Josiah's Jerusalem:Centralization of Religion

Josiah reigned from 640-609 BCE. During this time Jerusalem grew in prosperity and population due to the victory over the Assyrians. With this new found growth there also existed political and religious unrest with the new people who moved to Jerusalem. Meanwhile Josiah aided by his court advisors found a scroll known as "The Law". From here on out Josiah embarks on religious reform just like Hezekiah did but in a different way. While Hezekiah tore shrines for the Hebrew God because he wanted one place of worship, Josiah shrines had different Gods. "The Law" was to be commanded and obeyed, this marked the transition of Cult of Yahweh to the Law, text, and tradition. 

Society was transitioning just as much as religious form. There started to be a lost of astricas (receipts) and unofficial literature popping up. For example a Lachish letter from a soldier stating he knows how to read and write. Written in 587 BCE, is evidence that it might of been a societal expectation to know how to read and write, during Josiah's Jerusalem society know was one of literacy.

Hezekiah's Jerusalem

Hezekiah's Tunnel

Hezekiah's Jerusalem is known as "The growth of the city", many changes took place and in turn Jerusalem went through a Golden Age. 

Leading up to that point Jerusalem went through some rough patches. Rehoboam, Solomon's son who reigned from 930-913 BCE, wanted to show people that he was entirely more superior than his father. In turn the North people rebelled and became Israel, while Rehoboam was leader over the 2 tribes in the South, becoming Judah. In response to the separation of the North and South, the North set up two shrines to which the people could worship so they would have to leave to the South to support their economy. In the midst of their differences, pacts and alliances and battles are taking place. In short, the rise of the Assyrian Empire begins, but eventually they fall to the reign of the Babylonians in 609 BCE. 

The North now starts to flee to the South causing Urbanization. They also change their language to Aramaic. Jerusalem drastically changes in the realms of family structures, religious movements, centralization of power, social justice issues, and urban vs, rural. In prep for these changes Hezekiah starts to fortify and increase water supply, hence Hezekiah's tunnel. From this archaeological evidence we conclude he was preparing for war against Assyria. Hezekiah was successful in his feat and went on religious reform, which was only to be turned over by successor Josiah. 

Eliade: Theopanies and Signs

The Last Judgment by Gislebertus exemplifies Eliades described threshold that separates the spaces of the profane and the religious. It is the boundary that distinguishes and opposes two worlds while at the same time represents the place where passage from the profane to the sacred is possible (Eliade 25).This essentially is the judgment place where God in the middle decides if you rise to heaven or sink to hell, as represented by the weighing of souls. This idea of judgment acting as a threshold to the entrance of the church stems from earlier times in Babylon, Egypt, and Israel.

Again this idea of profane space being separated from religious space is still prevalent in todays society. Such as the faith of catholicism. With the entrance into the church, one uses holy water and blesses themselves, symbolic of purifying themselves. It is representative of passage from one space to another, the church. For a believer, the church shares in a different space from the street in which it stands (Eliade 25). This is a concept in which to keep in mind when thinking of sacred space and its symbolic rituals. 

David's Jerusalem: Part 2

Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant, representation of the presence of God, is one of the five points where Jerusalem derives its sacredness. Along with God choosing Jerusalem, creation and the sabbath, Mt. Moriah, and Melchizedek's Salem. The Ark of the Covenant is notable in that it is central to all conquest stories, but once in the Temple it was not mentioned after that, because the Temple now became the central of importance. Keeping with this idea once the temple was destroyed the Ark once again became the center of importance. Biblical references to the ark of the Covenant lie in the Book of Exodus and Samuels. 

Lamassu from Khorsbad

 In relation to the Ark of the Covenant, a cherub is often found on top of an Ark in resemblance of protection. Often misinterpreted as baby angels, they were more along the lines of Babylonian Lamassus, a human headed winged lion. They are protectors and guardians, such as put in front of gates and entrance ways throughout the Ancient Near East consistent with Biblical text. In biblical texts these protectors can be relayed back to the story of the protection of the  gates of the Garden of Eden. 

Canaanite & David's Jerusalem

Gihon Springs

Main settlement factors for the area of Canaanite were respectively: water, agriculture, communication and trade. It also conveniently sits on a watershed highway. These resources being central to the land were also referred to in the Hebrew Bible. Such that claims made in the Hebrew Bible sometimes accurately describe actual landmarks still in existence in what is now Jerusalem. In support of Bible claims also exist clay figurines. These figurines with names of enemies carved onto them, followed by the smashing of the these figures to curse a person also provide evidence that Jerusalem were a real place as mentioned in the Bible and were big enough to be worthy of curse. For further evidence the Book of Luke makes many references to history that are credible today. 

City of David

The City of David established around 1000 BCE, lies between the Kidron and Central Valley. There is much skepticism that surrounds the figure of David, did he exist or not? In recent times there is the Tel Dan inscription that is the first non-biblical reference to David. This is NOT evidence that David existed but rather evidence that people referred to themselves as the "House of David", in which someone thought he exists. 

Jerusalem as Sacred Place: Key Points

Mt. Zion

Mt. Zion in Jerusalem is central to the history of the biblical text to which Solomon's temple resides. In Jerusalem lie many temples dating back to times earlier than Jerusalem, such as ziggurats from the Mesopotamian Era, in which they also served as a place for worship. The concept of building temples is a recurring theme throughout different religions and is thought to be divine in nature, meaning plans for a temple were lowered from the heavens or given by divine decree. 

On many accounts these sacred spaces attract stories and legends that may be historical or borrowed, in which build the reputation of the space. Such as the story of Adam being buried under the Dome of the Rock on Mt. Zion, which is tradition not actually recorded in biblical text. Stories such as this make Jerusalem's reputation as enormous as it is.

Now not only is there sacred space but sacred time that is consecrated and holy. This idea of sacred time has made its way into many faiths as a day of rest. A distinct benefit of sacred time is the undertaking of a religious identity through sacred time as there may not be a sacred space to which one may go. 

Remember:

Sacred Spaces in Jerusalem

Judaism: Temple Mount, Western Wall

Christianity: Holy Sepucher 

Muslim: Dome of the Rock, Al Aqsa Mosque

Hw: Read Eliade Ch1-2

Jerusalem as Sacred Space: Study Tips

The infamous vulcan sign has taken on a whole new meaning as dubbed by Dr. Cargill in the first lecture of Jerusalem 10W. You are looking at a map of Jerusalem, essentially. The 2 fingers to the right are the city of David while the Kidron Valley lies to the right of the two fingers. Where the two right fingers split from the palm would lie the Temple Mount. In between the left and right set of fingers is the Tyropean Valley also known as the Central Valley, while the outside of the 2 left fingers are the Hinnom Valley. In a nut shell that is the map of Jerusalem conveniently made for easy studying, as mentioned in lecture a portion of tests will be map identification. 

The Holy City is split into 5 quarters as seen above. 

NW-Christian

NE-Islamic

SW-Armeniam

SE-Jewish

E-temple Mount

In conclusion to the study tips is an easy summarization of how sacred space comes to be.

1. Birthplace of high profile being, or occurrence of supernatural as seen by witnesses.

2. People pilgrimage to experience the space

3. People start to leave things in resemblance of a shrine, start to venerate the site

4. Build something in commemoration of the sacred space

5. Visitors come in large numbers

6. To accommodate, buildings are built to house visitors leading to a whole established sacred space.

Two things to remember...

1. The Book of Revelation does NOT have an S at the end!

2. Archaeology can be used as a weapon!

HW: Look at Jerusalem via Google Map located on the course website.