Jesus Christ. - Jesus and his world : the archaeological evidence

First published in the United States of America in 2012 by Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202

First published in Great Britain in 2012 by Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge 36 Causton Street
London SW1P 4ST

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952 a nd 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus and his world : the archaeological evidence / Craig A. Evans. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes.
ISBN 978-0-664-23413-3 (alk. paper)
1. Bible. N.T. GospelsAntiquities. 2. Jesus Christ. I. Title.
BS621.E885 2012
2225.9'3dc23
2011051970

Th e paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.

List of figures ix Preface xi List of abbreviations xiii

Notes 153
Suggestions for further reading 175
Index of ancient writings and sources 179
Index of modern names 185
Index of subjects 188

1.1 Sepphoris street walk 22
1.2 Sepphoris theatre 23
1.3 Miqveh , Sepphoris 25
1.4 Sepphoris Mona Lisa 27
1.5 First-century Capernaum 31
2.1 Theodotos inscription 42
2.2 Capernaum columns 1 47
2.3 Capernaum columns 2 48
2.4 Capernaum synagogue wall 49
2.5 Gamla synagogue (2009) 50
2.6 Herodium synagogue 52
2.7 Migdal site (2010) 54
2.8 Magdala Stone 55
2.9 Masada synagogue 56
2.10 Moses seat, Chorazin 61
3.1 Milestone, Capernaum 64
3.2 Baker and wife, Pompeii 67
3.3 Palatine Graffito 72
3.4 Sketch of the Palatine Graffito 72
3.5 Great Isaiah Scroll, column 43 78
3.6 Great Isaiah Scroll, column 44 78
3.7 Nazareth Village scroll 87
4.1 Temple Warning 91
4.2 Miqveh , Jerusalem 95
4.3 Miqveh , Qumran 95
4.4 Priestly mansion, Jerusalem 96
4.5 Caiaphas ossuary 98
4.6 The Burnt House, Jerusalem 103
4.7 Tyrian half sheqel 106
4.8 Qorban inscription, Jerusalem 108
5.1 Ossuaries, Mount of Olives 116
5.2 Pilate Stone, Caesarea Maritima 122
5.3 Heel bone of a crucified man 124
5.4 Tombs in the Kidron Valley 133
5.5 Nazareth Inscription 138
A1.1 Tomb, Talpiot 145
A2.1 The face of Jesus? 149
A2.2 Berlin Man 150
A2.3 Berlin Boy 150

The goal of this book is to present what I regard as the most im portant archaeological discoveries pertaining to Jesus of Nazareth in a way that can be accessed by non-experts. For 20 years now I have myself benefited greatly from visits to active excavations, onsite tours and explanations from archaeologists, their publications and the many fine museums where artefacts are housed, preserved and explained. Among these I especially have in mind the Israel Museum and its Shrine of the Book, the British Museum in London and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. I have benefited too from a number of libraries, including Acadia Universitys Vaughan Memorial Library, Harvard Universitys Hollis Library, Princeton Universitys Firestone Library, Princeton Theological Seminarys Speer Library, Yale Universitys Beinicke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and Oxford Universitys fabled Bodleian Library, along with the Sackler Librarys collection of papyri. To the many patient librarians and accommodating curators I offer my heartfelt thanks.

Among the archaeologists who have been very helpful, providing on-site tours and explanations, are Rami Arav, Gabriel Barkay, Richard Batey, Ronny Reich, James Strange and the late Douglas Edwards. (Acadia was favoured by a visit and several stimulating lectures by Jim Strange and Doug Edwards in the spring of 2008.) I am also grateful to Dirk Obbink for some very helpful show-andtell in the Sackler papyri room in the autumn of 2009. I also wish to acknowledge the helpful correspondence with Jane Evans, Shimon Gibson, Franck Goddio, Kurt Raveh and Shelly Wachsmann.

I was pleased when the good people at SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press asked me to write this book. I especially thank Rebecca Mulhearn and Philip Law. Part of the book was written during a peaceful stay at the Cistercian Abbaye Notre-Dame du Calvaire in Rogersville, New Brunswick. I extend my thanks to Bro ther Graham Touchie for the hospitality shown me and for the engaging conversation about Jesus and archaeology. I thank Jeremiah Johnston, PhD (cand.), for assistance in the preparation of the indexes and for carefully reading the manuscript and asking good questions.

The book is dedicated to Master Chief Gator Franklin, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, United States Navy (retired). For 30 years Gator risked life and limb in the excavation, recovery and dismantling of explosives and in training others at home and abroad to do the same. Because of his work countless lives have been saved.

1 Apol. Justin Martyr, First Apology
1 Clem. 1 Clement
AASOR Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research
ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary
Abot Mishnah: Abot
ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library
Ag. Ap. Josephus, Against Apion
Ant. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities
Apol. Plato, Apology of Socrates
b. Ketub. Babylonian Talmud: Ketubbot
b. Meg. Babylonian Talmud: Megillah
b. Moed Qat. Babylonian Talmud: Moed Qatan
b. Pesah. Babylonian Talmud: Pesahim
b. Qidd. Babylonian Talmud: Qiddushin
b. * abb. Babylonian Talmud: Shabbat
BA Biblical Archaeologist
BAR Biblical Archaeology Review
Bib Biblica
BibOr Biblica et orientalia
BibSem Biblical Seminar
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CD Cairo Genizah copy of the Damascus Document CIJ Corpus inscriptionum judaicarum
CIL Corpus inscriptionum latinarum
CIS Corpus inscriptionum semiticarum
CJO Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries (ed. L. Y. Rahmani) CJZ Corpus Jdischer Zeugnisse aus der Cyrenaika (ed. G. Lderitz)