ARCH 5/313 Archaeology of Israelite Religion

Lectures: Mondays at 4:00pm - 6:30pm Eastern Time

Credit Hours: 3

Cost: $540 Audit; $2,085 Credit

Recorded Lectures: Yes

Description

This course explores the archaeology of Israelite religion from the Iron Age I through the Roman period. Students will examine the challenges of identifying religious sites, structures, and objects, considering them in light of biblical accounts of belief and practice. Special focus is given to cultic features and key archaeological sites that shaped Israel’s religious history.

The course traces the development of Israel’s religious expression across major political epochs—pre-monarchic, monarchic, and post-monarchic—and highlights the transition from Yahwism (or Yahwisms) to Judaism, along with its material and cultural implications.

Join Drs. Kyle Keimer and Chris McKinny in uncovering the complex and evolving landscape of ancient Israel’s religion through its archaeological record.

Objectives

By the end of the course, a student should be able to:

• Explain key principles and methods of archaeological research, including survey, excavation, and advanced analytical techniques.
• Describe methods used to date archaeological finds related to Israelite and Judaic religion.
• Identify and interpret cultic material culture from the Iron Age I through the Early Roman Period, noting significant developments and differences across time.
• Recognize major archaeological sites from each period and the contributions of the archaeologists who excavated them.
• Compare Israel’s cultic material culture with that of neighboring cultures across the chronological span of the course.
• Correlate specific archaeological finds with literary sources, including biblical texts, to enhance historical and cultural understanding.

Equivalencies

• Biblical Archaeology
• History and Culture of Ancient Israel

Instructors

Dr. Kyle Keimer: B.A., The Ohio State University; M.A., Wheaton College; M.A., Ashland Theological Seminary; Ph.D., UCLA. Honorary Senior Research Fellowat Macquarie University. Co-host of the Biblical World podcast. Excavations at Khirbet el-Ra'i. Published author. Began teaching at JUC in 2021.

Dr. Chris McKinny: B.A., The Master's College; M.A., Jerusalem University College; M.A., Bar Ilan University; Ph.D., Bar Ilan University. Research Fellow, Gesher Media. Excavations at Tel Burna, Tell es-Safi, Kiriath-jearim, and Horvat Eres. Senior staff member, Tel Burna Archaeological Project. Ordained minister. Published author. Began teaching at JUC in 2021.