Syllabus
Course Description:
The period of the United Monarchy under King David and King Solomon (ca. 1000-928 BCE) is illuminated
by the Bible which serves as the only written source for this period. Although the historical evaluations of the
biblical narrative relating to the United Monarchy vary, historians have treated it in general with credibility.
Upon reading the Bible, one would expect archaeology to prove the existence of the strong, mature state of
David and Solomon with large city in Jerusalem. Yet, this view came under attack during the last two decades
by a group of scholars casting doubt on its very historicity. Their principal claims, among others, are that such
a kingdom is not mentioned in any written source outside the Bible and that Jerusalem, its supposed capital,
was almost entirely unsettled.
This course is intended to provide students with an overview of the archaeology of the United Monarchy,
focusing on the crucial question of whether the archaeology of this period stands on solid ground.
By integrating the study of written sources and archaeological finds the course presents a current view of the
history of ancient Israel in this time.
Note: Special attention is given to field work one day of excavations in the City of David!
Requirements: Diligent preparation (reading of the assigned material prior to class), uninterrupted
attendance and active participation in class discussions.
(30%).
2. Final exam
(70%).
Session B - The United Monarchy: Israel in the time of David and Solomon.
- Jerusalem the capital of the United Monarchy or the capital of Judah only?
- Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem: cultural and chronological settings.
- The Shishak Campaign to the Land of Israel in 925 BCE.
- The House of David Stele from Tel Dan historical and archaeological observations.
- Religion and cult in ancient Israel
- General aspect of the Israelite material culture: art, foreign connections, burial
customs and other aspects.
Ben-Tor, A.
2000.
317:9-15 E-JOURNAL
Ben-Tor, A. and Ben Ami, D.
1998
1995
1994
House of David Built on Sand, BAR (Biblical Archaeology Review) 20 (Vol. 4):54-55.
ERESERVE 001221391
Dever, W.G.
2001
What did the Biblical Writers Know and When did they Know it?
What Archaeology Can Tell Us about the Reality of Ancient Israel
Michigan\Cambridge. OVERSEAS LIBRARY 221.93 D491
Finkelstein, I.
1996
1998
1999
Hazor and the North in the Iron Age: A Low Chronology Perspective,
Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 314, pp. 55-70.
E-JOURNAL
The Age of Solomon, Studies in the History and Culture of the Ancient
Near East (edited by B. Halpern and M. Weippert) Vol. XI, Leiden.
LIBRARY 221.92(SOLOMON) H236
Knoppers, G.N.
1997.
Lemaire, A.
OVERSEAS
1994.
E-RESERVE
Mazar, A.
1997
Ussishkin, D. E-JOURNAL
1966
Yadin, Y. E-JOURNAL
1972
Hazor, the Head of all those Kingdoms, The Schweich Lectures of the
British Academy, London. Overseas Library E13 Y12