Zeev Weiss
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Archeology, Faculty Member
- Classical Archaeology, Jewish Art History, Ancient Mosaics, Early Christian Art, Jewish Art, History, and 72 moreEarly Christianity, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Roman Architecture, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Late Antique and Christian archaeology, Roman Empire, Roman Near East, Greco-Roman World, Late Antiquity, Byzantine Studies, Jewish History, History of Religions, Late Antique Archaeology, Rabbinic Literature, Talmud, Midrash, Roman Archaeology, Roman Architecture and Urbanism, Galilee in early roman time, Second Temple Judaism, Eastern Roman provinces (Archaeology), Near Eastern Archaeology, Roman Urbanism, Levantine Archaeology, Archaeology of Ancient Israel, Religious Cults, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Burial Customs, Archaeology of death and burial, Late Roman Archaeology, Jewish - Christian Relations, Byzantine Archaeology, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antique Architecture, Late Antique and Byzantine Archaeology, Ancient Near Eastern archaeology, Archaeology of the Levant, Early Christian Archaeology, Early Christian Mosaics, Early Christian Architecture, Syro-Palestinian archaeology, Syro Palestinian Religions, Roman Art, Greek and Roman Art and Architecture, Roman Funerary Architecture, Synagogues, ancient Synagogues, Jewish War 66 73. AD, Late Roman Empire, Jews In the Roman and Byzantine Empire, Roman Necropolis, Funerary Archaeology, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Building Materials (Archaeology), Identity (Culture), History (Archaeology), History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Byzantine history and archaeology, Ancient History, Ancient Near East, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Art History, Jewish Art History, Synagogue Art History, Later Roman Empire, Archéologie paléochrétienne, Roman and Late Antique Archeology Huistory of Art, Early Christian Art and Iconography, Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity, Meals in the Greco-Roman World, Ancient Food and Drink, Roman food and drink, and Ancient Roman Food - Roman Anthropologyedit
- Zeev Weiss is the Eleazar L. Sukenik Professor of Archaeology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Trained in Class... moreZeev Weiss is the Eleazar L. Sukenik Professor of Archaeology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Trained in Classical Archaeology, he specializes in Roman and Late Antique art and architecture in the provinces of Syria-Palestine. His interests lie in various aspects of town-planning, architectural design, and mosaic art, as well as the evaluation of archaeological finds in light of the socio-cultural behavior of Jewish society and its dialogue with Graeco-Roman and Christian cultures. As Director of the Sepphoris excavations on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, his work has contributed greatly to understanding the architectural development and character of the city throughout its history. Weiss has been a visiting scholar at Harvard University, the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton (IAS), Princeton University, and the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW). He has published many articles as well as two major volumes: The Sepphoris Synagogue: Deciphering an Ancient Message through Its Archaeological and Socio-Historical Contexts (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2005) and Public Spectacles in Roman and Late Antique Palestine (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2014). Weiss is currently working on his next book, Sepphoris: A Cultural Mosaic from Alexander to Muhammad, which will offer an unprecedented perspective on the socio-cultural history of this Galilean city and will serve as an essential reference for future study of the multifaceted life of Jewish society in late antiquity.edit
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Late Antique Archaeology, Jewish - Christian Relations, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Archaeology of churches, and 8 moreJewish Art History, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Byzantine Mosaics, Early Christian Mosaics, Galilee, ancient Synagogues, Late Antique and Byzantine Art and Archaeology, Mosaic pavements, Middle and Late Byzantine Painting, and Synagogue Architecture
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Archaeology of churches, Ancient Near Eastern History, Early Synagogues, Graeco Roman Religions, And Many, Many More., Research Medieval Judaism and Jewish Christian relations in Late Antiquity and Medieval age., and 7 moreGalilee and Gaulinitis, ancient Synagogues, Sepphoris, Roman Archaeology, Early Jewish Art and Archaeology, Roman and Late Antique Palestine, and classical archaeology of the southern levant
Research Interests: Jewish Studies, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Art, Late Antique Archaeology, Rabbinic Literature, and 15 moreLate Antique Art and Archaeology, Ancient Mosaics, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Ancient Judaism, Synagogues, Jewish Art History, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Judeo-Christianity, History and archaeology, Jewish Christian relations, Byzantine Mosaics, Rabbinic Judaism, Zodiac Signs, ancient Synagogues, and Stern
DESCRIZIONE The fifth century CE represents a turning point in ancient history. Before 400 the Roman Empire stood largely intact and coherent, a massive and powerful testament to traditions of state power stretching back for the previous... more
