Religious and Social Meanings of the Holy Land
Ways of Knowing 2312
Chancey and Lander
[email protected] and [email protected]
JTerm 2017
Jan. 6-18, 2017
Course Description
The current state of Israel comprises regions that the three Abrahamic religions have regarded as holy
for centuries. Although the concept of a “Holy Land” permeates ancient Jewish writings, it was early
Christian pilgrims who first employed the biblical term “Holy Land” to describe the territory of the Bible.
In the seventh century, Islam also forged a connection to this area, more specifically Jerusalem,
regarding it as the site of the prophet Muhammed’s night-time journey (‘Isra) to heaven. Through
archaeological and site fieldtrips, readings, and lectures by experts in the field, students will investigate
the diverse meanings of the Holy Land to the adherents of the various traditions who have regarded the
region as religiously significant for more than three millennia. Students will learn how the two disciplines
of archaeology and religious studies combine to inform a deeper understanding of the Holy Land than a
single disciplinary study. Students will also explore the complexity of daily life in the modern state of
Israel.
Student Learning Outcomes
Ways of Knowing
1.
2.
Students will demonstrate knowledge of more than one disciplinary practice.
Students will explain how bringing more than one practice to an examination of the
course topic contributes to knowing about that topic.
Philosophical/Religious/Ethical Inquiry, level I
1.
Students will be able to describe and explain some of the general features and principal
theoretical methods of one of the fields of philosophy, religious studies, or ethics.
Global Engagement
1.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the material culture, underlying values,
beliefs, or practices that are central to the culture(s) being visited or studied.
Class Goals
Students will be able to:
1. describe the development of the “Holy Land” concept;
2. explain the relationship of adherents from each Abrahamic religion to Jerusalem in
particular and to Israel/Palestine more broadly;
3. give examples of how religious traditions connect to the geography of the Holy Land;
4. give examples of archaeological sites that memorialize ties to religious events and/or
narratives;
5. explain how these archaeological sites continue to animate religio-national
identifications;
6. identify the types of socio-political functions these sites play in today’s world; and
7. describe, in nuanced and complex terms, the socio-political dynamics of the current
state of Israel.
Course Requirements and Grade Calculation
1. Attendance at and preparation for the three meetings prior to the trip are mandatory. Failure to
attend and prepare for these meetings is automatic grounds for removal from the course. (20%)
2. Attendance at daily events. Illness is the only reason for absence during the trip. (20%)
3. Daily journal. Students will keep a daily journal to record their notes, impressions, and reactions
to each day’s activities. Journal entries should incorporate assigned readings, which are
required, and demonstrate the ability to apply concepts from readings to concrete examples
studied each day. Due 1/18 (30%)
4. Final project to be determined in consultation with professors. Due 2/25 (20%)
The project should address the following and be illustrated with concrete examples:
•
•
•
How do the sites explored contribute to contemporary Jewish, Christian, and Muslim
understandings of the Holy Land? What role does material culture play in each group’s
self-understanding?
How do these understandings reflect the diverse values, beliefs, and practices of Holy
Land residents? Give an example of how multiple and competing cultural and political
claims are evident in these groups’ understandings of the Holy Land.
Explain how the disciplines of religious studies and archaeology contribute to a
contemporary understanding of the Holy Land’s various meanings. Why is a
multidisciplinary approach more effective than a single disciplinary one?
Course Expectations:
Personal Conduct:
1. When you travel abroad, you represent SMU. As an ambassador for the University, your
behavior reflects the quality of SMU. With this in mind, all University rules apply when
traveling abroad and will be strongly enforced. Failure to obey these rules is grounds for
immediate dismissal from the course. The instructors reserve the right to send home
any student failing to meet these behavioral standards at the student’s own expense.
Such dismissal forfeits any course reimbursement regardless of whether the student has
completed enough of the course to earn credit.
2. If you carry a cell phone when you travel, you may only use it only during private time
(except in case of emergency). If you use it for course-related research during class time,
you are expected to abide by the honor code and not to play video games, check email,
engage in electronic chats, etc. Out of respect for your professors and classmates,
please disable all sounds on your phone when using it in class.
