DOCSLIB.ORG

The Ancient Near East Today

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Ancient Near East Today February 2017: Vol. V, No. 2 The Ancient Near East Today A PUBLICATION OF FRIENDS OF ASOR TABLE OF CONTENTS Jewish Purity Practices in Roman Judea: 1 The Evidence of Archaeology 2 Shulgi, King of Cleveland: Ask a Near Eastern Professional 3 ‘Invaders of Obscure Race?’ Understanding the Hyksos Masculinities and Third Gender: Gendered Otherness in the 4 Ancient Near East Chapter One Jewish Purity Practices in Roman Judea: The Evidence of Archaeology Jewish Purity Practices in Roman Judea: The Evidence of Archaeology By: Yonatan Adler One of the outstanding characteristics of Jewish religious practice during the late Second Temple period (first century BCE until 70 CE) was a marked preoccupation with the ritual purity laws found in the Torah. Concentrated in the Priestly Code (mostly in Lev 11–15 and Num 19), these laws relate to numerous sources of ritual impurity, such as male and female genital discharges, various skin diseases, as well as human and certain animal corpses. In the literature penned during this period, including the Biblical apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament, and the works of Philo and Flavius Josephus, we find frequent references to these laws and the ways they were implemented practically by various Jewish groups. Above Left: Mikveh near the Temple Mount, Jerusalem. All figures courtesy of Yonatan Adler except where otherwise noted. Above Right: Mikveh at Qumran Continued interest in ritual purity law, to one extent or another, is evidenced throughout the rabbinic literature of the Roman and Byzantine periods. Conflicting interpretations of the details of these laws played a major role in the sectarian schisms that characterized the period, with groups such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, the Qumran sect, the nascent Jesus movement, the rabbis and commoners all staking out positions on the specifics of how these laws were to be practically observed. Above: Mikveh at Magdala Until recently, the literary sources were our only window onto ancient Jewish purity practices. Today, the texts have been supplemented by a plethora of archaeological finds which provide evidence for the centrality of ritual purity observance in the daily lives of Jews throughout Judea during the Roman period. Chief amongst these finds are stepped water installations which served as ritual baths (Hebrew: mikva’ot; singular: mikveh) for the purification of ritually impure people, clothing and vessels. The earliest mikva’ot date to the Hasmonean period, from around the beginning of the first century BCE. Baths definitively dating to this early stage have been found in Jerusalem, Jericho and Qumran. The Early Roman period (63 BCE–135 CE) witnessed a surge in the number of ritual baths throughout the country, with the vast majority discovered to date (over seven hundred) deriving from the period spanning from the first century BCE until the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132–135 CE. Ritual baths from this period have been discovered at dozens of sites throughout Israel, from the Upper Galilee and the Golan in the north, to the Beersheba valley in the south, as well as at a number of sites in Jordan. Not surprisingly, the largest concentration of ritual baths dating to the Early Roman period has been found at Jerusalem, where approximately 170 baths have been uncovered to date. The phenomenon is hardly one unique to Jerusalem, however, as hundreds of ritual baths dating to the Early Roman period have been uncovered at dozens of rural settlement sites in the Judean countryside. Often numerous baths have been found at a single site, even in relatively small villages or farmsteads, a phenomenon which highlights the important role that ritual immersion played in the daily lives of Jews during this period. Above Left: Mikveh at Qumran. Above Right: Distribution of sites with finds of ancient ritual baths. The heyday of mikva’ot continued far beyond the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple at the hands of the Romans in 70 CE, with continued construction and large- scale usage of these installations at least until the outbreak of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 132 CE. Ritual baths postdating the Bar Kokhba rebellion have been found at numerous sites throughout Israel, although in far fewer numbers than those from the Early Roman period. Most ritual baths were located in residential contexts, in the basement or ground floor of houses as well as in shared domestic courtyards. The phenomenon of ritual baths installed in private homes was prevalent across the entire socioeconomic gamut, from simple dwellings in rural villages to lavish mansions such as those found in the Upper City of Jerusalem and the royal palaces of the Hasmoneans and of Herod the Great. Numerous ritual baths have been found near entrances to the Temple Mount, in close proximity to the Huldah Gates in the southern wall and Robinson’s Arch and Wilson’s Arch in the western wall. These were apparently public ritual baths, intended for the use of the multitude of pilgrims who visited the Temple on the festivals and throughout the year and required purificatory immersion prior to entering the sacred realms of the Temple. Above Left: Chalkstone vessels on display at the Old Jaffa Museum of Antiquities. Above Right: Large chalkstone jars, Jerusalem (Photo © Israel Museum, Jerusalem, by Avraham Hay) A number of ritual baths have been found adjacent to winepresses and oil-presses, and were apparently used by agricultural laborers in order to insure the ritual purity of the wine and oil that were produced at these installations. Several ritual baths have been found located adjacent to burial caves, and were apparently used after the burial ceremony