NYU Tel Aviv HIST-UA9524/HBRJD-UA 9118/SASEM-UG 9550 Ancient Israel: History and Archeology

Instructor Information ● Dr. Yifat Thareani ● Mobile: +972-54-3352940 ● [email protected] ● Office Hours: by appointment

Course Information ● HBRJD-UA 9118 ● Ancient Israel ● The story of the archaeological discipline in the Land of Israel is strongly tied with the major developments that the region has undergone in the last two centuries. This course offers an overview of the history of archaeology in Palestine since the appearance of the first European travelers and missionaries in the mid-19th century, along the vibrant interest of collectors, forgers and robbers in the Promised Land, through the appearance of the first scientific excavations, the rise of the American biblical archaeology and its influence on local Israeli research. Special attention will be given to the way the newly born Israeli archaeology helped to establish the Zionist identity that wished to pass over two thousand years of Diaspora history; the methods by which the nascent Israeli archaeology connected new-comers to the land of the patriarchs and the manner by which Israeli scholars served state interests in the creation of the national Zionist ethos. ● Prerequisites: None ● Tuesdays, 12:30-1:45pm and Thursdays, 3:00-4:15pm ● NYUTA Academic Center, 17 Brandeis Street, Room 102

Course Overview and Goals Upon Completion of this Course, students will be able to: ● Understand the major events and trends in the history of biblical archaeology in Israel ever since its inception in the 19th century. ● Understand socio-political events in the modern history of Israel and the way these processes are reflected through archaeology. ● Understand the main arguments that dominate the current archaeological and historical disciplines.

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● Identify and analyze the most significant objects found in Israel in more than 150 years of archaeological exploration.

Course Requirements Class Participation Students are expected to attend class regularly and arrive on time. Students must complete all assigned readings before the class meeting and be prepared to participate actively in discussions of the readings and current events.

Weekly Study Questions Each week, a set of study questions pertaining to that week’s readings are posed. These questions are designed to assist students with the weekly reading assignments. Students are required to submit short answers to these questions 8-10 times throughout the semester.

Three Critical Response Papers In order to enhance students' acknowledgment with some prominent issues in the archaeology and history of the region, three selected articles referring to three different aspects of the archaeological discipline will be reviewed. The students will be required to critically analyze each paper and answer five questions concerning the structure, content and validity of each argument.

Midterm Assignment Midterm assignment is consisted of several phases involving a paper submitted by the students based on a joint tour. The tour will include a general introduction followed by a questionnaire that the students will fill in at site. The next stage will involve a paper composed by each student based on the handout and reflections from the tour. The paper may be submitted in various ways that will be specified at class.

Final Exam The final exam consists of open questions and terms concerning issues that will be taught in class as well as questions that will be based upon critical reading of relevant scientific articles. It will contain three main parts: a large question, two medium sized questions and 4-5 terms. In this exam the student is required to demonstrate the knowledge and tools acquired during the course through several selected case studies.

Grading of Assignments The grade for this course will be determined according to the following formula: Assignments/Activities % of Final Grade

Class Participation 10%

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Assignments/Activities % of Final Grade

Weekly Study Questions 10%

Three Critical Response Papers 20%

Midterm Assignment 20%

Final Exam 40%

Failure to submit or fulfill any one of the required course component results in failure of the class.

Letter Grades Letter grades for the entire course will be assigned as follows:

Letter Grade Percent

A 94-100%

A- 90-93%

B+ 87-89%

B 84-86%

B- 80-83%

C+ 77-79%

C 74-76%

C- 70-73%

D+ 67-69%

D 65-66%

F below 65%

Course Schedule Topics and Assignments

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Week/Date Topic Reading Assignment Due

Ben-Arieh, Y. 1983. The The Journey to Aug. 28, Rediscovery of the Holy Land Palestine Starts 30 in the Nineteenth Century. Here Jerusalem: 19-64. Missioners and Silberman, N. A. 1982. Digging Engineers in the Sept. 4, 6 for God and Country. New Study Questions Service of Her York: 89-112. Majesty Ilan, D., Dahari, U. and Avni, G. 1989. The Rampant Rape of Israel's Archaeological Sites. Biblical Archaeology Review 15: 38-42. Levy, T. E. and Hall, A. F. C. 1995. Fakes, Forgery and Suicide – The Strange Case of Moses Wilhelm Shapira. In: Critical Paper On Forgers and Levy, T. E. (ed.). The Sept. 12, 13 One Due Antiquities Robbers Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land. New York: 21. Kletter, R. 2003. A Very General Archaeologist-Moshe Dayan and Israeli Archaeology. The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 4. Knauf, E. A. 2003. Jehoash's Improbable Inscription. BiblischeNotizen 117: 22-26. Thomas, P. A. 1984. The Success and Failure of Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister. Biblical Archaeologist 47 (1): 33-35.

