Morten Hørning Jensen, «Rural Galilee and Rapid Changes: An Investigation of the Socio-Economic Dynamics and Developments in Roman Galilee», Vol. 93 (2012) 43-67
Much research on the socio-economic conditions of Galilee in the Herodian period has argued for a rapid economic deterioration amongst the rural population. This is said to have resulted in a deadly spiral of violence prompting popular protest movements of which Jesus of Nazareth became the most renowned. Other investigations, however, paint a much more lenient picture of Galilee being under only a moderate development. This article outlines the problem at hand in the research, suggests a methodology for further development and applies this to new archaeological material emerging from excavations in Galilee and the textual material available.
52 MORTEN HØRNING JENSEN
Hel. Rom. Byz.
(332-63 BCE) (63 BCE ― 324 CE) (324-641)
Golan 75 182 210
Chart 2
In a study from 2004, Doron Bar has collected the results from
a number of the completed surveys in the on-going Archaeological
Survey of Israel-project (ASI). As Chart 3 demonstrates, the overall
picture is consistent with a general rise in the number of settlements
(the peak is marked in bold) 30.
Hel. (332- Early Late Byz.
63 BCE) Rom. Rom. (324-641)
(63 BCE- (70-324)
70 CE)
Golan - 51 40
69
Hanita, Galilee 28 41 45
Tabor Galilee 10 30 49
Nahalal, Galilee 19 no data 45
50
Mishmar Ha’Emek, Galilee 37 no data 106
112
Hadera, the coast 5 38 64
75
Shechem, Samaria - 62 75 133
Lod, Judea 19 45 106
Lachish, Judea 25 no data 103 158
Menasshe, Judea 27 64 137
Herodium, Judea 1 no data 15 46
Urim, Judea - - 59 120
Chart 3 31
To this list can be added two surveys of Samaria; one carried out
by Israel Finkelstein and Yitzhak Magen (1993, also as a part of the
ASI-project), and the other by Zvi Lenderman and Shlomo
Bunimovitz (1997) 32. Chart 4 shows yet again the same macro picture
30
D. BAR, “Frontier and Periphery in Late Antique Palestineâ€, GRBS 44
(2004).
31
It should be noted that some of the surveys operate with a subdivision
of the Roman period, namely an Early Roman period (63 BCE-70 CE) and a
Late Roman period (70-324 C.E.).
32
I. FINKELSTEIN – Y. MAGEN, Archaeological Survey of the Hill Country
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