There is a common perception that the Muslim conquest of Palestine in the seventh century caused a decline in the number and prosperity of settlements throughout the country. The role played by archaeology in perpetuating this view, claims Magness, is particularly insidious, because it is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as providing &;scientific&; (and therefore &;objective&;) data. Thus, archaeological evidence is frequently cited by scholars as proof or confirmation that Palestine declined after the Muslim conquest, and especially after the rise of the Abbasids in the mid-eighth century. Instead, Magness argues that the archaeological evidence, freed insofar as possible of political and/or religious biases, supports the idea that Palestine and Syria experienced a tremendous growth in population and prosperity between the mid-sixth and mid-seventh centuries. Such a radical shift in the interpretation of the evidence guarantees that this volume will be a benchmark with which future interpretations must reckon.
The book includes a CD with map and key, which provides additional information regarding the sites studied and the area examined.
Preface
Chapter
1. Introduction
The Models for the Israelite and Muslim Conquests
Why Yattir?
Problems of Survey Methodology
Chapter
2. Map of Nahal Yattir: The Survey Sites 9
Tel Ira
The Nestorian Monastery at Tel Masos
Har Beriah
Continuation of Sites in Govrins Survey Map of Nahal Yattir
Clusterings of Sites
Conclusion
Chapter
3. Settlement Processes and Patterns of Land Use
The Landscape, Climate, and Natural Resources of the Yattir Region
The Modern Bedouin of the Yattir Region
Pastoralists and Agriculturalists
The Yattir Region during the Ottoman Turkish Period
The Model of the Ottoman Period Cyclades
Dry Farming Techniques in the Yattir Region and the Negev
Agriculture in the Nessana Papyri
Installations for Wine, Oil, and Cereal Production
Chapter
4. The Darom (South)
Horvat Maon
Horvat Rimmon (Eremmon)
Horvat (or Khirbet) Susiya
Eshtamoa
Horvat Anim
Khirbet Yattir
Beth Guvrin (Eleutheropolis)
Beit Loya
Horvat Berachot
Chapter
5. The Limes in Southeastern Judea
Ein Boqeq
Upper Zohar
The Eastern Mount Hebron Sites
The Sites Surveyed by Hirschfeld
Hirschfelds Chronology and Interpretation of the Eastern Mount Hebron Sites
New Evidence for the Chronology and Function of the Eastern Mount Hebron
Sites
Conclusion
Chapter
6. The Central Negev
The Geography of the Negev
The Distribution of Negev Farms and Campsites
The Date of the Negev Farms: Haimans Interpretation
The Date of the Negev Farms: Avnis Interpretation
Haiman or Avni: Who Is Correct?
Sde Boqer
Other Mosques in the Northern and Central Negev
The Farm and Mosque at Nahal Laana
Map of Har Nafha (196)
Sites with Illustrated and Chronologically Diagnostic Pottery
Nahal Mitnan
Map of Har HamranSouthwest (198)
Map of Har HamranSoutheast (199)
Map of Mizpe RamonSouthwest (200)
Map of Har Ramon (203)
Map of Makhtesh Ramon (204)
Sites with Illustrated, Chronologically Diagnostic Pottery
Nahal Oded and Har Oded
The Pottery from Nahal Oded and Har Oded
Other Finds
Map of Har SaggiNortheast (225)
Other Sites with Illustrated, Chronologically Diagnostic Pottery
The Northern ºArabah: Nahal Shahaq
Chapter
7. The Northwest Negev
Map of Urim (125)
Sites with Illustrated, Chronologically Diagnostic Pottery
Excavated Sites in the Northern Negev
The Northwest Negev
Beer-sheva
Chapter
8. The Negev Towns
Nessana
Colts Chronology
The Pottery from the Colt Excavations
Urmans Excavations at Nessana
Shivta
Avdat
Mamshit
Halutza
Rehovot-in-the-Negev
Conclusion
Chapter
9. Did SyriaPalestine Decline in the MidSixth Century?
The Northern Syrian Villages: Dehes
House I: Buildings 101, 102, 103
House II: Buildings 104, 108
House III: Buildings 105, 106, 107
The Excavators Conclusions
My Conclusions
Antioch
Caesarea Maritima
Summary
Chapter
10. Conclusion
Works Cited
Indexes
Index of Authors
Index of Sites
