Ancient Israel House : 1st Century Nazareth House

 

a house from the 1st century AD was discovered in Nazareth, 2009

example of a stone house with courtyard

Features of a house in 1st century Nazareth

Houses in Nazareth had a flat roof with exterior stairs at the side and an awning of woven goats’ hair to protect against the sun. This was used by the women as a work-space, an extra room.

The roof was also a cool place to sleep in hot weather.

The inside of the house , there were raised platforms at one end of the room, with cushions and mats – woven by the women and, like their clothing, embroidered.

The walls were covered with plaster, rubbed flat with a stone and painted with geometric patterns.

There was hardly any furniture. Niches were cut into the wall, and these provided storage for bedrolls and clothes.

Large amounts of food – jars of oil and olives, etc., were kept in separate storage areas, secure against mice. Archaeological excavations in the Nazareth area show there was a honeycomb of underground rooms under the houses, hollowed out of the soft rock. They were used for a variety of purposes – living quarters in the fierce heat of summer, cisterns for water, grain silos, and storage.

The inside rooms of the house were small and dark, so the courtyard and roof were important work areas, with better light for tasks like spinning and weaving.

Down in the courtyard was the cooking area, with an open fire, an oven and an array of cooking utensils. There was a mortar and pestle for grinding small amounts of grain and a covered area where people sat while they worked or talked.

Courtyard served as a daily workplace – the weather was dry for most of the year. Here Spinning and weaving were done, food was prepared, people met, and animals were kept.

The courtyard often contained a mikveh for ceremonial purification, and the family latrine as well, which was emptied every day into a communal manure pit.

Ancient Israel House : Iron Age's Four Room House

 

A four-room house, also known as an "Israelite house" or a "pillared house" is the name given to the mud and stone houses characteristic of the Iron Age of Levant.

The house is about 7.5 meters by 6.8 meters 

The four-room house is so named because its floor plan is divided into four sections, although not all four are proper rooms, one often being an unroofed courtyard. 

many four-room houses were at least partially two stories

The popularity of the structure started at the beginning of Iron Age I ( end of the 11th  century BC ) ( United Monarchy ) and dominated the architecture of Israel through Iron Age II until the Babylonian Exile. After the destruction of Judah ( of the 7th and 6th centuries BC ) the architecture type was no longer utilized.

Hundreds of four-room houses are known today from Iron Age sites mainly concentrated in the highlands (i.e. the Galilee), the Central Hill Country and the Transjordanian Plateau

Herodian Kingdom

89 BC, Asia Minor and surrounding region

Family tree of the Hasmonean dynasty

37 BC–4 AD, Herodian Kingdom of Judea 

4 BC–44 AD,  Herodian Tetrarchy 

Members of the Herodian dynasty mentioned in the New Testament

Israel - A Brief History : Modern Era

World War I

1914, July 28^th – WW I began.

1914 – Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in WW I.

1918, November 11^th – WW I ended.

1920, August 10^th – Treaty of Sèvres signed between the Ottoman Empire and Allies.  Palestine placed under British mandate.

British Mandate

1917-1918 – During WWI, Palestine was governed by Occupied Enemy Territory Administration (OETA)

1920, July 1^st – Palestine governed under a civil administration

1923, September 29^th – British Mandate for Palestine came into effect.  The Mandate includes Palestine and Transjordan.

1946, May 25^th – Transjordan gain independence.   Officially called Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

1948, May 14^th – British Mandate ended

United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine

1947, November 29^th  - United Nations General Assembly recommended the adoption and implementation of the partition plan of Mandatory Palestine.

The United Nation Partition Plan for Palestine would, after the termination of the British Mandate, lead to the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and the Special International Regime for the city of Jerusalem.  The Plan sought to address the conflicting objectives and claims of two competing movements : Arab nationalism and Jewish nationalism.

It was accepted by the Jewish  but rejected by leaders of the Arabs.

