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MA in Archaeology |
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MASTER THE ART OF ARCHAEOLOGY at Tel Aviv University’s One year Master’s Degree Program for TAU International Students Study Archaeology and the History of the Land of the Bible Where It All Happened!
The Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations at Tel Aviv University, in cooperation with TAU International, is proud to announce the initiation of a new international program for an overseas M.A. degree, and a credit program for Ph.D. students. The International Master’s program in Archaeology and the History of the Land of the Bible is the only one of its kind in Israel, providing an exclusive view of the country’s complex and elaborate past and using the most up-to-date modern and scientific tools to study the archaeology and history of ancient Israel.
About the program
The International Master’s program in Archaeology and the History of the Land of the Bible is a one year program that examines the periods from the end of the 2nd millennium BCE, the Iron Age, the Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian empires, the late Second Temple period, Mishnaic and Talmudic times, all the way through to the Muslim conquest of the land in the 7th century CE. In the program students explore the issues of theory and methodologies of biblical archaeology. They go out on archeological field trips, study biblical and modern Hebrew, and gain hands-on experience in a departmental archaeological excavation. The program is "tailor made" for students from the disciplines of archaeology, biblical studies and history who wish to broaden their understanding of biblical archaeology and history of the land of the Bible. Students will take part in the vibrant academic life of the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations and attend courses taught by scholars and researchers at the cutting edge of the fields of archaeology and history of ancient Israel.
About the department of Archaeology and Ancient +ear Eastern Civilizations
The Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations of Tel Aviv University is renowned for its intense involvement in study and research of the biblical period through major excavation projects in Israel (from Tel Beer-sheba, Arad, and Lachish, up to recent excavations at Megiddo, Tel Beth-Shemesh, Tel Beth Yerach, Ramat Rahel and Apollonia). Its senior staff members are major players in current debates that have shaped the discipline (most recently in such issues as Iron Age chronology, the rise of ancient Israel, state formation in Israel and Judah, and a variety of subjects related to exilic and post-exilic periods).
Curriculum
The program includes nine courses and seminars (in English) taught over three semesters in one academic year.
1st Semester courses (30/10/2011 – 03/02/2012)
The first semester will be devoted to 5 intensive introductory courses of two weeks each, taught in two full days a week:
The Archaeology and History of the Land of Israel during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages.
The course presents the archaeology and history of the Land of Israel during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, i.e., the second millennium BCE. These periods saw the flourishing and decline of Canaanite culture as well as the growth and collapse of the Egyptian empire that ruled the country for a period. Written historical documents of the time, among them the El-Amarna tablets, are analyzed and accompanied by an examination of the material culture of the periods under discussion. An understanding of the social, economical, political, and ethnic aspects is gained by combining historical and archaeological evidence, as is done in this course. Biblical Israel and Judah: The Archaeology and History of Israel during the Iron Age
The course examines the archaeological finds, the biblical text and ancient Near Eastern records in an attempt to reconstruct the history of ancient Israel. It covers the Iron Age I-II, and deals with specific sites as well as broad phenomena related to biblical history.
The Archaeology and History of the Land of Israel during the Exilic and Post-Exilic periods
The aim of this course is to analyze the archaeology of Judah between the late 7th and 4th centuries BCE as a tool for understanding the history of the land from the period when Judah was a Babylonian vassal kingdom, to the period when it was a Babylonian province (the "Exilic period"). It also covers the period when Judah was a Persian (Achaemenid) province (the period of "Return," the time of Ezra and Nehemiah). Lectures will include discussions on the methodology of historical reconstruction of the biblical periods using biblical and other historical sources, as well as ways to combine archaeological material in the historical discussion.
The Archaeology and History of the Land of Israel in the Late Second Temple Period
This course will examine aspects of the Greek and Roman material culture characteristics in the Late Second Temple Period in the Land of the Bible (332 BCE 70 CE). Among the topics to be discussed are urban architecture (i.e., fortifications, public buildings, cult buildings, residencies, and private dwellings), rural architecture (villages and agricultural estates), military architecture (forts, fortresses and towers), architectural decoration, settlement patterns and models, burial practices, epigraphic finds, small finds, etc. These topics will be critically analyzed in an attempt to evaluate processes of continuity and interruption, that is, trends of traditionalism from earlier periods as opposed to innovative concepts that can be related to the Greco-Macedonian, Ptolemaic, Seleucid and Imperial Roman cultural assimilation over the Land of the Bible.