Silberman, N. A. 1993. Petrie Sept. 18, 20 At the Edge of a and the Founding Fathers. In: Study Questions New Century Biran, A. and Aviram, J. (eds.). Biblical Archaeology Today (1990): Proceedings of the Second International Congress on Biblical Archaeology. Jerusalem: 545-554. The 1920's-1940's: Oct. 2, 4 The Rise of Biblical Dever, W. G. et al. 1993. Study Questions Archaeology Celebrating and Examining W.

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Week/Date Topic Reading Assignment Due

F. Albright. Biblical Archaeologist 56 (1). Abu el-Haj, N. 2002. Producing (Arti) Facts: Archaeology and Power during the British Mandate of Palestine. Israel Studies 7 (2): 33-61. Feinman, P. 2012. Canaanites, Catholics and Chosen Peoples: William Foxwell Albright's Biblical Archaeology. Near Eastern Archaeology 75 (3): 148-160. Zerubavel, Y. 1995. The Multivocality of a National Myth: Memory and Counter- memories of Masada. Israel Affairs 1 (3): 110-128. Ben-Yehuda, N. 1995. The Masada Myth: Collective Memory and Mythmaking in Israel. London: 70-50. Feige, M. 2001. Identity, Ritual and Pilgrimage: The Meetings of the Israeli Exploration Society. In: Dash Moore, D. The 1950's-1960's: and IlanTroen, S. (eds.). Critical Paper Oct. 9, 11 Archaeology and Divergent Jewish Cultures: Two Due Nationalism Israel and America. New Haven: 87-106. Kletter, R. 2006. Just Past?The Making of Israeli Archaeology. London: 42-81. Stager, L. E. 2006. YigaelYadin and Biblical Archaeology. In: Stern, E. et al. (eds.). In Memory of YigaelYadin, 1917-1984: Lectures Presented at the Symposium on the Twentieth Anniversary of His Death. Jerusalem: 13-27. Oct. 14 Visit to Israel Midterm (Sunday) Museum

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Week/Date Topic Reading Assignment Due

Bunimovitz, S. and Faust, A. 2010. Re-constructing Biblical The Footprints of the Archaeology: Toward an Six Days War: Integration of Archaeology and Oct. 16, 18 Study Questions Between Old and the Bible. In: Levy, T. E. (ed.). New Archaeology Historical Biblical Archaeology and the Future: The New Pragmatism. London: 43-54. Dever, W. G. 1997. Archaeology and the “Age of Solomon”: A Case Study in Archaeology and The 1990's and the Historiography. In: Handy, L. Oct. 23, 25 Debate over David K. (ed.). The Age of Solomon. Study Questions and Solomon Leiden: 217-251. Finkelstein, I. and Silberman, N. A. 2001. The Bible Unearthed. New York: 123- 168. Feige, M. 2011. The Imagined Back to History: Communities of Archaeology: Israeli Archaeology Oct. 30, Nov. 1 On Nationalism, Otherness and Study Questions in a Post-modern Surfaces. Democratic Culture Era 12: 7-59. Abu el-Haj, N. 2001. Facts on the Ground: Archaeological Practice and Territorial Self- Fashioning in Israeli Society. Chicago and London: 239-270. Baram, U. 2007. Approaching the Past: Heritage Tourism and Archaeology in Israel. In: Archaeology of Kohl, P. L., Kozelsky, M. and Critical Paper Nov. 6, 8 Otherness in the Ben-Yehuda, N. (eds.). Three Due Land of Israel Selective Remembrances: Archaeology in the Construction, Commemoration and Consecration of National Pasts. Chicago: 299-325. Greenberg, R. 2007. Contested Sites: Archaeology and the Battle for Jerusalem. Jewish Quarterly 208: 20-26.

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Week/Date Topic Reading Assignment Due

Moorey, P. R. S. 1978. Kathleen Kenyon and Palestinian Archaeology. Palestine Exploration Quarterly 110: 3-10. Gero, J. M. 1994. Excavation Bias and the Woman-at-Home The Untold Story of Ideology. In: Nelson, M. N. and Nov. 13, 15 Women in Israeli Wylie, A. (eds.). Equity Issues Study Questions Archaeology for Women in Archaeology. Washington: 37-42. Picazo, M. 1998. Fieldwork is not the Proper Preserve of a Lady. In: Diaz-Andreu, M. and Sorensen, M. L. S. (eds.). Excavating Women. London: 198-213. Green, S. W. and Perlman, S. Margin Girl: Frontier M. 1985. Frontiers, Areas as Multi- Boundaries, and Open Social Nov. 20, 22 Cultural Systems. In Green, S. W. and Study Questions Archaeological Perlman, S. M. (eds.). The Spaces Archaeology of Frontiers and Boundaries. San Diego: 3-14. Berlejung, A. 2014. Outlook: Aramaeans Outside of Syria. Palestine, in: The Aramaeans in Ancient Syria (HdO 106), ed. H. Niehr, Leiden, 339-365. Special Case Study Thareani, Y., 2016. ʻEnemy at Enemies, a Love the Gates? The Archaeological Story: Cross-cultural Nov. 29 Visibility of the Aramaeans at Study Questions Contacts between Danʼ, in O. Sergey, M. Oeming Syria and Israel in and I. J. de Hulster (eds) In the Iron Age Search of Aram and Israel: Politics, Culture and Identity, OrientalischeReligionen in der Antike 20, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 169-198. An Epilogue: Towards a Dialogue Dec. 4, 6 between Yesterday and Tomorrow

