New Cultic Shrine And Objects Discovered

[volgadon]

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early+History+-+Archaeology/Cultic_shrines_time_King_David_8-May-2012.htm

I can't state strongly enough just how significant this find is. It will deepen our understanding of biblical cultic practice, perhaps even overturn some of our current knowledge.

"Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, the Yigal Yadin Professor of Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, announced the discovery of objects that for the first time shed light on how a cult was organized in Judah at the time of King David. During recent archaeological excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, a fortified city in Judah adjacent to the Valley of Elah, Garfinkel and colleagues uncovered rich assemblages of pottery, stone and metal tools, and many art and cult objects. These include three large rooms that served as cultic shrines, which in their architecture and finds correspond to the biblical description of a cult at the time of King David.

This discovery is extraordinary as it is the first time that shrines from the time of early biblical kings were uncovered. Because these shrines pre-date the construction of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem by 30 to 40 years, they provide the first physical evidence of a cult in the time of King David, with significant implications for the fields of archaeology, history, biblical and religion studies."

Excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa (Photo: Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

Prof. Yosef Garfinkel with a stone shrine model found at Khirbet Qeiyafa (Photo: Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

[blackstrap]

Please humor me and give a definition of biblical cultic practice.Was there any connection to 'high places' or 'groves' ?

[volgadon]

Please humor me and give a definition of biblical cultic practice.

Any cultic practice of people and times written about in the Hebrew Bible.

Was there any connection to 'high places' or 'groves' ?

Possibly, but I don't know yet if this specific site has any connection to 'high places' or 'groves.'

[Garden Girl]

Sorry Volgadon...

I'm unclear... can you give an example of a "cultic practice"... I know you said any cultic practice by people and times written about in the Hebrew bible. But will you give an example of such a practice.

Thanks...

GG

[volgadon]

Sorry Volgadon...

I'm unclear... can you give an example of a "cultic practice"... I know you said any cultic practice by people and times written about in the Hebrew bible. But will you give an example of such a practice.

Thanks...

GG

Maybe I'm missing something, I thought cultic practice was fairly self-explanatory, but here is one example: sacrifice.

[blackstrap]

I suppose the modern definition of cult keeps messing with my mind.Cults seem to be out of the mainstream religious practice of the day.If the mainstream was the worship of Jehovah ,with prophets etc. ,were the cults just offshoots or were they Baal or goddess worshippers or fertility rites or what ever? The idea of a shrine hints at idols. Any help will be appreciated.

[mapman]

When Biblical scholars talk about things being "cultic" it just means any practice related to religion or the supernatural. It doesn't have anything to do with the popular usage.

Thanks Volgadon, this is very interesting. I found some more photos of the site here: http://lukechandler....qeiyafa-photos/ and here: http://lukechandler.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/new-finds-from-khirbet-qeiyafa-may-clarify-bible-text-temple-architecture/

Edited May 9, 2012 by mapman

[Storm Rider]

This would be a good time for everyone to look up the definition. The term cultic has nothing to do with the term cult as is used today by so many friends of the LDS Church.

[blackstrap]

Thanks,mapman,for the clarification and the links.

[DavidC]

To me, I think the question is whether these shrines belonged to true believers or apostates. I think the answer is that we don't know how true believers worshipped in that time period, so we don't know. So we take a long time to study these things with interest to see what we can learn.

[volgadon]

blackstrap, on 09 May 2012 - 07:39 AM, said:

I suppose the modern definition of cult keeps messing with my mind.Cults seem to be out of the mainstream religious practice of the day.If the mainstream was the worship of Jehovah ,with prophets etc. ,were the cults just offshoots or were they Baal or goddess worshippers or fertility rites or what ever? The idea of a shrine hints at idols. Any help will be appreciated.

Now I see where the confusion came from. As mapman said, cultic refers to religious practices. In a technical sense it has non of the perjorative found in popular usage.

[volgadon]

I found some more photos of the site here: http://lukechandler....qeiyafa-photos/ and here: http://lukechandler....e-architecture/

Awesome, thanks!

[Calm]

An English article was sent to BASOR (Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research) but it was reportedly rejected because the reviewer stated that an aniconic cult (religion with no icons/images) is not possible for that period. We will see how things develop as more data comes in.

From the first link

[volgadon]

From the first link

The beauty of peer review!

[Ron Beron]

http://www.mfa.gov.i..._8-May-2012.htm

I can't state strongly enough just how significant this find is. It will deepen our understanding of biblical cultic practice, perhaps even overturn some of our current knowledge.

"Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, the Yigal Yadin Professor of Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, announced the discovery of objects that for the first time shed light on how a cult was organized in Judah at the time of King David. During recent archaeological excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, a fortified city in Judah adjacent to the Valley of Elah, Garfinkel and colleagues uncovered rich assemblages of pottery, stone and metal tools, and many art and cult objects. These include three large rooms that served as cultic shrines, which in their architecture and finds correspond to the biblical description of a cult at the time of King David.

This discovery is extraordinary as it is the first time that shrines from the time of early biblical kings were uncovered. Because these shrines pre-date the construction of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem by 30 to 40 years, they provide the first physical evidence of a cult in the time of King David, with significant implications for the fields of archaeology, history, biblical and religion studies."

Excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa (Photo: Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

[url=""%5D%5B/url%5D

Prof. Yosef Garfinkel with a stone shrine model found at Khirbet Qeiyafa (Photo: Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

It's fascinating to see how the true fabric of worship in ancient Israel is starting to reveal itself beyond the innuendo.

[volgadon]

It's fascinating to see how the true fabric of worship in ancient Israel is starting to reveal itself beyond the innuendo.

At this point it is too early to say, but I get the feeling that Margaret Barker's theories regarding the Deuteronomists might need to be softened.

[Calm]

At this point it is too early to say, but I get the feeling that Margaret Barker's theories regarding the Deuteronomists might need to be softened.

Meaning....?

[volgadon]

Meaning....?

Meaning it will be interesting to compare this early shrine to elements of the later reforms. I suspect that many of the reforms had older roots, so the evidence should be interesting.

Edited May 10, 2012 by volgadon

[volgadon]

Some dissenting views. http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2012_05_06_archive.html#9108487731347521427