Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T06:20:08.669Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

17 - The material realities of Jewish life in the Land of Israel, C. 235–638

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2008

By
Joshua Schwartz
Edited by
Steven T. Katz
Joshua Schwartz
Affiliation:
Department of Land of Israel Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan
Steven T. Katz
Affiliation:
Boston University
Get access

Summary

INTRODUCTION

A commonplace among historians is the notion that every age must be understood as it really occurred. However, agreement on perspective and methods of observation is less common. The study of material culture provides a tool for understanding the basic building blocks or the ground floor of history. To some scholars, this study concerns the banal, and it is not surprising that the interests students of material culture might enjoy have often escaped the notice of normative historians. Students of material culture might answer, however, that these “banalities” accumulate into forces reflecting the essence of society.

More surprisingly, though, people do not always agree about the composition of material culture. Combining some of the more common perceptions, one might suggest the following two definitions: the landscape-oriented definition claims that material culture is the segment of one’s physical environment shaped by humans according to culturally dictated plans, whereas the artifact school maintains that material culture is the totality of artifacts in culture and includes all remnants left behind from the physical world, such as farm tools, houses, furniture, utensils, and landscape-oriented remains, such as roads or cities. Common to these two approaches is the notion that there is not sufficient evidence available to the normative historian to reconstruct society. Ironically, the study of material culture introduces so much new data that it simply staggers the imagination.