DESCRIZIONE The fifth century CE represents a turning point in ancient history. Before 400 the Roman Empire stood largely intact and coherent, a massive and powerful testament to traditions of state power stretching back for the previous 600 years. By 500 the empire had fragmented as state power retreated rapidly and the political and social forces that would usher in the Middle Ages be-came cemented into place. This volume explores this crucial period in the six broad areas of natural science, archaeology and material culture, barbarian and Roman relations, law and power, religious authority, and literary constructions. Assembling the papers of the twelfth biennial Shifting Frontiers in Late Antiquity Conference, The Fifth Century: Age of Transformation offers a comprehensive overview of recent research on this pivotal century in all of its ramifications. Nella storia dell’antichità il quinto secolo d.C. rappresenta un punto di svolta. Prima dell’anno 400 l’impero romano si ergeva complessivamente integro e unito: una testimonianza massiccia e impressionante delle tradizioni di un potere statuale risalenti a seicento anni prima. Nell’anno 500 l’impero era già diviso in seguito al rapido indebolimento del potere statale e all’azione congiunta di fattori politici e sociali che avrebbero condotto al Medio Evo. Il volume analizza questo periodo cruciale, prendendo in esame sei settori generali: scienze naturali, archeologia e cultura materiale, relazioni romano-barbariche, stato e diritto, potere religioso, produzione letteraria. Riunendo i contributi presentati al XII convegno biennale di “Shifting Frontiers in Late Antiquity”, The Fifth Century: Age of Transformation offre una vasta panoramica degli studi più recenti su questo secolo decisivo. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Jan Willem Drijvers and Noel Lenski, Introduction NATURAL SCIENCE Kyle Harper, The Climate of the Fifth Century Cam Grey, Climate Change and Agrarian Change between the Fourth and Sixth Centuries: Questions of Scale, Coincidence, and Causality Dominic Solly, A Spanish Bonanza? A Reexamination of Roman Gold Mining Technology ARCHAEOLOGY AND MATERIAL CULTURE Anna Flückiger, Blind Dating: Towards a Chronology of Fifth-Century Material Culture in Augusta Raurica John Hermann and Annewies van den Hoek, The Vandals and the End of Elite North African Ceramics: Relief Decoration on African Red Slip Ware Marco Cavalieri, Gloriana Pace, Sara Lenzi, Aiano-Torraccia di Chiusi (San Gimignano, Siena): A Roman Villa in Central Italy during Late Antiquity Zeev Weiss, Defining Limits in Times of Shifting Borders: Jewish Life in Fifth-Century Palestine Young Richard Kim, The Little Island That Could: Cyprus in the Fifth Century BARBARIAN AND ROMAN IN THE FIFTH-CENTURY WEST Ralph W. Mathisen, The End of the Western Roman Empire in the Fifth Century CE: Barbarian Auxiliaries, Independent Military Contractors, and Civil Wars Merle Eisenberg, A New Name for a New State: The Construction of the Burgundian Regio Veronika Egetenmeyr, «Barbarians» Transformed: The Construction of Identity in the Epistles of Sidonius Apollinaris LAW AND POWER Kevin Feeney, The Emperor is Dead, Long Live the Emperor: Imperial Interregna in the Fifth Century Meaghan McEvoy, Leo II, Zeno and the Transfer of Roman Imperial Rule from a Son to his Father in 474 CE Felix K. Maier, Active Rulership Unrealized: Claudian’s Panegyric on Honorius Marie Roux, Administrative Transitions in Gaul during the Second Half of the Fifth Century. The Example of the Visigothic Kingdom through the Breviary of Alaric RELIGION AND AUTHORITY Maijastina Kahlos, Shifting Sacrifices? Fifth-Century Developments in Ritual Life Aaron P. Johnson, The Fifth-Century Transformation of Apologetics in Cyril and Theodoret E. Tiggy McLaughlin, Ordinary Christians and the Fifth-Century Reform of the Church in Gaul Bronwen Neil, Pope Gelasius’s Theory of Law and its Implementation at the End of the Fifth Century LITERARY CONSTRUCTIONS AND CULTURAL MEMORY Edward Watts, Hypatia in the Letter Collection of Synesius Hajnalka Tamas, From Persecutor to Arbitrator of Orthodoxy: The Changing Face of Sextus Petronius Probus between the Fourth and the Fifth Century Jason Moralee, Commemorating Defeat: Cultural Memory and the Vandal Sack of Rome in 455
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Archaeology, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, and 9 moreLate Antique Archaeology, Paleoenvironment, Late Antiquity, Paleoenvironmental Change, Late Roman Empire, Fifth Century, Geoarchaeology and Paleoenvironmental Reconstructions, Roman Archaeoogy, and Munera
The zodiac appears in the mosaic carpets of several ancient synagogues : Helios' chariot drawn by four horses is portrayed in the inner circle of the zodiac; the twelve signs are depicted in the outer circle; and the four seasons are... more
The zodiac appears in the mosaic carpets of several ancient synagogues : Helios' chariot drawn by four horses is portrayed in the inner circle of the zodiac; the twelve signs are depicted in the outer circle; and the four seasons are placed in the four corners of the square surrounding the outer circle. Despite stylistic changes over time, the subject and basic composition in Jewish art has not changed. An analysis of the zodiac indicates that it is a double-layered depiction containing two intertwining dimensions. One layer represents daily reality on earth and the blessing found in the divine order of Creation. The other layer symbolizes the power and action of God as the cosmokrator, the sole ruler of the universe and of Creation. Accordingly, the zodiac links the other parts of the mosaic and emphasizes the unified theme that underlies the scenes.
