RELGST 1170 - ARCHAEOLOGY OF ISRAEL-PALESTINE

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Is archaeology in a place like Israel-Palestine an objective science? In this course, we explore how past and present are linked as nation-states and religious communities utilize the archaeological record to mold identities and to forward certain narratives. Our focus will be on the major archaeological sites of Israel-Palestine, particularly in Jerusalem and its environs. We will explore the political and religious issues that have emerged from or surround their excavation. Archaeology in the Holy Land has long been driven by a desire to shed light on - or even authenticate - the Bible, while the “exotic Orient” was explored in the 19th and early 20th centuries through western expeditions and excavations that served to further colonial interests. These religious and political motivations persist even if their manifestations have shifted with time. Through site tours, museum visits, student-led discussions, talks with local experts, and even a day participating in an archaeological excavation, students will gain direct experience with the places that have aroused controversy because of their problematic relationship to biblical and other ancient texts and/or because of their location in politically contested space.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Ethical/Policy GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

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