for the purification of funerary participants who had contracted corpse- impurity. Another important archaeological phenomenon that points to the observance of ritual purity regulations is the widespread use of chalkstone vessels. The practice is based on the conception that stone is a material impervious to ritual impurity. According to the Priestly Code, vessels may be rendered impure upon contact with certain sources of ritual impurity, however in some instances a distinction is drawn between vessels made of different materials: wood, cloth, leather and sackcloth are to be purified through immersion in water (Lev 11:32), while earthen vessels are to be broken (Lev 11:33, 15:12). Other materials singled out for purification through ablutions are: gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin and lead (Num 31:22–23). Above Left: Chalkstone mug (Photo © The Israel Museum, by Dr. Jean-Luc Pilon, Canadian Museum of Civilization). Above Right: 2016 Excavations at ‘Einot Amitai, a chalkstone vessel workshop in Galilee. The status of vessels made of stone (such as grinding implements usually made of basalt or other hard rock) is nowhere apparent from these sources. Throughout the rabbinic literature, on the other hand, we find that the rabbis assumed that stone vessels cannot contract ritual impurity and, as such, never have any need for purification. This understanding appears to lie behind the explanation found in the Gospel of John (2:6) that the stone water jars featuring in the wedding at Cana narrative were associated with “Jewish rites of purification.” During the Early Roman period, various types of vessels made of chalkstone, serving as both domestic tableware and storage containers for food and liquids, were in widespread use at Jewish sites throughout Judea, supplementing the usual repertoire of ceramic vessels. These include hand-carved bowls, mugs basins and platters, as well as lathe-turned bowls, trays, goblets, stoppers, spice bowls and inkwells. Less common are are kraters, tall barrel-shaped jars standing on a single leg and generally measuring 65 to 80 cm in height and 40 to 50 cm in diameter. Kraters were produced on a large lathe and were probably used as storage containers for food and liquids. Chalkstone vessels first appear in the archaeological record during the second half of the first century BCE, and continued to enjoy widespread popularity until the quelling of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 CE, after which the phenomenon almost completely disappears from the archaeological record. Chalkstone vessels have been found at over 250 sites throughout Israel and Jordan. The phenomenon is a uniquely Jewish one, however, as remains of these utensils are conspicuously absent from non-Jewish sites. Chalkstone quarries and workshops for the production of these vessels have been excavated at Jebel Mukabbir to the south of Jerusalem, at Ḥizma, Mt. Scopus and Tell el-Ful to the north of the city, and at Bethlehem of Galilee in the North of the country. Currently, I am directing excavations at two additional chalkstone vessel production sites located near Nazareth in Galilee—‘Einot Amitai and Reina. Along with mikva’ot, the chalkstone quarries and workshops reflect the surprising extent to which the economy and landscape were dedicated to the concept of purity. Yonatan Adler is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Ariel University. Chapter Two Shulgi, King of Cleveland: Ask a Near Eastern Professional Shulgi, King of Cleveland: Ask a Near Eastern Professional By: Alex Joffe William F. Romain writes: While at the Cleveland Museum of Art I came across this sculpture purporting to be Shulgi, king of Ur. On loan by anonymous donor. No information as to where it was found or by who is on file at the museum. No Near East curator - position is currently vacant. Image of Shulgi. Courtesy What do you think? Seen it before? Real deal? of William F. Romain. Introducing, Shulgi Shulgi, the second king of the Third Dynasty of Ur, reigned for an extraordinary 48 years, from around 2029 -1982 BCE. This is not quite the 82 years of Sobhuze II of Swaziland (who ascended the throne when he was four months old) but still respectable for someone born in an era when total life expectancy was only 40 or 50 years to begin with.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lesson 3 Egypt.Pdf
    NAME _________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS _______ Ancient Egypt and Kush Lesson 3 Egypt’s Empire ESSENTIAL QUESTION Terms to Know incense a material burned for its pleasant smell Why do civilizations rise and fall? envoy a person who represents his country in a GUIDING QUESTIONS foreign place 1. Why was the Middle Kingdom a “golden age” for Egypt? 2. Why was the New Kingdom a unique period in ancient Egypt’s history? 3. How did two unusual pharaohs change ancient Egypt? 4. Why did the Egyptian empire decline in the late 1200s b.c.? When did it happen? 5000 b.c. 3000 b.c. 2000 b.c. 1000 b.c. 750 b.c. 5000 b.c. 2600 b.c. 2055 b.c. 1070 b.c. 750 b.c. Settlement Old Kingdom Middle New Kingdom Kush begins in Nile begins Kingdom ends conquers River valley begins Egypt You Are Here in History What do you know? Read the list of pharaohs. Circle the names that you know or have heard before. For each circled name, write one fact that you know about that pharaoh. Ahmose Hatshepsut Copyright by McGraw-Hill Education. Thutmose III Akhenaton King Tut Ramses II 49 NAME _________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS _______ Ancient Egypt and Kush Lesson 3 Egypt’s Empire, Continued A Golden Age The Middle Kingdom lasted from about 2055 b.c. to 1650 b.c. It was a time of power, wealth, and achievement for Egypt. During the Middle Kingdom, Egypt took control of new lands. The Categorizing pharaoh required tribute, or payments from the conquered peoples.