Research Interests: Art, Late Antique Archaeology, Byzantine Archaeology, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, and 11 moreRoman Near East, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Jewish Art History, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Jewish Christian relations, Byzantine Mosaics, Rabbinic Judaism, Galilee in early roman time, Early Christian Mosaics, ancient Synagogues, and Jewish Epigraphy and Archaeology
The paper discusses the opposition of the rabbis in late antique Palestine to Roman public spectacles and their intentional incorporation of references to the theater, hippodrome, and amphitheater, and their performances, into their... more
The paper discusses the opposition of the rabbis in late antique Palestine to Roman public spectacles and their intentional incorporation of references to the theater, hippodrome, and amphitheater, and their performances, into their sermons. By speaking about these very same issues in their sermons, the rabbis essentially, and perhaps deliberately, became actors in their own communal theater – the synagogue. Based on a careful reading of the literary sources, it is argued that with the ironic use of the same tools and props employed in the theater the rabbis not only sought to condemn public entertainment, including theatrical performances, but also urged their communities to shun this leisure activity in favor of other “spectacles” more conducive and appropriate to the religious realm.
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Stone vessels were used in Judaea and the Galilee from the second half of the 1st century b.c.e. until the 2nd century c.e., when it is widely accepted that they were phased out. This study focuses on the major types of chalkstone vessels... more
Stone vessels were used in Judaea and the Galilee from the second half of the 1st century b.c.e. until the 2nd century c.e., when it is widely accepted that they were phased out. This study focuses on the major types of chalkstone vessels uncovered in Roman Sepphoris, identifies the unique forms in the assemblage, and discusses the technological issues pertaining to their production. The findings presented in this study suggest that the stone vessels in the Galilee, unlike those in Judaea, did not disappear immediately but were found in layers associated with the Late Roman period (mid-2nd to 4th centuries), thus indicating their continual use. In tracing the sources of the chalkstone vessels, the geochemical analysis employed in this study shows that large numbers of vessels used by Sepphoreans were evidently produced in local quarries of the Lower Galilee.
Research Interests: History, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Second Temple Judaism, and 14 moreRabbinic Literature, Household Archaeology, Second Temple Studies, Jewish Cultural Studies, Jewish Ritual Purity Law, Stone Vessels, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Rabbinic Judaism, Ritual Purity, Galilee in early roman time, High-resolution Geochemical Analysis, ARCHAEOLOGY AND APPLIED SCIENCE, Talmud and Rabbinics, and Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
The area surrounding ancient Bet Shean (Scythopolis) is described in a halakhic inscription incorporated into the mosaic floor discovered in the narthex of the synagogue at Rehov, lying ca. 5 km south of the city. The inscription... more
The area surrounding ancient Bet Shean (Scythopolis) is described in a halakhic inscription incorporated into the mosaic floor discovered in the narthex of the synagogue at Rehov, lying ca. 5 km south of the city. The inscription enumerates sabbatical year and tithe laws in the cities and enclaves beyond the boundaries of Jewish settlement throughout Palestine, and largely repeats textual variants appearing in the Palestinian (Jerusalem) Talmud. The first part of the inscription is devoted to Bet Shean owing to its author's express concern with this region. It first lists the fruits forbidden in the sabbatical year in the district of Bet Shean and goes on to describe at length the city's boundaries while incorporating many diverse topographical details. The mosaic and its inscription belong to the third phase of the Rehov synagogue, which is dated to the end of the Byzantine period (sixth-seventh centuries CE). It appears, however, that the topographical reality of Bet Shean emerging from this inscription may in all probability be founded on an earlier, perhaps Roman, setting. The scholars who examined the Rehov inscription, as well as the archaeologists who recently unearthed Bet Shean's ruins, have studied the names of the gates mentioned in the inscription in an attempt to place some of them in the city plan. The remains discovered in the excavations of the last few years shed new light on the Rehov inscription, enabling us to identify, albeit with a large measure of caution, 'the Gate of Campon', as well as the structure given this name that marks the city's southern boundary. Naming the gate of a city after a nearby building, a road leading from it, or a settlement that could be reached from that direction was known in antiquity. It is in this spirit that one should understand 'the Gate of Campon', which was probably named as such after a specific building. The city's hippodrome, called Campon in rabbinic literature, was built in Bet Shean next to the street o
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Herod the Great was the first king to introduce games and spectacles into the Roman East. His building projects to house these activities were a grandiose expression of the king's desire to maintain a positive rapport with Rome and to... more
Herod the Great was the first king to introduce games and spectacles into the Roman East. His building projects to house these activities were a grandiose expression of the king's desire to maintain a positive rapport with Rome and to integrate Roman cultural patterns into his realm — an ambitious agenda that ultimately revolutionized the leisure habits of the indigenous populations in ancient Palestine. This paper discusses theaters and hippo-stadia — buildings for mass entertainment constructed by Herod the Great in Jerusalem, Samaria, and Caesarea, as well as near his palaces in Jerichoand Herodium. It traces the architectural models that Herod used to shape the buildings in his realm and demonstrates that they, like his other monumental projects, were also characterized by creativity, daring, and innovation, exhibiting local yet eclectic features that combined a variety of Greco-Roman traditions.
