Hezekiah and the Golden Age

On of the most notable characteristics of Hezekiah's Golden Age in Jerusalem is the prominence and importance placed on writing. It is said that Hezekiah took the Proverbs of Solomon and had them copied. In addition, there was literature pouring out of the Royal Court and the Book of Proverbs and the Song of Songs were also written down. Libraries in Egypt and Assyria were simultaneously being built and literacy was becoming increasingly more common. The importance of recording stories and events is that it builds up the legend and makes stories more famous.

The importance of literature in religion is tremendous considering Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all built around sacred texts. Without the literature, the religions would not have any substance. In passages from Isaiah of the Old Testament, a prophesy of a messiah is made. Although some may refer to this as a prophesy predicting the coming of Jesus Christ, it is mainly understood to be referring to Hezekiah. Later in Isaiah 36-39, Jerusalem is proved to be inviolable when the powerful Assyrian King Sennacherib cannot penetrate Jerusalem's walls. This is the ultimate sign that God will protect Jerusalem and his original promise to David has not been broken. The legitimacy behind this claim is proven because Assyrian texts verify that this event indeed happened. After Hezekiah's death, his young son Josiah becomes the King and employs laws from Moses to rule the kingdom. These laws are commonly referred to as Deuteronomy.

Hezekiah's Jerusalem

A "Golden Age"is created when great leaders, such as David and Solomon, die, build great places, create a "United Kingdom", and build a great temple. After the time of David and Solomon and under Solomon's son, Jerusalem's Golden Age ended and the 10 tribes in the North (which became Israel) split for the 2 tribes in the south (which became known as Judah). The Hebrew Bible is written from a southern perspective and can therefore be bias but the North seemed to be jealous of Jerusalem and its temple and so they built alternate worship centers (a similar movement also occurred in the South).

There is evidence of Egyptian presences and invasions in Israel but the growing source of power was undoubtedly the Assyrian Empire. Kings of Israel became vassals to Assyrian Empires and Assyria was largely in control of the entire region. The Assyrians, specifically under Shalmanser III were known to be particularly violent and visual in their punishments and were known to display their power in graphic manners. Under this terror and oppression, Jerusalem began to grow and the population became more urban and industrialized. In addition, Assyria introduced a global economy into the area. Hezekiah, who was seen by some as the "messiah of Jerusalem" began to fortify Jerusalem, build up its water supply and administration, and over all began to prepare to rebel against Assyrian dominance and oppression.

1/20/11 Lecture

We began the lecture by finishing the discussion on David's Jerusalem through the passage 2 Samuel 7 when God promises that the House of Jerusalem will be made eternal. However, many scholars are quick to note that the Babylonians later took over in 527 BCE. Many believe that there is a Davidic king to come, and many people see this as the messiah that Jews believe has yet to come. Next, we listed the five places where Jerusalem derives its sacredness: 1) God chose Jerusalem, 2) The Ark and the Covenant, 3) Creation and the Sabbath, 4) Jerusalem and Mt. Moriah, and 50 Melchizedek's Salem and Jerusalem. All of the above build the tradition of Jerusalem.

Next, David's son, Solomon and his Jerusalem were discussed. Solomon's Prayer of Dedication describes a place for God to dwell forever and a place for the ark. During this prayer, it was still a tradition for a deity to dwell in a temple, a tradition that no longer lasts. As far as Solomon's character goes, King Solomon was seen as being very wise, known to ride a donkey, understood the importance of water, as is rumored to have written the Book of Proverbs. There is only evidence in Biblical literature regarding the existence of David, Solomon, and his temple yet other temples in the Near East (such as 'Ain Dara and Tel Ta'yinat) provide comparative evidence that a temple such as the one described may truly have existed.

1/18/11 Lecture

Today we continued one of the major speculations discussed in the previous lecture regarding the Tel Dan Inscription. The Tel Dan Inscription is famous because it discussed the House of David. The existence of David, his reign, personality, morals, and life are very ambiguous and somewhat controversial. Professor Cargill was quick to note that this mention does not necessarily mean that he existed but that somebody was referred to as being in the House of David. There are also scholars who doubt that the Tel Dan Inscription is legitimate and some think it is fake. We also began to speculate over whether or not Warren's Shaft was engineered or whether it occurs naturally.

