. Hasmonean kings became Hellenized, secular, and corrupt --> they were as oppressive towards others they were oppressed
7. "Solomon's" Pools (=Hasmonean), tie new building to the past to legitimate the the rule
8. Priest becomes sort of a dictator

Who were the pharisees?  Ptolemies or Seleucids?


------------------------------------------------
Thoughts to consider from the Professor

Christians have to argue two things: (1) Jesus is of the Davidic line (2) Jesus is the Son of God.  It's not possible to be both.... therefore it is crucial for Christians that Jesus was born of the "virgin" Mary.  This way, Jesus could be both.  Is the root of religion to simply prove and defend one's beliefs?


I always wondered why people of other faiths did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah when the genealogy is listed from Abraham to Jesus in Matthew 1.  I mean....how much more clear could it be?  But little did I know that the genealogy listed in Matthew and Luke are different..


Christians view King Cyrus as a messiah that enabled the return of Jews back to Jerusalem.  It was God's will, and it was He who moved Cyrus' heart.  If you examine this from a scholarly view though... King Cyrus basically "kicked out" the Jews similarly to how America might kick out its immigrants.  The Hebrew Bible simply depicts this event in a favorable light.  --> The bible is written from a specific point of view, is biased, and is in essence a historical document.  Is it futile to believe all the scientifically-ludicrous stories like Noah's Ark that are in the bible?  Are Christians being foolish to center their whole lives and actions around a biased historical unproven piece of literature?  I'm surprised that this class is having such a big impact on my doubts, curiosities, and interest in religion.


Where do you draw the line between believing and unbelieving when faith could range from cognitive dissonance to complete life-centered belief?  Most Christians these days are educated enough to practice cognitive dissonance.  We've all heard Darwin's Theory of Evolution.  But Sunday school doesn't teach you the discrepancies in the bible that I am learning in this class.  I believe that religion is summed up as thus: a scale ranging from abandoning beliefs, to cognitive dissonance or carrying two separate beliefs, and fully believing to the point of shunning all other explanations.  Every person is on a place on this scale, at varying levels and grades.  My question is, how is it possible in this day and age for someone to be on the extreme right of this scale?


How the Bible was written: Old myths and legends were told for a VERY long time, and every time it was told, it was told differently.  Assyrians had a story that was similar to Noah's Ark but with different characters and different reasons why the ark had to be built.  This story came to be Noah's Ark with the Jews.  Then when the Jews were exiled, they realized it was important to write down these stories as part of their culture.  Once it was written down.... it became important.  It became sacred.  And today...... a collection of books that were simply voted to be in the bible is cherished as...the source of life...the living word...the daily bread.


Supposedly there's another version of Noah's Ark elsewhere in the bible, with different numbers of animals and such.  Only one version, obviously the one we know with two of each animal, is the one that is emphasized.  These metaphors in the bible, such as Noah's Ark or The Creation, are hard to interpret.  I am perfectly comfortable believing that these things actually happened.  But that would be practicing cognitive dissonance, because there is no evidence that the Earth was ever flooded.  The history of Earth has been recorded to be 4.5 billion years old.  I always believed that was reconciled through the fact that God's perception of time is different from human perceptions.  But that in itself is rationalization!  


For now... I will hold onto two different perspectives, not mixing the two...

2/8/11 Tuesday Lecture

Persian Jerusalem
539-333 BCE (during the 2nd Temple Period)

Ezekiel's Vision

• Cognitive dissonance: Ezekiel had a vision of God as a mobile entity again, as with the Ark (God is still alive and He is mobile!)
• Many verses in Ezekiel refer to a utopian dream of new Jerusalem
• Ezekiel 1 has references to images of divine protectors that were in the temple
• Some did not want to build a temple bc the capacity to envision a mobile God was already established (post-exilic vs. 2nd temple literature in Haggai 1-2, Isaiah 66:1-2, Ezekiel 40-48).  Or did the temple even have to be in Jerusalem (other temples)?