    [Show full text]
  • Resolving the Chronology of the Hyksos Kings
    RESOLVING CHRONOLOGY OF THE 2nd MILLENNIUM B.C. James B. Parkinson Several puzzling problems of Canaanite archaeology and Hyksos times can be resolved by looking for Israel’s Exodus and entry into Canaan rather earlier than has been commonly considered. Key findings include: The Mediterranean campaign of Ur-Nammu, king of Ur and Sumer, fourteen years before he died, corresponds well to the campaign of Amraphel, king of Shinar, fourteen years before Abram’s victory over him. Nearly 430 years later, Moses would have been contemporary with Pharaoh Khyan/Iannas (as attested in the N.T.); hence the Exodus from Egypt in B.C. 1615 must have begun the decline of the Hyksos kings. The once unexplained end of the Middle Bronze age in the mid-16th century B.C. is readily explained by the Israelite invasion of Canaan. The Habiru threat of the el-Amarna letters apparently follows the contemporary victories of Deborah/Barak and Gideon. The Biblical accounts appear both reliable and precise. Introduction Israel’s Exodus from Egypt and entry into Canaan are central to its early history. Over the past many decades scholars have argued only whether it was around the time of Thutmose III (mid-14th century B.C.) or around the end of the reign of Ramesses II (c. BC1237-1212). Abetted by lack of positive evidence for the former and by progressive lowerings of the reigns of the kings of the United Monarchy, the latter has been strongly favored of late. In the light of Palestinian archaeology, this view has made it fashionable to doubt the conquest tradition of Israel, or that any pre-Kings historical details should be taken more seriously than, say, the bizarre Gilgamesh Epic.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconstruction of Ancient Conceptual Landscapes in the Nile Valley
    Reconstruction of ancient conceptual landscapes in the Nile Valley Giulio Magli Faculty of Civil Architecture, Politecnico di Milano. Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy. E-Mail: [email protected] Abstract: Conceptual landscapes in Egypt show a remarkable continuity – for as long as 2000 years – in the use of symbols and in the interplay between natural and man-built features. Directionality, both in the sense of succession of elements and of orientation of single buildings and tombs, plays a key role in governing the landscape in accordance with the idea of “cosmic” order, which was the basis of the temporal power of the pharaoh. Comparing satellite image with local surveys and using simple web-based instruments for tracing visibility lines helps in understanding connections and messages which were meant to be clear and obvious in ancient times but may be lost, or forgotten, today. In particular, the prominent role of astronomical and topographical alignments in the planning of successive monuments comes out at sites like Abydos, Giza, Dahshur and at Western Thebes. The way in which the same symbols and elements were elaborated by the “heretic” pharaoh Akhenaten in planning the landscape of his capital at Amarna is also highlighted. Keywords: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Landscapes, Web-based Archaeo-topography 1. Introduction Archaeoastronomy, the science exploring the relationship of ancient architecture with the sky, is a relatively new discipline. It started from the pioneering efforts of Gerald Hawkins and Alexander Thom in the sixties of the last century. These authors were the first to put in evidence in a systematic way the possible relevance of astronomical alignments in the interpretation of ancient sites.
