Sylabus
International Seminar: The Book of the Twelve – Textual and Archaeological PerspectivesSeminar Plan 1. MEETING -- 19.10.2023Subject: Introduction:The Historical Background and Formation of the Book of the TwelveChair: Konrad SchmidSpeaker I: Oded Lipschits: From Jeroboam (the Second!) to the Ptole-maic Period: Historical and Archaeological Introduction to the Book of the TwelveSpeaker II: Jakob Wöhrle: Israelite Prophecy and the History and For-mation of the Book of the TwelveDiscussion in Rooms on the Questions:- What is prophecy?- Why and how are the prophetic books important sources for histori-cal/archaeological research?- What is the significance of the Book of Twelve?- Why and how is the Book of Twelve important for historical research?Biblical Text for Preparation:- Hag 1Bibliography for Reading:- Williamson, H.G.M., “History and Memory in the Prophets,” in: Sharp, C.J. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Prophets, New York: Oxford Uni-versity Press, 2016, 132–148. 2.MEETING -- 26.10.2023Subject: Assyrian Period I: Amos IThe Earthquake of the 8th CenturyChair: Sabine KleimanSpeaker I: Konrad Schmid: The Earthquake in the Days of Uzziah and the Development of the Book of AmosSpeaker II: Joe Uziel: The Relationship between Archaeology and Text: The 8th Century BCE Earthquake as a Test CaseDiscussion in Rooms on the Questions:- How were earthquakes interpreted in antiquity? (see e.g. https://books.openedition.org/editionscnrs/28623?lang=de)- How was the earthquake in the days of Uzziah perceived in Israel and Judah?- Compare Amos 1:1 to the superscriptions of other prophetic books.Biblical Text for Preparation:- Amos 1–2 in general (focus on: 1:1; 2:13; 9:1).- Superscriptions to the prophetic books (Isa 1:1 to Mal 1:1)Bibliography for Reading:- Austin, S. / Franz, G.W. / Frost, E., “Amos’s Earthquake: An Extraordi-nary Middle East Seismic Event of 750 BC,” International Geology Re-view 42 (2000), 657–671.- Schmid, K., “Prognosis and Postgnosis in Biblical Prophecy,” SJOT 32 (2018), 106–120.Additional Literature:- Marco, S. / Agnon, A. / Finkelstein, I. / Ussishkin, D., “Megiddo Earth-quakes,” in: Finkelstein, I. / Ussishkin, D. / Halpern, B. (ed.), Megiddo IV: The 1998–2002 Seasons, vol. 2, Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University, 2006, 569–575.- Schmid, K., “The Book of Amos,” in: Gertz, J. et al. (ed.), The T&T Clark Handbook of the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Literature, Reli-gion, and History of the Old Testament, London / New York: T&T Clark, 2012, 484–492. 3. MEETING -- 2.11.2023Subject: Assyrian Period II: Amos IIBethel in the 8th CenturyChair: Oded LipschitsSpeaker I: Filip Čapek: Bethel in the Book of AmosSpeaker II: Aaron Tavger: The Archaeology and Historical-Geography of BethelDiscussion in Rooms on the Questions:- Why is Amos critical to Bethel and other sites in the north?- What does Amos mean by the parable of the basket of ripe fruit?Biblical Text for Preparation:- Amos 7:10–8:14Bibliography for Reading:- Na'aman, N., “In Search of the Temples of YHWH of Samaria and YHWH of Teman,” JANER 17 (2017), 76–95.Additional Literature:- Finkelstein, I. / Singer-Avitz, L., “Reevaluating Bethel,” ZDPV 125 (2009), 33–48.- Lipschits, O., “Bethel Revisited,” in: Lipschits, O. et al. (ed.), Rethinking Israel: Studies in the History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel in Honor of Israel Finkelstein, Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2017, 233–246.- Rainey A.F., “Looking for Bethel: An Exercise in Historical Geography,” in: Gitin, S. et al. (ed.), Confronting the Past: Archaeological and Histori-cal Essays on Ancient Israel in Honor of William G. Dever, Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2006, 269–273.- Tavger, A., “ʻAnd He Called the Name of that Place Bethel’ (Gen 28:19): Historical-Geography and Archaeology of the Sanctuary of Bethel,” in: Hensel, B. (ed.), The History of the Jacob Cycle (Genesis 25–35): Recent Research on the Compilation, the Redaction, and the Recep-tion of the Biblical Narrative and Its Historical and Cultural Contexts, Tü-bingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2021, 201–222. 4.MEETING -- 09.11.2023Subject: Assyrian Period III: MicahMoresheth-Gath and the Shephelah in 701Chair: Manfred OemingSpeaker I: Jakob Wöhrle: Micah’s Moresheth Gath: Insights into the Ge-ographical and the Historical Background of the Book of MicahSpeaker II: Josef Briffa: The Shephelah of Judah and the Impact of the Assyrian EmpireDiscussion in Rooms on the Questions:- What can we say about the identification of Micah’s Moresheth Gath?- What if the new identification of Moresheth Gath with Azekah was correct?- What insights about the historical sitution in the Shephalah do we gain from the book of Micah?