CLCV 133: Archaeology of Israel

Course Description

Exploration of the archaeology and history of the Near East with a specific focus on the development of Israel. Cultures of the Near East adapted to a rapidly changing world by pioneering the world's earliest innovations in agriculture, urbanism, bronze technology, and writing. We will investigate the Near Eastern background of the Israelites and their neighbors from the beginnings of agriculture during the "Neolithic Revolution", to the formation of the world's first cities in the Bronze Age, to the archaeological remnants of the Hebrew Bible. We will investigate the ramifications of wave after wave of military conflict and how this has shaped the Middle East, including the Babylonian Exile, the conquests of Alexander the Great, and the Jewish Revolts against the Romans.