Persian Influence on Jerusalem

1. Cyrus, a Persian King

• Compare Persian chronicles (Cyrus Cylinder) with the biblical text
• Cyrus grants the Jews to return to Jerusalem
• Cyrus' generosity?  Or God's will?
• Seen as the Messiah simply because he destroyed the Babylonian empire
• Only problem: Cyrus is not of the Davidic line 

2. Juadism ~ Zoroastrianism

• Two faiths had many similarities
• Perhaps the ideas of heaven and hell, Satan, etc came from Persian influence
• Parts of the bible were written down from oral traditions by scribes after the exile who had Persian influence

The First Return

• Joshua, the High Priest, becomes stronger with the temple, while the power of the Davidic governor decreases
• "Yehud" coins prove that Judah was part of Persia?
• Mt. Gerizim on Neapolis Coin
• Jesus references a Samaritan woman at the well
• Samaritans lived on Mt. Gerizim
• Point?
• Elaphintine Letter 30 - asks for permission to build the temple
• Dead Sea Scrolls were found that gave permission to build the temple
• Jerusalem goes into poverty
• Conflicts with the Samaritans (rich, Persian-influenced returning exiles vs. those who've stayed in Jerusalem and don't want the temple rebuilt) - Nehemiah 4:16-23 describes the struggles in building the temple

King Cyrus was the most interesting part of this lecture.  

Why did King Cyrus let the Jews return?  What did the Persians gain from this?

Why was there so much conflict about simply building a temple?

Could God moving Cyrus' heart be sort of a stretch?

If the Jews believed that God was moving Cyrus' heart, then why did they label Cyrus as the Messiah?  Did they accept by now that the Messiah was not going to be of the Davidic line?

Also... it was fascinating to see the comparison between Judaism and Zoroastrianism, as I know a friend who is Zoroastrian!  I always thought Zoroastrianism was closer to Muhammad and such... Their concept of time and requirement to be born into the religion seem far from the teachings of God.

2/1/11 Tuesday Lecture

More Evidence of Literacy

1. Mezad Hashavyahu Ostracon (writing on broken pottery)

- If a worker comes to work for the day, he will leave his coat as collateral, and the Hebrew Bible criticizes against people who keep the coats and abuse the poor (Exodus 22:25-26, Amos 2:8)

--> Yaveh Yam Letter references this story and was important because it showed that common letters were beginning to reflect Biblical literature (rise of the text)

2. Torah Amulets at Ketef Hinnom

- Number 6:24-26 and Deuteronomy 7:9 was quoted on two silver amulets

--> Literature is even worn as jewelry now

==> Was the text written before references on ostracons and jewelry were made (Bible is real)?  Or were they established oral traditions that weren't written down until much later?

==> When things are written down, it can be analyzed in different ways; if everyone says it's true, the bible becomes more credible; Texts transcend rulers as they can connect time and space; fate of Jerusalem will closely follow the interpretation of texts

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon takes Jerusalem

1. exiles (2nd one at 586 BCE is the destruction of the temple)

2.Josiah's death: (1) 2 Kings gives no explanation, tone is factual and positive (2) Chronicles says Josiah was killed because he seemed to be aiding [the evil] Babylonians, tone is critical and of rationalizing

 --> example of people trying to wrestle with God's broken promise

3. Evidence: 4/290 tablets found near the Ishtar Gate mention Judean royal family which was a "receipt" of their allowances

4. Broken promises: (1) Davidic Dynasty (2) Place for God's people (3) "Chosen" people (4) Temple

Cognitive Dissonance - uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradicting ideas at the same time

What can you do?

--> Abandon the text

--> Change the text/rationalize
- Sing the blues: Lamentation 1, Psalm 79, Psalm 137 are reflections on the tragedy which say that God was punishing them for their sins

- God put his "name" on the throne, things are reinterpreted to be conditional (depends how good you act)

This lecture was very thought-provoking for me.

1. It's crazy how the promise to David, which was said by one prophet (Nathan), became such a huge deal in religion, and applies to so many people.

