Week 10 Lecture 19: 20th and 21th Century Jerusalem

Jerusalem Boundaries in 1948 was that Israel had control over West Jerusalem and Jordan had control over East Jerusalem.  The Castastrophe was referred to both the establishment of the Israeli state and the assertion of Jordanian control of the West bank.  King Abdullah of Jordan was assassinated in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on April 1951 by an Arab radical, when he was going to have an international meeting to make peace of Israeli.  King Hussein then declares Jerusalem the second capital of Jordan in 1953.  Jordanians developed Tourism in the West Bank and did not want the revenue of that money to be inhibited, so wanted to negotiate the fighting between the Palestine and the Arabs.  The Six Day War of 1967 resulted in the Israeli’s leading a pre-emptive strike and reduced the Egyptian air force within hours.  Also, Moshe Dayan the Israeli General, gave control of Haram to Muslims, but Jews were forbidden to pray on the Haram.  Israeli ignores United Nations rejection of annexing Jerusalem, and unifies the whole city of Jerusalem.  This leads to the Intifada, “Uprising”, that begins in 1987, with the want of a declaration for Palestinians independence.  From 1845 till 1976, the demographics of Jerusalem still see an increase in the numbers of Jews immigrating to Jerusalem.  At the Oslo Accords in 1993, there was a Letter of Mutual Recognition signed, where Israel acknowledged PLO, under Arafat, as the legitimate representative of Palestinian People and PLO recognized Israel’s right to exist as a state and renounced terrorism.  The PLO represents the Palestine Liberation Organization that was founded in 1964 under Yasser Arafat.  Under the PLO, the state of Palestine unilaterally declared itself a state on November 15, 1988.  This Liberation Organization was considered by US to be terrorist organization until the Madrid Conference in 1991. However, it was not until the death of Arafat, did the Palestinians felt they got cheated because they were not recognized as an independent state and that Arafat had embezzled a lot of the money that was supposed to be used to build up the Palestine nation.

In the twenty-first century Jerusalem, Israeli has peace with Egypt and Jordan, but not Syria and Lebanon.  Israeli was going to give Golan Heights back to Syria, but since the ruler of Israel died and his son came to rule and objected the idea.  The state of Israel and Palestine are the same land mass as Rhode Island, the smallest state in the US, but the land mass is as long as  Vermont.  Palestinians cannot go from Gaza Strip to West Bank because the land between the two land mass is Israeli land.  As a result of the September 11, 2001 attack in New York, US wiped out the powers in Afghanistan and Iraq and replaced them.  Then, though the US action, Israeli felt they have the right to fight back too and if bombing happens, the family and the village of the bomber would be attacked and demolished.  In 2002, Israeli begins the construction of the West Bank Barrier, which is a wall around Palestine and Israeli border in the West Bank.  This barrier caused problems for Palestine that had to get across to work or do errands.  In 2004, Chairman Yasser Arafat dies and in 2005 Israel’s Unilateral Disengagement Plan forcibly removes Israelis from Gaza Strip.  Hamas, Islamic Resistance Movement, founder was Shelkh Ahmad Yassin.  Hamas was a Palestinian Islamist party that ruled the Gaza Strip and defeated the Fatah in Palestinian Elections.  Operation Cast Lead, known as the Gaza War, started in 2009 and in 2010 Israel announces new housing settlements in East Jerusalem and IHH Gaza Flotilla were boarded by Israeli troops and nine people were killed.  Even till now the future of Jerusalem is in debate if it should be an international city, a two-state, or three-state ruling.

 

Week 10 Lecture 18: Mamluk and Ottoman Jerusalem & 20th Century Jerusalem

In the Ottoman Period from 1516-1918, Suleiman ruled from 1520-1566.  Suleiman gave the Western Wall back to the Jews.  Thus, the Western Wall becomes a play of prayer for the Jews and it begins to attract myths.  The Western Wall is part of the Temple Mount build by Herod the Great.  Saladin calls himself “the New Cyrus” because he let Jews resettle and the Ashkelon Jews are given the Maghribi Quarter, which is closest to the Western Wall.  Judah Halevi flees Spain and tries to make an aliyah.  He believes that Jews must return to their homeland and Jerusalem is the “Gate of Heaven,” where Jews need to stake their rightful claim.  Also, Maimonides, Jewish philosopher, believes that the “Center of the Jewish People” is Jerusalem and Jerusalem should become a physical city that will be of importance like the previous times.  Jewish settlements were developed first after the Crusaders, then during the Spanish expulsions in the 15-16^th century leading to the immigration of Jews to Jerusalem.  In 1665, Shabbetai Zevi declares himself to be Messiah and visits Jerusalem.  Throughout history, people always claim themselves to be the Messiah.  In 1860, the Mishkenot Sha’ananim was made through initiation from Sir Moses Montefiore, a British Jew, with funding from Judah Touro, an American Jewish philanthropist.  Through the Europeanization it created 20 residential units within and a windmill within Jerusalem.   Judaism is known as a religion and an ethnicity during this time.  There was an increase in Zionism, the migration of Jews to Jerusalem, during the Ottoman Period compared to the population of the Muslims and Christian Arabs.