Keywords

material cultureJewish lifeIsraelrural villagesurban religious institutions
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge History of Judaism , pp. 431 - 456
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adan-Bayewitz, D., Common Pottery in Roman Galilee: A Study in Local Trade (Ramat-Gan, 1993).
Avi-Yonah, M., The Jews of Palestine (Oxford, 1976).
Ayali, M., A Nomenclature of Workers and Artisans in the Talmudic and Midrashic Literature (Tel-Aviv, 1984)(Hebrew).
Benoit, P., Milik, J. T., and de Vaux, R., Les Grottes de Murabba’at, Benoit, P. et al. (eds.), Discoveries in the Judaean Desert of Jordan (Oxford, 1955–) II, (Oxford, 1961).
Brand, Y., Ceramics in Talmudic Literature (Jerusalem, 1953) (Hebrew).
Broshi, M., “Demographic Changes in Ancient Eretz Israel: Methodology and Estimates,” in Kasher, A., U. Rappaport, and Oppenheimer, A. (eds.), Man and Land in Eretz Israel in Antiquity (Jerusalem, 1986) (Hebrew).Google Scholar
Broshi, M., “The Diet of Palestine in the Roman Period: Introductory Notes,” Israel Museum Journal 5 (1986).Google Scholar
Broshi, M., “The Population of Western Palestine in the Roman-Byzantine Period,” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 236 (1979).Google Scholar
Chajes, H. P., “Les Juges juifs en Palestine de l’an 70 – l’an 500,” Revue des études juives 39 (1899).Google Scholar
Cohen, S. J. D., “Josephus, Jeremiah, and Polybius,” History and Theory 21 (1982).Google Scholar
Cohen, S. J. D., The Beginnings of Jewishness: Boundaries, Varieties, Uncertainties (Berkeley, 1999).
Cohen, S. J. D., The Jewish Family in Antiquity (Atlanta, 1993).
Cotton, H., and Yardeni, A., Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek Documentary Texts from Nahal Hever and Other Sites, Benoit, P. et al. (eds.), Discoveries in the Judaean Desert of Jordan (Oxford, 1955–) XXVII (Oxford, 1997).
Deetz, J., “Material Culture and Archaeology — What’s the Difference?” in Ferguson, L. (ed.), Historical Archaeology and the Importance of Material Things (Lansing, 1977).Google Scholar
Deetz, J., In Small Things Forgotten: The Archeology of Early American Life (Garden City, 1975)
Eck, W., “The Bar Kokhba Revolt: The Roman Point of View,” Journal of Roman Studies 89 (1999).Google Scholar
Edwards, D., and McCollough, C., Archaeology and the Galilee (Atlanta, 1997).
Eliav, Y., “Hadrian’s Actions in the Jerusalem Temple Mount according to Cassius Dio and Xiphilini Manus,” Jewish Studies Quarterly 4 (1997).Google Scholar
Feliks, Y., Agriculture in Eretz Israel in the Period of the Bible and Talmud (Jerusalem, 1990). (New ed., Jerusalem, 1990 [Hebrew]).
Finkelstein, I., “A Few Notes on Demographic Data from Recent Generations and Ethnoarchaeology,” Palestine Exploration Quarterly 122 (1990).Google Scholar
Foerster, G., “Has There Indeed Been a Revolution in the Dating of the Galilean Synagogue?” in Levine, L. I. (ed.), Continuity and Renewal: Jews and Judaism in Byzantine-Christian Palestine (Jerusalem, 2004) (Hebrew).Google Scholar
Frankel, R., Wine and Oil Production in Antiquity in Israel and Other Mediterranean Countries (Sheffield, 1999).
Frankfurter, D., Religion in Roman Egypt: Assimilation and Resistance (Princeton, 1998).
Friedheim, E., “Rabban Gamaliel and the Bathhouse of Aphrodite in Akko: A Study of Eretz-Israel Realia in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE,” Cathedra 105 (2002).Google Scholar
Friedman, Y., Safrai, Z., and Schwartz, J. (eds.), Hikrei Eretz: Studies in the History of the Land of Israel Dedicated to Prof. Yehuda Feliks (Ramat-Gan, 1997).
Galsterer, H., “Roman Law in the Provinces: Some Problems in Transmission,” L’Impero romano e le strutture economiche e sociali delle province, ed. Crawford, M. (Como, 1986).Google Scholar
Garnsey, P., “Religious Toleration in Classical Antiquity,” in Sheils, W. J. (ed.), Persecution and Toleration, Studies in Church History 21 (Oxford, 1984).Google Scholar
Garnsey, P., Famine and Food Supply in the Graeco-Roman World (Cambridge, 1988).
Garnsey, P., Hopkins, K., and Whittaker, C. R. (eds.), Trade in the Ancient Economy (Berkeley, 1983).
Goodblatt, D., “A Contribution to the Prosopography of the Second Revolt: Yehudah bar Menasheh,” Journal of Jewish Studies 38 (1987).Google Scholar
Goodblatt, D., “Judaea between the Revolts,” in Oppenheimer, A. (ed.), Jüdische Geschichte in hellenistisch-römischer Zeit: Wege der Forschung: Vom alten zum neuen Schürer (Munich, 1999).Google Scholar
Goodblatt, D., The Monarchic Principle: Studies in Jewish Self-Government in Antiquity (Tübingen, 1994).