1947, November 30^th – Civil War started between Arabs and Jewish.

Independent State of Israel

1948, May 14^th – Declaration of Independence of State of Israel.

1948, May 15^th – First Arab-Israel War began with invasion of Arab States

1949 – Armistice Agreements signed between Israel and Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

The Armistice Agreements saw Israel had control of Galilee, Jezreel, Negev, West Jerusalem and the Costal Plain.  The Gaza Strip and West Bank were occupied by Egypt and Jordan respectively.

1949, May 11^th – Israel admitted as a member of the UN.

1967, June 5^th  – Third Arab-Israel War (Six-Day War) began with Israel bombing Egyptian air-fields.

Israel took control of West Bank (from Jordan), Gaza Strip (from Egypt), East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsular.

West Bank remained under military occupation.  Gaza Strip remained independent of Israel.  Golan Heights and East Jerusalem occupied by Israel.  Sinai Peninsular has returned to Egypt in 1979 as part of Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.

Today

Today’s State of Israel is divided into 6 administrative districts : Northern, Haifa, Center, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Southern.   Districts are further divided into 15 sub-districts.

East Jerusalem and Golan Heights considered part of Israel territory.  East Jerusalem has been included in the Jerusalem District as of 1967.  Golan Heights aligned into Northern District.

West Bank and Gaza Strip remained Israeli-occupied territories.  Israel control the airspace, territorial waters and border crossings.  Administration is under Palestinian Authority. 

Israel - A Brief History : Classical Period

Hasmonean Dynasty

538 BC - Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered the Babylon and took over its empire.  The Achaemenid Empire spanned from Asia to Africa and Europe. 

538–518 BC - Israelites were allowed to return to Judah and rebuilt the Temple ( Ezra 1:1-4 ; 6:13-18).

456 BC - a second group led by Ezra and Nehemiah returned.

334 BC - Alexander the Great defeated the Persian and conquered the empire.  After the death of Alexander, his generals divided the empire among themselves.  Judah became part of the Seleucid Empire.

Maccabees Revolt

During the 2^nd century BC, Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruler of the Seleucid Empire pursued a zealous Hellenizing policy.  Jewish religious practices were forbidden.  Mattathias , a rural Jewish priest from Modiin, Mattathias the Hasmonean killed a Hellenistic Jew who offered a sacrifice to an idol.  Then Mattathias and his five sons then fled to wilderness of Judah.

After Mattathias death, his son Judas Maccabee led guerrilla attacks against Seleucid army.  Jerusalem was recaptured and the Temple cleansed.  The celebratory festival of Hanukkah instituted.  ( 1 Maccabees ;  2 Maccabees ; The Wars of the Jews )

160 BC - Judas died in a battle.  His brother Jonathan succeeded as army commander and High Priest. 

Autonomy

142 BC - Jonathan was assassinated, and was succeeded by Simon.  Simon came to terms with Demitrius II Necator, the Seleucid king.  Maccabees won autonomy, yet the region remained a province of the Seleucid Empire.  Simon led the people in peace and prosperity, until he was assassinated. 

129 BC - Judea was freed from Seleucid rule on the death of Antiochus VII Sidetes, the last Seleucid king. 

63 BC - Judea became a protectorate of Roman Empire, coming under the administration of a governor.  Judea was allowed a king.

Herodian Dynasty

During the time of the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus conquered Madaba, Sehechum, Transjordan, Samaria, Galilee and Idumea ( Edom ).  Edomites were forced to convert to Judaism.  The Edomites were gradually integrated into the Judean nation, and some of them reach high ranking positions.

During the time of Hasmonean ruler Alexander Jannaeus, Edomite Antipas was appointed governor of Edom.  Antipas’ son,  Antipater was the chief adviser to Hasmonean ruler Hyrcanus II.

47 BC - Julius Caesar appointed Antipater as procurator of Judea.  Antipater’s sons, Phasael and Herold as governors of Jerusalem and Galilee respectively.