During the twentieth Century Jerusalem, the two main focus were the British Mandate Period from 1918-1948 and the Israeli State Period from 1948 to the present.  During Secular Zionism, Jews wanted a place for them.  In 1840, Yehuda Hai Alchelai writes about the fact that Orthodox Jews have to do the beliefs and faith if Jews wanted to move back to Jerusalem.  In 1896, Theodore Herzl writes the book called The Jewish State, which he believes Jews should have a state for themselves.  In 1899, the First Zionist Conference happened in Basel, Switzerland.  Herzl was describes as the “Messiah the Son of David” and Zionists build Tel Aviv not Jerusalem.  So, Jews became established and successful in European and encountered lots of resentment.  The anti-Semitism was as a result of when someone is superior than another person, the inferior people begin to blame and marginalize the people superior to them.  So, with the rise of Jews in Palestine, it caused conflicts and problems with Arabs.  During 1914-1917, World War I occurred and Ottomans aligned with Germany against France and Britain.  Jerusalem was the headquarters for VII Turkish Corps, Armenians flee genocide in Turkey, and the Armenian Quarter swells.  The Armenians were first to adopt Christianity.  In 1916, the Sykes-Picot Agreement was made as a secret agreement between France and United Kingdom as for what to do with the spoils of war.  So, they divided the former Ottoman Empire into areas of control.  French got Turkey, Northern Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.  The United Kingdom got Palestine, Jordan, and Southern Iraq.  The Balfour Declaration of 1917 was the promise of a Jewish National Homeland in Palestine supported by the British.  The British did not want to hurt anyone else and they just wanted to support the Jewish people.  Churchill’s White Paper of 1922 states that Britain at first did not support a Jewish National Home, but supported a continuation of a community in Palestine.  So, in July 1922, Britain partitioned area to west of the Jordan for a Jewish settlement.  The Peel Commission in 1937 was to allow Jewish state in Galilee, Upper Jordan Valley, and Coastal Plain.  On the other hand, Arab State would consist of Central Hills, West Bank, and Negev.  In addition, Jerusalem would be an international city.  This was approved by the United Nations, accepted by Zionists, but rejected by Arabs.  The conflict led to fights breaking out in Jerusalem.  The Arab-Israeli War in 1948 led to the British departing from the fight because they did not want their own troops dying.  This resulted in an armistice signed in March 16, 1949 letting Israel and Jordan get states, but not Palestine.  The Jordanians had control of East Jerusalem and Israeli had control of West Jerusalem.  Thus, Israel makes West Jerusalem the Capital of the new Israeli State.

 

Week 9 Lecture 17: Mamluk and Ottoman Jerusalem

In continuation of the Islamic Jerusalem lecture, Abbasid Dynasty was from 750-969 and they tried to wipe out memory of Umayyid accomplishments like the palace and taking credit by changing the name.  Also, Al-Ma-mun’s Polemic against Christianity because Islam sees Christianity as polytheistic because they believe Christianity has three Gods, but really Christianity has three parts of the religion.  In 1009, Caliph al-Hakim orders destruction of all Jewish and Christian houses of prayer such as Holy Sepulcher and only tolerates Muslim religion.  In 1033, an earthquake damaged Jerusalem’s wall and Dome of the Rock.  From 1070-1098, Selijuqs occupied and destroyed, looted, and massacred thousands of inhabitants.  Then in 1098, Fatimids leads a 40 day siege on Jerusalem’s fortifications and retaking city from Selijuqs.  Then in Crusade lecture, Saladin conquered Jerusalem in 1187 at the Horns of Hattin, but he allows Jerusalem people to have holy sites.  Christian Topography replaced with Muslim Shrines and when Saladin died his successors struggle for power.  Ayyubid and Crusaders struggled over Jerusalem.  The Fifth Crusade was from 1217-1221 and in 1219 the Walls of Jerusalem dismantled and the population shrinks to two thousand.  The Sixth Crusade was from 1229-1239 and 1243-1244, where Frederick II was named as a traitor to Islam by Sheikh Siby al-Jauzi because he allowed Crusaders to regain control of Jerusalem.  In 1291, walls of town dismantle by Akko and Jerusalem is not a place of refuge anymore and stays that way till the 20^th century.