- In how far do these insights fit with / contradict / extend / enrich the results of recent archaeological findings?Biblical Text for Preparation:- Mic 1:1–16Bibliography for Reading:- Lipschits, O. / Wöhrle, J., “Azekah – The Hometown of Micah the Moreshtite,” ZAW 135 (2023), 230–250.Additional Literature:- Koch, I., “Settlements and Interactions in the Shephelah during the Late Second through Early First Millennia BCE,” in: Lipschits, O. / Maeir, A.M. (ed.), The Shephelah during the Iron Age: Recent Archaeological Studies, Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2017, 181–207.16.11.2023SBL-Break! 5. MEETING -- 23.11.2023Subject: Babylonian Time I: ObadiahObadiah and the Downfall of JerusalemChair: Filip ČapekSpeaker I: Anselm Hagedorn: Obadiah‘s View of the Babylonian Con-questSpeaker II: Nitsan Shalom: The Archaeology of the Babylonian Destruc-tion of JerusalemDiscussion in Rooms on the Questions:- Why is Obadiah “necessary” after Jeremias 49 already speaks about Edom?- Why is Babylon so reluctantly mentioned in the book - especially so as the “Babylonian Conquest” lays a major role in the shaping of the bibli-cal tradition?- What “historical realities” are envisaged in the book of Obadiah and why does Edom become so prominent here?Biblical Text for Preparation:- Obad 11–15Bibliography for Reading:- Sweeney, S.K., “Obadiah (Book and Person),” EBR 21:1084–1089.- Assis, E.A., “Obadiah’s Prophecy against Edom,” in: idem, Identity in Conflict: The Struggle between Esau and Jacob, Edom and Israel (Siphrut 19), Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2016, 141–152.- Shalom, N., “The Babylonian Destruction of Jerusalem as a Symbol? New Archaeological Evidence of the Babylonian Conquest,” HeBAI 12 (2023), 85–107. 6. MEETING -- 30.11.2023Subject: Babylonian Period II: ZephaniahCult Reform According to the Book of ZephaniahChair: Josef BriffaSpeaker I: Yigal Levin: Did Zephaniah Inspire, React to, or Have Anything to Do with Josiah’s ‘Cultic Reform’?Speaker II: Yuval Gadot: Josiah and the Physical Heritage of the Days Menasseh: A Look from JerusalemDiscussion in Rooms on the Questions:- Does Zeph 1:4–6 refer to the cult reform of Josiah? If yes, does this proof the historicity of Josiah’s cult reform?- What can we learn from the book of Zephaniah about the time of Jo-siah in general?- How do extra-biblical and archaeological findings fit to the biblical texts?Biblical Text for Preparation:- Zeph 1 and 2 Kings 22:1–23:30Bibliography for Reading:- Hagedorn, A.C., “When Did Zephaniah Become a Supporter of Josiah’s Reform?” JTS 62 (2011): 453–475.- Gadot, Y., “Jerusalem, the Reign of Manasseh and the Assyrian World Order,” in: Hagemeyer, F. (ed.), Jerusalem and the Coastal Plain in the Iron Age and Persian Periods: New Studies on Jerusalem’s Relations with the Southern Coastal Plain of Israel/Palestine (c. 1200–300 BCE) (ORA 46), Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022: 145–161.Additional Literature:- Hays, C.B., “Isa 24–27 and Zephaniah Amid the Terrors and Hopes of the Seventh Century: An Intertextual Analysis,” in: Bautsch, R.J. / Eck J. / Zapff, B.M. (ed.), Isaiah and the Twelve: Parallels, Similarities and Dif-ferences, Berlin: de Gruyter, 2020, 131–155.- Kahn, D., “The Historical Setting of Zephaniah's Oracles against the Nations (Zeph. 2: 4-15),” in: Galil, G. / Geller M. / Millard A. (ed.), Homeland and Exile: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Hon-our of Bustenay Oded (VTSup 130), Leiden: Brill, 2009, 439–534. 7. MEETING -- 7.12.2023
Subject: Persian Period I: Haggai-Zechariah IThe Rebuilding of the Second TempleChair: Jakob WöhrleSpeaker I: Jan Rückl: Conflicting Discourses of Temple Reconstruction in Haggai, Zechariah and Other Biblical TextsSpeaker II: Yiftah Shalev: “Jerusalem Shall be Inhabited as Towns with-out Walls” – New Evidence of Persian Period JerusalemDiscussion in Rooms on the Questions:- What are the main differences between the accounts of the Second Temple reconstruction in various biblical texts (Haggai-Zechariah, Ezra, 1 Esdras)?- How to explain these differences? Is it possible to harmonize the dif-ferent accounts into a unified picture and is it appropriate to harmonize them?- What is the difference between the biblical description of the city and the archaeological finds?Biblical Text for Preparation:- Hag 1–2Bibliography for Reading:Shalev Y. / Bocher E. / Roth H. / Sandhaus R. / Shalom N. / Gadot Y., “Je-rusalem in the Early Hellenistic Period: New Evidence for Its Nature and Location,” in: Berlin, A. / Kosmin, P.J. (ed.), The Middle Maccabees: Ar-chaeology, History and the Rise of the Hasmonean Kingdom (ABS 28), Atlanta: SBL Press, 2021, 17–36.<
Anotace
THE SEMINAR HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO THE WINTER SEMESTER 2024/5