3. Listen actively to lectures and classmates.
Active Listening. Listening to another person speak is not a passive enterprise. To truly
understand another person requires paying attention to his or her words, taking
notes on what the other person says, making associations with what you
already know, asking questions when you don’t understand. This is true when
you listen to your classmates in small or large group discussions or to lectures.
Rather than interrupting a lecturer mid-sentence as soon as a question pops
into your head, jot down your question as you take notes and ask it at a pause in
the lecture or when the lecturer invites questions. Questions that seek to clarify
points you did not understand, either in the reading or the lecture, are an
excellent use of class time. More often than not, if you didn’t understand
something, some of your classmates didn’t as well. There is no such thing as a
stupid question if it is genuinely asked from a position of wanting to know more
or filling in a knowledge gap. Factual questions that can be answered with a
quick Google search might be better answered using your smartphone than by
taking up class time.
4. Show respect for all points of view.
Respect. The discipline of religious studies is premised on the supposition that all
religions are worthy of the same degree of consideration and respect. The
objective of religious studies is to understand, not judge. This means that when
the professors or a classmate expresses a point of view different from your own,
you listen to that perspective with an open mind and generosity of spirit rather
than a judgmental, dismissive, or disparaging attitude. At the same time you are
expected and encouraged to express alternative points of view in a civil manner
and to engage in calm and reasoned debate. The goal is to disagree without
being disagreeable. In the course of discussion you may encounter perspectives
that directly contradict and challenge deeply-held convictions or perhaps central
tenets of your own belief-system. This course requires that you learn how
scholars in the academy and various religious traditions study the Holy Land; it
does not expect or require that you accept these approaches for yourself.
Assigned Readings
Book for purchase to bring on trip:
1. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times
to 1700 (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 5th ed. 2008) ISBN-13: 978-0199236664
[Hereafter “Murphy-O'Connor”]
2. Hershel Shanks, ed. Where Christianity Was Born (Biblical Archaeology Society, 2006) ISBN-13:
978-1880317853 [Hereafter “Shanks]
before Jan. 6—all available on CANVAS:
1. Maja Gori, “The Stones of Contention: The Role of Archaeological Heritage in Israeli–Palestinian
Conflict. Archaeologies. The Journal of the World Archaeological Congress,” Archaeologies.
Journal of the World Archaeological Congress 9.1 (2013): 213-229
2. Rachel S. Hallote and Alexander H. Joffe, “The Politics of Israeli Archaeology: Between
‘Nationalism’ and ‘Science’ in the Age of the Second Republic,” Israel Studies 7.3 (Fall 2002): pp.
84-116
3. David C. Jacobson, “Review of Homeland of Holy Land? The “Caananite Critique of Israel” AJS
Review 12:2 (1987): 292-298
4. J. Lassner and S. Ilan Troen, “Jews Arabs and Modern Biblical Scholarship,” in Jews and Muslims
in Arab Lands; Haunted by Pasts Real and Imagined, pp. 217-246
5. Eric M. Meyers and Carol Meyers, “Holy Land Archaeology: Where the Past Meets the Present,”
Buried History 50 (2014): pp. 3-16
6. Yitzhak Reiter, “Narratives of Jerusalem and its Sacred Compound,” Israel Studies 18:2 (Summer
2013) Special Issue: Shared Narratives – A Palestinian-Israeli Dialogue, ed. Paul Scham, Benjamin
Pogrund, and As’ad Ghanem, pp. 111-132
7. Yaakov Shavit, “Hebrews and Phoenicians: An Ancient historical image and its Usage,” Studies in
Zionism 5:2 (1984): 157-180
8. G. Ziadeh-Seely, “An Archaeology of Palestine,” in Selective Remembrances. Archaeology in the
Construction, Commemoration, and Consecration of National Past, ed. P.L. Kohl, M Kozelsky, and
N. Ben-Yehuda (The University of Chicago Press, 2007), pp. 326–345
•
Students should prepare a series of three questions for each article, due at our second pre-trip
session
Day 1
Saturday January 7: Morning arrival in Israel. Transport from Airport to Ben Gurion University
of the Negev; Afternoon free (short nap suggested)
Students not on KESHET-provided bus are expected to take their own transportation from the
airport to the Mashabim Guest House, Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh
Dinner: 6:00 pm
Orientation: 7:15-8:00 pm
Reading for Jan. 8
1. Murphy-O'Connor, “Tel Arad,” pp. 489-91
2. Wayne Stiles, “Sights and Insights: Tel Arad—An oasis of archaeology,” The Jerusalem Post
(Travel News) 05/16/2011
Day 2
Sunday Jan. 8 [Religious Studies]: Study morning at BGU with professors; Afternoon trip to Tel
Arad; overnight at Mashabim Guest House, Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh
Reading for Jan. 9
1.