2. I most definitely experience cognitive dissonance on a daily basis

- Things I want to do vs. have to do (ex: movie vs. lecture)

- Christianity vs. science (ex: theory of evolution)

- American vs. Korean culture

- Church Sunday school vs. Holy Jerusalem class

- For example... with the creation story of God creating the world in 7 days, I have personally rationalized it by reinterpreting "days."  The concept of time for God and humans are vastly different, and 1 day for God could be millions of years on Earth.  I actually do firmly believe this, but was surprised to know that scholars considered this as "rationalizing."  The religious would view this as having strong faith.  The human mind that wants to rationalize and stay firmly rooted is very interesting.  I have very mixed feelings about this, and in essence, am practicing cognitive dissonance here!

3. Why were the Israelites the chosen people?  The Christian God is one of love and benevolence.  Christians currently go on missions around the world to evangelize, implicitly believing that all humankind is to be saved.  Why did God only protect the Israelites?  What about the Egyptians, Phonecians, and Assyrians?  Did he not care if they went to hell?  On a bigger scale, it's the relationship between God and mankind.  It seems very uncharacteristic of God to select only the Israelites.  I guess this is going into the controversial topic of predestination...

4. Why did God break his promise and let the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem?  The Christian God is all-knowing and controls all events on this Earth.  He knew that destroying Jerusalem would lead some to dissent and abandon the text, hence creating unbelievers.  This directly goes against God's desires.  I guess someone could rationalize my statement by telling me that God is very complex and we cannot pin down exactly who He is...

5. Some things like the Name Theology seem to be a bit of a stretch

1/27/11 Thursday Lecture

Literature Tradition

- Once the Assyrians adopted Aramaic writing, it became important for the state to write down everything in order to build up the legend of Jerusalem, and to exercise control (propaganda).  This is how Christianity, Judaism, and Islam became text-based faiths where the written rule was more important than the King’s position

Hezekiah

- Referred to in the bible as the messiah (one who is anointed with oil) who will deliver Israel from Assyria (Isaiah 7, Isaiah 9, Isaiah 11)

- Fact: Sennacherib (Assyria) does not defeat Hezekiah (Jerusalem)

- Opinion: From Assyrian’s POV, they had other responsibilities and wars and had to pull out.  From Jerusalem’s POV, their city was saved by God

- This marked the moment when Jerusalem’s reputation became to be one of a protected city

- Zion Theology: literary references that refer to the belief that Jerusalem is God’s chosen city and where the Jews should live

- Hezekiah knocked down other YHWY shrines except for the Jerusalem temple in order to centralize religion around Jerusalem

Josiah

- Deuteronomistic theology – good works à God’s blessings and vice versa

- Jerusalem grows and multiplies, so when a young Josiah becomes king at the age of 8, authority is built around a written text

- Josiah also knocked down shrines like his father Hezekiah, but he did so under the impression that those shrines were made to worship other gods.  This shows that the tradition of worshipping one true God was very ingrained into Jerusalem’s culture by this time

Hezekiah is known to have been a great king.  Why does he think in Isaiah 39:8, “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good [regarding Babylon taking all of Judah’s treasures]…For [Hezekiah] thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.’”  It seems as if Hezekiah doesn’t care if Judah will be defeated (as long as its not under his reign).  This selfish thought seems to directly go against the Hezekiah described in 2 Kings 18:5-7: “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel.  There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.  He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him…and the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.”

Where in the bible is the evidence that the shrines Hezekiah destroyed were indeed shrines for YHWY and not another god? 

1/25/11 Tuesday Lecture

Today's lecture was about Hezekiah's Jerusalem.  Basically, this is the period where Jerusalem splits up into Judah and Israel.

Sequence of Events
1. Rehoboam (Solomon's son) is a harsh king

2. Split of Jerusalem into Israel and Judah
- Rehoboam (Judah) asks Pharaoh Shoshenq (Egypt) for help
- Baasha (Israel) attacks Judah
- Asa (Judah) asks Ben-Hadad (Syria) for help
- Jehu (Israel) asks Shalmaneser III (Assyria) for help; (black obelisk of Shalmaneser III)

