DOCSLIB.ORG

Living on the Edge of Empire: Edomite Households in the First Millennium B.C.E

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Living on the Edge of Empire: Edomite Households in the First Millennium B.C.E Living on the Edge of Empire: Edomite Households in the First Millennium B.C.E. By Stephanie Hope Brown A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Benjamin Porter, Chair Professor Christine Hastorf Professor Ronald Hendel Doctor Laurie Pearce Summer 2018 Copyright © 2018 Stephanie Hope Brown All rights reserved Abstract Living on the Edge of Empire: Edomite Households in the First Millennium B.C.E. by Stephanie Hope Brown Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Benjamin Porter, Chair This dissertation explores the relationship between ancient empires and their peripheries. Due to the uneven distribution of written sources in the ancient world, the narratives describing this relationship are almost always written from the perspective of the imperial core. By ignoring the perspectives of groups living within imperial peripheries, this dissertation argues that these narratives omit a crucial element of the core-periphery relationship. Two such core-periphery relationships existed during the first millennium B.C.E. between the Neo-Assyrian and Neo- Babylonian Empires and the polity of Edom (located in present-day southwest Jordan). As with other core-periphery relationships in the ancient world, scholars have largely relied on sources produced by the imperial cores of the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires in order to understand their respective relationships with Edom, ignoring the perspectives and agency of conquered groups living in Edom. This dissertation uses a tripartite approach to explore the core-periphery relationships between Edom and the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires. This approach gives equal weight to sources produced by the imperial core, the Edomite elite, and the Edomite populace in order to correct the imbalance evident in previous scholarship on Edom. The dissertation employs theories and methods associated with household archaeology and foodways practices in order to discern the actions of the Edomite populace—arguably the least historically-visible people involved in these core-periphery relationships. Because evidence produced through household-archaeological and foodways-based approaches do not rely on logocentric means of communication, they are effective means of elucidating the actions and preferences of individuals and groups about whom there is no written evidence. The evidence explored in this dissertation found that during the period of Neo-Assyrian and Neo- Babylonian rule over Edom, life in southwest Jordan changed considerably. Neo-Assyrian political and economic policies throughout the Levant altered large-scale trade networks and forced tribute requirements on conquered peoples. This dissertation argues, however, that while both the Edomite elites and the Edomite populace took advantage of these changing regional systems, there is very little evidence of direct Neo-Assyrian or Neo-Babylonian influence found within the sources produced by both groups of Edomites (until the reign of Nabonidus); rather, the evidence suggests that these groups were closely integrated into local and Levantine social, economic, and political systems. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. v CHAPTER ONE – INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 The First Millennium Mesopotamian Empires ........................................................................... 2 Where was Edom and Who was an Edomite?............................................................................. 4 Research Design .......................................................................................................................... 7 Household Archaeology ............................................................................................................ 10 The Busayra Cultural Heritage Project (BCHP) ....................................................................... 12 Dissertation Framework ............................................................................................................ 13 CHAPTER TWO – EMPIRES AND COLONIALISM ............................................................... 15 Core-Periphery: Beyond World-Systems .................................................................................. 21 Culture Contact in Colonial Contexts ....................................................................................... 24 Postcolonial Theory in Ancient Near Eastern Scholarship ....................................................... 29 Understanding Imperialism in Southwest Jordan during the First Millennium B.C.E. ............ 33 CHAPTER THREE - THE NEO-ASSYRIAN EMPIRE AND EDOM ....................................... 39 Neo-Assyrian Provinces and Vassal Kingdoms ........................................................................ 41 The Neo-Assyrian Empire and Edom ....................................................................................... 43 Neo-Assyrian Imperial Involvement in Philistia and Northwestern Arabia ............................. 46 Conclusion: Neo-Assyrian Political Administration in Edom .................................................. 50 CHAPTER FOUR – THE NEO-BABYLONIAN EMPIRE AND EDOM .................................. 52 Peripheral Administration in the Southern Levant and Edom under Nebuchadnezzar II ......... 53 Peripheral Administration in the Southern Levant and Edom under Nabonidus ...................... 58 Conclusion: Neo-Babylonian Political Administration in the Southern Levant and Edom ...... 61 CHAPTER FIVE - THE EDOMITE ELITE ................................................................................ 64 Elite Expressions of Power in Edom ......................................................................................... 66 Revisiting Cultural Hybridity .................................................................................................... 76 Conclusion: Edomite Elite Intention ......................................................................................... 78 CHAPTER SIX – HOUSEHOLD ARCHAEOLOGY IN SOUTHWEST JORDAN .................. 