A Brief History of Jerusalem: From the Earliest Settlement to the Destruction of the City in AD 70

Abstract

Klaus Bieberstein, Professor of Old Testament Studies at the University of Bamberg (about 130 miles east of Frankfurt, Germany), has written a clear and informative summary of the history of Jerusalem from its earliest settlement to its destruction by the Romans in AD 70. Jerusalem is one of the most excavated sites in the world, and yet only a fraction of its history has been uncovered to date. Bieberstein correctly likens the situation to “a puzzle of which only a fraction of the pieces are known” (preface).It is highly challenging to excavate Jerusalem, as the city has been continuously populated since early times and has a dense population today. Further complicating its archaeological history is the fact that several of the most important breakthroughs from the 1960s to 1980s only have had preliminary reports published (e.g., Kathleen Kenyon [1961–67]; Benjamin Mazar [1968–78]; Yigal Shiloh [1978–85]), with later finds often helping to correct earlier misconceptions from various archaeological discoveries. A book such as this, therefore, is decidedly helpful in sorting through all the significant data.After some preliminary comments in chs. 1 and 2, ch. 3 (“History of Archaeological Research”) nicely orients the reader for the more detailed archaeological descriptions that come later. While few of these earlier excavations were carefully recorded or properly written up, a number of these early visitors made important finds: Edward Robinson (1838, 1852; the Siloam Tunnel; Robinson’s Arch); Charles Wilson (1864, 1867–70; Wilson’s Arch); and Charles Warren (1867–70; Warren’s Shaft).The main section of the book, chs. 4 through 7, provides an overview of the archaeological finds from the first settlement in Jerusalem through the Achaemenid, Hellenistic, and Herodian periods. Little is known about Jerusalem’s earliest visitors, but what little evidence there is suggests that hunters and gatherers used it only for temporary stopovers. The first small settlement appeared during the Early Bronze Age above the Gihon Spring (3700–2500 BC). These dates differ slightly from those of Amihai Mazar, who dates this period to 3300–2300 BC (Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10,000-568 B.C.E., Anchor Bible Reference Library [New York: Doubleday, 1992], 30), but Bieberstein claims to follow Johanna Regev, Pierre de Miroschedji, et al., “Chronology of the Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant: New Analysis for a High Chronology,” Radiocarbon 54 (2012): 525–66. However, it should be noted that there have been significant difficulties in matching up archaeological finds with radiocarbon dating. See, for example, Lily Singer-Avitz, “Archaeological Views: Carbon 14—The Solution to Dating David and Solomon?” BAR 35.3 (2009): 28, 71; Amihai Mazar and C. Bronk Ramsey, “14C Dates and the Iron Age Chronology of Israel: A Response,” Radiocarbon 50 (2008): 159–80; and Manfred Bietak, “Antagonisms in Historical and Radiocarbon Chronology,” in A. J. Shortland and C. Bronk Ramsey, eds., Radiocarbon and the Chronologies of Ancient Egypt (Oxford: Oxbow, 2013), 78–110.Particularly helpful in this section are the notations Bieberstein makes of more recent archaeological evidence that help to correct earlier opinions (e.g., pp. 27, 30, 32, 33). Additional maps or pictures to illustrate his descriptions would have been useful, especially when describing the walls and specific archeological finds, but this is not always within the control of the author. Bieberstein adopts a modern historical-critical approach to the biblical text. This is an interesting contrast to his approach to the works of Josephus and the books of Maccabees, which he appears to take at face value. A more balanced view of the biblical text would have been appreciated.An excellent bibliography provides an up-to-date overview of the archaeological excavations and many of the artifacts that have been found over the last century and a half. The wealth of valuable information it provides can serve as a springboard for further research. Overall, this book is easy to use and provides a solid foundation of the history of Jerusalem on which to build further.