AN N EA 10w 3/3/11 Lecture

We began lecture finishing off the Early Islamic Period before the Crusaders invaded Jerusalem. The Abbasid Dynasty ruled from 750-969 CE out of Baghdad. They tried to wipe out memory of Umayyid accomplishments by taking credit for everything. For example, Abbasid Caliph al-Ma-mun takes credit for building the Dome of the Rock but forgets to erase the date of construction. During this time, the Abbasid continue polemic against Christians. Muhammad al-Sanhaji, governor of Jerusalem, kills John, Patriarch of Jerusalem in 965 CE. After the Abbasid Dynasty came the Fatimid Dynasty that ruled from 969-1099 CE out of Egypt. This was a period of upheaval, but steady population increase. The treatment of Jew and Christians depended on the ruler. Jewish and Christian governors were appointed near end of Fatimid rule. In 1009 Caliph al-Hakim orders destruction of all Jewish and Christian houses of prayer, including the Holy Sepulcher. In 1033, an earthquake severely damages Jerusalem's walls and Dome of the Rock. From 1078-1098 CE, the enemies of the Fatimids, the Seljuqs, occupy Jerusalem, destroying and looting the city. They massacred thousands of its inhabitants.

After the Crusades were over, Jerusalem once again was under Islamic rule. This time, it was the Mamluks who were in control. Mamluk Jerusalem was from 1250-1516 CE, a time where Jerusalem becomes a religious center. This was more of a movement rather than a dynasty. During this time, Jerusalem was politically and militarily insignificant, but had religious importance. There was intensive building of schools, hospitals, and hotels. The Al Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya, a Quar'ranic school, was built as well in 1482. It is known as the "Third Jewel of Jerusalem". The Mamluks tried building things and doing things for the community. There was much enhancement in the Islamic quarter and the Jewish quarter began go to grow as a religious quarter.

The Ottomon came to power in Jerusalem from 1516-1918. The reason Jerusalem was insignificant for a while was because the walls around the city were destroyed. There was no protection for the inhabitants of the city so it wasn't much of a threat. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem. It was two miles long, forty feet high, 34 towers, and 7 gates. It was an extensive campaign to refurbish the Temple Mount. Also, Jews were encouraged to settle in Jerusalem to restore the city's population.

AN N EA 10w 3/1/11 Lecture

In between the Early and Late Islamic Period is the age of the Crusaders and their rule in Jerusalem from 1099- 1291 CE. The Crusades was basically a holy war of liberation to free Jerusalem and other parts of Palestine from Islamic rule. The Crusaders took vows and were granted penance for past sins if they fought in the war. The holy war was fueled by both political and religious motives. Islam was expanding rapidly and was becoming popular in laces like Spain and France. In 1095, Pope Urban II calls upon nobility to help Byzantines against the attacking Muslims and to free Jerusalem while they were on the way. The Pope recruited both rich and poor to fight the Turks and used religious forgiveness as incentive. The first army was comprised of mainly peasants who did not have any experience of war. This was known as the Peasant's Crusade. They were ill-equipped and untrained, which led to their demise when they were slaughtered by the veteran Turkish army. The Crusaders made sure the next army would be comprised of knights and men who knew how to fight in war. This took a couple years to build up but this army eventually defeated many Turkish armies in Palestine and eventually laid siege on Jerusalem. The Crusaders took Jerusalem in 1099 CE and massacred thousands of Muslims, Jews, and even Christians in the city. They basically quarantined the city of almost all of its inhabitants.

After Jerusalem is conquered by the Crusaders led by Godfrey de Bouillon, he refuses to wear the crown. Palestine becomes "kingdom of Jerusalem" and in 1100, Baldwin becomes king of Jerusalem. During this time, a group known as the Templars came into prominence. They were a group of knights who protected Christians who were being attacked while they were on the way to the Holy City. In return, they were given the Al-Aqsa Mosque as their dwelling quarters. The Templars became a very popular group and many recruits began to join the group. It was also during this time that Jerusalem was separated into different quarters: the Patriarch's Quarter, the Templar's Quarter, the Syrian Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter.