    [Show full text]
  • Ahmose, Son of Ebana: the Expulsion of the Hyksos
    Ahmose, son of Ebana: The Expulsion of the Hyksos Ahmose, son of Ebana, was an officer in the Egyptian army during the end of the 17th Dynasty to the beginning of the 18th Dynasty (16th century BCE). Originally from Elkab in Upper Egypt, he decided to become a soldier, like his father, Baba, who served under Seqenenre Tao II in the early campaigns against the Hyksos. Ahmose spent most of his military life serving aboard the king’s fleet - fighting at Avaris, at Sharuhen in Palestine, and in Nubia during the service of Ahmose I, and was often cited for his bravery in battle by the king. These accounts were left in a tomb that Ahmose, son of Ebana, identifies as his own at the end of the water—for he was captured on the city side-and he Crew Commander Ahmose son of crossed the water carrying him. When it was Abana, the justified; he says: I speak reported to the royal herald I was rewarded with T to you, all people. I let you know gold once more. Then Avaris was despoiled, and what favors came to me. I have been I brought spoil from there: one man, three rewarded with gold seven times in the sight women; total, four persons. His majesty gave of the whole land, with male and female them to me as slaves. slaves as well. I have been endowed with Then Sharahen was besieged for three years. very many fields. The name of the brave His majesty despoiled it and I brought spoil man is in that which he has done; it will not from it: two women and a hand.
    [Show full text]
  • Ceremonial Execution and Public Rewards: Some Historical Scenes on New Kingdom Private Stelae
    Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 1988 Ceremonial Execution and Public Rewards: Some Historical Scenes on New Kingdom Private Stelae Schulman, Alan R. Abstract: The repertoire of scenes on Egyptian private stelae is relatively limited to scenes of the funerary banquet, of the deceased receiving offerings, or making them. About the reign of Thutmose IVinthe New Kingdom, and lasting through the end of Dynasty 20, scenes which seemingly have nothing to do with these motifs begin to occasionally appear in the stelae repertoire: the king smiting his enemies, receiving a weapon from a god, a god’s barque carried in procession, the deceased being rewarded with gold collars or riding in his chariot, and the like. The present work attempts to discern why such scenes appear on private stelae. After a careful examination of all of the known private monuments of this class which depict who specific motifs, a) the king smiting an enemy and b) the awarding of gold sbiw-collars to the stela’s dedicatee, a total of approximately 35 monuments, the conclusion was reached that such representations are not merely timeless stereotypes but actually represented specific events which took place at specific points in time. Thus the stelae function on two levels simultaneously, a concreteone commemorating the original event, and an abstract one in which the scene illustrated is repeated for eternity. Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-149722 Monograph Published Version Originally published at: Schulman, Alan R.
    [Show full text]
  • Egyptians, Nubians, Assyrians Chapter 4 Nomadic Rulers Invade Egypt
    Egyptians, Nubians, Assyrians Chapter 4 Nomadic Rulers Invade Egypt ● After the Middle Kingdom of Egypt declined, Egypt was attacked by invaders. ○ Caused by a succession of weak pharaohs and struggles amongst rival nobles. ○ These Asiatic invaders were called HYKSOS. ○ They ruled Egypt from 1640 BC to 1570 BC. ● The Israelites migration to Egypt. ○ The Bible tells of this story in the Old Testament. ○ Abraham crossed the Euphrates River into Canaan and settled there. ○ The Hyksos encouraged the Israelites to settle there because they were racially similar. Egyptians Regain Control ● Around 1600 BC a series of warlike rulers began to restore Egypt’s power. ○ Queen Ahhotep took over when her husband was killed in war. ○ Pharaoh Kamose won a great victory over the Hyksos. ○ The Hyksos were driven completely out of Egypt across the Sinai Peninsula. ○ Bible says Israelites remained and were enslaved. ○ Would not leave until the time of the Great Exodus between 1500 and 1200 BC. The New Kingdom of Egypt ● Pharaohs wanted to strengthen Egypt by building an empire. ● Queen Hatshepsut was a unique ruler ○ Her stepson was too young to rule so she ruled in his place. ○ Encouraged trade instead of war - sent ships to present-day Somalia (called Punt then) to trade for spices, animals, incense, and other goods. ● Thutmose III (Hatshepsut’s stepson) was much more warlike. ○ It is believed that he murdered Hatshepsut to gain power. ○ He led victorious invasions of Canaan and Syria, also Nubia to the south. ○ Egypt was now a mighty empire. More power than they ever had or ever would have in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • Textual Evidence for the Function of the “Botanical Garden” of Karnak in the Initiation Ritual
