Bibliography
于Galilean Spaces of IdentitySearch for other papers by Joseph Scales in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
This book examines the connection between ancient Galilean perceptions of space and religious identity by drawing on literary and archaeological evidence from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE. My spatial reconstruction in Galilee is informed by the ideas and contributions of spatial theorists, and is divided into three levels of spatial analysis: bodily, communal, and regional.
The first level, bodily space, examines ancient Jewish conceptions of purity, in order to address how religion and ritual were expressed in everyday life in Galilee. These chapters (2 and 3) discuss elements of Galilean material culture which relate to the bodily expression of purity conceptions, and counterpart texts which provide a window into a diverse and complex culture of purity in ancient Judaism. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss communal space, documenting the development of public spaces in Galilee and in ancient Judaism more generally. Communal space as explored in this book concerns purpose-built structures which could facilitate a variety of activities and practices. The third level, regional space, examines how Galilee can be conceived of as a distinct region in the Levant. In particular, I focus on the relations between Galilee and Jerusalem, principally economic and religious ties to the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled over the southern Levant during the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. This picks up the discussion of the space of Galilee from the introductory chapter, wherein the textual attestation of Galilee was first discussed.
This book utilises a variety of additional sources that document, and methodologies that have been applied to the study of, Greco-Roman history, archaeology and literature. Furthermore, it uses insights from spatial theory to creatively imagine the spaces that were generated in ancient Galilee. The book considers discussions about identity formation and delineation, especially with respect to how groups are reconstructed through texts and archaeological materials. This volume offers insights towards an understanding of identity and its relation to ancient materials, whilst moving away from essentialist definitions of identity.