40 BC - Herod made king of the Jews by the Roman Senate.

19 BC - Herod commissioned expansion of the Temple.

4 BC - Herod the Great died.  Judea made a Roman province.  Judea was divided among his three sons.  Herod Archelaus ruled Judea, Edom and Samaria.  Herold Philip I ruled Decapolis. Trachonitis and Iturea.  Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea.

6 AD - Judea made a Roman province.

34 AD - Agrippa I ruled Galilee and Perea.  In 41 AD Judea added to his rule.

70 AD - Herod’s Temple destroyed by Roman troops during the Seige of Jerusalem, ending the Great Jewish Revolt.

92 AC - Herodian Dynasty ended.  Judea fully incorporated into Roman province.

Roman Imperial

131 AD - Roman emperor Hadrian renamed Jerusalem “Aelia Capitolina”, Judea renamed “Palaestina”

285 AD - Roman emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire’s administration into eastern and western halves.

324 AD - Roman emperor Constantine I transferred the eastern capital from Nicomedia to Constantinople.

395 AD - following the death of Roman emperor Theodosius I, Roman Empire divided politically

476 AD - fall of Western Roman Empire.

Byzantine Empire

480 AD - Western Empire emperor Zeno separated himself from Roman Empire.

614 AD, Jerusalem conquered by Persian, Jews were left to self-govern.

617 AD, Byzatine recaptured Jerusalem, Judaism banned, Jews fled to Baltic.

Arab Caliphs

636 AD - Palestine conquered by the Arab

691 AD - Dome of the Rock constructed on Temple Mount.

705 AD - Al-Aqsa Mosquue constructed on Temple Mount.

Crusader States Vs Ayyubid Dynasty

1071 AD - Muslims of Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine army in Manzikert. Byzantine emperor Alexis I plead Pope Urban II of Roman Catholic in Rome to the aid to free Jerusalem from Muslim rule.

Crusader states were created in the Levant during the crusades :

1098–1149 : County of Edessa

1098–1268 : Principality of Antioch

1099–1291 : Kingdom of Jerusalem

1104–1289 : County of Tripoli

1187 - Egyptian Muslims of Ayyubid Dynasty concurred Jerusalem.

1193 - civil war within Ayyubid Dynasty

1250 - Mamluk overthrew Ayyubid Dynasty in Egypt

1260 - Mongols overthrew Ayyubid Dynasty in Aleppo

1341 - fall of Ayyubid Dynasty

Mamluk Dynasties

1260 - Mamluk Sultan Qutuz defeated Mongols in Battle of Ain Jalut, conquered Palestine

1291 - Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil conquered Acre, capital of Kingdom of Jerusalem

Ottoman

1516 - Turkish Ottoman Empire Sultan Selim II conquered Palestine

1799 – Napoleon briefly occupied Palestine

1878 – First modern Jewish settlement founded in Petah Tikva.

Large scare return of Jew from the diaspora back to Israel began in 1882.

1882-1903 : First Aliyah – 35,000 Jews returned

1904-1914 : Second Aliyah – 40,000 Jews returned

1919-1923 : Third Aliyah – 40,000 Jews returned

1924-1929 : Fourth Aliyah – 82,000 Jews returned

1929-1939 : Fifth Aliyah – 250,000 Jews returned

1909 – First Hebrew-speakng city, Ahuzat Bayit ( later Tel Aviv ) established.