In the Mamluk Jerusalem from 1250-1516, Jerusalem becomes a religious center: Ziyara and visit to Jerusalem is not a Hajj and pilgrimage anymore.  Jerusalem takes on a religious significance as an Islamic city and not a city of political power.  The Haram, Temple Mount, was developed and schools, hospices, and hostels were built from existing material.  The Mamluk architecture was a new kind of architecture it consists of dome structures, alternating red& white stones, black and white inlay design on walls and entrances, and Muqaranas (decorative technique insides domes).  The Al-Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya, Islamic Qur’anic school, was built and was known as the third jewel of Jerusalem.  It was built in 1482 by Sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbey and used dome structure and black & white geometric designs.  The Ghawanima Minaret was built in 1298 by Chief Judge of Jerusalem, Qadi, and it consists of a balcony a sounds is made, where God is great is repeated and people go there to have prayer.  The Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque restored and minarets are added to the Temple Mount.  The Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, Nachmanides, makes an aliyah pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Ramban Synagogue is found which becomes a Jewish Center.  The Ottoman Jerusalem started when Selim I defeats Mamluks in 1517 in northern Syria at Marj-Dabik and Jerusalem peacefully surrendered in 1516.  Then, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent came into power in 1520-1566.  He was known as the “Law Giver” because he had many public works done and he rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem.  Sultan Suleiman also establishes a shari’a court, which was law based on the Quran and Jerusalem population increased in 1553 becomes of the restoration of the city.  Christian holy sites were also restored, so there was no exclusion of faiths.  The Damascus Gate was a key feature during this time because it was located on the northern side and the Islamic people called it the Gate of the Column.  It is the largest of the seven gates of Jerusalem.  There is also the Jaffa Gate, but part of it was torn down by the German Kaiser when he wanted to ride into the city with a grand procession, but the gate was not big enough for him.  There is also the Western Wall, which is not the wall from the temple; it is the wall of the retaining wall structure.  At this wall, it attracted myths and where Shekhina, the presence of God that was settled there, was.

Week 9 Lecture 16: Crusader Jerusalem

The Crusader rule was from 1099-1187 and the cause of the crusade was because of political and religious factors.  The political factor was the emergence of Holy Roman Empire in Western Europe, which lead to the divisions in Christianity.  As for the religious factor, it was the reaction to persecution of Christian population of Jerusalem.  It was during this time the Holy Sepulcher was set ablaze and destroyed and Patriah of Jerusalem was killed.  It was difficult for Christians to go on pilgrimages to Jerusalem.  In 1064, William of Tyre had the massacre of German pilgrims.  William of Tyre grew up in Jerusalem after Christians took the capital city.  He was the greatest crusader chronicle from Christian standpoint and Ibn al-Qalanisi was the Muslim point of view during the Crusades.  Both are two different sources of Crusade encounters and historians decided what is truth and what is fact.  In 1095 Pope Urban II made a speech in the church council and called on nobility of France to go east and assist Christian Brother from Muslim attack.  Also, the Pope wanted the nobles to help and liberate Jerusalem while they were on their way.  People were blown away and inspired by Pope’s speech and this speech set in motion what he did not know would happen.  Massive of group of people gathered to fight and this brought in the religious element of remission of sins, by going to fight you are rewarded as a Christian follower.  If you did not participate in the crusade, you can also receive remission of sins by giving indulgences, by contributing funds, preaching a crusade, collecting money for a crusade, and settling as a colonist in Holy Land.  There were many crusade routes.  For example, the Peasants Crusade: where peasants were very gung-ho, but were ill equipped and started across the land to Levant, but were slaughtered badly by the Turks.  While, the Nobles waited grouped forces with military backup and armies before heading off.  It took them a couple of years (1097/1098) to get things together such as funding, food, and military materials, so they could succeed.

Four years since the Pope gave his speech, the northern side of Jerusalem was its weakest point and the walls were breeched.  The temple mount was taken and then the whole city was taken.  The first Crusade was from 1095-1099 and Jerusalem was conquered by Godfrey de Bouillon in 1099, but he refuses to wear the crown and gives the city to a religious authority.  Palestine becomes the Kingdom of Jerusalem and in 1100, Baldwin becomes King of Jerusalem.  Jerusalem was divided into four quarters:  Patriarch Quarter (NW), Templar’s Quarter (SE), Syrian Quarter (NE), and Armenian Quarter (SW).  During the Crusader Period, existing Islamic monuments were modified (Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque), the Byzantine churches were rebuilt, and new churches were built in Armenian quarter.  The Holy Sepulcher was rebuilt by Crusaders and it was in Romanesque style and all chapels were united under one roof.  It had walls with small openings, it was simple looking, Roman style arches seen from the Corinthian columns, and there is a famous ladder on the window, but has not been moved in 200 years since 1800.  The tension was so tight between the 6-7 branches of Christianity that they cannot agree who goes on ledge and pull ladder in.  So, a Muslim is the door keeper of the Holy Sepulcher because of the different Christian religions.  The St. Anne’s Church was built in 1140 and it is a famous crusader church and has Roman architecture.  There was also the Palace of Crusader Kings, where it was the central marketplace of Crusader City and Knights of the Order of Hospitalers, where there were hospitals and hostels.  The Templars were and order to protect pilgrims as they made their way to Jerusalem and these Knights of Templar were founded in 1118.  On July 4, 1187, Jerusalem surrenders to Saladin and Sala ad-Din routs Crusaders at the Horns of Hattin by capturing water sources and the Crusaders were dehydrated.  Saladin agrees to give Christian safe passage if they surrender the city and he gives Holy Sepulcher to the Greeks.  Then, Richard “the Lion heart” allowed Christian pilgrims to reenter the city in 1192.