The Crusaders began a holy reconstruction of Jerusalem, re-modifying Islamic buildings to Christian-type buildings. The Dome of the Rock was changed into a church and a cross was placed on top of the Dome. All Islamic writing was removed because it was seen as a defilement to their Holy place. Old Byzantine churches were rebuilt and hundreds of new churches were erected throughout Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was expanded and innovated to be more majestic and beautiful. Crusader Jerusalem did not last for long because the Muslims were uniting under one banner to fight against the Crusaders. Their leader, Saladin was a charismatic and young leader who promised to reclaim Jerusalem for Islamic rule. The Crusaders arrogantly decided to march against the Islamic army without any source of water, which led to their ultimate doom. The Crusader army was defeated at the "Horns of Hattin" in July 1187, leaving Jerusalem undefended. Jerusalem eventually surrenders to Saladin in September 26, 1187, who spared the Christians if they left the city. There was purification and reclamation of the Haram and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was given to the Greek Orthodox. When Saladin dies in 1194, his successors struggle for power, where we see the beginning of the late Islamic period.

AN N EA 10w 2/22/11 Lecture

The Early Islamic Period begins when Caliph Umar takes over Jerusalem in 638 CE, starting the Umayyad Dynasty ruling from Damascus. Caliph Umar makes a written agreement with the Christians that Jews would not be allowed to settle but later changes his mind, leading to the steady increase of Jews in Jerusalem. Jerusalem becomes the third holiest city in the Islamic faith. When Muslims pray, they face the Kaaba in Mecca, where is supposed to be the holiest place and inside the Kaaba is a rock that was from the times of Adam and Eve. There are Five "Pillars" in Islam. The first, Shahada, or "Testimony", in which a person recites the Muslim profession of faith that says there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger. The second is Salat, or "prayer", where one prays five times a day towards Mecca. The third is Zakat, which is almsgiving to the needy. The fourth is Sawm, which is fasting in the month of Ramadan. The last is Hajj, which is making a pilgrimage to Mecca once in one's lifetime.

During the Umayyad Dynasty, many monuments and palaces were built to build up the majesty of Jerusalem. Abd al-Malik builds Dome of the Rock in 691 CE to divert pilgrimage from Mecca to Jerusalem. The Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on the Temple Mount and many Umayyad Palaces were built around the old Temple Mount. These palaces were built over the remains of the Byzantine monumental and residential buildings, were equipped with fresh water and sewage systems, were decorated with carved and molded stucco, and the floors were paved with flagstone and mosaics.

The Dome of the Rock was commissioned in 687 CE and completed 691 CE. The project was financed with taxes from Egypt for seven years, allowing the top of the Dome to be built in solid gold. The Rock is supposed to be the site of the Holy of Holies, a stop on Muhammad's Mi'raj where from the rock he leaps to heaven on the back of al-Buraq, the location of the access to the underworld, and the place of final judgment. The Dome of the Rock has many traditions that are linked with it, making it even more important to the Islamic faith.

Also on the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Chain and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Dome of the Chain is where the final judgment will occur in the "end of days" and it is at the geometric center of the Haram esh-Sharif. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is known as the "The Farthest Mosque" and was built between 705-715 CE by Caliph Walid al-Malik. Prayer in the Al-Aqsa Mosque is supposed to worth 500 elsewhere.

AN N EA 10w 2/17/11 Lecture

After King Herod dies, his kingdom is divided into 3 regions ruled by 3 different sons. The first son was Archelaus who became ethnarch of Judea. He got the lion's share of the kingdom including Jerusalem and Samaria. He was a very ineffective ruler, resulting in an only 10 year reign. The second son was Herod Antipas, who became the tetrarch of Perea and Galilee. He was also an ineffective ruler who ruled from 4 BCE until his exile in 39 CE. The third son was Herod Philip, who became tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, which is northwest of the Sea of Galilee. He ruled from 4 BCE until his death in 34 CE. One thing Herod Philip did was put his face on coins, which was something you didn't do in Jewish culture. However, since Herod Philip's kingdom was so far away from Jerusalem and from the conservative Jews, they would never see these coins with Philips face on them. Herodian rulers were gradually replaced by Roman procurators (direct Roman rule).

