Byzantine Settlements Of The Negev Desert

This book presents a complementary synthesis of the newest research on the Negev Desert (Israel) in the Byzantine period (363-640 AD) including a holistic analysis of archaeological reports, historical sources, and field surveys with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The contextualization of settlement trends in the region reveals the subjectivity of some of earlier theories, which means that the study uses models developed as part of the French École des Annales discussion on the concept of long duration. Looking at the evolution of settlement from a regional and transregional perspective, through the prism of the cycle of behavioural domains, revealed a positive aspect of the transformation of society and settlement space: that the individual and community are able to resist and get out of difficult circumstances. The study also uses the paradigm of the rise and fall of cultures; in light of this, the long-term changes taking place in late antiquity appear to consist of relatively long periods of settlement expansion and short, sudden breakdowns.

Negev, the southern desert that covers more than two thirds of the Holy Land, is terra incognita to most Christian pilgrims who visit Israel. Some journey as far south as Eilat to visit the traditional site of Mt. Sinai, but even these travellers usually have no idea that the Negev desert is also worthy of their interest. They are unaware that that desert is rich in history and archaeological remains from its Christian period – that is, from the mid-fourth century to the end of the seventh century. The book is divided into eleven chapters. In Chapter One the author discuss the Nabataean history of the Negev and the Roman annexation of the region. The final chapter reviews the Muslim invasion of the southern desert in the seventh century C.E. and how this impacted the Christian population there, finally causing its disappearance. Chapters Two to Ten deal with each of the major Byzantine settlements that have been excavated, offering a full record of the discoveries concerning Christian archaeology together with pertinent references to ancient texts and local inscriptions. A good number of photographs will illustrate the text.

This book presents a study and catalogue of the early Christian stone architectural decorations from the Negev Desert (Israel). This work is based on the largest sample of decorated architectural elements from the Byzantine Negev (4th–7th century CE) to have been comparatively studied. The analysis provides a key for the characteristics of these aniconic, carved decorations, and an in-depth examination of their symbolic meaning.

The regions that compose the current state of Israel and the emerging state of Palestine have yielded a wealth of fascinating archaeological evidence, from the Dead Sea Scrolls found in a cave in 1947 by a Bedouin searching for a lost sheep, to the remains of Roman camps and King Herod's luxurious palaces at the besieged city of Masada. The authors begin with introductions to the complicated and turbulent history of the region in which a series of invaders, including Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, and Macedonians conquered and ruled over its people. The long reign of the Romans in the area is given particular attention-a reign that produced the infamous client rulers Herod the Great and Pontius Pilate, as well as two Jewish revolts against their Roman overlords, both of which met with brutal suppression. Lewin also analyzes eighteen ancient city-sites, including the familiar, such as Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and the less well-known, such as Herodion, with its extravagant palace-fortress, and Scythopolis, with its Roman temples and baths. This book provides an enlightening overview of a region that continues to capture the attention of the world.

This volume brings together a series of innovative studies on Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic Palestine, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and ancient synagogues in honor of renowned archaeologist Jodi Magness.

Using a comprehensive evaluation of recent archaeological findings, Avni addresses the transformation of local societies in Palestine and Jordan between the sixth and eleventh centuries AD. Arguing that these archaeological findings provide a reliable, though complex, picture, Avni illustrates how the Byzantine-Islamic transition was a much slower and gradual process than previously thought, and that it involved regional variability, different types of populations, and diverse settlement patterns. Based on the results of hundreds of excavations, including Avni's own surveys and excavations in the Negev, Beth Guvrin, Jerusalem, and Ramla, the volume reconstructs patterns of continuity and change in settlements during this turbulent period, evaluating the process of change in a dynamic multicultural society and showing that the coming of Islam had no direct effect on settlement patterns and material culture of the local population. The change in settlement, stemming from internal processes rather than from external political powers, culminated gradually during the Early Islamic period. However, the process of Islamization was slow, and by the eve of the Crusader period Christianity still had an overwhelming majority in Palestine and Jordan.