The Archaeology and History of the Land of Israel in the Days of the Mishnah and Talmud
The “Days of the Mishnah and Talmud” refers to the Roman Imperial and Judaic aspects of the Byzantine periods in the Land of Israel (1st to 7th centuries CE). This period represents the peak of post-biblical Judaism in the Land of Israel, and is reflected by Jewish settlements, public and domestic architecture and art of a multiethnic and multi-religious Israel during this time. The course presents the main aspects of the consolidation of Roman rule (military aspects, roads and milestones, urbanization, etc.), as well as the bilateral acceptance of Jewish and Roman milieu leading to a kind of modus vivendi. As these phenomena occur, mainly towards the Late Roman period, Christianity is gaining prominence, while another ethno-religious group—the Samaritans—also consolidate themselves. All this leads to a multi-ethnic-religious mosaic which in fact characterizes Late Roman and Byzantine Israel.
Final Assignments:
2nd Semester seminars (04/03/2012 – 22/06/2012) The 2nd semester will be taught in a form of one introductory course and two seminars, 4 hours classes each, once a week.
The History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East during the Bronze and Iron Ages (3000-500 BCE)
This course is a general introduction to the history and archaeology of the ancient Near East from the beginning of writing in the fourth millennium to the fall of the Babylonian empire to the Persians at the end of the 6th century BCE. The course places particular emphasis on the beginning of urbanization in Mesopotamia and Egypt during the third millennium, the rise and spread of the Amorites in the early second millennium, the great powers and petty states of the Late Bronze Age, and the era of empires (The Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires) during the Iron Age. Significant cultural and historical contributions of the area—such as the spread of writing and the alphabet, international trade, secular and religious architecture, state formation, and warfare are placed in their proper context and evaluated according to the latest discoveries and current methodological theories.
"Pots and People": Ceramic Technology, Typology and Sociology during the Bronze and Iron Ages
The analysis and interpretation of ceramic materials allows archaeologists to accomplish a variety of tasks that include: establishing chronologies, documenting interconnections between different regions, and analyzing activities, interactions, and social identities in past societies. This course provides preliminary familiarity and background with the ceramic repertoire (including imported pottery) popular in ancient Israel and neighboring lands during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The seminar focuses on the techniques and theories used to bridge the gap between the recovery of ceramics during archaeological excavations and surveys and their interpretation. The course is divided into four sections. Ceramic technology deals with the physical properties of raw materials and the technological aspects of pottery making and use. Ceramic typology covers the major methodologies used in ceramic analysis. Ceramic chronology emphasizes the principal role of ceramic data in establishing a reliable time-scale for ancient Israel. And finally, ceramic sociology explores how people interacted socially in the Land of the Bible, focusing on the large-scale dynamics of supply, demand, and meanings of different classes of pottery, tracking their changes over time. The Role of the Exact and Life Sciences in the Reconstruction of Ancient Israel
The course is an introduction to highly specialized scientific methods of microarchaeology (the use optical mineralogy, micromorphology, and metallography) and geoarchaeology (the use of geoscience methods and techniques to solve archaeological problems), as evidencing new research directions and methods in the study of the reconstruction of ancient Israel. It also addresses the emergence and development of the choice of complex technologies during the time and their social and economic implications. Final Assignments:
3rd semester field experience (July-August 2012) The summer semester is confined to active participation in one of the excavation projects for a period of 4-6 weeks under the auspices of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. Participants in the program will dig at either:
Modern Hebrew Studies The program offers students the opportunity to acquire a sound knowledge of the Hebrew language in its modern form. An intensive Hebrew language program (Ulpan) by the School for Overseas Students at Tel Aviv University is offered prior to the Spring Semester, taught at all levels. TAU International Courses Participants in the program will be permitted to attend 2 additional courses at TAU International. At the School for Overseas Students: http://international.tau.ac.il/apply-online.html
Final date for applying is 30.8.11. Scholarships opportunities: For the upcoming academic year, starting on October 30th, 2011, a $5,000 scholarship will be given to one excellent student who wishes to broaden his/her knowledge and understanding of ancient Israel. The scholarship will be given to a student chosen by the academic committee based on submitted academic CV, transcript from the last academic establishment attended and an abstract from the final thesis paper. If you wish to apply for this scholarship please send all of the required documents to
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.
(Final date for sending scholarship application is 6.15.11)
Federal Scholarships are granted to USA citizens:
External scholarships for non US citizens: http://international.tau.ac.il/prospective-students/financial-terms/external-scholarships.html
Contact us Office Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Head of the program
Prof. Oded Lipschits (
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Program director
Ms. Nadin Reshef (
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Secretary of the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations
Ms. Gali Edelstein (
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).
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