Pontius Pilate became governor or Jerusalem and ruled from 26 to 37 CE. He is best known for allowing the crucifixion of Christ recorded in the New Testament. He was a horrible governor and was ineffective. He provoked the Jews, did not respect their traditions, and was eventually recalled to Rome in 37 CE. Roman governors in Jerusalem (6-66 CE) were inexperienced and inept. They persecuted Jews and were disrespectful to Jewish traditions, and this eventually led to another Jewish revolt known as the "1st Jewish Revolt".

Rome was angry that Jerusalem was revolting, so Vespasian was sent to conquer Galilee and the Transjordan. Vespasian was the emperor's right hand man and most trusted military leader. He put down the Jewish revolt with ease. In 68 CE, Roman Emperor Nero dies and Vespasian was proclaimed Emperor in 70 CE. Vespasian's son, Titus takes charge of the military campaign while Vespasian returned to Rome to be emperor. On the 9th of Ab, 70 CE, the Northern city falls and the temple in Jerusalem is destroyed by Titus. When this happened there was institutional and spiritual crisis that led to the creation of many different sects of Judaism. Jerusalem is rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina and the province is renamed Syria-Palestina. Jews were banned from Jerusalem except for 9th of Ab to mourn their defeat. The pharisees and Christians religion were able to survive because they weren't dependent on the temple. Their religion was more spiritually based rather than physically based. This also led to the rise of the synagogue.

AN N EA 10w 2/15/11 Lecture

The end of the Hasmonean Period in Jerusalem would mark the last time Jews have control of their own government until modern day Israel. This also marked the beginning of Rome's rule of Jerusalem beginning in 63 BCE. Pompey assumes control to settle dispute between two Hasmonean kings: Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. Hyrcanus is installed as the "ethnarch" and Antipater is installed as the procurator, sons installed as local rulers. Pompey also entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple, which is forbidden in the Jewish culture. This is known as the "The Abomination of Desolation" because no one is to enter the Holy of Holies except the High Priest once a year.

In 43 BCE, Antipater was murdered and Herod exacts revenge. Herod helps Rome by expelling the Parthians and in turn receives favor from Rome. In 37 BCE, Herod takes control of Jerusalem. Herod was known as a client king because he wanted to appease both Jews and Rome. He was Judaized by the Hasmoneans so he was superficially "Jewish", giving him the support of other Jews. Knowledge of Jewish traditions also gave him support. Herod ruled from 37 to 4 BCE and he was a ruthless ruler who murdered everybody that opposed him. He was the perfect king for Rome because instead of the Jews hating Rome for taking over Jerusalem, they hated Herod.

He is also known for his massive building projects, including the expansion of the second temple and builds the huge retaining wall around the temple mount. The Herodian Temple Mount closely resembles other sacred areas with podium surrounded by porticles and a free standing temple in the center. It was the size of 15 football fields and had retaining walls that were 80 feet tall. Herod also built "hide-outs" or escape mansions where he can flee in case the Jews revolted against him. One was the Citadel of David which was built as a keep inside the city in case of invasion and also as a runaway place when Jews got really angry. He built the Caesarea Theatre to make Rome happy, one of the most beautiful architectures ever built.

There is speculation of whether or not Herod was a good king or bad king because although he was a dictator, he allowed the Jews to worship their own way and did not break Jewish traditions. He was respectful to Jewish religion and helped them expand the Temple and temple mount. He can be seen as both a bad or good king, depending on your own perspective.

AN N EA 10w 2/10/11 Lecture

Although the Persian Empire was massive and covered much land, a new force grew from Macedonia and a young king named Alexander the Great rose to prominence. He later conquered the "known world" including Palestine from 336-323 BCE. Alexander defeats Persia's King Darius at Battle of Issus in 333 BCE and begins the Hellenistic Period in Jerusalem. When King Alexander died in 323 BCE, his kingdom was divided and given to the Ptolemies (Egyptians) and Seleucids (Syrians). The first to rule in Jerusalem was Ptolemy 1 from 300-201 BCE. During this time, the Jews in Jerusalem were allowed to do whatever they wanted as long as they paid taxes and didn't revolt. They were allowed to keep their high priesthood and Jewish traditions. The Seleucids begin to rule Jerusalem after defeating Ptoloemy V in 198 BCE and advocated "Hellenism" by forcing Jews to speak Greek to have linguistic unity. The Hellenistic Period (201-164 BCE) would change every aspect of Jewish life.