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Book Review:Asaf Friedman, Art and Architecture of the Synagogue in Byzantine Palaestina, Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019
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Public Spectacles in Roman and Late Antique Palestine" introduces readers to the panoply of public entertainment that flourished in Palestine from the first century BCE to the sixth century CE. Drawing on a trove of original... more
Public Spectacles in Roman and Late Antique Palestine" introduces readers to the panoply of public entertainment that flourished in Palestine from the first century BCE to the sixth century CE. Drawing on a trove of original archaeological and textual evidence, Zeev Weiss reconstructs an ancient world where Romans, Jews, and Christians intermixed amid a heady brew of shouts, roars, and applause to watch a variety of typically pagan spectacles.Ancient Roman society reveled in many such spectacles--dramatic performances, chariot races, athletic competitions, and gladiatorial combats--that required elaborate public venues, often maintained at great expense. Wishing to ingratiate himself with Rome, Herod the Great built theaters, amphitheaters, and hippodromes to bring these forms of entertainment to Palestine. Weiss explores how the indigenous Jewish and Christian populations responded, as both spectators and performers, to these cultural imports. Perhaps predictably, the reactions of rabbinic and clerical elites did not differ greatly. But their dire warnings to shun pagan entertainment did little to dampen the popularity of these events.Herod's ambitious building projects left a lasting imprint on the region. His dream of transforming Palestine into a Roman enclave succeeded far beyond his rule, with games and spectacles continuing into the fifth century CE. By then, however, public entertainment in Palestine had become a cultural institution in decline, ultimately disappearing during Justinian's reign in the sixth century.
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Research Interests: Greco-Roman Art and Early Christian Theology, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Ancient Mosaics, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Jewish Art History, and 10 morePaleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Byzantine Mosaics, Rabbinic Judaism, Early Christian Mosaics, Roman Judaea, Jewish Liturgy, Rabbinical literature (The Mishnah, Babylonian and Palestinian Talmudim, aggadic midrashim), ancient Synagogues, Late Antique and Byzantine Archaeology, Architecture and History of Art, and Talmud and Rabbinics
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In the heart of the Lower Galilee lie the remains of Sepphoris, capital of the Galilee during long periods of antiquity. Both literary sources and archaeological finds indicate that the city’s population included pagans, heretics, and... more
In the heart of the Lower Galilee lie the remains of Sepphoris, capital of the Galilee during long periods of antiquity. Both literary sources and archaeological finds indicate that the city’s population included pagans, heretics, and Christians living alongside the Jewish population. Many sages lived in the city, which, according to rabbinic literature, boasted numerous synagogues and academies (batei midrash). When Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi (the Patriarch of Judaea) moved to Sepphoris at the beginning of the 3rd century, the Jews gained a significant presence on the city council. With the growth of the Christian community came the construction of churches and the involvement of the episcopus (head of the Christian community) in municipal affairs. Economically, Sepphoris had become a well-established city due to the fertile soil in the nearby valleys and its active trade with the immediate surroundings and distant markets.Hellenistic Sepphoris was built on its hill and slopes. Early in t...