Week 8 Lecture 15: Islamic Jerusalem

With the end of the Byzantine Jerusalem, first the Parthians and then the Sasanians.  These nations are on the east, the Romans on the west, and Jerusalem is in the middle.  The Sasanians take Palestine and Jerusalem in 614-628.  The Jews are allowed to resettle in Jerusalem for the first time since the  Byzantine Empire.  Then, in 615, Christians are against Jews living in Jerusalem.  In 628, Byzantine Emperor Heraclius retakes Jerusalem and allows the massacres of Jews in Jerusalem.  Muhammad leaves no heir and was known as illiterate, but recited words, so it shows that he verbalized the words of God/Allah that was given to him.  The Caliphs are established to led the Islamic community.  The first Caliph that took over Muhammad’s death was Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman.  It  was tradition to say certain words after Muhammad’s name.  There was a division of followers between Ali’s and Mu’awiya’s followers.  Ali was Muhammad’s son-in-law and people who supported him were known as the faction of Ali or Shi’atu Ali and was a kinship-based Caliphate, known as the Shi’ites.  As for Mu’awaiya, his supporters were known as The People of Tradition (Sunna) and the Community and were tradition-based Caliphate called the Sunnis.  These are the two dominant Muslim groups that have many conflicts.   Muslim Caliph Umar takes Jerusalem in 638 and have a written agreement to allow Jews to settle back into Jerusalem.  Caliph Umar also conquers Jerusalem and claims its Temple Mount for Islam and Muslims retained the term Aelia for the city of the Temple.  Islamic description of house of holy place  is known as Bait Madis.  The temple mount was known as Haram al-Sharif “the noble sanctuary”.  In Islam, Qubla is the direction of prayer, which is to Mecca and Mihrab is the niche pointing to the direction of Prayer.  In Islamic faith, you have to pray in a certain direction and this was where Muhammad received his revelation and lead a prayer in that direction.  People pray towards the Kaaba in Mecca.  Kaaba is a big black stone box with a curtain over it and it has items inside of it.  This it the most sacred center place of Islam, Medina is the second most sacred place, and Jerusalem is the third most sacred place of Islam.  Muhammad and his family were in charge of Kaaba in Mecca by taking care of the shrine.  Kaaba is the focal point of prayer and like Eliade said that this pagan shrine is still maintained as a sacred place and this existing sacred space is incorporated into a new religion.  The give pillars of Islam are Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj.  It is interesting how people paint their doors with beautiful bright colors when they go on a Hajj to notify a robber that stealing from them is a very bad sin.

The Umayyad Jerusalem was from 638-750 C.E.  The Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on the site of Umar’s mosque during the reign of Caliph Walid.  Many great Umayyad Palaces were built and Ramla becomes the administrative capital of Palestine and there was the toleration of Christians and Jews.  The Haram al-Sharift, “Temple Mount”, southwest corner had new walls from the construction of other palaces and it was built against Herod’s retaining wall.  During the reign of caliph Walid, there were water and sewage systems, there were decorative carved and molded stucco, and floors were paved with flagstone and mosaics.  The Dome of the Rock, is a magnificent structure that is octagonal and has a golden dome.  Now days after 9/11, only Muslims are allowed to go in.  There are no graven images on it, only geometric design of art and calligraphy.  It was built by ‘Abd al-Malik and it used the money from taxed revenues of Egypt,  but since the architects were frugal, the extra left over money was used to plate the Dome with pure Gold.  Important dates of Dome of the Rock were that in 1099: Crusaders conquered Jerusalem and converted Dome of the Rock into a church and now Dome of Rock is a mosque and not a shrine.  In 1187, Salah ad-Din re-conquers Jerusalem and restores the Dome of the Rock.  The Dome of the Rock was model after Caesarea and Capernaum churches, Anastasis, and Kathisma Church.  It had lots of Christian architecture, because Christian architectures were hired to do the art in the Dome of the Rock.  In Muhammad’s Night Journey, it says that a winged horse with a human head like cherubim’s in the ark, brought him to the farthest mosque, which was known as Jerusalem later on.  There is a debate on whether this was a real journey or just a vision.  There was also Qubbat as-Silsila, which was the Dome of the Chain, where it was known for the story, where two people who are have a problem will go to the Dome and tell your stories and if the chain does not move when you pull on it, you are lying and if it moves, you are telling the truth.  The Al-Aqsa Mosque is known as the farthest Mosque and was built between 705 and 715 C.E. by Caliph Walid, son of Abd al-Malik.  This was built above the so-called Stables of Solomon and built over Umar’s mosque and remains of Herod’s stoa.  There were extensive and repeated earthquake damage, so rebuilt in 1033 C.E.  A prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque is worth 500 prayers elsewhere.

