EDWARD'S LECTURE NOTES:
More notes at http://tanguay.info/learntracker
C O U R S E 
The Bible's Prehistory, Purpose, and Political Future
Dr. Jacob L. Wright, Emory University
https://www.coursera.org/course/biblefuture
C O U R S E   L E C T U R E 
Bronze Age vs. Iron Age Material Culture
Notes taken on July 14, 2015 by Edward Tanguay
the end of the Last Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age
marks major shift in material culture of central hill country
beginning in 13th century
both sides of the Jordan River
a significant rise in the number of small, agricultural settlements
people who occupied these settlements originated from various places
their material culture differed greatly from the Last Bronze Age
differed from the urban centers in the low lands and coastal plains
ceramic pottery shards
late Bronze Age
often very elaborately decorated
decorations on pottery can mark class divisions
1300 century forward
is unembellished, plain, even ugly
utilitarian and functional
Iron Age I (1200-1000)
Israel begins to merge into the population in the Highlands
simplicity of pottery could be due to the poor economic conditions
but as they become more populated and more complex through Iron Age II
Iron Age II (1000-586)
the period of the Israeli states and Judah
continues to be the same simple pottery as in Iron Age I
the same can be said for imported wares
this is in contrast to the Hill Country of the Last Bronze Age and also coast areas in the Iron Age
this can be said for the variety of ceramics as well
change in pottery corresponds to other features
simple architecture
simple burial customs
open-air sacred places rather than temples
scholars
William Foxwell Albright
George Mendenhall
Norman Gottwald
Avraham Faust
claim that this represents an egalitarian ethos
late Bronze Age: Canaan ruled as Egyptian imperial province
the Egyptian court appointed governors and it was their job to make sure that Canaan served the Egyptian empire
led to a stratified society
officers, lower and higher classes
was the most international area at this time in history
much imported pottery
diverse forms of tombs
prestige goods
- something we use to demarcate ourselves as having wealth and not having wealth
Iron Age: withdrawal of Egyptians
a poorer period
yet a people came together
created society
conquered other lands
if it had not been for the success of this society in the hill country during this time
there would have been little for the authors of the Bible to collect and reshape after the empires of the East destroyed their society