81 Spatial Analysis of Domestic Architecture on the Southern Jordanian Plateau ....................... 83 The Busayra Cultural Heritage Project ..................................................................................... 94 i 2014 Excavations in Area DD at Busayra ................................................................................. 95 Geophysical Survey of Busayra ................................................................................................ 96 Discussion of Domestic Architecture at Busayra ...................................................................... 98 Conclusion: The Use of Space in Edomite Domestic Architecture ........................................ 101 CHAPTER SEVEN – FOOD AND IDENTITY IN EDOM ...................................................... 104 Eating and Cooking in Multicultural Environments ............................................................... 105 Edomite Plant Economies ....................................................................................................... 108 Botanical Remains Collected by the BCHP at Busayra .......................................................... 110 Edomite Animal Economies.................................................................................................... 113 Animal Remains Collected by the BCHP at Busayra ............................................................. 116 Edomite Ceramic Vessel Evidence ......................................................................................... 121 Ceramic Evidence Excavated by the BCHP at Busayra ......................................................... 123 Conclusion: Edomite Political Attachment at Busayra ........................................................... 125 CHAPTER EIGHT – CONCLUSION ....................................................................................... 128 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 136 APPENDIX 1 – FIGURES ......................................................................................................... 166 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 – Map of Southern Jordan and Israel ......................................................................... 166 Figure 1.2 – Map of Southern Jordan and the Negev ................................................................. 167 Figure 1.3 – Topographical Map of Busayra .............................................................................. 168 Figure 2.1 – Parker’s expanded version of D’Altroy’s territorial-hegemonic continuum .......... 169 Figure 2.2 – Parker’s model of Neo-Assyrian Provincial Administration.................................. 169 Figure 3.1 – Image of the Transportation of Lumber from the Phoenician Coast
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Deconstruction of Sunnite Theory of Caliphate Spreading the Rule of Law on the Earth
    JISMOR 6 Hassan Ko Nakata The deconstruction of Sunnite Theory of Caliphate Spreading the Rule of Law on the Earth Hassan Ko Nakata Abstract The concept of the Sunnicaliphate is self-defined as the notion that a caliph is selected by the people (ikhtiyār) and is based on the denial of the concept of the Shiite Imamate that an imam is appointed by God (naṣṣ). In today’s academic society in the field of Islamic politics, Sunni political scholars, by taking this notion of the caliphate as a starting point, attempt to position the caliphate system as a variant of the Western democracy that selects leaders through election. On the other hand, the Western scholars criticize the caliphate system as a form of dictatorship on several grounds, including the lifetime tenure of the caliph. This paper aims to deconstruct the concept of the Sunni caliphate in the context of globalism and to redefine it as “a mechanism to bring about the Rule of Law on Earth,” taking hints from the thought of Ibn Taymīyah (d.1328), who reconstructed the concept of Islamic - politics as “politics based on Sharī‘ah” by shifting the focus of the concept of Islamic politics from a caliphate to Sharī ah (≒Islamic law). If the caliphate system is to be understood as “a mechanism to bring about the Rule of Law on Earth,” we should be aware that the concepts (such as democracy and dictatorship) of modern Western political science originate in the Western tradition dating from the age of ancient Greece, which regards politics as a means to rule people by people.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 16: India and the Indian Ocean Basin During the Postclassical Period There Emerged in India No Long-Lasting Imperial
    Chapter 16: India and the Indian Ocean Basin During the postclassical period there emerged in India no long‐lasting imperial authority, as there were in China and the Islamic world. Regional kingdoms were the norm. Nevertheless, Indian society exerted a profound influence on the cultures of south and southeast Asia. Through the extensive trade networks of the Indian Ocean basin, Indian forms of political organization, religion, and economic practices spread throughout the region. Several developments in India during this era gradually spread throughout the larger culture zone. • Dramatic agricultural growth fueled population growth and urbanization. These phenomena, combined with specialized industrial production and trade, resulted in unprecedented economic growth for the region. • Indiaʹs central position in the Indian Ocean basin resulted in it becoming a major clearinghouse for products of the voluminous maritime trade network that encompassed east Africa, Arabia, Persia, southeast Asia, and Malaysia as well as the entire Indian subcontinent. • Islam originally appeared in India through a variety of conduits, and it eventually became the primary religion of one quarter of the population. From India, Islam, along with Hinduism and Buddhism, spread to southeast Asia and the nearby islands. THE CHAPTER IN PERSPECTIVE India, just as did Greece, Rome, Constantinople, and China, played an influential role in shaping neighboring societies, in this case south and Southeast Asia. The great difference between the situation in India and that of the other states was that no Indian state would develop to rival the political authority of the Tang or Roman states. Nevertheless, India’s distinctive political, cultural, and religious traditions continued to evolve and influence its neighbors.