3. Rise of the Assyrian Empire (I'm a little confused of the details here!)
- Tiglath-Pileser III (Assyria) conquers many lands
- Syria & the north attack Judah.  So Ahaz (Judah) asks Shalmaneser V (Assyria) for help, and Israel is defeated; Israel is reinforced under Assyria with Hoshea as king
- The north try to get help from Egypt (is this right?)
- Sargon II (Assyria) continues policy of deportation
- Sennacherib (Assyria) conquers Philistia and Judah (but not Jerusalem)
- Esarhaddon (Assyria) conquers Egypt

3. Assyria takes over Israel (Seems like Jerusalem is a land protected by God), and Israel is no more
- Military tactics = kill (surround and starve a city), take over (deportations), brag, and intimidate (crucifixions, decapitated heads on spears, Sennacherib's Palace Reliefs)

5. With Israel gone, --> growth of Jerusalem to the west
- Urbanization
- Industrialization (olive oil, wine)
- Centralization of power; need for taxing and administration (lamellics - royal seal impressions, LMLK - for the king) (What is MMST??)
- Population increase
- Social dislocation
- Family structure: extended --> nuclear)
- Different religious views arise
- Urban vs. rural traditions clash
- Social justice: craft specialization --> social classes
- Assyrians adopt Aramaic language (seals and ostraca receipts)

4. Hezekiah's reign - prepare to rebel against Assyria
- Stockpile grains ("broad" wall)
- Gain water (Hezekiah's Tunnel - Graffito, 2 Kings 20:20, "Israel" pool)
- Administration (royal storage jars w/ LMLK seal impression)

5. Josaiah's reign

Major Themes
1. Weak states must pay tribute to powerful nations (Assyria, Egypt) for protection, or simply to avoid being killed.
2. The north was always viewed as being "evil," and the bible is even written from the southern point of view; all their misfortune is attributed to their disobedience of God

Questions
1. 2 Kings 25 says that Ishmael "...son of Elishama, who was of royal blood," killed "Gedaliah [the governor of Judah appointed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon] and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians", and this made people fear the Babylonians and flee to Egypt.  What side/country is Ishmael from?  Why would someone kill the King of Judah appointed by the Babylonians, men of Judah, and the Babylonians?  Google says Ishmael is the first son of Abraham, father to the 12 tribes...

2. It seems like Judah is the "chosen land," while Israel is the "rebellious land."  I'm having trouble completely believing this distinction, as there were numerous evil kings also in Judah.  Additionally, Judah is also destroyed at the end (as said in Malachi).  How can Judah be the chosen nation?




There are so many similar names that confuse you!  For example, Jeroboam (King of Israel) & Rehoboam (King of Judah).  Were they both sons of Solomon because their names both ended in -boam?  Another prime example: In 2 Kings 22-25, after Josiah, Jehoahaz becomes King of Judah, then Jehoiakim, then Jehoiachin....  Super confusing, right?


What was the point of powerful nations like Assyria and Babylon setting up new kings that were loyal to them in the lands they conquered?  Why didn't they just add on this new land and rule it themselves?  That way, they wouldn't have to worry about rebellion.  Perhaps it is because the fusion of cultures was inconvenient.


Why is the word "Israel" so prevalent in Christianity?  It almost has a positive connotation, and God is sometimes referred to as the "God of Israel."  Why would this be so if Israel was a disobedient nation in the eyes of God?


This background knowledge has shed a LOTTTTTTT of light in my readings and basic understanding of history.  (:

1/20/11 Thursday Lecture

----Associate bible stoires with early Jerusalem in order to BUILD TRADITION!----

The Promise to David
- 2 Samuel 7 is a very important verse; God promises David's line to become a dynasty and never to pass away.  He also says that David's son, Solomon, will be the one to build Him a temple
- But David's line eventually disappears... This has led people to (1) lose faith (2) reinterpret the text and believe that a king from David's line is somewhere or will come.  Some believe that this king is Jesus.
- It is crucial that the bible ties in geneology in order to create credibility as many claimed to be the Messaiah
- Psalm 110 & Psalm 76:1-3 also have references to Jerusalem.  They created "songs" in order to build tradition.