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The discovery of low stone tables at Magdala and a few other sites in the Galilee and Golan allows us to examine, for the first time, this liturgical piece of furniture used by several communities in the late Second Temple period and the... more
The discovery of low stone tables at Magdala and a few other sites in the Galilee and Golan allows us to examine, for the first time, this liturgical piece of furniture used by several communities in the late Second Temple period and the first centuries of the Common Era. This article defines the purpose of these stone tables based on analysis of the archaeological finds and examination of the literary sources associated with the Torah-reading ceremony conducted in the synagogues of ancient Palestine. The reading of the Torah throughout this long period was conducted standing with the open Torah scroll held in raised hands. Our study demonstrates that this table was not intended to be used for reading the Torah, but rather functioned as a low stand upon which the scroll was placed before the Torah-reading ceremony, during the breaks between the readers, and after completion of the ceremony.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-roman-archaeology
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-roman-archaeology
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Research Interests: Liturgical Studies, Second Temple Judaism, Hellenistic Judaism, Ancient Judaism, Synagogues, and 12 moreJewish Art History, Early Christian Liturgy, Liturgical Furnishing, Rabbinic Judaism, Galilee in early roman time, Jewish Liturgy, Galilee, ancient Synagogues, Jewish archaeology, History of Judaism In Antiquity, Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity, and Torah Reading
Research Interests: Late Antique Archaeology, Byzantine Archaeology, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Late Roman Archaeology, Ancient Mosaics, and 8 moreGraeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Ancient Judaism, Synagogues, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Byzantine Mosaics, Early Christian Mosaics, ancient Synagogues, and Judeo-Christian polemics
Stone vessels were used in Judaea and the Galilee from the second half of the 1st century B.C.E. until the 2nd century C.E., when it is widely accepted that they were phased out. This study focuses on the major types of chalkstone vessels... more
Stone vessels were used in Judaea and the Galilee from the second half of the 1st century B.C.E. until the 2nd century C.E., when it is widely accepted that they were phased out. This study focuses on the major types of chalkstone vessels uncovered in Roman Sepphoris, identifies the unique forms in the assemblage , and discusses the technological issues pertaining to their production. The findings presented in this study suggest that the stone vessels in the Galilee, unlike those in Judaea, did not disappear immediately but were found in layers associated with the Late Roman period (mid-2nd to 4th centuries), thus indicating their continual use. In tracing the sources of the chalkstone vessels, the geochemical analysis employed in this study shows that large numbers of vessels used by Sepphoreans were evidently produced in local quarries of the Lower Galilee.
Research Interests: Late Antique Archaeology, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Literature, Household Archaeology, Roman Palestine (Archaeology), and 14 moreSecond Temple Studies, Jewish Cultural Studies, Jewish Ritual Purity Law, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Stone Vessels, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Roman Judea, Jewish History, Early Rabbinic Literature, Rabbinic Judaism, Ritual Purity, Galilee in early roman time, High-resolution Geochemical Analysis, ARCHAEOLOGY AND APPLIED SCIENCE, Talmud and Rabbinics, and Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
Research Interests: Landscape Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Ancient Near East, Roman roads, and 15 moreRoman Economy, Urban archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, Ancient Agriculture & Farming (Archaeology), Roman burial practices, Roman Near East, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Ancient Water Technology, Roman Architecture and Urbanism, Roman Architecture, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Galilee in early roman time, Roman Necropolis, Roman Archaeology, and Ancient and Roman Roads
Research Interests: Late Roman Archaeology, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Roman houses, Meals in the Greco-Roman World, Roman Architecture and Urbanism, and 10 moreRoman Architecture, Roman Mosaics, Galilee in early roman time, Roman banquet, Ancient Judaism, Early Christianity, Hellenism, Roman Archaeology, Mediterranean Urban City Culture In the First Century Greco-Roman World, Greek and Roman Architecture; Public Space & Private Houses. Light In Atrium Houses, Talmudic Archaeology, and Roman Dining
Research Interests: Jewish Studies, Late Antiquity, Ancient numismatics (Archaeology), Rabbinic Literature, Roman Palestine (Archaeology), and 12 moreLate Antique Art and Archaeology, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Roman Near East, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Roman Architecture, Rabbinic Judaism, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Galilee in early roman time, ancient Synagogues, Byzantine history and archaeology, and Economic Decline in the Middle East
Research Interests: Near Eastern Archaeology, Urbanism, Late Roman Archaeology, Interplay between Archaeology and Rabbinic Sources, Roman Near East, and 11 moreLate Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Society of Jesus, Roman houses, Roman Architecture and Urbanism, Roman Architecture, Public and private spaces, Rabbinic Judaism, Galilee in early roman time, Roman Archaeology, Greek and Roman Housing, and Roman and Late Antique Archeology Huistory of Art
Research Interests: Late Antique Archaeology, Jewish - Christian Relations, Byzantine Archaeology, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, and 10 moreRoman Near East, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Jewish Art History, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Byzantine Mosaics, Rabbinic Judaism, Galilee in early roman time, Early Christian Mosaics, ancient Synagogues, and Jewish Epigraphy and Archaeology
This article represents a response to the excavation report by Seyer and Lotz. Weiss discusses the location of the Limyra building within the city as well as its building constructions and its raw materials. Weiss compares the Limyra... more
This article represents a response to the excavation report by Seyer and Lotz. Weiss discusses the location of the Limyra building within the city as well as its building constructions and its raw materials. Weiss compares the Limyra building with diaspora synagogues with regard to its architectural layout and orientation as well as with regard to the functionality of its excavated rooms and its water basin. Weiss discusses also the chancel screens with the menorah depic-tions and the date of structure in Limyra. As in other Diaspora synagogues, the location of the building, its construction on an earlier structure, the use of spolia, a water installation, and an ornate bima with a decorated chancel screen are the major elements supporting an argument for an identification of the Limyra building as a synagogue but only further excavations could warrant a clear identification.
