Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Banyai Michael" <banyai AT t-online.de>]

Ian Hutchesson wrote:

> >How are the links between Lachish and Israel determined,
> >or between any town you mentioned and Israel?
> >How do you recognize links between towns?
>
> By similarities in architecture. The logic and structure of the outer
> gateworks is quite similar to a number of Israelite cities including
> Megiddo. The six-chambered structure that makes up the inner gate there is
> found in such places as Megiddo, Hazor and Gezer.
>
> Within gate areas in a number of cities or towns one finds "low plastered
> stone benches" ranging from Dan to Kuntillat Ajrud.

There is no necessity in your hypothesis. One could assume as well for
example, the six chambered gate would be a Judean typology (try to
demonstrate the contrary) originating from some Jerusalemite city gates
(do you know how the 9-th century BC gates of Jerusalem looked like?),
which expanded northwards. You should demonstrate, unto to invalidate
this, at least following two points:
1. there is a chain of Judean fortresses at the westborder, opposing the
Israelite ruled fortress at Gezer and so on along the Shephelah. Secondly,
that this chain of "Judean" fortresses doesen´t display the same gate
typology.

One could assume as well that the northern and southern examples had some
common forerunners in the 10-th century. What do we know? On the
assumption of the preexistence of a united monarchy, would it be no
wonder. To exclude this, you should have made an exhaustive study of the
10-th century gates in Palestine, in first line to be able to make any
kind of statement about the gates of Jerusalem in the 10-th century BC.

So on... I wish you great luck.
  

> >The pottery in early levels of Lachish, level IV for example,
> >match early pottery at Arad. Does it match Israelian
> >pottery as well? Would you expect trade to be greater among
> >Judaean cities, if there was a Judea, and identical to that
> >with Israelian cities if there was no Judah? Is there only trade,
> >what else?
>
> One usually expects trade to represent local conditions, a town will trade
> with those towns in the same area, but I haven't had the opportunity to look
> into the implications of any indications of trade as yet, so ultimately I
> can't give an informed opinion regarding the tangible evidence.
>
> However, I wouldn't like to argue that a town known as "Arad of the house of
> Yeroham" (in the campaign inscription of Sheshonq I at Karnak, 10th century)
> was necessarily related to some organisation you might want to call "Judaean
> cities".

Well, you are first time admiting not to know something. Is this something
so unimportant for the functioning of your argumentation?

Cheers,

Bányai Michael