Week 8 Lecture 14: Byzantine Jerusalem

The Byzantine Jerusalem period was from 312-637 C.E. and this was when Jerusalem surrenders to the Arabs.  The Byzantine Empire converted Jerusalem into a Christian city and it started the rejection of temple and spiritualization of faith was induced.  The New Testament Apocalypses of Jerusalem was the prediction of destruction of Jerusalem.  Many people question if Jesus really did predict this of Mark just placed this into Jesus’ mouth.  Also, many early churches were introduced including holy spirit descends and Jerusalem Council.  When faith becomes spiritualized, it is different from having sacrifices at the temple, instead, faith is in the mind and action of a person and it is not what you do ritually at a place.  Also, Jerusalem is thought where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected, that is why Jerusalem is very important to Christians.  It was said Jesus made a claim that the temple would be destroyed and he would rebuild it in three days, but people questioned that because people said how can you rebuild something when you are getting killed.  When Rome took over Jerusalem, they converted Jerusalem into a Roman town called Aelia Capitolia.  However, as Diocletian comes into power, he splits administration power of Roman Empire between West and East. This split of power can be seen to be unstable.  Both Diocletian (Augustus: emperor) and Maximian (Caesar: vice president to Augustus) had their own Caesar too under them.  Thus, this created the tetrarchy.  Then, Constantine the Great got rid of the tetrarchy power and ruled from 312-337 C.E.  He used Christianity to unify his entire kingdom.  In 313 C.E. he legalizes Christianity through the Edict of Milan.  This way Christians can practice their faith legally and this strong influence created the formation of Orthodox Christianity.  In 324 C.E., in the Council of Nicaea, it was believed that Jesus was fully God and fully human through theological construct and that Jerusalem should have an honored position.   In addition, Julian begins to rebuild the temple in 361-363 and in 391 Theodosius names Christianity the state religion.  The Empress Eudocia, wife of Theodosius II had a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 438 C.E> and settles in Jerusalem, churches, hospitals, and hospices.  Also, in 527-565 C.E., Justinian expands Jerusalem by building Nea (New) Church for St. Mary, mother of God, builds the Holy Zion church.  Christianity was projected as important political and religious tools.

Constantine’s mother, Helena was appointed co-emperor and she order the construction of temple in Egypt to commemorate the burning bush.  Also, she built the chapel of Helena, where Jesus was thought to be buried and resurrected.  Helena has a pilgrimage to Bordeaux.  Pilgrimages have been in Judaism tradition for a long time and was not invented by Christians.  There is a Madaba Map from the 6th C. C.E. that is a mosaic laid on the church floor that shows Jerusalem and its surroundings.  It shows that boats were for transportation and it was pretty accurate in what Jerusalem looked like.  Also, Jerusalem looked like a Roman City because there is a road down the middle.  You can see the Damascus Gate (north), Dung Gate (east), Zion Gate (middle south), Jaffa Gate (west), Golden Gate, and Temple Mount that is on the north side end.  Also, Cardo is the road down the middle, that one can walk on.  The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was in the center of the map.  The Edicule of the Holy Sepulcher was divided between Orthodox and Coptic church.  In the Holy Sepulcher, there is Rock of Golgotha, where people kiss and touch it during pilgrimage because it is sacred.  The Church of Holy Sepulcher has many myths magnet towards it, the tomb was a theophany, Adam was thought to be buried at Golgotha, and Abraham binding of Isaac for sacrifice was thought to be here too.  The Nea Church was on the east side and there was an inscription found dedicating to it.  The Nea Church was described with two columns, made of cedars, and was large in its length and breadth.  This is like Solomon’s temple, where rebuilding of structure to commemorate a new place and legends that come with it.