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Research Interests: Late Antique Archaeology, Jewish - Christian Relations, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, and 7 moreLate Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Jewish Art History, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, Rabbinic Judaism, Galilee in early roman time, Research Medieval Judaism and Jewish Christian relations in Late Antiquity and Medieval age., and ancient Synagogues
Jewish life in the late Second Temple period is reflected in diverse material finds throughout Palestine and is generally characterized by a strict observance of Jewish precepts. The period following the destruction of the Second Temple,... more
Jewish life in the late Second Temple period is reflected in diverse material finds throughout Palestine and is generally characterized by a strict observance of Jewish precepts. The period following the destruction of the Second Temple, and especially the Bar-Kokhba revolt, was undoubtedly a watershed in the life of the Jewish people, unfolding a new era when borders shifted and were redefined owing to the new order of Roman authority, socioeconomic behavior, and Graeco-Roman culture. This shift is clearly visible in various types of material culture, including the architecture of private dwellings and public edifices, small artifacts for domestic use, art, language, and burial customs. While archaeology sheds light on the daily life and cultural behavior of the Jewish population in Roman and late antique Palestine, the Jewish literary sources, despite their limitations, also provide a glimpse into the realia of antiquity, rendering their interdisciplinary study necessary and promising for a comprehensive understanding of this era. Zeev Weiss
Research Interests: Classical Archaeology, Jewish Studies, Material Culture Studies, Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Death and Burial (Archaeology), and 14 moreLate Antique Art and Archaeology, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Archaeology of death and burial, Byzantine Mosaics, Jerusalem Archaeology, Jewish Art and Architecture, Galilee in early roman time, Roman Spectacle and Entertainment, Early Christian Mosaics, Galilee, ancient Synagogues, Jewish Epigraphy and Archaeology, and Roman and Late Antique Archeology Huistory of Art
Research Interests: Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Late Antique Archaeology, Jewish - Christian Relations, Late Antiquity, Ancient Mosaics, and 13 moreHebrew Bible and Ancient Near East, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Archaeology of churches, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Synagogues, Jewish Art History, Rabbinic Judaism, Galilee in early roman time, The Bible in Art and Literature, Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Early Byzantine Archaeology, ancient Synagogues, and Early Christian and Byzantine Iconography
Research Interests: Jewish Studies, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Late Antique Archaeology, Jewish - Christian Relations, Rabbinic Literature, and 12 moreLate Antique Art and Archaeology, Ancient Mosaics, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Ancient Judaism, Synagogues, Jewish Art History, Judeo-Christianity, Byzantine Mosaics, Rabbinic Judaism, Zodiac Signs, ancient Synagogues, and Late Antique and Byzantine Art and Archaeology, Mosaic pavements, Middle and Late Byzantine Painting
Research Interests: Theatre Studies, Spatial Analysis, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Roman Epigraphy, and 11 moreRoman Palestine (Archaeology), Ancient Greek and Roman Theatre, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Roman Temples, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Roman Architecture, Archaeology of Jordan, GRAECO-ROMAN RELIGIONS AND CULTS, Roman Judaea, Roman Archaeology, and History of the Theater
The paper discusses the opposition of the rabbis in late antique Palestine to Roman public spectacles and their intentional incorporation of references to the theater, hippodrome, and amphitheater, and their performances, into their... more
The paper discusses the opposition of the rabbis in late antique Palestine to Roman public spectacles and their intentional incorporation of references to the theater, hippodrome, and amphitheater, and their performances, into their sermons. By speaking about these very same issues in their sermons, the rabbis essentially, and perhaps deliberately, became actors in their own communal theater – the synagogue. Based on a careful reading of the literary sources, it is argued that with the ironic use of the same tools and props employed in the theater the rabbis not only sought to condemn public entertainment, including
theatrical performances, but also urged their communities to shun this leisure activity in favor of other “spectacles” more conducive and appropriate to the religious realm.
theatrical performances, but also urged their communities to shun this leisure activity in favor of other “spectacles” more conducive and appropriate to the religious realm.