    [Show full text]
  • Republic of Iraq
    Republic of Iraq Babylon Nomination Dossier for Inscription of the Property on the World Heritage List January 2018 stnel oC fobalbaT Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 1 State Party .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Province ............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Name of property ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Geographical coordinates to the nearest second ................................................................................................. 1 Center ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 N 32° 32’ 31.09”, E 44° 25’ 15.00” ..................................................................................................................... 1 Textural description of the boundary .................................................................................................................. 1 Criteria under which the property is nominated .................................................................................................. 4 Draft statement
    [Show full text]
  • Herodotus on Sacred Marriage and Sacred Prostitution at Babylon
    Kernos Revue internationale et pluridisciplinaire de religion grecque antique 31 | 2018 Varia Herodotus on Sacred Marriage and Sacred Prostitution at Babylon Eva Anagnostou‑Laoutides and Michael B. Charles Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/kernos/2653 DOI: 10.4000/kernos.2653 ISSN: 2034-7871 Publisher Centre international d'étude de la religion grecque antique Printed version Date of publication: 1 December 2018 Number of pages: 9-37 ISBN: 978-2-87562-055-2 ISSN: 0776-3824 Electronic reference Eva Anagnostou‑Laoutides and Michael B. Charles, “Herodotus on Sacred Marriage and Sacred Prostitution at Babylon”, Kernos [Online], 31 | 2018, Online since 01 October 2020, connection on 24 January 2021. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/kernos/2653 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/ kernos.2653 This text was automatically generated on 24 January 2021. Kernos Herodotus on Sacred Marriage and Sacred Prostitution at Babylon 1 Herodotus on Sacred Marriage and Sacred Prostitution at Babylon Eva Anagnostou‑Laoutides and Michael B. Charles In this article, abbreviations follow the “Liste des périodiques” in L’Année philologique. Other abbreviations are as per OCD 3. Translations of ancient texts are attributed to their respective translator as they are used. Introduction 1 The article examines two passages in Herodotus: a) his description of the ziggurat at Babylon (1.181.5–182.1–2 and 1.199), which has been often quoted as corroborating evidence for the practice of “sacred marriages” in the ancient Near East;1 and b) his description
    [Show full text]
  • The Pottery Classification
    Durham Research Online Deposited in DRO: 17 February 2009 Version of attached le: Published Version Peer-review status of attached le: Peer-reviewed Citation for published item: Kennet, D. (2004) 'Sasanian and Islamic pottery from Ras al-Khaimah (eBook version) : classication, chronology and analysis of trade in the Western Indian Ocean.', Oxford: Archaeopress. Society for Arabian Studies Monographs., 1 Further information on publisher's website: http://www.archaeopress.com/searchBar.asp?title=Sub+Seriesid=58sql=%5BSub+Series+ID%5D+%3D+58 Publisher's copyright statement: Additional information: Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. Durham University Library, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LY, United Kingdom Tel : +44 (0)191 334 3042 | Fax : +44 (0)191 334 2971 https://dro.dur.ac.uk Sasanian and Islamic pottery from Ras al-Khaimah (eBook version) Classification, chronology and analysis of trade in the Western Indian Ocean Derek Kennet with a contribution by Regina Krahl 1 2 Contents Contents ..............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2 the Assyrian Empire, the Conquest of Israel, and the Colonization of Judah 37 I
    ISRAEL AND EMPIRE ii ISRAEL AND EMPIRE A Postcolonial History of Israel and Early Judaism Leo G. Perdue and Warren Carter Edited by Coleman A. Baker LONDON • NEW DELHI • NEW YORK • SYDNEY 1 Bloomsbury T&T Clark An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Imprint previously known as T&T Clark 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com Bloomsbury, T&T Clark and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published 2015 © Leo G. Perdue, Warren Carter and Coleman A. Baker, 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Leo G. Perdue, Warren Carter and Coleman A. Baker have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this work. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the authors. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: HB: 978-0-56705-409-8 PB: 978-0-56724-328-7 ePDF: 978-0-56728-051-0 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Typeset by Forthcoming Publications (www.forthpub.com) 1 Contents Abbreviations vii Preface ix Introduction: Empires, Colonies, and Postcolonial Interpretation 1 I.
