Cliff Shelters And Hiding Complexes The Jewish Defense Methods In Galilee During The Roman Period

»Cliff Shelters and Hiding Complexes in Galilee during the Early Roman Period« is the result of years of intensive study conducted by Yinon Shivtiel throughout Galilee combining historical, archaeological, and speleological research. The author documents and describes all the Galilean sites so far discovered containing the traces of underground cavities hewn out and readied by Jews as refuges and hiding places during the Early Roman period. The study relies on accounts in two of Flavius Josephus' works, The Jewish War and The Life of Josephus, where Josephus records that the Jewish population in Galilee prepared two types of underground chambers for use in times of adversity, defined in the research as »cliff shelters« and »hiding complexes«. During the author's comprehensive fieldwork, which is thoroughly documented and described in the book, it became clear that the first method exploited natural caves whose openings were located at the top of steep cliffs, most of which could only be reached by rock climbing or rappelling with the aid of ropes. The many finds from these shelters shed light on their extensive use during the Early Roman period. Where no naturally fortified cliffs existed, the Jews of Galilee resorted to quarrying out underground hiding complexes. The book details the evidence and finds from the different forms of hiding complexes discovered beneath the remains of many of the Jewish settlements in Galilee chronicled by Flavius Josephus. Research into these complexes has revealed their resemblance to similar hiding systems discovered in the Judean plain. The book is copiously illustrated with plans, figures and photographs of both types of underground chambers and it discusses their connection with the desperate times faced by the Jews in Galilee throughout the entire Early Roman period, particularly during the Great Revolt.

The studies presented in the book express the spirit of A. Segal research work and reflect his interest and curiosity in a wide spectrum of Classical archaeology, such as town planning and architecture in the Graeco-Roman world, Roman theatres, Roman temples, Herodian art and architecture, Nabataean art and architecture, architectural decoration, and more.

This is the fourth and fi nal volume of Lester L. Grabbe's four-volume history of the Second Temple period, collecting all that is known about the Jews during the period in which they were ruled by the Roman Empire. Based directly on primary sources such as archaeology, inscriptions, Jewish literary sources and Greek, Roman and Christian sources, this study includes analysis of the Jewish diaspora, mystical and Gnosticism trends, and the developments in the Temple, the law, and contemporary attitudes towards Judaism. Spanning from the reign of Herod Archelaus to the war with Rome and Roman control up to 150 CE, this volume concludes with Grabbe's holistic perspective on the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period.

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.

Dehumanization has led to serious misinterpretation of the Gospels. On the one hand, Christians have often made Jesus so much more than human that it seemed inappropriate to ask about the influence other human beings had on him, male or female. On the other hand, women have been treated as less than fully human, their names omitted from stories and their voices and influence on Jesus neglected. When we ask the question this book does, what Jesus learned from women, puzzling questions that have frustrated readers of the Gospels throughout history suddenly find solutions. Weaving cutting edge biblical scholarship together with an element of historical fiction and a knack for writing for a general audience, James McGrath makes the stories of women in the New Testament come alive, and sheds fresh light on the figure of Jesus as well. This book is a must read for scholars, students, and anyone else interested in Jesus and/or in the role of ancient women in the context of their times.

Explore the Book is not a commentary with verse-by-verse annotations. Neither is it just a series of analyses and outlines. Rather, it is a complete Bible survey course. No one can finish this series of studies and remain unchanged. The reader will receive lifelong benefit and be enriched by these practical and understandable studies. Exposition, commentary, and practical application of the meaning and message of the Bible will be found throughout this giant volume. Bible students without any background in Bible study will find this book of immense help as will those who have spent much time studying the Scriptures, including pastors and teachers. Explore the Book is the result and culmination of a lifetime of dedicated Bible study and exposition on the part of Dr. Baxter. It shows throughout a deep awareness and appreciation of the grand themes of the gospel, as found from the opening book of the Bible through Revelation.

Two major Jewish risings against Rome took place in the years following the destruction of Jerusalem - the first during Trajan's Parthian war, and the second, led by Bar Kokhba, under Hadrian's principate. The impact of these risings not only on Judaea, but also on Cyrene, Egypt, Cyprus and Mesopotamia, is shown by accounts in both ancient Jewish and non-Jewish literature. More recently discovered sources include letters and documents from fighters and refugees, and inscriptions attesting war and restoration. Historical evaluation has veered between regret for a pointless bloodbath and admiration for sustained resistance. William Horbury offers a new history of these risings, presenting a fresh review of sources and interpretations. He explores the period of Jewish war under Trajan and Hadrian not just as the end of an era, but also as a time of continuity in Jewish life and development in Jewish and Christian origins.

The dramatic story of the last stand of a group of Jewish rebels who held out against the Roman Empire, as revealed by the archaeology of its famous site Two thousand years ago, 967 Jewish men, women, and children—the last holdouts of the revolt against Rome following the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple—reportedly took their own lives rather than surrender to the Roman army. This dramatic event, which took place on top of Masada, a barren and windswept mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, spawned a powerful story of Jewish resistance that came to symbolize the embattled modern State of Israel. Incorporating the latest findings, Jodi Magness, an archaeologist who has excavated at Masada, explains what happened there—and what it has come to mean since. Featuring numerous illustrations, this is an engaging exploration of an ancient story that continues to grip the imagination today.