Week 7 Lecture 13: Jerusalem Revolt

There were two revolts as a result of the Roman Rule on Jerusalem.  The first Jewish revolt was called the Great Revolt and was between 66-73 C.E.  The second revolt was the Bat Kokhba Revolt.  The First revolt was under the general Flavius Josephus.  He was in a suicide pack with Jewish people if Roman defeated the Jewish in their revolt, but he did not kill himself.  Also, when the Romans came to capture and kill him, he said that there general was going to be king was turned out to be true.  So, Josephus was brought back to Roman and led a good life afterwards.  He was a writer on the history about Jews, but it had a Pro-Roman perspective.  Also, Tacitus wrote Histories, were the explanation for the revolt was to show the arising of Messianism and also an inept administration.  However, the real Messiah never appeared.  After Herod’s death, his kingdom was divided among his three sons and their powers were much more limited.  The first son Archelaus, also known as ethnarch: the ruler of the people ruled Judea and Samaria.  He was a highly ineffective ruler and was later recalled to Rome and eventually exiled in 6 C.E.  He ruled less than 10 years.  Herod’s second son, Herod Antipas, ruled Galilee and Perea.  This was where most of Jesus’ life in Biblical text was recorded.  He minted coins, but was smart enough not to put human figures on it because he ruled in areas populated mostly by Jewish people.  He ruled from 4 B.C.E. and was also exiled in 39 C.E.  The third son Herod Philip, ruled areas up north near the Sea of Galilee: Iturea and Trachonitis.  He minted coins with images of himself on it because he was not ruling up north is not near a lot of Jewish people.  He ruled from 4 B.C.E. and until his death in 34 C.E.  These Herodian rulers were gradually replaced by Roman procurators, direct Roman rule.  The Roman Governors in Jerusalem from 6-66 C.E. were inexperienced and ineffective.  The Jewish people had the conflict of waiting for the right Messiah to appear and drive out the foreign rulers and take his rightful place on the throne, but we know no one came.  By summer of 66 C.E., there were Jewish militants that had an open Revolt against Roman soldiers on the streets of a populated area.  Jewish people minted their own coins to assert authority and declare independence.  There were not many coins in year 5 because the Romans did not like what the Jewish people were doing by rebelling against them.

The result of the first Great Revolt was the second temple was destroyed on the 9^th of Ab, the same time the first temple was destroyed.  Also, Jerusalem was in destruction again because the temple was destroyed, so cognitive dissonance arose once again.  Many people had uncertainty in the Jewish faith again.  Titus Vespasian made Jews pay for taxes for the temple and after the temple was destroyed, only the Jewish would still have to pay for taxes.  This special tax on Jews was called fiscus iudaicus.  Herod’s Masada was also taken over by the Romans by using Jewish captives and slaves and told them to build a ramp from bottom of the mountain to the top for three years.  Titus built an arch to commemorate his victory.  Also, there were Judea Capta and Judea Devicta Coins portraying a woman weeping near the tree and the “Roman” next to the tree to commemorate the Roman victory.  The second revolt, Bar Kokhba Revolt, was under Bar-Kokhba, whose name was originally Simon ben Kosiba.  There were Bar-Kokhba revolt coins and letters during that time to redeem and propagate for Jewish independence.  These coins were versions of old coins and sampled/ minted over it, since Jerusalem was very poor during that time.  The outcome of the Bar-Kokhba Revolt was that Roman Emperor Hadrian punished the Jews bloodily, banned circumcision, rebuilds Jerusalem as a Roman city, Aelia Capitolina, with a temple to Jupiter God, and banned Jews from the city.  Through this, many synagogues were produced all over the place, instead of having one localized region for worship.  The constructions of synagogues were in response to the destruction of the temple.  The arks in the back of these synagogues are the not the same as the Ark of the Covenant.  Instead, inside of these synagogues’s ark were scrolls.

Week 7 Lecture 12: Roman Jerusalem/ Herodian Jerusalem/ Jesus’ Jerusalem

In 63 B.C.E., Roman began ruling Palestine and Pompey besieged Jerusalem and annexed it for Rome.    Antipater was installed as the local governor under a procurator.  The Antipater was murder, and Herod kicks Parthian out of Palestine and takes control of Galilee, Samaria, and Idumea in 39 B.C.E.  In 37 B.C.E., Herod gets Jerusalem from Parthians after siege.  Herod the Great, of Rome, ruled Palestine with client kings.  There were no faces on coins, only inanimate objects like palm branches and helmet with cheek pieces.  Herod was sensitive to Jews and being good to Rome because he is a client king and do not get overthrow by either country.  Herod was from Idumea, an area that had been Judaized by the Hasmoneans and so Herod is considered superficially Jewish.  He had knowledge of Jerusalem tradition, which helped him rule over the Jews; however, he was collecting taxes for Rome.  However, Herod was very paranoid and impulsive, so he was a very brutal dictator and was successful at it.  He even killed his own family and relatives, if he heard rumors thrown about him.  This part was effective for Romans, but hated by Jews for this.   Herod was known for building massive projects because he adores himself a lot and wants a legacy when he does.  On the other hand, these construction created new jobs for people.  Herod build the Western Wall and this expanded the Temple.  Here people can put letters and prayers into the wall.  This Temple Mount that was built during Herodian Jerusalem, was an extremely massive structure and he also made Miqyah, where Jewish ritual baths were taken place in.  Jewish people would go down into water, as unpurified, and emerge from the water, as purified.  Then, the Jewish person could go up and worship.  There were remains of Robinson’s Arch, which was an arch that was on top of a foundation of a staircase, which lead to a door into the temple from the side.  Also, a place of trumpeting was found at the bottom of the southwest corner.  This was when the switching of the days were over, so a person would blow a trumpet, to show the time to stop working.  He also built Citadel of David, where he hide in there, when people had an uprising against him.  Herod also built a theater, palace, expanded the Siloam Pool, a Jerusalem Hippodrome (where horse races were conducted), and Antonia Fortress.  There was also an inscription found at the Herod’s Temple, saying that non-Jews were not allowed to pass from the Court of the Gentiles to the Court of the Women and no one is responsible for the non-Jewish person’s death.  The Caesarea Hippodrome was a place where you could watch horses and the nice ocean breeze would come in and blow upon you.  Two amazing things Herodian created was the Herodian aqueduct, which lead water from the beach to all around the places where construction was done.  Also, the Port at Caesarea, was magnificent because he created a concrete that would harden underwater and made an artificial port/harbor from it.  The Herodion was another amazing feat Herod created.  It was south of Jerusalem and it was named after himself.  It looks like a massive volcano with a dug in center.  That center was where Herod placed a palace.  This was the ultimate fortress because it was hard to get up this mountain and people can just roll things down into people trying to invade.  People think that Herod was buried here.  There was also the triclinium at Herodion, where people reclined at three sides of a table and you lied down to eat.  Everyone ate with their right hand and if you were left-handed, you were known not to be trusted during that time.

