An Analysis of Urban Planning in Ancient Israel a Dissertation
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The Elements of Urban Design: An Analysis of Urban Planning in Ancient Israel A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary Wilmore, Kentucky In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Committee: Dr. John N. Oswalt, Mentor Dr. Lawson G. Stone, Reader By Scott Andrew Engebretson January 2017 Copyright 2017 Scott Andrew Engebretson All rights reserved ABSTRACT The Elements of Urban Design: An Analysis of Urban Planning in Ancient Israel One of the current issues in biblical studies concerns the nature of Israelite society during the Iron Age I-II transition and the character of urban development during these periods. This study seeks to investigate whether Israelite cities of this period show evidence of centralized urban planning. If there is such evidence it may indicate that there was a governmental entity existing at that time on a more-than-local basis. One approach for studying the urban profile of ancient Israelite cities has been to incorporate the modern disciplines of urban studies and urban planning. The difficulty with this approach is that these fields are significantly interdisciplinary in nature. The resulting breadth has meant that previous studies of urban planning in Israel have lacked methodological clarity. Furthermore, there has been no attempt to apply a comprehensive overview of these fields to the study of ancient Israelite cities. This study seeks to correct these deficiencies. The first three chapters of the study provide an overview of urban studies and urban planning. This overview shows how these disciplines relate and differ, how they have been, and might be, used to study ancient cities, and reviews previous studies of Israelite cities which have employed urban planning. One important question that emerges from the overview is whether it is appropriate to use “urban planning” to study ancient cities. This study suggests that while this discipline can be utilized to study ancient cities the approach must be nuanced. It is argued that the most appropriate lens for understanding and interpreting ancient urban planning is a spatially oriented sub-discipline of urban planning known as urban design. A model for studying regional urban design is proposed in chapter 5. This approach focuses on five elements, which are the basic building blocks of the urban environment. More importantly, this model analyzes and interprets these elements and their interrelationships in cities located around a central urban nodal. Chapters 6-7 apply this analysis to cities in ancient Israel and Moab, respectively. The Moabite cities are investigated as a control to see whether the design of the Israelite cities constitutes a special phenomenon or is simply an expression of a pattern characterizing the entire region. It is argued that the Iron I-II urban profile of cities in ancient Israel, when compared to Moabite cities, does show clear and consistent signs of intentional urban planning and design. This study solidifies our understanding of urban planning and design practices in ancient Israel and also provides evidence of a burgeoning and functioning central governing authority – the earliest Israelite monarchy – in this transitional period. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ v ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. viii CHAPTER 1.0: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2.0: URBAN (PLANNING) THEORY ......................................................... 22 CHAPTER 3.0: PAST AND CURRENT STUDIES OF ANCIENT CITIES ................. 57 CHAPTER 4.0: THE STUDY OF URBAN PLANNING IN ANCIENT ISRAEL ......... 84 CHAPTER 5.0: AN ANALYSIS OF URBAN DESIGN WITHIN A REGIONAL NODAL NETWORK ...................................................................................................... 137 CHAPTER 6.0: AN ANALYSIS OF IRON I-II URBAN DESIGN IN ANCIENT ISRAEL (IN THE SHEPHELAH AND BEERSHEBA VALLEY) ............................... 166 CHAPTER 7.0: AN ANALYSIS OF IRON I-II URBAN DESIGN IN CENTRAL MOAB ............................................................................................................................ 227 CHAPTER 8.0: CONCLUSION: URBAN DESIGN AS AN APPROACH TO ANCIENT URBAN PLANNING ................................................................................... 262 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 277 iv LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1 Beersheba Layout 175 Fig. 2 Khirbet Qeiyafa Layout 183 Fig. 3 Tell en-Naṣbeh Layout 192 Fig. 4 Tell en-Naṣbeh “Perpendicular Insula” 195 Fig. 5 Tell Beit Mirsim Layout 201 Fig. 6 Tell Beit Mirsim Northwestern Quadrant 202 Fig. 7 Tell Beit Mirsim Southeastern Edge 202 Fig. 8 Beth-Shemesh Archaeological Areas 208 Fig. 9 Beth-Shemesh Ring Road (Northwest Quadrant) 209 Fig. 10 Gezer Layout 214 Fig. 11 Khirbat al-Mudayna al-‘Aliya Layout 236 Fig. 12 Khirbat al-Mudayna al-Mu‘arraja Layout 236 Fig. 13 Khirbat al-Mudayna al-Mu‘arraja Isometric 236 Fig. 14 Lahun Layout 237 Fig. 15 Khirbat al-Mudayna al-Mu‘arraja Gate Complex 252 v ABBREVIATIONS ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992. ABS Archaeology and Biblical Studies ADAJ Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan ANESSup Ancient Near Eastern Studies Supplemental Series ASOR American Schools of Oriental Research AYBRL The Anchor Bible Reference Library BA Biblical Archaeologist BAR Biblical Archaeology Review BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research BibSem The Biblical Seminar BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft CahRB Cahiers de la Revue biblique CHANE Culture and History of the Ancient Near East Expedition Expedition: Bulletin of the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania IEJ Israel Exploration Journal JSOTSup Journal for the study of the Old Testament Supplement Series JAMT Journal of Archaeological Method & Theory JPH Journal of Planning History JUA Journal of Urban Affairs LHBOTS The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies vi NEA Near Eastern Archaeology NEAEHL The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Edited by Ephraim Stern. 4 vols. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society & Carta; New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. OEANE The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East. Edited by Eric M. Meyers. 5 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. OJA Oxford Journal of Archaeology PEFQS Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement RB Revue biblique RevExp Review and Expositor SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series TA Tel Aviv TJ Trinity Journal TPR Town Planning Review VT Vetus Testamentum VTSup Supplements to Vetus Testamentum ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ZDPV Zeitschrift des deutschen Palästina-Vereins vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to many for helping shape this project. I cannot name them all here but a number of people need to be mentioned. I would like to thank Dr. Ronald Smith – a seminary president, a professor, a mentor, and a friend. I’m grateful for his investment in my life. He is an eclectic and gifted thinker who deposited something unique into my heart and mind early on in my academic pursuits. I am grateful he spurred me on and helped me persevere to the end. He and Dorena also provided excellent accommodations while I was away writing. My dissertation committee played a pivotal role in this project. Dr. Sandra Richter served as my examiner but she also served, in many ways, as the originator for the idea of this work. Her archaeology course introduced me to the world of ancient urban planning and a season with her at Tel Rehov provided hands-on perspective. Her incisive comments and input in the defense sharpened the final version of this work. I am also grateful to Dr. Lawson Stone who served as my reader. His expertise in and commitment to archaeology allowed me to truly, as he says, “read the land to live the book.” Ever an endearing conversationalist, Dr. Stone can stir thoughts of ancient lands in one moment and in the next discuss the idiosyncrasies of Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic works. He cultivates minds on many levels. I have benefited from and always appreciated this quality in him. I had the privilege of having Dr. John Oswalt serve as my advisor. More than 15 years ago, Dr. Oswalt was the first to make the Old Testament come alive for me. His life and work made me want to study these ancient texts. Now, all these years later, he was present at the end of my (formal) academic journey. I cannot articulate adequately my appreciation for his investment into my life over the years. His prompt and substantial feedback on this project was vital and helped shaped the contours of my work. He is a consummate professor and scholar, and I am grateful he has never left his post. I started and finished this journey with him and he has remained faithful through the years. I would also like to thank our church, Vineyard Columbus.