Jerusalem: A Journey Through Time

Jerusalem is a city with a deep significance to many peoples all over the world and is considered one of the most important cities for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Throughout the ages, and until today, Jerusalem has been the focus of major historical events, a location for religious pilgrimage, and a focus on much religious, political, national, and ideological focus. Already in biblical times, and continuing until this very day, what happened and happens in Jerusalem is a focus of interest worldwide.

In this course, we will learn about the history and archaeology of ancient Jerusalem, from its earliest beginnings in the late Prehistoric Periods (ca. 5th millennium BCE) and until the Muslim conquest of the city in the 7th century CE. We will cover the main finds and periods during this long-time span, including the periods relating to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the Christian Bible/New Testament, and periods including the Bronze Ages, the Iron Age (1st Temple Period), the Persian, Hellenistic and Early Roman Periods (2nd Temple Period), and the Late Roman and Byzantine Periods.

We will discuss the geography, history and archaeology of the city, and its place in the broader geopolitical and religious contexts, visit major archaeological sites situated in the city and its surroundings, and meet and talk with leading researchers in the field of history and archaeology.

Studying the history and archaeology of ancient Jerusalem not only will enlighten us about the city itself but serve as an excellent basis to learn about the methods of history and archaeology, and the history and archaeology of the Land of Israel/Southern Levant in the periods that we will survey.

As Jerusalem is such a magnet of interest for so many people throughout the world, of various cultures, religions, backgrounds and beliefs, we believe that the course will be of deep interest, and relevance, for many.

The course is conducted online, and the student can determine the pace of study within the given time that the course will be open. The course is equivalent to a one semester course, with 8 lessons with about 2 hours of work per lesson.

Course Objectives:

* Learn about the history and archaeology of ancient Jerusalem

* Learn about the methods used in history and archaeology

* Learn about the place of Jerusalem during the various periods

* Visit important archaeological sites in Jerusalem

* Hear discussions with leading scholars studying ancient Jerusalem

* Learn about the history and archaeology of the ancient Land of Israel/Southern Levant

Course Results:

* Basic knowledge of the history and archaeology of Jerusalem

* Basic knowledge of the importance (in the past and until today) of the city of Jerusalem

* Basic knowledge on the history and archaeology of the Land of Israel/southern Levant

* Basic knowledge about methods in history and archaeology

Requirements:

* Watch all the components of the course

* Answer the quizzes and tests

* Read the relevant texts in the course

* No prior knowledge is required to take the course

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Course Structure:

The course is divided into 8 lessons, which cover the following topics:

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Lesson 1

General Introduction

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Lesson 2

Jerusalem until the time of David

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Lesson 3

First Temple Jerusalem 1

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Lesson 4

First Temple Jerusalem 2

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Lesson 5

Second Temple Jerusalem 1

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Lesson 6

Second Temple Jerusalem 2

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Lesson 7

Roman Period

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Lesson 8

Byzantine Period and summary

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Lesson Structure:

Each lesson is comprised of short videos (discussions in the studio or in the field visiting sites), reading materials and short quizzes, in each lesson there are additional materials to enable the student to dig deeper into various topics. At the end of the 8th lesson, there is a test summarizing the knowledge acquired during the course.

Detailed topics for each lesson:

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Lesson 1

Introduction

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Lesson 2

Jerusalem until the time of David

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Lesson 3

First Temple Jerusalem 1

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Lesson 4

First Temple Jerusalem 2

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Lesson 5

Second Temple Jerusalem 1

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Lesson 6

Second Temple Jerusalem 2

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Lesson 7

Roman Period

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Lesson 8

Byzantine Period and summary

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Part 1

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What is the course?

Introduce the course and the lecturers

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Historical background – Jerusalem from the Bronze Age to the early Iron Age

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Historical background

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The Temple in Jerusalem

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Historical background

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The role of Jerusalem in the 2nd Temple Period

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Historical background

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Historical background

Part 2

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Importance of Jerusalem

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The rise of Jerusalem

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Jerusalem of David and Solomon: the evidence and the debate

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Visit to sites and museums in Jerusalem

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Jerusalem in the Babylonian and Persian Period (the Restoration)

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The 2nd Temple of Jerusalem

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Roman Aelia Capitolina

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Byzantine Jerusalem (time of the Talmud)

Part 3

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Introduction to Jerusalem

(Geography, historical framework)

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Visit to sites and museums in Jerusalem

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Bible and Archaeology in Jerusalem

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Jerusalem: Capital of the Kingdom of Judah

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The Maccabean Period in Jerusalem

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Visit to sites and museums in Jerusalem

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Visit to sites and museums in Jerusalem

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Visit to sites and museums in Jerusalem

Part 4

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Introduction to archaeology and history

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Visit to sites and museums in Jerusalem

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The role of Jerusalem and Judah in a regional perspective

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Visit to sites and museums in Jerusalem

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The end of the 2nd temple period

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Jerusalem and the Jews in the Roman Period

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Summary and how to continue learning

Additional reading:

• Bahat, D. 1990. The Illustrated Atlas of Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta.

• Galor, K., and Avni, G., eds. 2012. Unearthing Jerusalem: 150 Years of Archaeological Research in the Holy City. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns.

• Galor, K., and Bloedhorn, H. 2013. The Archaeology of Jerusalem: From the Origins to the Ottomans. New Haven: Yale University Press.

• Geva, H., ed. 2019. Ancient Jerusalem Revealed: Archaeological Discoveries, 1998–2018. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society.

• Reich, R. 2011 . Excavating the City of David: Where Jerusalem’s History Began. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society.