    oi.uchicago.edu i ORIENTAL INSTITUTE, THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO STUDIES IN ANCIENT ORIENTAL CIVILIZATION • NUMBER 61 CHICAGO • ILLINOIS Series Editors Leslie Schramer and Thomas G. Urban oi.uchicago.edu oi.uchicago.edu iii OCCASIONAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE THEBAN WORKSHOP SACRED SPACE AND SACRED FUNCTION IN ANCIENT THEBES edited by PETER F. DORMAN and BETSY M. BRYAN STUDIES IN ANCIENT ORIENTAL CIVILIZATION • VOLUME 61 THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CHICAGO • ILLINOIS oi.uchicago.edu Library of Congress Control Number: 2006941012 ISBN: 978-1-885923-46-2 ISSN: 0081-7554 The Oriental Institute, Chicago © 2007 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. Published 2007. Printed in the United States of America. Series Editors’ Acknowledgments Lindsay DeCarlo and Katie L. Johnson assisted in the produc- tion of this volume. Cover Illustration Watercolor by David Roberts Showing Columns Decorated by Ramesses IV at the Great Hypostyle Hall, Karnak. See herein page 53 and figure 5.4. Printed by McNaughton & Gunn, Saline, Michigan The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Services — Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. oi.uchicago.edu v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................. vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Kharga Oasis and Thebes: the Missing Piece of the Puzzle in the Relocation of Amen Worship in the 27Th Dynasty?
    Kharga Oasis and Thebes: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle in the Relocation of Amen Worship in the 27th Dynasty? Michinori OHSHIRO* I will introduce the temples in the Kharga Oasis that are known to have worshipped the Theban god Amen. This indicates that the principal god Amen or Amen-Ra temporarily moved from Thebes, the traditional religious centre in the Nile Valley, to the Kharga Oasis where he had a strong influence. The evidence shows that the Persian kings in the 2~ Dynasty, especially Darius I, discontinued construction activity in Thebes and instead built some huge structures in the Kharga Oasis. This, combined with the fact that the institution of "the God's Wife of Amen" disappeared from Thebes at the same time, possibly indicates a large-scale migration of people from Thebes to the Kharga Oasis. Such a migration created a unique Amen adoration in Kharga and Darius I willingly allowed the worship of Amen because Amen was a sun god with a ram's head- much like the Persian Royal family's own motif. Keywords: Kharga Oasis, Thebes, Darius I, Amen, Persia, Hibis Introduction The Nile Valley received various materials and information from the surrounding areas throughout Egyptian history. This is obvious from burial goods that have found in Abydos or Saqqara in the Predynastic Period such as lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, 1 carnelian from the Persian Gulf region and silver and wine in pottery from Palestine. Incense such as olibanum and myrrh for cult activities, ceremonies and funeral rites came to the Nile Valley via Nubia.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ARCHAEOLOGY of ACHAEMENID RULE in EGYPT by Henry Preater Colburn a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requ
    THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ACHAEMENID RULE IN EGYPT by Henry Preater Colburn A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Classical Art and Archaeology) in the University of Michigan 2014 Doctoral Committee: Professor Margaret C. Root, Chair Associate Professor Elspeth R. M. Dusinberre, University of Colorado Professor Sharon C. Herbert Associate Professor Ian S. Moyer Professor Janet E. Richards Professor Terry G. Wilfong © Henry Preater Colburn All rights reserved 2014 For my family: Allison and Dick, Sam and Gabe, and Abbie ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation was written under the auspices of the University of Michigan’s Interdepartmental Program in Classical Art and Archaeology (IPCAA), my academic home for the past seven years. I could not imagine writing it in any other intellectual setting. I am especially grateful to the members of my dissertation committee for their guidance, assistance, and enthusiasm throughout my graduate career. Since I first came to Michigan Margaret Root has been my mentor, advocate, and friend. Without her I could not have written this dissertation, or indeed anything worth reading. Beth Dusinberre, another friend and mentor, believed in my potential as a scholar well before any such belief was warranted. I am grateful to her for her unwavering support and advice. Ian Moyer put his broad historical and theoretical knowledge at my disposal, and he has helped me to understand the real potential of my work. Terry Wilfong answered innumerable questions about Egyptian religion and language, always with genuine interest and good humor. Janet Richards introduced me to Egyptian archaeology, both its study and its practice, and provided me with important opportunities for firsthand experience in Egypt.