The architecture of Jewish tombs and buildings began to have Greek style architecture and Greek became the most spoken language of most Jews. The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek and even Jesus quotes the Greek version Bible because it became the most used during the Hellenistic Period. When Antiochus IV came to power in 175-164 BCE, he deposes High Priest Onias III and sells the high priesthood to his brother Jason in 175 BCE. In addition, he suppressed Jewish resistance by looting temple treasury, outlawed Jewish religious practices, sacrificed pig on temple altar, and changed the temple to a temple for Zeus. This obviously caused hatred for the conservative orthodox Jews, but some Jews welcomed these changes. This eventually leads to Jewish divisions and development of different sects/factions. The growing frustration of the conservative Jews would lead to revolt.

This revolt becomes the "Maccabean Revolt" lead by Judas Maccabaeus. He lead the conservative Jews against the other Jews and Greeks using guerilla tactics. The revolt was surprisingly successful and retook the temple and Jerusalem from the Seleucids. They established Hanukkah to commemorate the victory and established self-rule for the first time since exile to Babylon. This lead to the Hasmonean Dynasty and kings who were said to be descendants of "Hasnom". The Golden Age was restored and Jewish territory expanded. However, rulers became increasingly Hellenized, secular, and corrupt. The kings declared themselves king and high priest which is ironic because the purpose of the revolt was to dispose of the messing of the high priesthood. They also forcibly Judaized surrounding Gentile regions.

This time period did not last for long because there was a lot of instability with Pharisees and Saducees who had different views of Judaism. Different Hasmonean kings favored different sides and Jerusalem was falling apart from the inside out. In 63 BCE, Rome led by Pompey arrived and took over Jerusalem and took authority away from the High Priest.

AN N EA 10w 2/8/11 Lecture

Although the Babylon Empire was massive and seemed unbeatable, all empires come to an end. The Persian Empire began to rise and eventually defeated the Babylonians. By defeating the Babylonians, they gained control of Jerusalem as well. This is known as the "Second Temple Period" of Jerusalem because the Jews eventually rebuild the temple that was once destroyed by the Babylonians. When the Persian Empire (539 BCE-333 BCE) entered Babylon, they didn't enjoy the presence of the Jews in the city. The king of Persia, Cyrus, sent the Jews back to Jerusalem. The Persians wanted to be seen as liberators rather than conquerors. During their time in Babylon, the Jews adopted the language Aramaic, so that became their main language when they returned to Jerusalem.

Remember that during this time, the Jews were still feeling cognitive dissonance. Their faith in God's promises dwindled because of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem itself. In response to this, the Jews attempted to interpret God's messages in different ways. The Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of God, was never heard of again. It seemed that God had abandoned His people. Ezekiel, a prophet of God, gives a prophesy of a New Jerusalem coming in the future. He has an apocalyptic vision of a mobile shrine of God, one that has wheels and wings so that it can move around. This vivid image of a mobile shrine of God was much different than the Ark of the Covenant which was a stationary shrine. The vision conveys that God is still here, and He is mobile, not just stationary. This prophesy is found in Ezekiel 1, and it gave hope to Jews that God was still around and watching over them.

When returning to Jerusalem, the main focus of the Jews was to reestablish the temple and high priesthood. The new High Priest was Joshua and the governor was Zerubbabel. The question was whether or not the Jews still needed a temple to worship God. Judaism had survived the exile to Babylon and God was envisioned to be a mobile God, no longer dwelling in the temple. In Haggai 1, we see God command His people to rebuild "His House". The second temple was built in the same way as the first, but was said to "pale the former glory" of the first temple. We also see the construction of other temples rather than one central temple in Jerusalem. For example, the Utopian Temple in Ezekiel 40-48 and the Samaritan Temple recorded by Josephus. Some of these temples were built to worship other gods.

Life in Jerusalem during Persian rule was hard. The city was in poverty and the Jews were heavily taxed by the Persians. There was also conflict between the Jews who were left behind during the exile and the other Jews who have returned from exile. It is said that people had to carry a sword while they worked because of the constant fighting between the two. This conflict would continue to grow as time went on.