Goodman, M., “Babatha’s Story,” Journal of Roman Studies 81 (1991).Google Scholar
Goodman, M., Mission and Conversion: Proselytizing in the Religious History of the Roman Empire (Oxford, 1994).
Goodman, M., State and Society in Roman Galilee, 135–212 AD (Totowa, 1983).
Goodman, M., The Ruling Class of Judaea (Cambridge, 1987).
Hamel, G., Poverty and Charity in Roman Palestine, First Three Centuries CE (Berkeley, 1990).
Harris, W., “Demography, Geography and the Sources of Roman Slaves,” Journal of Roman Studies 89 (1999).Google Scholar
Hezser, C., The Social Structure of the Rabbinic Movement in Roman Palestine (Tübingen, 1997).
Hirschfeld, Y., Teveryah: Me-yisudah ad Ha-kivush Ha-muslemi: Meqorot, Sikumim, Parashiyot Nivharot Vehomer Ezer (Jerusalem, 1988).
Hirschfeld, Y., The Palestinian Dwelling in the Roman-Byzantine Period (Jerusalem, 1995).
Hopkins, K., “Economic Growth and Towns in Classical Antiquity,” in Abrams, P. and Wrigley, E. A. (eds.), Towns in Societies: Essays in Economic History and Historical Sociology (Cambridge, 1978).Google Scholar
Houston, M. G., “Taxes and Trade in the Roman Empire,” Journal of Roman Studies 70 (1980).Google Scholar
Houston, M. G., Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Costume and Decoration (London, 1947).
Isaac, B., “The Babatha Archive: A Review Article,” Israel Exploration Journal 42 (1992).Google Scholar
Isaac, B., The Limits of Empire: The Roman Army in the East, 2nd ed. (Oxford, 1992).
Isaac, B., The Near East under Roman Rule: Selected Papers (Leiden, 1998).
Isaac, B., and Roll, I., “Judaea in the Early Years of Hadrian”s Reign,” Latomus 38 (1979).Google Scholar
Jacobs, M., Die Institution des Jüdischen Patriarchats (Tübingen, 1995).
Killebrew, A. and Fine, S., “Qatzrin: Reconstructing Village Life in Talmudic Times,” Biblical Archaeology Review 17 (1991)Google Scholar
Kindler, A., and Stein, A., A Bibliography of the City Coinage of Palestine from the Second Century BC to the Third Century AD (Oxford, 1987).
Kochavi, M. (ed.), Judaea, Samaria and the Golan: Archaeological Survey 1967–8 (Jerusalem, 1972).
Krass, S., Qadmoniot Ha-Talmud (Tel-Aviv, 1924–1945).
Krass, S., Talmudische Archaeologie (Hildesheim, 1966).
Lapin, H., “Palm Fronds and Citrons: Notes on Two Letters from Bar Kosiba’s Administration,” Hebrew Union College Annual 64 (1993).Google Scholar
Lapin, H., “Rabbis and Cities in Later Roman Palestine: The Literary Evidence,” Journal of Jewish Studies 50 (1999).Google Scholar
Lapin, H., Early Rabbinic Civil Law and the Social History of Roman Galilee (Atlanta, 1995).
Lewis, N., The Documents from the Bar Kokhba Period in the Cave of Letters: Greek Papyri (Jerusalem, 1989).
Lieberman, S., “Jewish Life in Eretz Yisrael as Reflected in the Palestinian Talmud,” Texts and Studies (New York, 1974).Google Scholar
Linder, A., The Jews in Roman Imperial Legislation (Detroit, 1987).
Meshorer, Y., City Coins of Eretz Israel and the Decapolis in the Roman Period (Jerusalem, 1985).
Mildenberg, L., The Coinage of the Bar-Kokhba War (Aarau, 1984).
Millar, F., The Emperor in the Roman World (Ithaca, 1977).
Millar, F., The Roman Near East (Cambridge, MA, 1993).
Nagy, R. M., et al. (eds.), Sepphoris in Galilee: Crosscurrents of Culture (Winona Lake, 1996).
Parkin, T., Demography and Roman Society (Baltimore, 1992).
Pastor, J., Land and Economy in Ancient Palestine (London, 1997).
PucciZeev, M., Jewish Rights in the Roman World: The Greek and Roman Documents Quoted by Josephus Flavius (Tübingen, 1998).
Rabello, A. M., “The Ban on Circumcision as a Cause of Bar Kokhba’s Rebellion,” Israel Law Review 29 (1995).Google Scholar
Regev, E., “Non-Priestly Purity and Its Religious Aspects According to Historical Sources and Archaeological Findings,” in Poorthuis, M. J. H. M. and Schwartz, J., Purity and Holiness: The Heritage of Leviticus (Leiden, 2000).Google Scholar
Richter, G. M. A., Ancient Furniture: A History of Greek, Etruscan and Roman Furniture (Oxford, 1926).
Roll, I., “The Roman Road System in Judaea,” The Jerusalem Cathedra 3 (1983).Google Scholar
Rosenberger, M., The Rosenberger Israel Collection, 3 vols. (vols. II–III entitled City-Coins of Palestine) (Jerusalem, 1972–1977).
Rowland, C., “The Parting of the Ways: The Evidence of Jewish and Christian Apocalyptic and Mystical Material,” in Dunn, J. D. G. (ed.), Jews and Christians: Parting of the Ways, AD 70 to 134 (Tübingen, 1991).Google Scholar
Safrai, S., “Home and Family,” in Safrai, S. and Stern, M. (eds.), The Jewish People in the First Century (Philadelphia, 1976).Google Scholar
