What is covered in the Biblical Archaeology course BIB 1640?
The course will present an overview of the archaeological data including texts from the Land of Israel during the biblical period from Abraham to Ezra. Topics discussed include Canaanite culture, the cultural distinctions between Canaanites, Philistines, and Israelites, and how negotiating these differences helped shape a distinct Israelite ethnic identity. Also explored is the rise of statehood and its implications during the United Monarchy. Finally, the political ambitions of the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians are compared, and analyze how these ambitions dramatically altered the social, political, and economic landscape of the Land of Israel and its inhabitants.