    [Show full text]
  • Hyksos Research in Egyptology and Egypt's Public Imagination
    Journal of Egyptian History 11 (2018) 73–86 brill.com/jeh Hyksos Research in Egyptology and Egypt’s Public Imagination: A Brief Assessment of Fifty Years of Assessments Thomas Schneider University of British Columbia [email protected] Abstract This contribution will look at the impact that the discovery of the site of Tell el-Dabʿa (Avaris), the capital of the Hyksos, has had on the discipline of Egyptology—in other words, to assess in what ways the disciplinary and public narrative about the Hyksos Period has (or has not) changed as a consequence of the discovery of Avaris.1 It will become clear that the cultural specifics of Avaris and its historical place have had a varied reception, and that the diverging representations that can be encountered pay tribute to different strategies of acceptance or denial that perpetuate certain traditions of scholarly and public engagement with ancient Egypt. Keywords Avaris – Tell el-Dabʿa – ethnicity – Hyksos Period 1 Introduction In his introduction to the recent volume “Histories of Egyptology. Inter- disciplinary measures,” William Carruthers has pointed to the inherent instability of Egyptology—the instability of modern knowledge about ancient 1 The following ideas were first presented at the symposium “50 Years at Tell el-Dabʿa and a Kick-off for the ERC Advanced Grant ‘The Hyksos Enigma’ ” during the 10th ICAANE, Vienna, 25th–29th April, 2016. I am grateful to Manfred Bietak for the ability to publish the contribu- tion within this thematic issue of the Journal of Egyptian History. ©
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded from Brill.Com09/30/2021 02:46:23PM Via Free Access 148 Moreno García
    Journal of Egyptian History 11 (2018) 147–184 brill.com/jeh Elusive “Libyans”: Identities, Lifestyles and Mobile Populations in NE Africa (late 4th–early 2nd millennium BCE) Juan Carlos Moreno García CNRS—France [email protected] Abstract The term “Libyan” encompasses, in fact, a variety of peoples and lifestyles living not only in the regions west of the Nile Valley, but also inside Egypt itself, particularly in Middle Egypt and the Western Delta. This situation is reminiscent of the use of other “ethnic” labels, such as “Nubian,” heavily connoted with notions such as ethnic homogeneity, separation of populations across borders, and opposed lifestyles. In fact, economic complementarity and collaboration explain why Nubians and Libyans crossed the borders of Egypt and settled in the land of the pharaohs, to the point that their presence was especially relevant in some periods and regions during the late 3rd and early 2nd millennium BCE. Pastoralism was just but one of their economic pil- lars, as trading activities, gathering, supply of desert goods (including resins, minerals, and vegetal oils) and hunting also played an important role, at least for some groups or specialized segments of a particular social group. While Egyptian sources empha- size conflict and marked identities, particularly when considering “rights of use” over a given area, collaboration was also crucial and beneficial for both parts. Finally, the increasing evidence about trade routes used by Libyans points to alternative networks of circulation of goods that help explain episodes of warfare between Egypt and Libyan populations for their control. Keywords border – interaction – Libyans – Nubians – oases – pastoralism – trade – Western Desert © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2018 | doi:10.1163/18741665-12340046Downloaded from Brill.com09/30/2021 02:46:23PM via free access 148 Moreno García 1 Pots, Resins, Minerals and Cattle: “Libyans” and Desert Lifestyles The study of Libyan populations has known a relative but unbalanced renewal since the late 20th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham Research Online
    Durham Research Online Deposited in DRO: 29 July 2020 Version of attached le: Published Version Peer-review status of attached le: Peer-reviewed Citation for published item: Stantis, Chris and Kharobi, Arwa and Maaranen, Nina and Nowell, Geo M. and Bietak, Manfred and Prell, Silvia and Schutkowski, Holger (2020) 'Who were the Hyksos? challenging traditional narratives using strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of human remains from ancient Egypt.', PLoS ONE., 15 (7). e0235414. Further information on publisher's website: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235414 Publisher's copyright statement: Copyright: c 2020 Stantis et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. 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 PLOS ONE RESEARCH ARTICLE Who were the Hyksos? Challenging traditional narratives using strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of human remains from ancient Egypt 1 1,2☯ 1☯ 3 4 Chris StantisID *, Arwa Kharobi , Nina Maaranen , Geoff M.
    [Show full text]