Many people debate whether Herod was a good or bad king.  Herod did great things economically, but was a dictator, so that is defined as a bad person.  However, Herod was respectful to the Temple, allowed Jews to select their High Priest, under his approval, married a Hasomonean princess, offered generous relief during famine, put inanimate objects on coins, and avoided building pagan temples in Jewish area.  Herod built other temples way up north away from Jerusalem.  On the other hand, he was known as a bad king because he was only half Jewish, worked with the Romans, and killed his own people over rumors.  Then, the topic of the existence of Jesus was shown to be doubtful because there were no archeological evidence for a Jesus.  There are many believers based on faith and not evidence and context where Jesus stories took place were real.  People believed that he was a prophet, rabbi, teacher, and savior and the description of Jerusalem and Palestine were accurate during the time of Jesus.  However, the absence of evidence does not mean something or someone existed or did not exist.

 

Week 6 Lecture 11: Hellenistic Jerusalem and Hasmonean Jerusalem

The Greeks were powerful under Alexander the Great and they adopted the Persian propaganda of coins and Alexander the Great put himself on coins.  Alexander the Great conquered from Greece to all the way to modern-day India.  This happened from 336-320 BCE and he conquered Palestine in 332 BCE.  Secular Leadership of Priests were prevalent through the Persian Period and even until Hellenistic Period of 333-164 BCE.  Alexander the Great defeats Persian’s King Darius at Battle of Issus in 333 BCE.  Alexander dies in 323 BCE.  His death was thought to be because he had no one else to conquer.  After his death, his successors divided up the lands and the two important ones were the Ptolemies (Egyptians) and the Seleucids (Syrians).  The Ptolemies controlled Palestine from 300-201 BCE and they minted coins.  Told Jerusalem that they could choose their own High Priest, but had to pay them taxes.  The Seleucids King Antiochus III defeats Ptolemy V of Ptolemies in 198 BCE at Paneas.  Then, Seleucids began to rule Jerusalem and enforced the language to be spoken as Greek.  They wanted to centralize the Jews to be Hellenized, become more Greek cultured infused, and made Jerusalem “Polis” or the center of Greek life.  The Greek Polis City was the center of the highest and most natural Civil Institution, where the definition of life was to express ideas, learn new things, look at arts and culture, work mind and body, and have a good form of legal justice system.  The Greeks thought that everyone needed this experience, so every aspect of Jewish life was effected and changed.  One can see that Kidron Valley Tombs had Greek looks and even  the Jewish burial inscriptions had Jewish related symbol, but words are in Greek.  For example, the Sepphoris Mosaic in a Jewish home consists of Greek Art and a drinking contest between two Greek Gods.  This shows that the Greek’s did influenced Jewish people a lot.  There were also many Greek architecture found.   In addition,  even the Hebrew Bible is translated into Greek.  The Seleucids deposed of leaders that did not do what they wanted to in Jerusalem.  Some Jews welcomed the Hellenization, but some resisted.  So, there led to an open revolt against the Greeks from the Jews.