AN N EA 10w 2/1/11 Lecture

Starting off the lecture, we once again look at how writing was becoming popular and a social norm in Jerusalem during Hezekiah and Josiah's rule. One example is the Mezad Hashavyahu Ostracon which is a physical writing that began to parallel the laws of the Hebrew Bible. In Exodus 22:25-26 and Amos 2:8, we see instructions to not abuse the poor and the return the clothes of a worker once he finishes his work. In the Yavneh Yam letter, we see a complaint from a worker who didn't get his clothes back after he had finish his work. This idea of returning clothes to workers and how it was a law that mirrors what the Hebrew Bible instructed. This shows that there was a written Law back then that people followed. Another example is the Torah amulets which were found in ketef Hinnom. On the amulets, there are quotes of Numbers 6:24-26 and Deuteronomy 7:9, which is basically a prayer. These amulets which date back to 600 BCE show that perhaps the Hebrew Bible was in fact used back as law. These objects show that the importance of literacy was growing rapidly and how writing becomes authoritative while human discourse decreases.

Now we turn our attention to Jerusalem and how the city is about to be invaded by the Babylonians. The Babylonian Empire (612-539 BCE) was the new big power growing in the region. King of Jerusalem, Josiah, was killed by Pharaoh Necro at Megiddo in 609 BCE possibly because Josiah was aiding the Babylonians. The Egyptians and Assyrians were fighting Babylonia, so it would make sense that the Pharaoh would kill Josiah if Jerusalem was in fact aiding the Babylonian Empire. In 597 BCE, King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon besieges Judah and sets Zedekiah on the throne. In 586 BCE, he destroys Jerusalem and the temple and exile most of the people to Babylon. Only the poorest were left in Jerusalem. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 24. Extra biblical proof of the exile was found when 290 tablets were excavated near the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. On these tablets, there were mentions to royal Judah families. This proves that there was a massive Jewish population that was in Babylonia during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, most likely from the exile.

The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple had massive implications to the Jews. God had promised the safety of the holy city and that His temple would stand forever. With the temple destroyed, the Jews were confused and distraught. Everything they had learned and believed in came crashing down along with the temple. Did God break His promise? How can God be sovereign if His own dwelling place was destroyed? This feeling is known as cognitive dissonance, which is the idea where you have two contradictory beliefs that can not coexist. What happens when everything you believe in comes against reality? Can you hold on to two contradictory ideas? Some of the Jews fell out of the faith altogether whereas others tried interpreting God's covenant in a different way. Perhaps God meant something else when He made the promise to David and Hezekiah. Nonetheless, the Holy City was destroyed and there was nothing the Jews could do about it.

In certain parts of the Bible, such as Lamentations 1 and Psalm 137. We see sad and mournful passages where the authors are grieving of the tragedy. These passages have the same message, this is all part of God's plan and that its not God's fault, but the Jews fault because they angered God. Also, the Jews hope that God will come come and destroy Babylon, restoring Jerusalem back to its former glory. The Jews wanted revenge, but at the time being, there was nothing that could be done.

AN N EA 10w 1/27/11 Lecture

During Hezekiah's rule in Jerusalem and the preparation of rebellion against the Assyrians, writing became an important part of society. Written rules became authoritative and at times more powerful than the king because the king had to submit under a written, unchangeable law. We still see this today with the Constitution and how our government rules based on what the Constitution says. In the same way, written laws became more prevalent and important. Writing literature also became popular during this time period and people were being trained to be literate. This was done to preserve the reputation and history of the kingdom instead of just orally passing things down. It is possible that the biblical book of Proverbs and Songs of Solomon were written down during this time.