Research Interests: Theatre Studies, Late Antique Archaeology, Early Christianity, Jewish - Christian Relations, Late Antiquity, and 13 moreRabbinic Literature, Late Antique Liturgy, Early Church Fathers, Arqueología romana / Roman archeology, Galilee in early roman time, Roman Judaea, Theater and Performance Studies, ancient Synagogues, Architecture and Public Spaces, Society of the Spectacle, Roman Archaeology, History of the Theater, and Socio-cultural Analysis of Theatrical Performances.
Modern-day scholars engage in the complementary study of rabbinic literature and material culture. Whereas the archaeologist occasionally illustrates the discussion of architectural remains, artistic representations, or small finds with... more
Modern-day scholars engage in the complementary study of rabbinic literature and material culture. Whereas the archaeologist occasionally illustrates the discussion of architectural remains, artistic representations, or small finds with the aid of random Talmudic texts, the Talmudist, for his part, attempts to explain words, terms, or ideas found in the literary sources with archaeological artifacts. As a result, this interdisciplinary approach seems artificial, and even detached, since each makes little effort to understand the broader context or contemporary socio-cultural setting of a specific find or tradition.
After addressing some methodological problems relating to each of these disciplines, with regard to both the nature of the subject matter as well the obstacles modern scholarship faces in their integration, this paper will broach the question of how Rabbinic sources are to be used in the analysis of material culture in Roman Palestine. We shall try to evaluate to what extent, if any, the rabbis’ discourses are reliable in reflecting their reality and if they are somehow akin to what is known today from the archaeological finds, or whether they were tailored to fit their academic discussion. To illustrate the main points of our paper and demonstrate the mutually fructifying advantage in the thorough study of both disciplines, the discussion will focus on public spectacles and competitions held in Roman Palestine through the presentation of relevant archaeological finds and literary sources. It will be shown that an extensive analysis of the literary sources can shed light on certain aspects that the archaeological finds cannot, whereas a wider appreciation of the available material culture enables us enhance our understanding of certain issues embedded in Rabbinic literature.
After addressing some methodological problems relating to each of these disciplines, with regard to both the nature of the subject matter as well the obstacles modern scholarship faces in their integration, this paper will broach the question of how Rabbinic sources are to be used in the analysis of material culture in Roman Palestine. We shall try to evaluate to what extent, if any, the rabbis’ discourses are reliable in reflecting their reality and if they are somehow akin to what is known today from the archaeological finds, or whether they were tailored to fit their academic discussion. To illustrate the main points of our paper and demonstrate the mutually fructifying advantage in the thorough study of both disciplines, the discussion will focus on public spectacles and competitions held in Roman Palestine through the presentation of relevant archaeological finds and literary sources. It will be shown that an extensive analysis of the literary sources can shed light on certain aspects that the archaeological finds cannot, whereas a wider appreciation of the available material culture enables us enhance our understanding of certain issues embedded in Rabbinic literature.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Late Antique Archaeology, Decapolis Archaeology, Byzantine Archaeology, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, and 6 moreLate Antique Religion, Roman Near East, Early Christianity, Late Antiquity, Roman Spectacle and Entertainment, Society of the Spectacle, and Roman and Early Byzantine Near East
In Hebrew with an English Abstract
Research Interests: Roman Palestine (Archaeology), Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Late Roman Archaeology, Ancient Mosaics, Roman Provincial Archaeology, and 7 moreLate Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Greek and Roman Art and Architecture, Byzantine Mosaics, Roman Mosaics, Galilee in early roman time, Roman Archaeology, and Mosaic Art
Research Interests:
... 390 zeev weiss of the city are known elsewhere in ancient Palestine, but the best paral ... according to Josephusto help the Sepphoreans who came before him at Ptolemais (Akko) by sending ... 33 For a discussion of the coins minted... more
... 390 zeev weiss of the city are known elsewhere in ancient Palestine, but the best paral ... according to Josephusto help the Sepphoreans who came before him at Ptolemais (Akko) by sending ... 33 For a discussion of the coins minted in Sepphoris, see Meshorer 1979, 15971, esp ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Roman Provincial Archaeology, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Second Temple Period, Roman Architecture, and 4 moreRoman Judea, Jewish History, Early Rabbinic Literature, Rabbinic Judaism, Galilee in early roman time, and Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The reign of Herod, the Builder-King, is characterized by large-scale construction that radically changed the face of ancient Palestine. He initiated, planned, and built many structures, including those befitting the ceremonious lifestyle... more
The reign of Herod, the Builder-King, is characterized by large-scale construction that radically changed the face of ancient Palestine. He initiated, planned, and built many structures, including those befitting the ceremonious lifestyle of his palaces as well as public edifices for the benefit of the urban inhabitants of his kingdom. Herod’s love of Graeco-Roman culture, together with his desire to incorporate his kingdom into the Roman Empire politically, socially, and culturally, led him to establish games and construct buildings for mass entertainment that would house the various types of competitions, races, performances, and shows for the public. By introducing such buildings and holding competitions within the confines of his kingdom, both in the cities and on the grounds of his palaces, Herod revolutionized the cultural leisure patterns in ancient Palestine for many generations to come.