This revolt was known as the Maccabean Revolt, named after the famous leader Judas Maccabaeus.  The revolt attacked renegade Jews , villages in Palestine, and Seleucid armies.  They employed guerilla tactics against superior Seleucid army.  The revolt was successful by 165-164 BCE.  Jews regained control of Jerusalem and Temple, resumed sacrificial system, established the holiday Hanukkah to commemorate victor, and established Jewish self-rule.  The Hasmonean kings and dynasty rose from this revolt.  The Hasmonean coins did not have human images on them because those were forbidden, but instead there were writing and symbols on the minted coins.  The rulers even took on Greek and Jewish name out of courtesy.  The Hasmonean rule lasted from 165/164 BCE to 63 BCE.  That was around 100 years of self-rule for the Jewish people.  The leaders were to rebuilt on the lines of the “First Kings,” so when the right Messiah/King comes along, they would yield to him.  But, one never came, so they had the Hasmonean Dynasty.  However, with absolute power it corrupts absolutely.  When a city/state is taken back from oppression, new rulers come in and become oppressive themselves.  Hasmonean Jerusalem grow to about 35,000 in population and expanded.  The Hasmonean Dynasty became increasingly Hellenized, secular, and corrupt.  The office of High Priest and King were assumed, use religion to bring out nationalistic ideas, employed mercenary soldiers from other places, and forcibly Judaized surrounding gentle regions.  The Hasmonean were successful in rebuilding the kingdom like David and Solomon, but were like the Greeks: oppressive.  There was also the expansion of the city and called their control of water the “Solomon’s pools.”  This allowed these to be tied as far back to be legitimized as a building.  The rise of Priesthood came about, where the Promise of David was assumed by the Priest role.  Also, all temples were wiped out, except the Jerusalem Temple, which was of the main importance.  Pharisees demanded Hyrcanus give up on high priesthood and High Priest king Alexander Jannaeus attack own people., which resulted in dictatorship.  The Last Hasmonean rulers were Queen Salome Alexandra, Hyrcanus II, and Aristobulus II.  There was the switching from favoring Pharisees to not favoring Sadducees, then favoring Sadducees and not favoring Pharisees.  Lastly, the Romans by Pompey came and conquered in 63 BCE and restored Hyrcanus to High Priest with no political authority.

Week 6 Lecture 10: Persian Jerusalem

During the Persian Period from 539-333 BCE, there was the rise of the 2nd Temple.  This 2nd Temple is continued on till Herod Period and it expands and rebuilds temple mount.  Also during this time, Biblical Literature written in Jerusalem in Book of Chronicles, Prophets, Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and “Second” Isaiah.  Books of Ezra were written in Aramaic, which became the dominant spoken language for Jews coming back from exile.  The Second Isaiah was most quoted books by Jesus because it is identical in copy to 2 Kings 18-20.  Second Isaiah was expanded for a long time, so it was written by someone else under Isaiah’s name and it was written during and after exile.  Not a lot of non-biblical text dealing with Persian period and not a lot of Archaeological Excavations.  Prophet Ezekiel had a vision that there is a reemergence of God as a mobile entity again and that new Jerusalem will have a new divine presence returning.  There is an apocalyptic, which is a style of writing with number, letters, signs, and lots of vivid imagery.  In Ezekiel 1, there is an apocalyptic vision of a mobile God and there are images that are similar to temple figures of cherubim as protective beings.  This was seen on the Ark of the Covenant and the Ark had poles, to represent it as a mobile shrine of God.  The location of the Ark is still unknown.  In the vision of a new mobile God, it was seen that the mobile consists of wheels within wheels and many people tried to depict how it would look like.  This new mobile vision of a new ark replaces the old missing ark.

King Cyrus of Persia tried to get on the good side of Jews because they want to return Jews to their homeland Jerusalem and give them money and freedom.  However, Jerusalem would need to pay taxes to Persia, but this fostered a friendship between Jerusalem and Persia.  In 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 and Ezra 1:1-3, both are Biblical accounts associated with Persian period saying that King Cyrus of Persia was considered the LORD/ Messiah that sent the Jews home.  On Cyrus cylinder, it was a clay cylinder that had the message that Jews returned to their homelands.  King Cyrus was seen as a good King and great deliverer.  However, King Cyrus was not from the Davidic line, so there is a problem in that referring to foreign king as the Messiah.  To rationalize this Biblical author said that an this is all God’s work and plan.  Judaism and Persian religion of Zoroastrianism has many similarities: six period of creation, humans descended from first couple, commandments on a mountain, introduction of angels, introduction of evil counterpart, YHWH became universal God of love, good, and perfect, Cyrus is called a Jewish Messiah, Aramaic in bible, and purity code in marriage.  Jerusalem rebuilds the temple around 520-515 BCE under Darius I and trying to earn loyalty in West during period of rebellion and get rid of potential foreign opponents.  There are archaeological evidence with Yehud Coins, which shows that Judah becomes a Persian Province because the coin says the land “beyond the river”, relating it to the Persian Province.  There was the question if a temple was necessary.  Both the first and second temple were destroyed on the 9th of Ab.  There were also other temples popping up like the Utopian temple, Samaritan Temple.  In Elephantine Letter 30, there is a permission given to Jews to rebuild the temple.  The Dead Sea Scrolls calls for the construction of another temple.  Persian Jerusalem becomes small and depopulated and there were heavy taxation by Persians and conflicts rose with Samaritans.  People that were already left in Jerusalem developed fine without a temple and people who come back from exile says there should be a temple.  In Nehemiah 4:16-23,  it shows that there is conflicts between people left behind and people coming back under Persian Empire.  So, rebuilding people need to hold a sword in one hand and a hammer in the other, to build and to fend off people who do not want the temple to be rebuilt.  There is a controversy of whether a temple is needed and who is in control of the land.