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The Impact of Biblical Archaeological Findings on Christian Pilgrimage: the Case of the Burial Sites of Jesus

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The Impact of Biblical Archaeological Findings on Christian Pilgrimage: the Case of the Burial Sites of Jesus THE IMPACT OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS ON CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE: THE CASE OF THE BURIAL SITES OF JESUS by STEPHEN SMUTS submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the subject BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF. C.L. DE WET FEBRUARY 2016 DECLARATION ____________________________________________ Student number: 438-8236-6 I declare that THE IMPACT OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS ON CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE: THE CASE OF THE BURIAL SITES OF JESUS is my own work, and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. ............................................... ............................................ SIGNATURE DATE (FR. S. SMUTS) i SUMMARY ____________________________________________ This dissertation comparatively explores and critically evaluates the historical and traditional notions that are commonly held by Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land; and it does so by examining the archaeological, historical, and literary evidence, with specific reference to the existent material remnants that are closely associated with the burial of Christ Jesus. The research will highlight the impact that biblical archaeological findings and the results thereof have had on these identified pilgrimage sites. Both the strengths and the weaknesses of the evidence will be enumerated; and the implications for the practice and significance of pilgrimages will be set out. Key terms: Archaeology; Bible; Biblical Archaeology; Burial; Christianity; Historical; Holy Land; Jesus; New Testament; Pilgrim; Pilgrimage; Tomb; Tourism. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ____________________________________________ Writing this dissertation, though long and arduous, has nonetheless been a labour of love. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to those who have supported me on this journey: Firstly, to My Lord, who is Eternal and Uniquely-Begotten, and who has granted me the grace and strength to undertake this excursion in ‘higher learning’: Thank You for always being there for me, and never leaving me (Heb 13:5). To my wife and children, who have afforded me the time that was needed to do all the research, studying, and writing: Thank you! I love you more than words can possibly tell, my precious family. To my Dad and Mom: I made it! Who would have thought that I would finally get there? Thank you for your support, through the good and bad times. It has taken me a while to get there; I do hope that I have made you proud. To Prof Chris De Wet, my Supervisor: Thank you for the wisdom you have imparted to me, for your guidance, and all the hard work you have put in. You took me when no-one else really wanted me as a student. Thank you, above all, for giving me the freedom to do my own research and writing, but always gently bringing me back, whenever I strayed into error. You have been so patient and so kind. Thank you. Thank you to the University of South Africa, which has afforded me the opportunity to study at what is truly a magnificent Institution. Thank you also for the financial support rendered during this study. I do hope to be able to continue in my studies within the sanctuary that the University has provided for me. iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ____________________________________________ Figure 1: The Boat Inscription .................................................................................26 Figure 2: The Crusaders setting sail for Jerusalem .................................................35 Figure 3: The Clover map showing Jerusalem as the centre of the world..............40 Figure 4: Holy Places for the pilgrims of all three religions in Jerusalem............... 42 Figure 5: W.F. Albright and William G. Dever..........................................................58 Figure 6: The Wheeler-Kenyon method...................................................................60 Figure 7: Group of burial caves found during the excavation of Samaria.....................................................................................................77 Figure 8: Loculi found during the excavation of Akeldama, Jerusalem, dating to the Second Temple Period.........................................................80 Figure 9: Ossuaries with engraved rosettes, dating to the first century period........................................................................................................81 Figure 10: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre built on the traditional site of Calvary and the Tomb of Jesus................................................................87 Figure 11: The floor plan of the modern Church of the Holy Sepulchre........ ............88 Figure 12: The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. .............................................................90 Figure 13: Gordon’s Calvary......................................................................................91 Figure 14: An image of the chevron-adorned entrance to the Talpiot Tomb, unearthed in 1980.....................................................................................94 Figure 15: The sealed Talpiot Tomb .. .....................................................................95 iv Figure 16: Today’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre set over two sites: Calvary and the tomb of Jesus............................................................... 119 Figure 17: Plan of the Garden Tomb........................................................................ 112 Figure 18: The modern door at the Garden Tomb................................................... 113 Figure 19: Plan of the Talpiot Tomb......................................................................... 115 v TIMELINE ____________________________________________ Relevant archaeological periods1 in the Holy Land Neolithic 8300–4500 BC Chalcolithic 4500–3200 BC Early Bronze Age 3200–2200 BC Middle Bronze Age 2200–1550 BC Late Bronze Age 1550–1200 BC Iron Age I 1200–1000 BC Iron Age I 1000–586 BC Babylonian/Exilic Period 586–539 BC Persian Period 539–332 BC Hellenistic 332–141 BC Hasmonean Period 41–37 BC Roman Period 37 BC–AD 133 Byzantine Period AD 324–638 Arab Period AD 638–1516 Crusader Period AD 1099–1291 Ottoman Period AD 1517–1917 British Mandate AD 1917–1948 Modern Israel AD 1948–present 1 This timeline was adapted from Kaiser (2005:xixx). vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ____________________________________________ DECLARATION.................................................................................................. i SUMMARY......................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................. iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS................................................................................. iv TIMELINE........................................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................... vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION.......................................................... 1 1.2 OBJECTIVE AND AIM OF THE STUDY.............................................. 2 1.3 PROPOSED METHODOLOGY............................................................ 6 1.4 LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS.................................................. 7 1.5 LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................ 8 1.6 CHAPTER BREAKDOWN..................................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND—PAST TO PRESENT 2.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................. 13 2.2 CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE: TOWARDS A DEFINITION..................... 14 2.3 PILGRIMAGE IN THE BIBLE............................................................... 14 vii 2.3.1 Pilgrimage in the Old Testament........................................................... 15 2.3.2 Pilgrimage in the New Testament......................................................... 19 2.4 CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND................................ 22 2.4.1 Pilgrimage in the Early Church (ca. AD 30–500)................................. 22 2.4.2 Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages (ca. AD 500–1000)................................ 28 2.4.2.1 The Byzantine Era (AD 324–638)......................................................... 31 2.4.2.2 The Arab Period (AD 640–1099)........................................................... 33 2.4.2.3 The Crusader Period (AD 1099–1291)................................................. 35 2.4.2.4 The Mameluke Period (AD 1517–1917)............................................... 37 2.4.3 Pilgrimage in the Reformation Period (ca. AD 1500–1700).................. 38 2.4.4 Pilgrimage in the Modern Church (ca. AD 1700→)............................. 40 2.4.5 Conclusion.............................................................................................. 44 2.5 HOLY PLACES..................................................................................... 44 2.5.1 Transmission: Eyewitness, Oral tradition, Collective Memory and Writ........................................................................................................ 45 2.5.2 A Christian Presence............................................................................. 47 2.5.3 Relics and Holy Objects.......................................................................
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