Solomon's Jerusalem
- He built a physical house/temple for God/the Ark.  This was in line with the originial tradition of the diety dwelling in a building (consecration of an established space)
- Wise (story of two women and a baby)
- Assumed to have written Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs (Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs are considered to be "soiled" books by the Jews)
- Also rode on a donkey and was annointed at Gihon

Solomon's Remains
- No temple or palace.  We must rely on literary evidence for Solomon, because there is not much archaeological evidence.  For example, instead of the second temple being built in a tell style (where the new building is built over the old one), King Herrod simply broke down the whole thing and rebuilt the second temple.
- Were David and Solomon real??  Absense of evidence doesn't mean anything.  They could have been false, real, or not as opulent as the bible says.
- Fragmentary archaeological evidence:
1. Megiddo (from "Armageddon") was a hill where major battles took place.  Two scholars have friendly, but differening opinions of the dating of this hill.
2. Ophel excavations reveal a small inscription (not that groundbreaking).  It is certain that Jesus was at these steps
3. Mole (sp?) gate
4. Iron age gate

Solomon's Temple
- The two pillars in Solomon's temple could stand for various things: Jachin and Boaz, idol worship, YHWH and wife, fertility symbols, or decoration
- Pre-Josaiah: other Gods exist, but they are not worshipped.  Post-Josaiah: monotheism - there is only one God.
--> The literary description of Solomon's temple (small rooms in the back, big space in front, portico, two pillars, main hall, water being a cosmic element, using Cedar popularly from Lebanon, Cherubims, city gate architecture) is very similar to the other temples of that time period (Tel Ta'yinat and 'Ain Dara).  This brings more credibility for Solomon.


The Footsteps of God in 'Ain Dara were very interesting.  This was the first time I had heard of them.  I wonder if this is considered to be legit evidence.  It could have been falsely created... no one knows the actual figure of God... and the Hebrew Bible never says that God came down to Earth in physical form...

Seeing David and Solomon in an academic setting has opened my views.  I could blindly believe that they are true historical figures, but it could also be true from an objective standpoint that these figures have been exaggerated, and were not as affluent in the whole span of history...

1/18/11 Tuesday Lecture

This was a fairly short lecture as Professor Cargill let us off early (as we had slaved away the night before writing our papers).  Thank you Professor Cargill !!

Water Constructions
1. Warren's Shaft
- Was it really used to fetch water, or was it simply a natural cave?
- Interesting that the rock level is higher at the bottom. --> Must have lowered buckets into the pool.
- Theory: maybe Joab became David's commander by going through the shaft and conquering the Jebusite city.
--> The existence of this shaft gives the Hebrew Bible text credibility

2. Gihon Spring
- "Gihon" means "gushing."  The Gihon Spring had gushes that lasted 40 mins, had 6-8 hrs between gushes, pumped 314 gallons/day, and was enough water for 2500 people.  Perfect for Jerusalem's survival.

3. Hezekaih Tunnel Inscription
- There's a tunneling account carved onto the wall of the tunnel.
--> Evidence for the authenticity of expanding the waterworks. 
- Dead ends prove that people were digging through this tunnel trying to find water.

4. Siloam Pool
- Problematic for scholars that this pool is underneath Palestinean homes
--> A lot of time and effort was put into capturing water
- Reference to Siloam in John 9:1-11

The Annointing of Kings
- Note: if a name ends in -iah, it means they've incorporated God into their name
- It was ancient Israelite tradition for the King to ride a royal donkey to the Gihon and become annointed there as part of the coronation ceremony.
- Interesting that we see this same tradition in the Hebrew Bible as Jesus performs this act. 
--> Jesus was not being humble.  He was making a bold claim to the throne of Isarel
- Note: It's interesting that Matthew left out the words "righteous and vicarious" in his version of the tradition.