Thinking back to the promise to David and how through his line a messiah would come, Jerusalem was in need of a savior while fighting the massive Assyrian army. There was little hope that Jerusalem would be able to fight off such a big empire, but God was on their side. Some believe that Hezekiah is the messiah that God promises because of the context of what was going on then. Hezekiah was the one who was to be the defender of the city and stop Assyria from invading Jerusalem. In the most dire time, Hezekiah goes to the temple to beg God to help them against the Assyrians. God promises that He will deliver Jerusalem from this attack and that the city will never fall or be destroyed. In light of this, the Bible says that God sends an angel to fight the Assyrian army. With the divine on Jerusalem's side, Assyria retreats and is never able to take Jerusalem. After Jerusalem survives the Assyrian attack, Jerusalem is seen as indestructible because God Himself is protecting it. This was the single greatest catalyst for the snowballing legend of an nonviable Jerusalem. Even in Sennacherib's prism where he records his conquest, he never mentions capturing Jerusalem. He says that he traps Hezekiah like a bird in a cage, but never says that he took the city. This started the development of Zion Theology, which is the idea that God will protect Jerusalem and fulfill his promise to David. Hezekiah then embarks on a religious reform that states that the only place to worship God is in the temple at Jerusalem. He makes one way to worship and perhaps it was a tactic to unite everyone under one belief.

After Hezekiah dies, his son, Meanasseh, undoes all the religious reforms and bad things start to happen. The urbanization causes political and religious unrest because there are so many people moving into Jerusalem and mix of political and religious beliefs. Without a charismatic leader like Hezekiah, there needed to be another way to show authority, which becomes a written set of laws. There is a discovery of a scroll known as "The Law", similar to the one Moses received from God. When Josiah comes into power, he starts a religious reform almost identical to Hezekiah's. It was based on reading and obeying the book and there is only worship to the Hebrew God. During this time period, society becomes literate and there are expectations that people should know how to read and write.

AN N EA 10w 1/25/11 Lecture

After studying David and Solomon's rule in Jerusalem last week, we begin a study of Hezekiah's Jerusalem and learn about the civil war that ensued after Solomon died. After David and Solomon died, the "Golden Age" ended and Solomon's son, Rehoboam, takes control of the country. Instead of appeasing the Northern tribe who asked for lower taxes in trade for submission to the king, Rehoboam gives the northern tribes even higher taxes, saying that he is greater than his father Solomon. Insulted, the Northern tribes revolt and this causes a civil war. The Northern kingdom named themselves Israel, placed their capital at Samaria, and appointed Jereboam as their leader. The Southern kingdom named themselves Judah, placed their capital at Jerusalem, and declared Rehoboam as king. The northerners no longer were able to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem, so alternate shrines named Dan and Bethel were built so people could worship there instead of at Jerusalem.

During the 8th Century, the Assyrian Empire began to rise to power and they began to get involved with Jerusalem and its affairs. The Northern kingdom of Israel make a pact with Syria and wage war against the Southern kingdom of Judah. In response to this, Judah aligns itself with the massive Assyrian Empire. With the aide of the Assyrians, Judah is able to destroy much of the Northern kingdom. In 721 BCE, Israel falls when its capital is taken. Execution of enemies was natural in those times, and that is exactly what the Assyrians did. They executed, deported, and enslaved everyone in the Northern kingdom. This is called ethnic cleansing, and it is still done today but to a much lower degree.

As all of this happened, Jerusalem began to grow and expand as northerners immigrate to Jerusalem for refuge in its high walls. Afraid of being publically executed by the Assyrians, the northerners fled into cities that contained high walls. There was a 400% population increase in Jerusalem and the City of David expanded quickly. Once Jerusalem began increasing in size and becoming more powerful, Hezekiah prepared to rebel against Assyria. Large stock piles of food were stored, walls were being refortified, and tunnels were being built for quicker water transport. Hezekiah would soon lead Jerusalem in a war against their former protectors, the Assyrians.

AN N EA 10w 1/20/11 Lecture

For today's lecture, we dived into the history of Jerusalem after King David and shifted our focus to Solomon's reign in Jerusalem. King Solomon is known to be very wise and intelligent king, marking the Golden Age of Jerusalem. Solomon is also known to have built the first temple in Jerusalem, dedicated to God and for the placement of the Ark of the Covenant. There is very little architectural evidence of the temple because it was knocked down and all the remains were taken away. Instead of pushing all the waste into the center and rebuilding on top of that mount of waste, the remains of the first temple was totally cleared away. Without any remains of the temple Solomon built, some believe that the temple never even existed. Is this evidence that nothing even existed?