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Week/Date Topic Reading Assignment Due

Dec. 11, Final Assignment 13

Tests and Quizzes ● [Insert test name and date]

Course Materials Required Textbooks & Materials All readings are available on NYU Classes

Optional Textbooks & Materials N/A

Resources ● Access your course materials: NYU Classes(nyu.edu/its/classes) ● Databases, journal articles, and more: Bobst Library (library.nyu.edu) ● Assistance with strengthening your writing: NYU Writing Center (nyu.mywconline.com) ● Obtain 24/7 technology assistance:IT Help Desk (nyu.edu/it/servicedesk)

Course Policies Attendance and Tardiness Study abroad at Global Academic Centers is an academically intensive and immersive experience, in which students from a wide range of backgrounds exchange ideas in discussion-based seminars. Learning in such an environment depends on the active participation of all students. And since classes typically meet once or twice a week, even a single absence can cause a student to miss a significant portion of a course. To ensure the integrity of this academic experience, class attendance at the centers is mandatory, and unexcused absences will be penalized with a two percent deduction from the student’s final course grade. Students are responsible for making up any work missed due to absence. Repeated absences in a course may result in failure. All medical-basedabsencerequestsMUSTbepresentedtothe Manager of Student Life and Housing (MSLH).Inthecaseofillness,contacttheMSLH withinseven(7)daysoftheabsenceorassoonaspracticableandprovidemedicaldocumentation. Non-medicalrequestsshouldbemade to the Assistant Director for Academics (AD/Academics) and inadvanceoftheintendedabsence.Yourinstructorswillbeinformedofany excusedabsence; they are not authorized to approve your absence, and they are required to reportanyabsencestotheAD/Academics.

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NYU Policy on Religious Holidays ● Students who anticipate being absent because of any religious observance should, whenever possible, notify faculty and the AD/Academics in advance of such anticipated absence. ● Whenever feasible, examinations and assignment deadlines should not be scheduled on religious holidays. Any student absent from class because of his/her religious beliefs shall not be penalized for any class, examination, or assignment deadline missed on that day or days. In the event that examinations or assignment deadlines are scheduled on a religious holiday, any student who is unable to attend class shall be permitted the opportunity to make up any examination or to extend any assignment deadline missed on that day or days. ● No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student who avails him/ herself of the provisions of the resolution. ● A violation of these policies and principles shall permit any aggrieved student to bring forward a grievance, provided under the University Grievance Procedure. Late Assignments All works must be submitted on time unless you have received an explicit extension. Any late submission may result in grade deduction at the sole discretion of the instructor. Academic Honesty/Plagiarism Plagiarism is the presentation of another person’s words, ideas, judgment, images or data as though they were your own, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Plagiarism constitutes an academic offence for which you can be disciplined. Punishment may include a failing grade, suspension or expulsion. In all confirmed cases, a report will be sent to the student’s Dean at NYU or, in the case of a non-NYU student, to the home institution. Disability Disclosure Statement Academic accommodations are available for students with disabilities. Please contact the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities (212-998-4980 or [email protected]) for further information. Students who are requesting academic accommodations are advised to reach out to the Moses Center as early as possible in the semester for assistance.

Instructor Bio Dr. Yifat Thareani is a research archaeologist at the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at the Jerusalem campus of the Hebrew Union College. Dr. Thareani was born in Tel-Aviv in 1974. She is a graduate post-doc at the Ècole Pratique des Hautes Ètudes (EPHE), Sorbonne V, Paris, at the Orient et Méditerranée, Laboratoire Mondes Sémitiques, Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) (research topic: Between Israel, Aram and Assyria: Tel Dan at the Iron Age II, supervisor Prof. Maria-Grazia Masetti-Rouault) and a graduate post-doc of the Leon-Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, University of Haifa (research topic: The Empire and the Sea: The Case of the Assyrians and the Mediterranean, supervisor Dr. Assaf Yasur-Landau). She completed her BA, MA and PhD in Archaeology at Tel-Aviv University (dissertation title: Towns in the Desert: Geographical, Economic and Sociopolitical Perspectives written under the direction of Prof. Israel Finkelstein and Prof. Nadav Na'aman). Thareani has supervised excavation fields at Beth-Shemesh and she currently co-

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directs the archaeological excavation at Tel Dan and at Tel Achziv on behalf of the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology, Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem.

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