Next, we discussed the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was considered a shrine to God and  was rumored to possess the Ten Commandments and plans for the temple to be built that was supposed to be built for the Ark. In addition, possession of the Ark was rumored to win battles, possess the presence of God and act as a portable "Axis Mundi." According to the Bible, God requested that David build a temple for the Ark and instead built himself a palace. The subsequent temple was then founded during the reign of Solomon, son of David. This officially brought the Ark to Jerusalem.

Caanite Jerusalem

Today in lecture we discussed the ambiguity that surrounds Jerusalem's history pre and even in bible writings. The earliest settlement in Jerusalem most likely existed during the Chalcolithic Period and there has been a continuous settlement until today. Some of the main settlement factors that attracted civilization included water (the Gihon Spring), agriculture (Emek Refa'im), and communication and trade through the Watershed Highway. Some of the earliest non-biblical references to Jerusalem occurred during the Bronze Age. Records include the Execration Text, fortifications, and the Amarna Letters.

The earliest biblical references include Joshua and Judges which blatantly contradict each other when describing the existence of the Jebusites and whether or not they they were murdered. There is also ambiguity surrounding how the Israelites arrived in Jerusalem. Theories include conquest, immigration, and a Caanite-mixed ethnic origin. We continued to discuss David's Jerusalem, who David was, and the mystery surrounding David, his existence, and whether or not he was he was a good man.

Lecture #2 1/11/11

Today during lecture we further expanded upon the characteristics that define a sacred space and the elements that might help us understand why Jerusalem is viewed as such a sacred city. We continued the discussion on how and why a sacred place should be constructed. Specifically, Professor Cargill deemed that a sacred space must be founded with a story or belief behind it. For example, Mesopotamian Temples were built under the belief of the Babylonian creation story and the belief that the architectural plans were lowered from heaven. Due to this divine message, the plans and appearance of these structures could not be contested.
Next we discussed the importance of consecration and the necessity to deem a place as sacred through stories and biblical references. These stories and references attract attention (although they may not all be true). For example, specific language in the book of Genesis is used to portray Jerusalem's importance. Genesis 14:17-20 states "And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. " This reference to "Salem" was probably used by many when constructing Jerusalem's consecration. Finally, we learned how sacred space was expanded upon to create a sacred time, the Sabbath. The Sabbath was important because sacred spaces were destroyed, leaving the Jewish people the option to still believe. Due to all this construction and consecration, Jerusalem soon became the Axis Mundi or "Center of the World". This was verified further by more biblical references such as the Cosmic Mountain and the Place of the Underworld.

Jerusalem as a Sacred Place

What elements and characteristics define sacred places? Mircea Eliade writes in the The Sacred and the Profane that "Man becomes aware of the sacred because it manifests itself, shows itself, as something wholly different from the profane." (p.11) So what characteristics make Jerusalem, arguably the most sacred location in the world, wholly different? One characteristic is definitely its geographic features. Jerusalem is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the desert. In addition, Jerusalem is a central meeting of three continents (Europe, Africa, and Asia). Communication routes, such as the Via Maris and the King's Highway help to make places such as Jerusalem more sacred. Another defining element is Jerusalem's topography. It's valleys (the Kidron Valley, the Hinnon Valley, and the Tyropean Valley) as well as the surrounding mountains were strategic military defensive techniques and helped foster prosperity.

One of the most important characteristics of almost every sacred location is water. Water is a precious resource which is vital to life and also to the survival of a civilization.  Water's rarity in Jerusalem and the Middle East is evident in numerous passages such as those from Genesis 2, Ezekiel 47, Revelation, and the Quran. As soon as Jerusalem solved the water crisis and dug tunnels to direct the water, civilization blossomed. A final important characteristic of a sacred space is the necessity to explain a phenomenon. Jerusalem's most prominent example of this sensation of the Dome of the Rock, where Islamic tradition believes that Muhammad ascended into heaven. Accounts such as these heavily increase the sacredness of a place.