The Hunt for Ancient Israel - Essays in Honour of Diana V. Edelman - Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
Putting One's House in Order: Household Archaeology at Tell Halif, Israel
The Hunt for Ancient Israel - Essays in Honour of Diana V. Edelman - Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
Cynthia Shafer-Elliott [+]
Baylor University
Description
The recent excavations at Tell Halif utilized household archaeology in order to focus on its Iron 2B dwellings; as a result, Halif is uniquely placed to help archaeologists and biblical scholars alike to better understand the cultural context of ancient Israel/Judah. In order to better understand daily life, our focus must shift from the monumental places (like palaces and temples) to the common stage where daily life occurred - the home. In this paper, a detailed analysis of Halif’s most recently excavated house (aka the A8 house), will be presented followed by a preliminary investigation into its position in the “neighborhood.” The focus of household archaeology and its methodology of spatial analysis will be employed to better understand the daily activities of this Iron 2B Judahite household.