2.
Murphy-O'Connor, “Masada,” pp. 378-85
Murphy-O'Connor, “En Gedi,” pp. 278-82
Journal Topic: “Social and Political Significance of Arad: Where Biblical Narrative Hits the
Ground” [Religious Studies]
Day 3
Monday Jan. 9 [Religious Studies]: Masada (Chancey), En Gedi (Lander) with Lunch; overnight
at Mashabim Guest House, Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh
Reading for Jan. 10
1. Murphy-O'Connor, “Lakhish,” F20
2. Murphy-O'Connor, “Bet Guvrin,” (G19)
Journal Topic: “Ancient and Modern Meanings of Masada” [Religious Studies]
Day 4
Tuesday Jan. 10 [Archaeology]: Travel to Jerusalem via Lachish (Chancey and Lander), Bet
Guvrin-Maresha National Park (Chancey); Packed Lunch, overnight Bet Shmuel Guest House,
Jerusalem
Reading for Jan. 11
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Murphy-O'Connor, “City of David and the Kidron Valley”
Murphy-O'Connor, “Excavations at the Western Wall Plaza”
Kathleen and Leen Ritmeyer, “Reconstructing Jesus’ Temple Mount,” 80-101 in Shanks
Murphy-O'Connor, “The Holy Sepulcher”
Dan Bahat, “Holy Sepulcher Church—Jesus’ Tomb,” 176-195 in Shanks
Journal Topic: “Political and Religious Significance of Ancient Lakhish” [Archaeology]
Day 5
Wednesday Jan. 11 [Archaeology]: Breakfast, City of David (Chancey and Lander), Davidson
Center (Lander), Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Chancey and Lander), Kotel Tunnels (Chancey),
overnight Bet Shmuel Guest House, Jerusalem
Reading for Jan. 12
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Murphy-O'Connor, “The Mount of Olives”
Murphy-O'Connor, “Haram es-Sharif”
Murphy-O'Connor, “New City—Northern Section”
Gabriel Barkly, “The Garden Tomb—It Isn’t,” 196-211, in Shanks
Joshua Hammer, “What is Beneath the Temple Mount,” Smithsonian April 2011
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-is-beneath-the-temple-mount-920764/?noist in COURSEPACK
Journal Topic: “Jewish and Christian Meanings of Jerusalem: Then and Now” [Archaeology]
Day 6
Thursday Jan. 12 [Archaeology]: Breakfast, Temple Mount (Chancey and Lander), Tour of
Kidron Valley (Lander), Mt. Olives (Chancey), Temple Mount Archaeological Sifting Project with
Dr. Gabai Barkai; overnight Bet Shmuel Guest House, Jerusalem
Reading for Jan. 13
1. Murphy-O'Connor, “Gezer” (G16)
2. Murphy-O'Connor, “Hazor” (N4)
Journal Topic: “Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Jerusalem Since 750: Religion, Politics, and
Power, or ‘What does it mean to dig up the past?’” [Archaeology]
Day 7
Friday Jan. 13 [Religious Studies]: Breakfast, Travel from Jerusalem to Galilee via Tel Gezer
(Lander) & Hazor (Chancey); Attend Friday night Jewish Sabbath service; overnight at Ginosar
Country Lodging, Kibbutz Ginosar
Reading for Jan. 14
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Shelley Wachsmann, “The ‘Jesus’ Boat: Sunk in the Sea of Galilee,” 48-65 in Shanks
Murphy-O'Connor, “Hammat Tiberias” (N6)
Murphy-O'Connor, “Capernaum” (N5)
Jodi Magness video on Huqoq https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6bSlvIczIU