Safrai, Z., “Gambling in Ancient Jewish Society and in the Graeco-Roman World,” in Goodman, M. (ed.), Jews in a Graeco-Roman World (Oxford, 1998).Google Scholar
Safrai, Z., “The Roman Army in the Galilee,” in Levine, L. (ed.), The Galilee in Late Antiquity (Cambridge and New York, 1992).Google Scholar
Safrai, Z., The Economy of Roman Palestine (London, 1994).
Safrai, Z., The Jewish Community in the Talmudic Period (Jerusalem, 1995).
Schäfer, P., “Hadrian’s Policy in Judaea,” in Davies, P. R. and White, R. T. (eds.), A Tribute to Geza Vermes: Essays on Jewish and Christian History and Literature (Sheffield, 1990).Google Scholar
Schäfer, P., Der Bar-Kokhba Aufstand: Studien zum zweiten jüdischen Krieg gegen Rom (Tübingen, 1981).
Schlereth, T. J., Cultural History and Material Culture: Everyday Life, Landscapes, Museums (Ann Arbor, 1990).
Schürer, E., The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ, rev. and ed. Vermes, G. et al. 3 vols. (Edinburgh, 1973–1987).
Schwabe, M., “Letoldot Teveryah: Mehqar Epigrafi,” Sefer Yohanan Lewy ed. Schwabe, M. and Gutmann, Y. (Jerusalem, 1949).Google Scholar
Schwartz, J., “‘A Child’s Cart’: A Toy Wagon in Ancient Jewish Society,” Ludica 4 (1998).Google Scholar
Schwartz, J., “Aspects of Leisure-Time Activities in Roman Period Palestine,” in Schaefer, P. (ed.), The Talmud Yerushalmi in Graeco-Roman Culture (Tübingen, 1998).Google Scholar
Schwartz, J., “Ball Playing in Ancient Jewish Society: The Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods,” Ludica 3 (1997).Google Scholar
Schwartz, J., “Cats in Ancient Jewish Society,” Journal of Jewish Studies 52 (2001).Google Scholar
Schwartz, J., “Dogs and Cats in Jewish Society in the Second Temple, Mishnah and Talmud Periods,” Proceedings of the Twelfth World Congress of Jewish Studies, Div. B: History of the Jewish People (Jerusalem, 2000).Google Scholar
Schwartz, J., Jewish Settlement in Judaea from the Bar Kokhba Revolt until the Arab Conquest (Jerusalem, 1986) (Hebrew).
Schwartz, S., “Gamaliel in Aphrodite’s Bath: Palestinian Judaism and Urban Culture in the Third and Fourth Centuries,” in Schäfer, P. (ed.), The Talmud Yerushalmi and Graeco-Roman Culture (Tübingen, 1998).Google Scholar
Schwartz, S., “Gamliel in Aphrodite’s Bath: Palestinian Judaism and Urban Culture in the Third and Fourth Centuries,” in Schäfer, P. (ed.), The Talmud Yerushalmi and Graeco-Roman Culture, III (Tübingen, 1998).Google Scholar
Schwartz, S., “Josephus in Galilee: Rural Patronage and Social Breakdown,” in Parente, F. and Sievers, J. (eds.), Josephus and the History of the Graeco-Roman Period: Essays in Memory of Morton Smith (Leiden, 1994).Google Scholar
Schwartz, S., “The Patriarchs and the Diaspora,” Journal of Jewish Studies 50 (1999).Google Scholar
Schwartz, S., Imperialism and Jewish Society (Princeton, 2001).
Schwartz, S., Josephus and Judaean Politics (Leiden, 1990).
Schwartz, J., “Material Culture in the Land of Israel: Monks and Rabbis on Clothes and Dress in the Byzantine period,” in Poorthuis, M. and Schwartz, J. (eds.), Saints and Role Models in Judaism and Christianity (Leiden, 2004).Google Scholar
Smallwood, E. M., The Jews under Roman Rule, 2nd ed. (Leiden, 1981).
Speidel, M. A., “Roman Army Pay Scales,” Journal of Roman Studies 82 (1992).Google Scholar
Sperber, D., Material Culture in Eretz-Israel during the Talmudic Period (Jerusalem, 1993) (Hebrew).
Sperber, D., Roman Palestine, 200–400: The Land: Crisis and Change in Agrarian Society as Reflected in Rabbinic Sources (Ramat-Gan, 1978).
Sperber, D., The City in Roman Palestine (Oxford, 1998).
Strobel, K., “Jüdisches Patriarchat, Rabbinentum und Priesterdynastie von Emesa: Historische Phänomene innerhalb des Imperium Romanum der Kaiserzeit,” Ktema 14 (1989).Google Scholar
Urbach, E. E., The Laws Regarding Slavery (New York, 1979).
Ussishkin, D., “Archaeological Soundings at Betar, Bar-Kokhba’s Last Stronghold,” Tel Aviv 20 (1993).Google Scholar
van Loopik, M., The Ways of the Sages and the Way of the World (Tübingen, 1991).
White, K. D., Agricultural Implements of the Roman World (Cambridge, 1967).
White, K. D., Greek and Roman Technology (London, 1984).
White, K. D., Roman Farming (Ithaca, n.d.).
Wolff, H. J., “Römisches Provinzialrecht in der Provinz Arabia,” Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt II/13 (Berlin and New York, 1978).Google Scholar
Zevulon, U. and Olenik, Y., Function and Design in the Talmudic Period: Exhibition and Catalogue (Tel-Aviv, 1978).

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×