A variety of competitions and performances were held for the first time in a festival Herod founded in Jerusalem in honor of the emperor Augustus in 28 BCE. Described in detail by Flavius Josephus, they were conducted in the theater and large amphitheater the king built in the city. Except for several stone seats belonging to a Herodian or Hadrianic theater that once stood in Jerusalem, neither a theater nor an amphitheater has yet been discovered in the city. Opinions vary as to where, if at all, they may have stood. The absence of archaeological evidence places doubt on the credibility of the literary testimony, leaving us in the dark as to whether these structures actually existed. The paper focuses on Flavius Josephus’s testimony and attempts to define the shape, nature, and character of the buildings Herod constructed in Jerusalem in light of additional evidence from Herodian Palestine and abroad. Based on an analysis of known Herodian buildings and a comparative reading of Josephus’s War and Antiquities, it is argued that Herod’s theater and “amphitheater” in Jerusalem, like his other endeavors, were monumentally constructed out of stone, and not of wood, as suggested by some scholars.
A variety of competitions and performances were held for the first time in a festival Herod founded in Jerusalem in honor of the emperor Augustus in 28 BCE. Described in detail by Flavius Josephus, they were conducted in the theater and large amphitheater the king built in the city. Except for several stone seats belonging to a Herodian or Hadrianic theater that once stood in Jerusalem, neither a theater nor an amphitheater has yet been discovered in the city. Opinions vary as to where, if at all, they may have stood. The absence of archaeological evidence places doubt on the credibility of the literary testimony, leaving us in the dark as to whether these structures actually existed. The paper focuses on Flavius Josephus’s testimony and attempts to define the shape, nature, and character of the buildings Herod constructed in Jerusalem in light of additional evidence from Herodian Palestine and abroad. Based on an analysis of known Herodian buildings and a comparative reading of Josephus’s War and Antiquities, it is argued that Herod’s theater and “amphitheater” in Jerusalem, like his other endeavors, were monumentally constructed out of stone, and not of wood, as suggested by some scholars.
Research Interests:
In the heart of the Lower Galilee, 5 kilometers west of Nazareth, lie the remains of Sepphoris, longtime capital of the Galilee in antiquity. Hellenistic Sepphoris had a rural appearance. Its newly acquired status as a polis, replete with... more
In the heart of the Lower Galilee, 5 kilometers west of Nazareth, lie the remains of Sepphoris, longtime capital of the Galilee in antiquity. Hellenistic Sepphoris had a rural appearance. Its newly acquired status as a polis, replete with typical Roman-style civic buildings and institutions, changed the face of this Galilean city after the Great Revolt against Rome and later. Owing to its newfound wealth and prosperous economy, Sepphoris grew significantly, with a population that peaked at 15 to 20 thousand inhabitants. By the end of the first or early second century, the city expanded its boundaries and boasted public buildings and private dwellings that followed Roman guidelines. Sepphoris retained this layout throughout late antiquity, however in the course of the seventh century, when its magnificent buildings were destroyed and abandoned and its population waned, the city dwindled to a small town or large village.
The wealth of evidence emerging from Sepphoris, one of the major Galilean settlements that nurtured the creation of part of the rabbinic literary corpus, illustrates the glorious past of this large and prosperous city that housed a mosaic of cultures. The wide spectrum of its architectural features, artistic expressions, and small finds, combined with the information culled from epigraphic and literary sources, afford abundant insights into the relationship between Jewish society and Graeco-Roman culture and how the local population conducted its affairs in a period of transition and change—from Rome to Byzantium and from paganism to Christianity. Consequently, major concerns raised only a decade or two ago regarding the nature of the Galilean city have now given way to in-depth discussions not only about Sepphoris and its population, but also about urbanism, art, and architecture in ancient Palestine.
The wealth of evidence emerging from Sepphoris, one of the major Galilean settlements that nurtured the creation of part of the rabbinic literary corpus, illustrates the glorious past of this large and prosperous city that housed a mosaic of cultures. The wide spectrum of its architectural features, artistic expressions, and small finds, combined with the information culled from epigraphic and literary sources, afford abundant insights into the relationship between Jewish society and Graeco-Roman culture and how the local population conducted its affairs in a period of transition and change—from Rome to Byzantium and from paganism to Christianity. Consequently, major concerns raised only a decade or two ago regarding the nature of the Galilean city have now given way to in-depth discussions not only about Sepphoris and its population, but also about urbanism, art, and architecture in ancient Palestine.