In 1 Kings 6-7, the temple that Solomon built is described in detail. In front of the great hall was supposed to be too columns, named Jachin and Boaz. This is a possible reference to God and His wife. The back of the temple was where the Ark of the Covenant was supposed to have resided. In an attempt to legitimize the existence of the temple, scholars have compared the literary description of Solomon's temple to other temples in the area. The descriptions are almost identical. However, there is still very little archeological evidence to prove that the temple ever existed. The Tel Ta'yinat and 'Ain Dara temples are similar temples compared to Solomon's temple. The gates were also similarly constructed.

AN N EA 10w 1/18/11 Lecture

We started off the lecture discussing Warren's Shaft and the original uses of this tunnel that connected the Gihon Spring to inside Jerusalem. Archaeologists are unsure if Warren's shaft was used to bring water from the Gihon Spring or if it is just a natural rift. There are many questions surrounding Warren's Shaft, such as whether it was man made or natural, whether it was used for transferring water, and if so how was the water transferred. There are possible references to this shaft in 2 Samuel 5:6-9 and 2 Chronicles 11:4-8, where it is said Joab climbed up a shaft into Jerusalem and fought the Jebusites. Closely related to Warren's Shaft is the Gihon Spring which is located right at the eastern edge of the City of David. The spring has a tradition of anointing new kings of Isreal. In 1 Kings 1:32-40, Solomon is appointed king and his coronation is done in the Gihon Spring. Solomon rides down to the spring on a mule or donkey, which is very significant. Prophecies in the Bible state that the King of the Jews will ride into Jerusalem on a colt or donkey. And this happened when Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem a week before His crucifixion on the back of a donkey. He also passed the Gihon Spring, showing that this was the coronation of the King.

The next topic was David and his tie with the Ark of the Covenant. After taking Jerusalem, David wants to build a temple for God where the Ark of the Covenant is to reside. The Ark of the Covenant was a physical object where God was suppose to reside. He would meet with high priests, Moses, and others at the Ark. On the Ark are cherubim, which are vicious creatures that usually guard a very important place or thing. The Ark of the Covenant is a portable axis mundi. For this reason, David wants to move it into the temple of Jerusalem. Once the Ark is in the temple, the temple would be the most important place. If everybody knew that God resided in Jerusalem, it would be known as a sacred and holy place, unmatched by any other place on Earth.

AN N EA 10w 1/13/11 Lecture

In today's lecture, we started off by going through Canaanite Jerusalem and what life was before the Israelites came in and conquered. Jerusalem existed before David settled there, and the settlement began next to the Gihon Spring. This is an obvious choice because without a fresh water source, the city would not be able to survive. The existence and history of Jerusalem is evident though things like execration texts and amarna letters/tablets. Execration texts were writings on clay figures that were supposed to be symbolic of their enemies. They would write a curse on the figurine and then smash it, similar to voodoo dolls. There is reference to Jerusalem before 1900 BCE. This shows that Jerusalem was big enough at the time to have enemies and was a relevant settlement in the area. Amarna letters, which are "plea" letters, basically made a deal between a small city and big city for protection in exchange for money. Letters from kings of Jerusalem once again reveals the relevance of Jerusalem during and the impact it had with other places like Egypt and the surrounding cities in the area.

After learning about Canaanite Jerusalem, we turned to the conquest of the Israelites and the taking of Jerusalem. The history of this can be found in the chapters Joshua and Judges in the Bible, known as the conquest narratives. The most popular story from the conquest is David vs. Goliath. There is debate on whether the "conquest" story actually existed. There are three stances on the conquest of the Canaanites. The first view that what the Bible says about the conquest is true, and that the Israelites destroyed and slaughtered all the Canaanites under God's command. The second view is the "immigration" view, which is that the Israelites slowly immigrated into Israel and told heroic stories of how they got there. The third view is the "mixed ethic origins", which believes that the Israelites were originally Canaanites and had an internal revolt of some sort. Some believe that there are contradictions in the Bible, so therefore we should throw it out altogether. On the other hand, some believe that the Bible is absolutely true and is God-breathed, therefore it is perfect and inerrant. These different beliefs are what create the different views of the conquest of the Canaanites.