    [Show full text]
  • Do the Prophets Teach That Babylonia Will Be Rebuilt in the Eschaton
    Scholars Crossing LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations 1998 Do the Prophets Teach That Babylonia Will Be Rebuilt in the Eschaton Homer Heater Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lts_fac_pubs Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Ethics in Religion Commons, History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, Other Religion Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Heater, Homer, "Do the Prophets Teach That Babylonia Will Be Rebuilt in the Eschaton" (1998). LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations. 281. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lts_fac_pubs/281 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JETS 41/1 (March 1998) 23-43 DO THE PROPHETS TEACH THAT BABYLONIA WILL BE REBUILT IN THE ESCHATON? HOMER HEATER, JR.* Dispensationalists have traditionally argued that "Babylon" in Revela­ tion 14 and chaps. 17-18 is a symbol indicating some form of reestablished Rome. * In recent days a renewed interest has been shown in the idea that the ancient empire of Babylonia and city of Babylon will be rebuilt.2 This conclusion comes from a reading of the prophets—Isaiah and Jeremiah
    [Show full text]
  • Three Conquests of Canaan
    ÅA Wars in the Middle East are almost an every day part of Eero Junkkaala:of Three Canaan Conquests our lives, and undeniably the history of war in this area is very long indeed. This study examines three such wars, all of which were directed against the Land of Canaan. Two campaigns were conducted by Egyptian Pharaohs and one by the Israelites. The question considered being Eero Junkkaala whether or not these wars really took place. This study gives one methodological viewpoint to answer this ques- tion. The author studies the archaeology of all the geo- Three Conquests of Canaan graphical sites mentioned in the lists of Thutmosis III and A Comparative Study of Two Egyptian Military Campaigns and Shishak and compares them with the cities mentioned in Joshua 10-12 in the Light of Recent Archaeological Evidence the Conquest stories in the Book of Joshua. Altogether 116 sites were studied, and the com- parison between the texts and the archaeological results offered a possibility of establishing whether the cities mentioned, in the sources in question, were inhabited, and, furthermore, might have been destroyed during the time of the Pharaohs and the biblical settlement pe- riod. Despite the nature of the two written sources being so very different it was possible to make a comparative study. This study gives a fresh view on the fierce discus- sion concerning the emergence of the Israelites. It also challenges both Egyptological and biblical studies to use the written texts and the archaeological material togeth- er so that they are not so separated from each other, as is often the case.
    [Show full text]
  • THROUGH the BIBLE ISAIAH 15-19 in the Bible God Judges Individuals, and Families, and Churches, and Cities, and Even Nations…
    THROUGH THE BIBLE ISAIAH 15-19 ! In the Bible God judges individuals, and families, and churches, and cities, and even nations… I would assume He also judges businesses, and labor unions, and school systems, and civic groups, and athletic associations - all of life is God’s domain. Starting in Isaiah 13, God launches a series of judgments against the Gentile nations of his day. Making Isaiah’s list are Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Ethiopia, Egypt, Edom, Tyre, and Syria. Tonight we’ll study God’s burden against the nations. ! Isaiah 15 begins, “The burden against Moab…” Three nations bordered Israel to the east - Moab, Edom, and Ammon. Today this area makes up the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - a pro-Western monarchy with its capitol city of Amman - or Ammon. ! Today, it’s fashionable to research your roots - track down the family tree. Websites like Ancestry.com utilize the power of the Internet to uncover your genealogy. For some folks this is a fun and meaningful pastime. For me, I’ve always been a little leery… I suspect I’m from a long line of horse thieves and swindlers. I’m not sure I want to know my ancestry. This is probably how most Moabites felt regarding their progenitors… ! The Moabites were a people with some definite skeletons in the closest! Their family tree had root rot. Recently, I read of a Michigan woman who gave her baby up for adoption. Sixteen years later she tracked him down on FB… only to get romantically involved. She had sex with her son… Obviously this gal is one sick pup.
