Jesus and His World Flashcards
What is the Tel Dan inscription?
a 9th c. BCE inscription that says “House of David.” Incised by the king of Syria, discovered in 1993 by Avraham Biran
How many sites of the biblical world have been excavated?
approximately 5%
What science is used to trace pottery to its source?
Neutron Activation Analysis, which is nuclear process used for determining the concentrations of elements in a vast amount of materials
What science helps us to see text no longer visible?
Digital Imaging Enhancement
What helps date once-living items like wood, clothes, etc.
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (also known as radiocarbon dating), which is a technique for measuring long-lived radionuclides that occur naturally in our environment.
What technologies help archaeologists identify where to dig?
Ground Penetrating Sonar (detects anomalies below the surface), Magnetometry (identifies magnetic signatures of rock), and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (identifies types of rock)
How big was Nazareth in the 1 century?
A small village of 200 to 400 people and no more than 4 hectares
Are there 1st century remains in Nazareth?
Yes, a house and other remains are in the lowest levels of the church of the Annunciation
Why is Kefar Hananya significant?
Located 16 kms from Sepphoris, it seems to have produced 75% of all of the pottery used by Jews in Galilee.
Who founded cynicism?
Founded by Diogenes (c. 421-321 BCE), Cynic is a nickname meaning “dog-like” because of the unkempt appearance and actions.
How do we know that pre-70 CE Sepphoris was largely Jewish?
No pig bones, no coins with images, and concentration of stoneware in the pre-70 layer (which is the burn layer)
Why did Jesus choose Capernaum?
It is placed in the vicinity of important trade routes and lines of communication. This is partly why his fame spread quickly.
What is the Theodotos inscription?
Likely to come from pre 70 CE, it attests to the existence of synagogues, as it mentions “Theodotos, (son) of Vettenus, priest and synagogue ruler.”
How many pre-70 CE synagogues are there?
Likely 8 or 9:
Capernaum - limestone foundation of current 4th c. synagogue;
Gamla - excavated in the 70s, found in the pre-70 CE layer;
the Herodium - a triclinium converted to synagogue in 66 or 67 CE by rebels;
Jericho - synagogue dates to 80-74 BCE. Includes columns and a miqveh;
Mandala - Found in the 70s (confirmed in 2009) is a 1st c. BCE synagogue, rectangular and with columns. A stone relief with a menorah was also found;
Masada - Excavated between ‘64-65 by Yigael Yadin;
Modi’in - possibly Modein of 1 Maccabees, dated to the Herodian period. The modern site is Khirbet Umm el-‘Umdan;
Qaryat Sefer - Khirbet Badd ‘Isa synagogue is dated to the 1st c. and seems to have been abandoned during the Bar Kochba revolt;
Shuafat - No proper reporting has yet been done, but Alexander Onn announced in 1991 that he found a 2nd c. BCE synagogue here.