The Ark of the Covenant
- The Ark was the structure that carried the tablet of 10 Commandments given to Moses.  It was a portable shrine of gold overlayed with chrubims for these nomadic people, and signifies where God would meet His people
- You weren't even allowed to touch it (Uzzah's death), which is why people carried it on poles
- Ironic because God disapproved of idols, yet they carried around this shrine with them to worship
- Cherubims were protecting beasts!  Not fluffy angels.
- The ark was built, lost, replaced, and finally put in a tent in Jerusalem


The tradition of annointing kings was the most interesting part of lecture for me.  When I learned about Jesus' procession on a donkey in Sunday schoool, I had a completely different impression of the story than what I learned in this class.  I was told that Jesus was very humble because he rode up in a simple donkey (not a valiant horse).  He didn't expect much, but the people revered him so much that they covered the road with their own cloaks and palm branches. 
This story takes on a wholly different tone when you take into account the tradition of annointing kings.  A humble story suddenly becomes phrophetic and bold.  This would be an interesting topic for my research paper.

Professor Cargill keeps telling us how Jerusalem incorporated ancient stories (such as The Creation story in Genesis) in order to build up its reputation and consescrate its sacred space, but I can't help thinking, "What if it was all a coincidence?"  What if Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac really did happen at Mt. Moriah and Jerusalem was also built on Mt. Moriah?  I doubt that the early leaders of Jerusalem pondered, "Hmm.. what should we name this mountain in order to make it seem like it is holy?"  I will have to figure out the time difference between when these traditional stories were created, and when Jerusalem came about.  Maybe this is what I will write about in my research paper.

1/13/11 Thursday Lecture

Professor Cargill values architectural proof as a devout archaeologist.  He supports biblical claims with archaeological evidence.  "Always question, never believe!" says Professor Cargill.

Chronology
Late bronze age (Pre-Israelite): beginning --> 1000 BCE
Iron Age (David & Solomon): 1000 BCE --> ?

Early Jerusalem
- There were many settlements before the Israelites (continuous settlement for almost 6000 years now!)
- Evidence:
1. Pottery 3200 BCE
2. Execration texts (curse texts that are shattered) that mention Jerusalem 1900 BCE
3. Gihon gate 18 BCE as the "Fountain Gate" in Nehemiah
4. "Tower or Siloam" in Luke
5. Jerusalem mentioned in non-biblical texts like the Amarna Letters 1350 BCE from Jerusalem asking Pharaoh for political and military aid
6. References in the bible to King Melchizedek of Salem
7. Bible references to kings prior to David

The Controversy to How The Israelites Got to Jerusalem
1. Conquest/non-conquest - the Israelites suddenly appeared at Jerusalem after plundering previous inhabitants
2. Immigration - the Israelites slowly moved into Israel
3. Canaanite City - Canaanites slowly evolved into Israelites
--> Controversy in the bible

David's Jerusalem
- Supposedly an amazing king!  A man after God's own heart.
- Did he really exist?

Ironic Naming
- Hill of Offense (where Solomon build idols) is now a Palestinian land with conflicts consisting of Israelites buying up this land.
- Bill of Evil Counel happens to be the site of UN headquarters.

The Millo
- A steep structure on the east hill of the City of David; stepped stone structure called Area G
- Might be a typical Israeli house (4 rooms separated by pillars) like the House of Ahiel
- Difficult to excavate in order to find out more because they'd have to destroy houses

Written Names Found
- Two bullaes found with the name of Gemaryahu ben Shaphan which is also mentioned in the bible.  How common is the name?  Does this prove David's existence?
- Tel Dan Inscription - aramaic inscription mentions the House of David.  This at least proves that someone thought David existed, and some people did refer to themselves as the House of David.  But it does not prove his existence.

Questions
1. I don't quite understand how King Melchizedek references Jerusalem
2. Is Area G part of Millo?  Is the Millo suspected of being part of David's palace or an Israeli house (House of Ahiel)?

After personally reading about David in so many books of the Hebrew Bible, I was fully convinced that such a great king existed.  I did not know that there wasn't a lot of archaeological evidence for David.  Instead of questioning my belief of David's existence, I am curious as to why there would be so little archaeological evidence for someone so important as David in Christianity, as Jesus eventually comes from the house of David.