Israel - A Brief History : Biblical History

The Twelve Tribes

The Transjordan Tribes

After defeating the Amorites, the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock.  So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and asked for allocation of the land.  As the Reubenites and Gadites promised to join in battles with the rest of the Israelites in the Promised Land, Mosses agreed to their request. ( Numbers 32:1-38 ; Deuteronomy 3:12-13, 16-17 ; Deuteronomy 3:15-28 )

The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh captured Gilead form the Amorites, and they settled there.  Jair, another descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and named them Havvoth Jair.  Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah.  ( Numbers 32:39-42 ; Deuteronomy 3:13-15 ; Deuteronomy 3:29-31 )

The Two and Half Tribes

After the death of Moses, Joshua was installed as leader.  Joshua lead the Israelites into the Promise Land, as commanded by the Lord.   The land the Israelites conquered were divided among the nine and half tribes.

The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south. ( Joshua 15:1 )

The allotment for Joseph ( Ephraim and Manasseh ) began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel. It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth, descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the Mediterranean Sea. ( Joshua 16:1-3 )

The Seven Tribes

The remaining seven tribes divided the rest of the land by casting lots.

The tribe of Benjamin allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph. ( Joshua 18:11 ) The tribe of Simeon’s land lay within the territory of Judah. ( Joshua 19:1-8 )   The Zebulun get a land between Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea.  The Issachar occupied south of Zebulun, west boundary to the Jordan River. The Asher’s territory laid along the northern shore of Mediterranean Sea.  The Naphtali settled between the Asher and the Lake Samechonitis.  The tribe of Dan’s inheritance sandwiched between the Ephraim and Judah, west to the Benjamin’s and east to the Mediterranean  ( Joshua 18:11 - 19:46 )

United Monarchy

Around 1000 BC, under extreme threat from foreign powers, the Israelites feels that they need a king to lead them, so they pressurized Samuel to appoint them a king ( 1 Samuel 8:1 - 21 ).  Samuel anointed Saul from the tribe of Benjamin as the first king.  However, it was David who created a strong unified Israelite monarchy.  Under David, Israel grew into a regional power.  The kingdom’s boarder stretch from the Mediterranean sea to the Arabian Desert, from the Red Sea to the Euphrates River.

David was succeeded on his death by his son, Solomon.  Under the rule of Solomon, kingdom of Israel knew unprecedented peace.

832 BC– King Solomon commissioned construction of the Temple.

Divided Kingdom

Kingdom of Israel

Following Solomon’s death in circa 926 BC, all the Israelite tribes except for Judah and Benjamin refused to accept Rehoboam, the son of Solomon as their king.  The rebellion against Rehoboam arose after he refuse to lighten the burden of taxation and services that his father had imposed on his subjects.  Thus the kingdom was split into two kingdoms : the northern Kingdom of Israel, and the southern Kingdom of Judah. 

The territory of the Kingdom of Israel comprised the territories of the tribes of Zebulum, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben and Gad.  Its capital was Samaria.

In circa 732 BC, Tiglath-Pileser III king of Assyria sacked Damascus and Israel, annexing Aram and territory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh.  People from these tribes were taken captive and resettled in the Khabur region ( 2Kings 16:9 ).

During the reign of Hosea, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Kingdom of Israel.  In circa 722 BC, Assyria conquered Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria ( 2Kings 17:1-6), becoming known as the “Lost Tribes of Israel”.

The Samaritans claim to be descended from survivors of the Assyrian conquest.   

Kingdom of Judah

The capital of Kingdom of Judah was Jerusalem.

During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded Judah.  Jehoiakim became Babylon vassal for three years.   Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin succeeded as king of Judah in circa 597 BC, only reigned for 3 months, Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and raided the Temple. Israelites were taken hostages and exiled. Jehoiachin was taken captive to Babylon, where he lived and died. ( 2Kings 24:8-16)

Nebuchadnezzar appointed Jeoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah as king of Judah ( 2Kings 24:17-18). 

586 BC - second rebellion erupted against Nebuchadnezzar.  Jerusalem was captured, the Temple destroyed, the Israelites exiled.  Zedekiah blinded and taken into exile.  Judah reduced to a province of the Babylonian Empire. Gedaliah was appointed governor of the Yehud province ( 2Kings 25:1-22)