Towards the end of class, we talked about David's Jerusalem, which was around 1000 BCE (Iron Age). Some scholars deny that David and his son Solomon ever existed because there are no concrete evidence to prove they did except the Bible. There were no texts of any sort that talked about David and his reign in Jerusalem. An inscription, known as the Tel Dan inscription, is known to be the first extra biblical reference to David. The inscription, which lists the names of people the author conquered, includes the house of David. Still, there is are no records of whether a kingdom ruled by David ever existed. I was surprised to hear that records of David have never been found, which put into question the existence of David's Jerusalem. However, those who believe the Bible know for a fact that David and his stories are true. I have begun to realize how important one's view on the inerrancy of scripture is. Belief in the legitimacy of the Bible has massive implications. For example, whether or not you believe that a king David ever existed depends on whether or not you think the Bible is true or not.

AN N EA 10w 1/11/11 Lecture

After learning about the geography of Jerusalem and the importance of it to the three main faiths, we looked at how Jerusalem begins to attract different stories, helping it to become more "sacred". For example, in Genesis 14, King Melchizedek of Salem was both a priest and a king, something that wasn't allowed in Jewish tradition. King Melchizedek was from Salem, which people began to associate with Jerusalem because of the similarities of the name. Jerusalem started to attract these stories from the Hebrew Bible because of its importance in religion. This helps Jerusalem to seem more sacred and holy because of these historical events and people assimilated into the name of Jerusalem. Also in Genesis 22, Abraham is told to go to Mt. Moriah, which is supposed to be in the middle of no where, to sacrifice his son Isaac. This story, which is theologically vital to all three religions, becomes associated with Jerusalem in 1 Chronicles, where it says that Jerusalem IS Mt. Moriah. Once again, we see Jerusalem pulling these stories into it that may or may not be associated with it. Nonetheless, this makes Jerusalem even more of a focal point in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

We also learned that time can also be sacred too. In the Hebrew Bible, God tells His people to honor the Sabbath, which is holy. A direct order from the supernatural is given to honor this "time", which makes it holy and sacred. Not only is Jerusalem sacred, but its often referred to as axis mundi, the center of the world. Throughout scripture, such as in Exodus 24:1-13 and 1 Chronicles 21:18-28, Jerusalem is seen as a cosmic pillar connecting the three cosmic spheres, heavens, natural, and underworld.

This lecture was very interesting because I never realized that Jerusalem pulls stories and historical icons to its city, making Jerusalem even more important. Also, hearing about how the western valley could be an image of "hell" said in the bible was very interesting. I also thought it was pretty hilarious that they named a gate the "Dung Gate" because they use to throw garbage into the valley and was basically a dump.

AN N E 10w 1/6/11 Lecture

During our first lecture of the quarter, the class focused on what makes Jerusalem a great city and how is it a sacred place. A few things that make a place "sacred" would be a place where someone important was born, something happened there (usually supernatural), or a location connected by major trade routes. The Via Maris (Great Trunk Road) and The King's Highway (Transjordan) are two major trade routes thart are located around Jerusalem. The geography of Jerusalem is very interesting and unique. It is separated by three valleys: Kidron Valley in the East, Hinnom Valley in the West, and the Turopean Valley in the center. The fact that Jerusalem is on a hill is super significant theologically and tactically. Invasion of Jerusalem is difficult because of the hills the invaders would have to climb in order to reach the city. Theologically, Jerusalem is supposed to be the center of the world, and being at a higher level shows its superiority.

Jerusalem is separated into 4 sects or quarters: Christianity, Islam, Jewish, and Armenian. Some consider the Temple Mount to be the 5th quarter of Jerusalem. Inside Jerusalem is also the "Western Wall" which is on the west wall of the Temple Mount. It is the holiest site in Judaism. Outside the walls of the Old City is the City of David, where the area was first civilized. On the edge of the City of David is the Gihon Spring. This was extremely important because it is a crucial water source to keep the city running. Being bordered by the desert, a water source was vital to the establishment of the city. This spring is mentioned in the Bible to be a river that was in the Garden of Eden. This leads people to believe that Jerusalem, being within the Garden of Eden, is sacred land.

Learning about the geography and layout of Jerusalem was very interesting and helpful in understanding the importance of the location of the city. Knowing where the Mount of Olives and different rivers are key in understanding biblical literature and other texts. I was especially interested when I learned that the Gihon Spring is mentioned in the Bible. I never knew that the Garden of Eden could have been possibly that big and cover so much land. I'm excited to see what next lecture has to offer.