Identifying Biblical Persons In Northwest Semitic Inscriptions Of 1200 - 539 B.c.e.

Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 15
Abbreviations......Page 17
Symbols and Chronological Conventions......Page 19
Figures......Page 21
Introduction: Background and Statement of Thesis......Page 23
Part 1: An Identification System......Page 29
1.1  Three approaches which call for an identification system......Page 31
1.3 Definitions......Page 32
1.4  Underlying factors in the process of identification......Page 33
1.5  Ancient Near Eastern ways of identifying an individual......Page 34
1.6 Prosopography......Page 35
1.7  Survey of the literature, first of two parts......Page 37
1.8  Methodology for choosing criteria......Page 40
1.9  Instructive misidentification number one: the seal of "Jotham"......Page 41
1.10  Instructive misidentification number two: the seal impressions of  Eliakim, steward of "Jehoiachin"......Page 45
1.11  The criteria not met by these two misidentifications......Page 48
1.12  Avigad's criteria......Page 49
1.13  Survey of the literature, second of two parts......Page 51
1.14  Foundational data for making identifications......Page 53
1.16  Rationale for a way of evaluating identifications that is more  refined and more complete than Avigad's......Page 56
1.17  Principles for measuring the strength of identifications......Page 59
1.18  The three main diagnostic questions about potential identifications......Page 60
1.22  Criterion 2, provenance of the inscription......Page 62
1.23  Criterion 3, how the matter of the inscription's authenticity  has been or should be regarded......Page 63
1.25  Criterion 4, the date of the person......Page 65
1.26  Criterion 5, the identity of the language of the inscription......Page 67
1.27  Criterion 6, the socio-political classification of the inscription......Page 69
1.29  Criterion 7, the name of person in the inscription......Page 71
1.30  Criterion 8, family and other interpersonal relations......Page 72
1.31  Criterion 9, title information......Page 74
1.32  Criterion 10, other identifying information (marks of the individual)......Page 75
1.33  Criterion 11, identification on grounds of singularity......Page 76
1.34  Summary and Limitation......Page 78
2.2 Grade S identifications, including SI and SB: certain......Page 79
2.3  Grade 3 identifications: virtually certain to reliable......Page 89
2.4  Grade 2 identifications: reasonable but uncertain......Page 95
2.5  Grade 1 identifications: doubtful......Page 99
2.6  Grade 0 (zero) non-identifications: without any clear basis......Page 101
2.7  Grade D non-identifications: disqualified......Page 104
2.8  The place of explanatory hypotheses in evaluation......Page 106
2.10  Potential circularity in the interpretation of inscriptional data......Page 107
2.12  The procedure of evaluation......Page 108
2.13  An example of the anti-circular identification system: Is the biblical Hoshea, king of Israel, named in the seal of Abdi?......Page 109
Part 2: Application of the Identification System to Hebrew Inscriptions and Two Stelae from before the Persian Era Published before October......Page 113
3.1  The scope and possible evidential value of potential identifications  evaluated in Chapters 3 and 4......Page 115
3.3  Is the biblical Mesha, king of Moab, named in the Mesha  Inscription?......Page 117
3.4  Is the biblical Omri, king of Israel, named in the Mesha  Inscription?......Page 130
3.5  Is the biblical King David named in the Tel Dan stele?......Page 132
3.6  Is the biblical Jeroboam II, king of Israel, named in the Megiddo  seal of Shema, the minister of Jeroboam?......Page 155
3.7  Is the biblical Shaphan the scribe, father of Gemariah, named in  the city of David bulla of Gemaryahu?......Page 161
3.8  Is the biblical Gemariah, son of Shaphan the scribe, named in the  city of David bulla of Gemaryahu?......Page 169
3.9  Is the biblical Hilkiah the high priest, father of Azariah, named in   the city of David bulla of Azaryahu?......Page 170
3.10  Is the biblical Azariah, son of Hilkiah the high priest, named in  the city of David bulla of Azaryahu?......Page 173
4.2  Is the biblical Uzziah, king of Judah, named in the seal of Abiyaw?......Page 175
4.3  Is the biblical Uzziah, king of Judah, named in the seal of  Shubnayaw?......Page 181
4.4  Is the biblical Ahaz, king of Judah, named in the seal of Ushna?......Page 185
4.6  Is the biblical Hezekiah, king of Judah, named in the bulla of  Yehozarah?......Page 191
4.7  Is the biblical Hilkiah, the high priest, named in the seal ring of  Hanan?......Page 199
4.8  Is the biblical Baruch the scribe named in the bullae of Berekyahu?......Page 210
4.9  Is the biblical Neriah, father of Baruch, named in the bullae of  Berekyahu?......Page 211
4.10  Is the biblical Jerahmeel, the king's son, named in the bulla of  Yerahme'el?......Page 213
5.1  Tabulation of identifications of individuals......Page 219
5.3  Conclusions as they would be developed if unprovenanced  inscriptions were demonstrated to be authentic......Page 222
5.4  Nine biblical episodes which include more than one individual  identified or conditionally identifiable in an inscription......Page 223
5.5  Promising directions for further investigation......Page 227
Appendix A: The Significance of the Title 'Ebed in Northwest Semitic  Seals and Seal Impressions......Page 229
Appendix B: Evaluations of Potential Identifications in Socio-Political, then Chronological Order, Updated through July 2002......Page 233
Appendix C: The Corpus and the Remainder: Evaluations of Potential Identifications in Descending Order of Strength, Updated through July 2002......Page 266
Appendix D: Index of Biblical Persons in Appendixes B and C......Page 284
Appendix E: Is the Biblical King David Named in the Mesha Inscription?......Page 287
Appendix F: Numerical Tabulation of Identifications in Appendixes B and C by Grade......Page 300
Bibliography, Updated through July 2002......Page 309
Index of Modern Authors and Editors......Page 341