    [Show full text]
  • A Proposed Chronology of Armageddon and Christ's Second Coming Pastor Kelly Sensenig on September 2, 1945, Aboard the Battle
    A Proposed Chronology of Armageddon And Christ’s Second Coming Pastor Kelly Sensenig On September 2, 1945, aboard the battleship USS Missouri, the Japanese government formally surrendered to the Allied forces, thus ending WWII. After the instrument of surrender had been signed by all the representatives, General Douglas Macarthur, the supreme commander of the allied force in the Pacific, made a powerful announcement: “Men since the beginning of time have sought peace. We have had our last chance. Military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blots out this alternative. If we do not devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door.” MacArthur’s words are truer today than ever before. The world is not getting safer or more peaceful. The 20th century ended with a third of the world’s 193 nations embroiled in conflict. The Bible has something to say about a final battle that will occur in the land of Palestine. In this study we want to propose a chronology of events that will transpire in connection with the place called Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ. In the final battle, or series of battles which occur within the land of Palestine, there will be a large representation of troops from all nations of planet earth (Zech 14:2; Rev. 19:15; Joel 3:9-13). Millions upon millions of troops representing the leaders and nations “of the whole world” (Rev.
    [Show full text]
  • EDOM and COPPER Photo by Mohammad Najjar Mohammad by Photo Photo by Thomas E
    Edom& Copper The Emergence of Ancient Israel’s Rival Thomas E. L E v y a n d m ohammad Najjar Did King David do battle with the Edomites? The Bible says he did. It would be unlikely, however, if Edom was not yet a sufficiently complex society to organize and field an army, if Edom was just some nomadic Bedouin tribes roaming around looking for pastures and water for their sheep and goats. Until recently, many scholars took this position: In David’s time Edom was at most a simple pastoral society.1 This gave fuel to those scholars who insisted that ancient DUBY TAL / Israel (or rather, Judah) likewise did not ALBATROSS develop into a state until a century or more 24 BI B LICA L ARCHAEOLOGY REVIEW • JULY/AUGUST 2006 JULY/AUGUST 2006 • BI B LICA L ARCHAEOLOGY REVIEW 25 EDOM AND COPPER PHOTO BY MOHAMMAD NAJJAR PHOTO BY THOMAS E. LEVY after David’s time. Ancient Israel, they argued, explore the role of early mining and metallurgy on r PILES OF RUBBLE (opposite) bestride the outline of a large e v was just like the situation east of the Jordan—no i square fortress and more than 100 smaller buildings at social evolution from the beginnings of agriculture R AMMON n complex societies in Ammon, Moab or Edom. a Khirbat en-Nahas in the Edomite lowlands of Jordan. The and sedentary village life from the Pre-pottery d r According to this school of thought, David was o Neolithic period (c. 8500 B.C.E.) to the Iron Age J massive black mounds are slag, a waste product of the Jerusalem not really a king, but a chieftain of a few simple SEA copper-smelting process, indicating that large-scale copper (1200–500 B.C.E.) in Jordan.
    [Show full text]
  • Nissinen2001.Pdf
    THE MELAMMU PROJECT http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/ ÐAkkadian Rituals and Poetry of Divine LoveÑ MARTTI NISSINEN Published in Melammu Symposia 2: R. M. Whiting (ed.), Mythology and Mythologies. Methodological Approaches to Intercultural Influences. Proceedings of the Second Annual Symposium of the Assyrian and Babylonian Intellectual Heritage Project. Held in Paris, France, October 4-7, 1999 (Helsinki: The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project 2001), pp. 93-136. Publisher: http://www.helsinki.fi/science/saa/ This article was downloaded from the website of the Melammu Project: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/ The Melammu Project investigates the continuity, transformation and diffusion of Mesopotamian culture throughout the ancient world. A central objective of the project is to create an electronic database collecting the relevant textual, art-historical, archaeological, ethnographic and linguistic evidence, which is available on the website, alongside bibliographies of relevant themes. In addition, the project organizes symposia focusing on different aspects of cultural continuity and evolution in the ancient world. The Digital Library available at the website of the Melammu Project contains articles from the Melammu Symposia volumes, as well as related essays. All downloads at this website are freely available for personal, non-commercial use. Commercial use is strictly prohibited. For inquiries, please contact [email protected]. NISSINEN A KKADIAN R ITUALS AND P OETRY OF D IVINE L OVE MARTTI N ISSINEN Helsinki Akkadian Rituals and Poetry of Divine Love haš adu išakkan u irrub u b it ru ’a mi They perform the ritual of love, they enter the house of love. K 2411 i 19 1.
    [Show full text]