“About Huqoq” Huqoq Excavation Project, http://huqoqexcavationproject.org/abouthuqoq/ in COURSEPACK
6. Jodi Magness, “Scholar’s Update: New Mosaics from the Huqoq Synagogue” Biblical
Archaeology Review September/October 2013 http://members.bibarch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=39&Issue=5&ArticleID=9 in COURSEPACK
7. “Jesus miracle church in Israel damaged 'by arson',” BBC News, 18 June 2015, Middle East
section http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33183150 in COURSEPACK
Journal Topic: “Gezer and Hazor: When Does Hebrew/Israelite Civilization Begin?” [Religious
Studies]
Day 8
Saturday Jan. 14 [Archaeology]: Breakfast, Tour Hammat Tiberias (Chancey and Lander),
Hukok (Lander), Magdala & Capernaum (Chancey), Tabgha: Church of the multiplication of the
loaves and the fishes; o/n Golden Crown Old City Hotel, Nazareth
Reading for Jan. 15
1. Murphy-O'Connor, “Nazareth” and “Sepphoris” (K7)
2. Mark Chancey and Eric M. Meyers, “Sepphoris—How Jewish in Jesus’ Time?” 2-19 in Shanks
Journal Topic: “High Value Targets at the Intersection of Politics, Religion, and Identity: The
Symbolism of Attacking Ancient Archaeological Sites” [Archaeology]
Day 9
Sunday Jan. 15 [Archaeology]: Breakfast, Attend Sunday morning Church service; Nazareth
churches and archaeology (Chancey), Meet local residents in Nazareth, Tzipori; overnight
Golden Crown Old City Hotel, Nazareth
Reading for Jan. 16
1.
2.
3.
4.
Murphy-O'Connor, “Megiddo” (J8)
Murphy-O'Connor, “Bet Shearim” (J7)
Murphy-O'Connor, “Caesarea” (G9)
R. Hachlili, Jewish Funerary Customs, Practices, and Rites in the Second Temple Period (New
York: E.J. Brill, 2005), pp. 29-41, 479-89 in COURSEPACK
Journal Topic: “Religious Pilgrimage Sites Then and Now: Constructing Holy Geography”
[Archaeology]
Day 10
Monday Jan. 16 [Religious Studies]: Breakfast, Megiddo (Chancey), Beth Shearim (Lander);
lunch and dinner on own, Caesarea (Chancey), o/n Ruth Daniel Residence, Tel Aviv – Jaffa
Evening activity: Watch ??? (Five Broken Cameras? Omar? Salt of This Sea?)
Reading for Jan. 16
1. Nathan Englander, “In This Way We Are Wise,” in For The Relief of Unbearable Urges (New
York: A.A. Knopf, 1999): pp. 193-205 in COURSEPACK
2. Suad Amiry, “A Dog’s Life,” in Sharon and My Mother-in-Law: Ramallah Diaries (New York:
Pantheon Books, 2005): pp. 107-119 in COURSEPACK
3. Dexter Filkins, “Shot in the Heart,” Review of Dan Ephron, Killing a King (New York: Norton,
2015), The New Yorker Magazine October 26, 2015
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/10/26/shot-in-the-heart in COURSEPACK
Journal Topic: “Living with the Past in the Present: The Challenge of Daily Life in the Holy Land”
[Religious Studies]
Day 11
Tuesday Jan. 17 [Religious Studies]: Breakfast, Independence Hall, Eretz Yisrael Museum
including Tel Qasile (Lander); Yitzchak Rabin Center, Israeli Museum (Lander), Dinner, transport
to Airport
Journal Topic: “The Socio-political Dynamics of the Current State of Israel” [Religious Studies]