1/11/11 Tuesday Lecture

Temple
- Temple: building/structure to worship God in/a place where God dwells
- Theme: God gives specific plans for the temple to be built
- Divine origin for sacred places
- Know examples and dates

Consecration of Sacred Space
- Building the reputation of a sacred place and attracting stories/legends (ex: similar to cutting the ribbon of a new building or a frat house's reputation)
- Major theme: Jerusalem is a magnet for stories/legends!  (ex: Gihon Garden of Eden river, Adam being buried under the Dome of the Rock, King Melchizedek of Salem --> Jerusalem, Solomon's Temple being built on Abraham's Mt. Moriah)

Time is Sacred
- Because both time and space were sacred, when space was destroyed, a new definition of being Jewish came about which encompassed the sacrality of time (ex: different reasons for the Sabbath in Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy)

Axis Mundi
- Connects Earth to heaven and hell
- Sacred places with altars that are consecrated become connections between heaven and hell (ex: burning bush, 10 commandments given at the top of a mountain, David's altar, Hinnom Gai/valley was a trash dump.  Therefore, Gehenna = hell)

Sacred Places Attract Tradition
- Ex: prayers in the Western wall, denominations fighting for the Holy Sepulcher and Adam's tomb, God at the top of mountains (Cosmic mountain, Mt. Zion, Mt. Zaphon)



Questions
1. Does the temple mount = Solomon's temple/Herrod's temple?
2. Was the temple mount replaced by the Dome of the Rock?


There many words thrown in this class, such as: Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, Herrod's Temple, and Wailing Wall...... or Cosmic Mountain, Mt. Zion, and Mt. Zaphon.......or City of David, Jerusalem, The Old City, The Lower City that are a bit confusing and hard to distinguish from each other.  What is the clear relationship between these places? 


I found Professor Cargill's whole YHWH description very interesting.  I had no idea LORD was YHWH!  


The lecturing about the Church of Holy Sepulcher was also thought-provoking for me.  How can so many different denominations fight to worship various Gods in one location?  They are not even supposed to fight in a place of worship!  It's ironic that these holy people do not trust each other and must give the key to a Muslim... 

1/6/11 Thursday Lecture

In this first lecture by Professor Cargill, he have us a great introduction to Jersulaem: the geography, physical features, and why it is the center of the world.  He then started to lecture about the Eliade's concept of "sacred space."

----A place is sacred if one believes that something supernatural/an important birth happened there.----


Geography
1. Two main trade routes (The Via Maris and The King's Highway) which were along the coast
2. The Jordan river was named so, because it means "to descend," and it flowed from the highest point (Mt.  Harmon) to the lowest.
3. Sits on a hill (natural defense, therefore Jerusalem was always conquered from the North).  Why would Mount Zion be so important?  (1) Military defense (2) Closer to God (3) "Feels more majestic"
4. Divided into four quarters (Christian NW, Islamic/Muslim NE, Jewish SE, Armenian SW).  The temple mount could be considered the fifth quarter
5. Three valleys (Kidron E, Hinnom W, Tyropean central)

Physical Features
1. Need resources, trade, and natural defense to be a big city.  Jerusalem only had the Gihon spring but it is still central to three religions because water is important.
2. Water route into city: Hezekiah's tunnel --> Warren's Shaft --> Siloam Pool
3. Interesting side-note: Israeli's had to destroy Palestinian houses to expand Siloam Pool excavation --> war!
4. Many bible examples given (Genesis 2, Ezekiel 47, Revelation 22, Quran 47:15) for water as being sacred.

Sacred Space
1. A sacred space must be found, and something must be done to it (ex: pouring oil, cutting off skin)
2. Etiology - attempt to explain natural phenomenon
3. Axis Mundi - place that connects heaven and Earth.


Professor Cargill definitely made this lecture interesting with his humor.  This lecture was personally intriguing for me, as Professor Cargill shed Jerusalem and the bible in a new light.  Although I had heard of Jerusalem my whole spiritual life, and although I had read many of the stories in the bible, never had I heard of the Gihon spring or the valleys, and never had I seen certain aspects of the bible.  For example, the fact that humans come last in Genesis 1 but first in Genesis 2, or the fertility/ladder metaphor in Jacob's Ladder.  It amazes me that I did not see the discrepancy in the Genesis stories although I had definitely read it before.  This is my first time taking any sort of religious class on campus, and I am very excited to see Jerusalem in an academic setting.  (: