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‘The United Monarchy no longer unites scholars’ ( Knoppers ). Dr K. Southwood. The Biblical Evidence: David is anointed.
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‘The United Monarchy no longer unites scholars’ (Knoppers) Dr K. Southwood
The Biblical Evidence: David is anointed David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah (II Samuel 2:3-4). So all the elders of Israel came to the King of Hebron and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David King of Israel (II Samuel 5:3).
David’s achievements • Drives out the Philistines from the heartland of Israel • Captures the ark • Extension of power through setting up a rudimentary bureaucracy and through an existing power vacuum in the region • Census of the population • Unites Judah and Israel
Solomon’s achievements • Consolidation of empire through strategic marriage • Consolidation and elaboration of bureaucracy • Takes up the throne • Major building projects • Taxation
Previous archaeological perspectives • R.A.S. Macalister ‘Excavations of Gezer’, P.E.F.QJ. (1909) • Y.Yadin, ‘Solomon’s City Wall and Gate at Gezer,’ IEJ 8 (1958) p82-86 • Rise of monumental architecture in the tenth century BCE.Excavations at three of the cities rebuilt by Solomon—Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer (1 Kgs 9:15-17). • General pattern of urbanization in the Iron Age: the rebuilding and expansion of old towns and the establishment of new ones (centralized planning). • Shrines in the Levant which compare to the design of Solomon’s palace (1 Kings 7:2-12). • Network of fortresses in the Negev • Invasion of Sheshonq (1 Kings 14:25-26).
Challenges • “Low chronology theory” I. Finkelstein, ‘The Archeology of the United Monarchy: an Alternative View’, Levant 28 (1996) p177-187 • Social scientific methods of analysis: demographic perspective. D.W. Jamieson-Drake, Scribes and Schools in Monarchich Judah (1991)
Tel Dan • דודבית ‘house of David’? • Dynasty (Kitchen, Dever). • City? (Lemaire) • Uncle?! • Should the two stones be put together at all?
Mesha An array of information about Omri (where the Bible says very little).
Shalmaneser Monolith • Battle of Qarqar • 1,200 chariots, 1,200 cavalry men, 20,000 foot soldiers of Hadadezer of Damascus, 700 chariots, 700 cavarlymen, 10,000 foot soldiers of Irhuleni from Hamath, 2,000 chariots, 10,000 foot soldiers of Ahab, the Israelite, 500 soldiers from Que, 1,000 soldiers from Musri […]
Method: Questions of lecture 1 • How do we harmonize the biblical evidence with the archaeological record? • Should we harmonize at all? • Does the Biblical evidence have an impact on our interpretation of the archaeological record (Davies)? • Which set of evidence should take priority? • Different methods taken by scholars (both biblical and archaeological).