Being Jewish in Galilee, 100-200 CE: An Archaeological Study (Studies in Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology) by Rick Bonnie

The period of 100-200 CE was a lively one in the history of Galilee, northern Israel--one leaving a considerable mark upon Jewish history in general. The destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, as well as the failures of the two revolts, led to Galilee becoming the heartland of Jewish settlement in Palestine. Reconstructions of Galilee's Jewish society during this period have been primarily informed, however, by a late, retrospective voice--the rabbinic writings. This obviously brings with it certain limitations, not least of which is reliability. A new source from which to understand the period in question is therefore desirable.



Being Jewish in Galilee, 100-200 CE provides the first in-depth archaeological study of Galilean Jewish society in the period concerned. It compares evidence of infrastructure, art, architecture, and ritual practices with earlier Galilee and contextualizes it in the broader culture of the Roman East. Set within debates of cultural interaction in the Roman East in general, the book offers an archaeological understanding of what 'being Jewish' meant to the Jewish communities in Galilee during this period, and the ways these communities differed from their Phoenician, Syrian and Arab neighbours.